One of the more interesting characters that I have come
across in my genealogy research is Adamson Tannehill. According to my genealogy program, he is my 1st
cousin, 6 times removed. Adamson was born to John Tannehill and Rachel Adamson
on 23 May 1750 in Frederick Co., MD. He
married Agnes Morgan b. 1750 and they had no children. Adamson died on 23 Dec 1820 in Pittsburgh,
Allegheny Co., PA. He left no
descendants, but he did live an interesting life.
Adamson lived most of his life in the Pittsburgh, PA
area. He joined the Continental Army in
1776 and quickly moved up the ranks. He
ended up acting as one of General George Washington’s most trusted Lieutenant’s. It is said that General Washington gave a
ring to his sister to remember him to the family. There is more information about him and his
military service on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adamson_Tannehill
. You can even find copies of his
handwriting in George Washington’s papers that have been digitized online.
Adamson led a full life both during his military service and
afterwards. He ended his career as a
Brigadier General in the military. He
worked as Justice of the Peace, served on the board of Directors for the Bank
of Pennsylvania and returned to military service as a Major General during the
War of 1812. During his time as Justice of
the Peace, he was accused of a crime that was later overturned; Adamson
believed his reputation had been attacked.
He was elected to the 13th Congress of the United States but
failed to win reelection in 1814.
All this is quite interesting…but in James B. Tannehill’s
book on the Tannehill family (Genealogical History of the Tannahills,
Tannehills and Taneyhills) he quotes an epitaph that has disappeared from
memory and his gravestone. When he died
in 1820 he left this in his will:
In
the name of God, amen. I, Adam Tannehill
of Grove Hill, Allegheny County, Pa., do make and declare this instrument of
writing, which is written by myself when in a full and correct state of mind,
and each page signed with my signature, to be my last will and testament. From the course of nature added to the belief
that I am to die, and unwilling to give those who survive me the least possible
trouble respecting my worldly affairs, I only desire that my body should be
buried in a decent manner at my allotted graveyard at Grove Hill; that all my
just debts be paid by my wife, which are few, and the expenses that may accrue
at my burial. After this is completed,
it is my will that my wife, Agnes M. Tannehill, shall inherit all my estate,
real and personal and mixed. in making
my will, I do not calculate on pleasing every expectant; my great and principal
object is to please myself. I have but
little to give, or it would be attended with the greater difficulty in mincing
it among all who might expect a little of the little. In a former will I had directed two busts to
be executed and placed in the Court House in Pittsburgh to two of the most
unprincipled scoundrels who ever appeared before a court of justice, one of
them A. Tannehill is dead in reality and the other is dead to all feelings of
moral principle. I now decline a
continuation and direct it to be applied to a tombstone and epitaph for myself
as directed,
Adamson Tannehill was born the 23rd of May, 1750. He served
his country as an officer during the American Revolution with the confidence of
his superiors, and honor to himself but, in the year 1798, his character was
assailed unjustly by the slanders of unprincipled men and the violence of
party.
He left this world with a hope for the better,
Farewell vain world, I'e seen enough of thee
And am now careless of what thou sayeth of me;
Thy smiles I court not nor thy powers do fear.
My cares are past, my head lies quiet here.
What faults you find in me, take care to show,
And look at home, enough there's to be done;
False swearing and vile slander can't reach me here---
Of each, when living, I had my shared
Adamson Tannehill
I always wanted to see a copy of this epitaph…This was a man
who carried a grudge to the very end and directed that the accusation be placed
on his gravestone. He was originally
buried at the First Presbyterian Church but was later moved in the Allegheny
Cemetery in Pittsburgh in 1849. I have
no idea if his original gravestone had the epitaph, but I had hopes. When friend searched out his gravestone for
me, I was disappointed to see that the epitaph was not there. If you are interested in looking at a photo
go to http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12760636
and you can see the picture of the actual stone
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