Robert Tate Gound

Born: May 6, 1832  Died: July 15, 1900     Robert Tate Gound was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War. He fought with  Bourland’s Regiment with the rank of Sergeant. He was the son of William Sansbury Gound and the husband of Emaline Campbell Gound.   Dennis E. Gound, the great-grandson of Robert Tate Gound has provided a fascinating history of the family below:

Robert Tate Gound grew up on a 190 acre farm on the Holston River that his father (William Sansbury Gound) purchased from a man named John Gamble on Dec. 30, 1817, and a 470 acre tract of land on Big Sinking Creek, which was part of Mary Polly Rodgers' father (Joseph Rodgers) estate.  He married Sarah Emaline Campbell in Knox County, TN, on 17 Feb 1858, 5 days after his father’s death.  He and his wife subsequently had a son (Edgar Eberly) on 31 Jan 1859.  In 1859 when his father's estate was settled, his family went to Texas with his older brother Joseph R. Gound, his mother Mary (Polly) Rodgers, his unmarried sister Sarah Jane, and his youngest brother William Edward.  The reason for going to Texas may have been to homestead, which was popular during this time.  Robert Tate and Sarah Emaline Gound had 3 children in Texas; Cordova E. (12 Feb 1861), Signora Isadora (09 Dec 1863), and Knox Albert (01 Sep 1866).   While in Texas, Robert Tate Gound served in the Civil War (Sergeant, Company A, Bourland's Regiment, 16 Texas Cavalry (Border Regiment) CSA).  After the war, Robert Tate Gound returned to his farm in Texas, but only stayed there for a brief period of time.  By 1868, he and his family were living back in East Tennessee.  This return to TN may have been because his father-in-law (James Campbell) gave his daughter (Sarah Emaline (Campbell) Gound) a parcel of land. 

  His father-in-law, James Campbell, was born 21 Jun 1795 in Knox County, TN.  James Campbell owned a large farm close to Concord, TN in an area that eventually came to be known as Boyd's Siding after the coming of the railroad.  He was married to Sarah (Sallie) Smith.

  Family lore has it that James Campbell was prescient about both the coming of and the outcome of the U.S. Civil War, and that he sold his slaves and used the proceeds to buy more land prior to the outbreak of hostilities.  Whatever his thinking and motivation, he bought more land, eventually dividing his home farm into roughly  equal portions, dividing the new farms into similarly equal portions, and giving each of his children a farm.  One of the new farms was across the county line in Loudon County, TN (between Concord and Martel).  This farm was equally divided, with one half given to his daughter, Nancy Campbell Smith, and the other half (114 acres) given to Robert Tate Gound’s wife, Sarah Emaline (Campbell) Gound.  Robert and Sarah settled on and lived out the rest of their lives on this farm.  

  While in Tennessee, Robert and Sarah gave birth to Moffatt Alexander (11 Dec 1868) and Lena L. Gound (1 Jan 1870). Lena died at the age of 15 and was a beloved daughter, as evidenced by the large gravestone placed for her in Pleasant Forest Cemetery in Knox County.  Inscriptions on her gravestone read, “Sleep on beloved, sleep, and take thy rest; We love thee well, but Jesus loves the best.”  Also, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.”  After Lena was born, James Ezekiel was born (9 Jan 1873).  Joseph E. Gound was born next (4 Jan 1875), but only lived a year.  Houston T. Gound was born next (11 Feb 1877), and died at age 20.  Walter Alfred Gound was born next (3 Jan 1875), and then Robert Smith and his fraternal twin sister Mary Eliza Gound were born (7 Jun 1881).  Dollie Gound died at childbirth on 17 Jul 1883, and then finally Ida Jennie (Maggie Jane) Gound was born (19 Nov 1884).  Robert Tate and Sarah Emaline Gound had a total of 14 children.  Robert Tate Gound was a Mason during his adult life, as were many other Gounds.

Robert Tate Gound was related to Rachael Donaldson (wife of President Andrew Jackson) through the lineage of his mother, Mary Polly Rodgers.  Mary was  the Great  Granddaughter of John Donaldson I, and  Rachael Donaldson was the Granddaughter of John Donaldson I.  Sara Emaline (Campbell) Gound (my Great Grandmother) was the daughter of James & Sarah Sallie (Smith) Campbell, and James Campbell was the son of Elder David Campbell, all buried in Pleasant Forest.