Nathaniel Erwin⁹ Carman (Tennessee⁸, William⁷, John⁶, John⁵, Caleb⁴, John³, Caleb², John¹) was born 15 September 1846 in McNairy County, Tennessee, died 5 January 1921 in Hardin County, Tennessee and is buried in the Russell Chapel Cemetery at Cerro Gordo, Tennessee.  He married in the 1867 in Hardin County, Tennessee, Margaret Isabel Pickens, born 27 October 1845 in Hardin County, Tennessee, died 10 March 1920 in Hardin County, Tennessee, daughter of Jonathan Reese and Sarah (Cooper) Pickens.

"Stantonville Spy Captured By Union"

From an unidentified newspaper article bylined From Bill Wagoners Wagon Spokes

 The headline in a local newspaper of April 6-7, 1862 , could have very well read Stantonville Spy Captured By Union Men. 

It was only a bedtime story told many years ago but the children it was a real chiller diller. Nat Carman used to tell the story and it seems that his grandfather Carman lived near Stantonville and was about 14-years old when the Battle of Shiloh was fought. It was the night following the first days fighting when the Carman youngster decided to go down toward Shiloh Church and see what all the shooting was about. He was very much attracted by the roar of the cannons and the musket fire. As the story goes, he mounted the family's best mule and headed off in the direction of the battle. About dusk, the young Carman arrived at the battle scene. Firing had ceased for the day and both forces had withdrawn for a short distance from each another.

The youngster dismounted in the darkness and gradually eased his way between the Northern and Southern armies, passed the hundreds of dead animals and broken cannon. The air was heavy with the sulfur smell of gunpowder. The jagged trees riddled by grapeshot and exploding artillery shells made an eerie sight as he looked upward from time to time to see them in the near darkness. There was the agony of dying men everywhere. He would never forget the mournful sounds that he heard that night from both men and animals. He had heard of the war but it had only been the talk of older folks around the fireplace at home. He was awe struck by the horror that awaited him there on the Shiloh battlefield. Soon he was deep into the battlefield when suddenly he taken by the Rebs and accused of being a Yankee spy. There was no court martial, just shoot the d*** Yankee came their shouts.

Fate stepped in and baled young Carman out that night when a man who was never identified stepped forth and identified the lad just as the executioner rifles were made ready. If the mans identity was ever known it has been lost in time. They only knew that he was someone from Ramer. He saved a young man named Nat. E. Carman that fateful night. Young Carman grew into manhood and his grandson N. B. Carman, became a teacher in Hardin County ironically he was a history teacher and taught about the same battle his grandfather was involved in.

N. B. Carman is Nat Brownlow Carman, born in Cerro Gordo, Hardin County, Tennessee on 8 November 1910 . His grandfather was Nathaniel Erwin Carman (shown left), born in McNairy County, Tennessee on 15 September 1846 .

Article from the collected research of Cynthia K. Roberts  

The article seems to be off on its title a bit as the Confederates captured young Nat and not the Union , but sill a good yarn. Butch adds "Nat Brownlow Carman was my dad.  He did teach history but mostly he taught math, coached basketball & baseball, and was a school principal.  He was 5' 0" tall and might have weighted 100 pounds with all his clothes on.  However, he swung a mean paddle or switch."

Children of Nathaniel and Margaret (Pickens) Carman:

07/22/2007