May 22, 2013, Susan Harber, The Daily New Journal
William Roberts, William Montfort Street and John Davis were four daring Coleman Scouts.
William Roberts
Roberts enlisted in the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry in Hayes Blackman’s Company of McCann’s Gunners in 1861. Roberts soon became a Coleman Scout under Captain Henry Shaw of Smyrna. His main duty was to follow enemy movement and interrupt communications, operating in the rear of the enemy lines. Robert’s battalion led the advance of Wheeler’s Raid around Major Gen. William Rosecrans’ army in 1862 and in the expedition of the Lower Cumberland in 1863. Roberts was also engaged in action at both Snow Hill (DeKalb County) and McMinnville, Tennessee.
He later became a part of Duke’s Brigade and joined John Hunt Morgan’s dangerous raid into Kentucky. Amazingly Roberts was never injured or captured.
After the Civil War, he wed Mary Watkins and moved to a farm near Christiana (then called Jordan’s Valley or Jordan’s Crossroads) near John’s Mill on the Shelbyville Pike.
His wife Mary was known to be an eccentric and free spirit in the community. She was once seen in the Walnut Grove Church clad in Roberts’ hat and overcoat.
William Roberts died in April, 1927 at 88 years of age.
Billy Moore
Billy Moore was of Irish decent and one of the tallest Scouts on record at 6’2″. He was born May 15, 1840 in Locust Hill, Tennessee (Davidson County, Tennessee) and wed Virginia Scruggs in 1965. The Moore’s would have two sons and two daughters.
At age 20, Moore joined one of the regiments in Forrest’s cavalry. After the capitulation of Fort Donelson, Moore was imprisioned in Indianapolis as prisoner of war and was exchanged.
Upon release, Moore joined the Coleman Scouts and enlisted in the 48th Tennessee under Capt. G.W. Gordon. Moore was captured in Pulaski, Tennessee along with Sam Davis but escaped by jumping from a 2nd floor window. Moore remained a Coleman Scout the remained of the War.
In his later years, Moore resided in a home in Columbia, Tennessee.
John Davis
John Davis was born in 1839 to Charles and Margaret Davis (first wife) in Smyrna. John is the half-brother of Sam Davis and three years Sam’s senior. His mother died when John was one year old.
John and Henry Shaw handpicked select members for the twenty Coleman Scouts. John recruited Sam Davis to join the elite courier scout ring. John was wounded once in his military career. John also had a severe case of typhoid fever during the Civil War and was granted a discharge.
While recovering at home in Smyrna, Tennessee, John received word that Sam had died.
After the War, John wed Mary Kate Patterson of LaVergne, Tennessee. Mary Kate Patterson had been of invaluable help to the Scouts as a spy during the War.
In 1867, John was killed in an explosion aboard the steamship ‘David White’, along with Captain Henry Shaw.
William Montfort Street
William Montfort Street was born in Maury County, Tennessee in September, 1830. His British father Park Street was a farmer, his grandfather Anthony Street fought in Kings Mountain Battle of the Revolutionary War.
Street enrolled in Emory Henry College in Virginia. After two years of college, he worked in a dry goods in Columbia, Tennessee as a clerk and later became a partner.
In 1861, Street joined the cavalry and selected for service in the Coleman Scouts, only to be captured and sent to prison.
After the Civil War, Street moved to Maple Street in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and worked with Street and Spain Hardware Company.
These four ordinary men lived extraordinary lives within their tasks for the Coleman Scouts. the showed fortitude and great valor in their original enlistments and knew the intricate terrain of which they were assigned.
No glamour was given these men, who served fearlessly in a fearful war.