My Genealogy Hound

JOHN B. McCLANAHAN, an eccentric old resident of Rutherford County, Tenn., was born February 17, 1820, being a son of Matthew and a grandson of Samuel McClanahan, who came from Culpepper County, Va., to Rutherford County in 1801. Samuel’s father having come to that State from his native country (Ireland) with his two brothers presumably 300 years ago. Samuel McClanahan was a major in the Revolutionary war, and after his removal to this county participated in the war of 1812 with Gen. Jackson, as major, Matthew being also a participant in the latter war and a colonel in the Florida war. He (our subject’s father) was born in Virginia, and after the Indian trouble had subsided he followed farming in this county, being, as was his father, a Democrat politically. He was the second sheriff of the county and afterward represented the county in the State Legislature. Our subject’s maternal grandfather. Mr. Bradley, had a noted race track on his farm two and one-half miles north of Murfreesboro, on what is now the Johnson farm. This course was largely attended yearly by some of the most noted turf-men of Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Virginia. John B. was a professional rider at these races in his boyhood days and has set astride of many of Gen. Jackson’s coursers, as well as others equally noted, often riding sixteen miles in one race before it came to a finish. Our subject’s father and grandsire died in this county, both having spent long and useful lives, the latter having attained his one hundredth year and outliving our subject’s father, who died about 1835. John B. has emulated the example of his sires only partially, he adheres to their strict examples of honesty and sobriety but has never aspired to any honors or position other than to attend to his farm and command the respect of his neighbors and friends. He has in his possession, as relics, a pair of silver knee-buckles that were made in Ireland over 300 years ago, and a glass bottle that was made there which is nearly as old. He has been twice married, having lost his first wife by death. He has two sons. He was a private in Company I, Forty-fifth Regiment, Tennessee Confederate Infantry, and served until the surrender. He has quite a notoriety in the county as a breeder and raiser of game chickens, having some handsome specimens of the same at his little place near Murfreesboro. He is a Democrat.