Jack Civil

Jack Civil’s life is the stuff of legend. Civil was an African American man who lived in Middle Tennessee before Tennessee was a state. Even his arrival to the area is covered in mystery. Some historians claim that Jack Civil was enslaved and brought to Nashville by John Donelson. Others identify him as a free man of mixed ancestry. Either way, Jack Civil was part of the original Fort Nashborough settlement—established in early 1779. 

His claim to fame, or perhaps scandal, came when he traveled with a group led by John Donelson to the nearby Clover Bottom area to collect cotton and corn. On the morning of their return to Nashville, a group of Cherokee—who had been hiding along the banks of the Stones River—ambushed Donelson’s party. Many of the men were killed during the attack, but Jack Civil survived. Wounded during the fight, Civil surrendered to the Cherokees and they, in return, spared his life.

Civil’s Cherokee captors returned to their home near Lookout Mountain on the Tennessee River—present-day Chattanooga. He lived with this Chickamauga branch of Cherokees, and there is evidence that he joined their ongoing conflict with white settlers. Some white settlers even claimed that Civil led the raids and that the war parties departed from a spot on the Tennessee River named “Nicka-Jack’s Place” after Jack Civil. If he did turn against leaders of the white community, he certainly had sufficient motive to be angry. Previously, James Robertson refused to submit Jack’s name to the General Assembly to receive a land grant. In another case, legal documents that gave Civil a preemptive claim to land were destroyed during “bad weather.” 

Jack Civil did ultimately return to Nashville and denied all charges of violence and murder. He argued that he had never even “shot at a White person,” which was a capital offense for persons of color. No formal charges were ever filed and Civil disappeared from historical records. His fate remains unknown but that doesn’t stop us from wondering which version of the story is true. Was he a traitor, a victim, or a man of opportunity? Perhaps Jack Civil was all three.

Cross First Ave. North and head west on Church Street. Continue for four blocks until you reach Fifth Ave. North. As you walk up Church Street you’ll see the distinctive L&C Tower ahead. For more information, check out our Capitol and Church Architecture Tour. This tour focuses on buildings from Church Street north to the State Capitol, so many of the sites you’ll pass now will be on there. You’ll also walk under the iconic sign for Printers Alley, so named because of the number of printing shops once located in the area. It is now home to a renowned nightlife scene and is featured on our Seedy Side Tour. Also on the Seedy Side Tour are two hotels located at the corner of Fourth Ave. North—the Noelle and the site of the Maxwell Hotel (now Old Republic Bank). When you reach Fifth Ave. North, on your left will be Downtown Presbyterian Church. This Egyptian Revival church is featured on our Old Time Religion Tour. Cross to the far side of Fifth Ave. North and turn RIGHT. The fourth tour stop will be on your left, just before you reach Woolworth on Fifth.