information submitted by Pat Berges
Robert Soward Myres was born in Warren County, Tennessee, about 1816. Tradition has it that his family migrated from North Carolina. “Soward,” as he was known, was a farmer and a military man. It is believed he served in Capt. Adrian Northcutt’s volunteer company of 64 men from Warren County in the Indian Wars of 1836. Soward Myres again served in Capt. Northcutt’s company when he enlisted as a private in Company D, 1st Tennessee Infantry in the Mexican War of 1846-48, being discharged at New Orleans.
Upon returning from that campaign, he obtained a 5,000 acre land grant on Cumberland Mountain at the head of Elk River and cleared part of his land to set about farming. In April of 1852, Soward Myres married Sarah Jane Coulson, daughter of Alexander Coulson and Abigail Myers, pioneer settlers of Hickory Creek. Soward and Sarah had two sons: William Elliott “Buck” Myers and Thomas Jefferson Myers, as well as a daughter, Mary A. Myers, who died in childhood.
Soward Myres was described as five feet, eight inches tall, with black eyes and hair, and a dark complexion, rather slow of speech. He was active in the community, being appointed with several neighbors to lay out and open a road from the head of Burroughs Cove (near the bluff where he lived) to Altamont. Over the years, he and his friends maintained this road. He also served on jury duty and conducted various property transactions. A stave mill was located on his land. The 1870 agricultural census reflects a successful farmer with horses, milch cows, cattle, swine, and crops of indian corn, irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, orchard produce, 100 pounds of butter, and 300 animals slaughtered.
During the War of the Rebellion, Soward served in Company E, 1st Regiment of the Tennessee & Alabama Independent Vidette Cavalry, under Capt. James H. Shannon. He enlisted at Altamont and was mustered in at Tracy City, Tennessee. According to sworn affidavits from his widow and three of his fellow soldiers – James Fultz, Jesse Fultz, and William B. Nunley – Soward Myers was taken sick from exposure on the 1st of April, 1864, while serving with his company at Stevenson, Alabama. He continued to serve, doing his best and obeying the orders of the command until the regiment was mustered out June 16, 1864. Soward received an honorable discharge, and while he was trying to make it home from Nashville, about the 15th day of July 1864, became so ill on the road that his companions sent for his old family physician, Dr. Thomas P. Stevenson, who came and ministered to his needs, and they managed to get him home. He continued to suffer from what was diagnosed as a heart ailment attributed to his military service. Soward lived out his remaining years at the family home on Cumberland Mountain, dying March 7, 1878. His grave site has not been located. His widow was awarded a pension of $8 per month.
Many descendants of Robert Soward and Sarah Jane Myres still live in Coffee and Grundy Counties today.
