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Since George B. Fleece has
no biography in the National Archives, below is my biography of the
man.
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George Berry Fleece was born in
Danville, Kentucky in about 1828. He has not been found in the 1860
Census, but an early post-war letter shows that he was married and
he and his wife owned property in Clarksville and Memphis and a
plantation in Mississippi. He was twice married, to Agnes
DeGraffentied (b1830-1880) and then to Matilida
Tunis (b1854-1900). He had no children. He was the Chief
Engineer and Superintendent during the construction and opening year
of the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville RR and in the years after
the war. He lived in Memphis most of his life, working as a Civil
Engineer and was reputed to be one of the most famous railroad
builders in the South. Two obituaries claim he was employed as
Engineer and General Manager of the Louisville & Nashville RR, both
before and after the war; I have found no evidence of such
employment. A third obituary states that he was a member of the bar
in Kentucky. He died in July, 1899 in Danville. |
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With the Louisville & Nashville
RR being fought over by the Confederates in Nashville and the Union
men in Louisville, Gen. Buckner appointed Fleece to run the Bowling
Green Branch (known as the Memphis Branch RR) in conjunction with
Fleece's own Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville RR. This arrangement
lasted until the local stockholders organized a rump company to run
the road. Fleece departed the area on February 15, 1862, the day
before the surrender of Ft. Donaldson, and returned to Memphis. He
soon moved to his plantation in Mississippi, but headed east, to
Macon, when soldiers from the Mississippi River made life impossible
on the plantation. He remained in the Macon area until the war was
over. |
| October ?, 1861 |
Was appointed by Gen. Buckner to run the Memphis
Branch RR
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| December 23, 1861 |
The acting Manager of the Confederate Portion of
the Louisville & Nashville RR reports on the condition of the Road
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| January 2, 1862 |
Stated the required load and the capacity of the
Bowling Green railroads
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| January 7, 1862 |
Maj. Stevenson acknowledges being reassigned
control of the Confederate Portion of the Louisville & Nashville RR
and his intention to retain Fleece
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| January 10, 1862 |
It is reported that Gen. Johnston has appointed
him Superintendent of the Bowling Green to Nashville part of the
Louisville & Nashville RR and continued him in charge of the Memphis
Branch RR of the Louisville & Nashville RR
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| February 6, 1862 |
Memphis Branch RR stockholders request control
of the RR and intend to retain Fleece as Superintendent and Gen.
Johnston agrees to the transfer of control
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| February 16, 1862 |
Leaves Clarksville for Memphis
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| Between March and
December, 1862 |
Moves his family and possessions to his
plantation in Mississippi, then moves to Macon
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| December 16, 1862 |
Hires out 8 slaves to the C. S. Central
Laboratory in Macon
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| August 12, 1863 |
Paid for 4,700 pounds of his sugar impressed
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| November 7, 1863 |
Sells milk to the Government hospital in Macon
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| December 23, 1863 |
Hires out 5 slaves to the C. S. Central
Laboratory in Macon
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| January 22, 1864 |
Writes letter that is forwarded to the Secretary
of War recommending measures to improve transportation in the
western states
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| August ?, 1864 |
Paid for the impressment of one of his slaves
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| January 22, 1866 |
Returned to Clarksville. Detailed his war career
in an attempt to reclaim his house from the Freedman's Bureau.
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