Francis M. McRee.

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Francis M. McRee. 

Birth: Aug. 29, 1844, Boonshill, Lincoln County, Tennessee.
Death: Jan. 5, 1928, Union City, Obion County, Tennessee.

Wife: Minnie Crockett McRee (1847 - 1917).

Children: Florena McRee Marshall (1870 - 1948), John Culbert McRee (1876 - 1958).

Burial: East View Cemetery, Union City, Obion County, Tennessee.

Second Tennessee Cavalry, Regimental History.

F M. McRee. son of John H. and Francis M. McRee, was born on the 29th of August, 1844, in Lincoln County, Tennessee. His father removed to Obion County, West Tennessee, in November, 1849. where the subject of this sketch labored on the farm and attended the ordinary country schools until in his seventeenth year. On the l0th of April, 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate service in Captain J- W Buford's company of infantry, which, on the 22nd of May, became Company H of the Ninth Tennessee Regiment, commanded by Colonel H. L. Douglass.

After serving as private in said regiment about fourteen months he was discharged at Tupelo, Mississippi, on account of his being under conscript age. He then returned to his father's in Obion County, Tennessee, where, in the summer of 1863, he aided in raising a company of cavalry, which, after doing some service in that section of country, went south with General Forrest in December, 1863, and upon organization O. B. Farris was made captain and F M. McRee second lieutenant of this company, which, in March, 1864, became Company K of the Second Tennessee Cavalry On the 1 St of June following McRee was promoted to first lieutenant, which rank he held to the close of the war.

 On the 13th of July he was so shocked by the concussion of a shell that he was taken from the field to the hospital, but on learning the next day that Captain Farris was wounded. Lieutenant McRee rejoined his company, contrary to the advice of his surgeon, and was in command of it during the last day's fighting around Harrisburg, Mississippi, on the 15th. He was in command of Company K when it was detached from the Second Tennessee and took part in front during the action at Brice's Cross Roads. When the Federals began to retreat he very gallantly led his company against their rear, capturing a whole company of negroes.

Lieutenant McRee was in command of Company K during For- rest's Middle Tennessee expedition; in fact, he was in command of his company a good portion of the time, because Captain Farris was so frequently on detached service. During the Hood Campaign in December, 1864, the lieutenant commanded the advance guard from Shoal Creek, Alabama, to Franklin, Tennessee, and on the 17th of December, after a gallant defense, a hand-to-hand struggle, he was captured at Hollow Tree Gap, five miles north of Franklin, on the Hood retreat, and was severely wounded in the right shoulder by a drunken coward after he had surrendered. After remaining at a private house for thirteen days, where he was kindly treated by the family, Lieutenant McRee was taken to Nashville, and from there to Fort Delaware. Here and at Nashville the Federal surgeons made an attempt to extract the ball, but were not successful. The ball is in his shoulder yet.

Having been exchanged, he arrived at Richmond, Virginia, about February 14th, 1865, where he obtained a furlough for sixty days. Setting out from that place March 4th he found his command at West Point, Mississippi, about the last of the month. He had the promise of a position on General Bell's staff as soon as his furlough was out. After remaining in Mississippi awhile he went home, reaching there in April. As the war was now winding to a close, Lieutenant McRee did not do any more service, but went to work on the farm. In 1872 he began the study of medicine under Doctor C. P Glover. For two years he did farm labor during the day and read at night; but the next three years he put in his time (in reading) more closely. In 1877 he entered the medical department of Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tennessee, where he graduated in the spring of 1879 year is now (1887) a practicing physician in Obion County, Tennessee.

He married Miss Minnie Crockett on the 13th of November, 1867. They have one son (John C.) living, and one (Hurtle M.) dead, and four daughters (Florenia B., Emma T., Hattie D., and Maggie Lee) all living. Like the most of the Confederates, Dr. McRee came out of the army penniless, though his taxes in 1886 were eighty dollars and fifty- four cents.