My g-grandfather, John Wesley Cato ( b 11-19-1867 ) was a wonderful
storyteller. He would sit for hours and weave his magic about the"old
days". In the summer he would sit out in the yard, in the winter, by a
blazing hot stove--always in his old rocking chair. He had a shock of
silver white curly hair and if it seemed he was going to quit his tales, I
would comb and curl his hair ( which he dearly loved ) and coax him on for
another hour or so. Tales that we all heard over and over- time after
time. We never tired of his telling them.
He would often speak of his g grandmother, Nancy Ann Vincent Cato, who
spent the last years of her life living at the old homeplace with her
grandson, John Bell Cato ( b 6-24-1846 ). Rolin ( jr) had died in 1853, so
my g grandfather John Wesley had never known him, but he remembered Nancy
well. He said she always wore black and sat near the fire with a shawl
over her shoulders. She, too, told stories and often repeated the story of
her trip, as a bride, ( of Rolin Jr ) from VA by ox cart and horseback.
She told that Rolin came into TN before her and selected a homestead on
Eaton's Creek ( Davidson Co ). She said the land was fertile and he
cleared it, planted and harvested a crop and built a two room log cabin
with a dog trot near a spring. Game was plentiful, as was fruit, nuts and
berries. Roland went back to VA for her and brought her over. He also
went off leaving her there to manage to fight in the War of 1812. Old
Rolin was there with them. Old Rolin was not buried in the Cato Cemetary
on the hill, but is in an unmarked grave near the creek and spring. He
was particularly fond of that spot and wanted to be buried there.( I have
been to the sight of the old log home again in the last few years with TN
cousins. we located the sight of the stone hearth and the corners of the
cabin ). Slave cabins were built farther on behind the house, nearer the
bluff.
Later, when their youngest son, Robert Allen Cato ( b 2-28-1822 ) married
Martha Jane Wells ( 1825 - 1911 ) , he built a two room log house with a
dog trot and a loft over the whole building, near the road. His son, John
Bell Cato was born there. Later as the family grew ( Robert had 11
children ) , Robert built a large white southern mansion about 1/4 mile
from the original log house on part of the 2000 acres owned by Rolin.
John Bell Cato married Martha Ann Duke ( b 6-30-1851, d 3-27-1931 ) and
lived in the log cabin built by Robert Allen. Here his son John Wesley was
born ( my g grandfather ) followed by 13 more children. Nancy was living
in the "big house" with Robert and she told how during the Civil War, as
the Northern Army grew near, the slaves were very restless and it was
thought they might run away that night. Instead, they set fire to the
house and it burned to the ground. ( Many of the slaves stayed, however,
and are buried in the Cato Cemetary.) Robert moved back to the old log
house until he rebuilt a home on the same spot as the burned mansion.
Eventually John Bell and Martha moved into the "big house" along with John
Wesley and the rest of the children. Nancy lived there until she died of
cholera at age 84 in 1873. ------ Judith Claire Cato