Mary Ann gave birth to her first baby, a fine boy, on February 5th, at least that’s what she always told him. The day she became a mother imprinted into her heart. The questions that swirl around in my mind are plenty. Was her baby created with love or was she forced? Did his daddy come see him after he was born? Was he as proud of her beautiful baby as she was? Did it wear on her that she passed her status of slavery on to her baby? These are questions that we will never know the answers to. These are the simple human emotions and experiences that people often take to the grave with them. Regardless of the answers to any of these questions, Mary Ann remembered the exact day, and she remembered it forever.

Gilbert Chairs was born February 5, 1841 at Rippa Villa in Maury County, TN. His mother was an enslaved woman owned by Nathaniel F. Cheairs III. Gilbert’s father was his owner’s son, Nathaniel F. Cheairs IV. Just a few months after Gilbert was born his father married a white woman, Susan Peters McKissack and the next year, Gilbert’s half sister Jennie was born, followed by three other children over the next few years. Siblings who perhaps looked alike or had similar mannerisms, living vastly different realities. They shared dna, but not the most basic human rights. His mother Mary Ann married another slave named Burrell and together Mary Ann and Burrell had a son named Parkham. The two people who created him both living their own very separate lives, all the while living within yards of each other in very different circumstances. 

In October 1846, NFC died and Mary Ann, five-year-old Gilbert and six-month-old Parkham were left to his wife Sarah. Unfortunately for the small family, Burrell was inherited by NFC’s daughter Louisa Campbell in Missouri. It appears that soon after this, Mary Ann and most likely Parkham, joined Burrell in Missouri. However, Gilbert was kept at Rippa Villa. The reason for the separation is unknown. It was not uncommon for children to be separated from their mothers at very young ages. The institution of slavery was devoid of humanity, while at the same time full of human emotions, both joy and grief.

Gilbert said his father “raised him to twenty.” After Gilbert’s white grandmother died, she left her “yellow boy Gilbert” to her daughter Nancy Perkins. Nancy and her husband Constantine Perkins had a cotton plantation fifteen miles below Little Rock, AR. Gilbert said the Perkins already had two Gilberts, so they called him Nat after his father. The election of Lincoln and the beginning of the Civil War passed by with Gilbert living in Arkansas under the name of “Nat.” He was conscripted to serve as a slave with General Price of the Confederate Army, driving a wagon. He later escaped and enlisted in the US Colored Infantry and served the remainder of the war, surviving under the name of Nat Perkins.

Gilbert returned to Arkansas after the war, and he worked for Drake & Cheairs, a cotton farm co-owned by his father. This time in his life was foundational. Gilbert had a conversation with Nat Cheairs about his name. Nat told Gilbert “he was not ashamed to own me and I should not be ashamed to own him.” This impacted Gilbert and he rejected the name of Nat Perkins, saying “I took the name of Gilbert Chairs and I have kept it ever since.” It was his first act as a freeman. This moment of taking his name and making his own once again. 

Gilbert lived his life under the name of Gilbert Chairs. He was married and had several children, all living under the name of Chairs. He worked and thrived and purchased a home under this name. And in 1912, he was tragically murdered and robbed of the $10 in his pocket. The headline in the newspaper read:

 “Negro Nightwatchman Murdered and Robbed: Gilbert Chairs at Friedel Lumber Co. Is the Victim.”

In death, Gilbert Chairs was once again stripped of his name. In October of 1912 he was buried at the Memphis National Cemetery under the name of Nathan Perkins. 

It is not a secret that I see history as a symphony, I overuse the analogy on a daily basis because I love it. I see the symphony in full vibrant reality as I research. The symphony is happy, sad, violent, calm….it’s ALL the things. It’s human. But it is for the most part unyielding in its permanence. Wrongs that occurred in history cannot be corrected. Or so I thought….:) 

When I saw his headstone, I was so frustrated and annoyed but thought “ugh, there’s nothing I can do.” A friend, Joey, mentioned that perhaps I could request to have his stone replaced. I had no idea such a thing was possible. I called the Veterans Administration in Washington DC to ask for advice and the woman answering the phones literally laughed at me. I was stunned. This to me felt like the right thing to do and I thought when I made the call that people would be excited to help. 

The word “reparations” triggers people, and causes strong feelings both for and against. I felt this was a simple reparation, repairing a mistake that happened over 100 years ago and giving a man back his identity. But no one seemed to want to help. I filled out the paperwork I was told to fill out and waited. Then I went to the cemetery and again filled out the paperwork. And waited.  I wrote local representatives, who were kind, but said they had no Federal jurisdiction. In my head I was screaming “THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!” 

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After I had run out of ideas, my friend Adam suggested I contact one of our state Senators, so I did. I had forgotten I had written when on a Monday morning, three weeks ago, I was contacted by Lauren, a Constituent services Representative from U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty’s office. Lauren  made big things happen, and she made them happen fast. She asked if I knew any descendants of Gilbert. She had never applied for a stone correction unless a family member requested it. Even though it was unorthodox and she couldn’t guarantee any results, she tried. She had me fill out an application of sorts and she sent the request on to her contact at Veterans Affairs. By Thursday morning, Thomas Maynard, the director of the Memphis National Cemetery was calling me to discuss the new stone that was approved for Gilbert Chairs. 

So many people helped to make this happen. So many people get to experience what it feels like to do something just because it’s the right thing to do. Gilbert has no descendants. He had no one to advocate for him. But he had so many people who cared, and I want to thank all of them. My friends and family. My coworkers. The caretakers of the Memphis National Cemetery. The Senators Office. 

This wasn’t changing one stone. This was taking one stone and changing what is possible. We think that just because something is in the past, it is set in stone. This has taught me nothing is set in stone, not even a literal stone. By correcting this one mistake, we change the future. We change mindsets and how we look at history and our responsibility to make sure it is right. The cemetery director, Thomas, wrote me and said “….this is one of the most meaningful things I have ever been a part of…and I know this will be very meaningful to the staff as well. I for one am honored to be a part of this.”

I feel the same way. I am honored to have a part in this. And I am so happy for Gilbert Chairs. 

Wednesday June 12th at 11:30 AM, Gilbert’s new stone will be placed over his grave. It reads “Gilbert Chairs, USCT Served as Nat Perkins.”