Grandpa Dunn Didn't Tell a Lie

 While gathering information for this Saturday’s upcoming Dunn family reunion, I stumbled upon a delightful story that brought a smile to my face.

During the Civil War Centennial, many captivating stories emerged about the war, and one from the Townsend-Sevier community stands out. Mrs. Norma Wilson of Townsend shared a tale about Grandpa Dunn (Levi Patterson Dunn, born April 3, 1829, in Greene County, Tennessee. He passed away on April 25, 1885, in Townsend and is buried in Myers Cemetery).
The story recounts how Grandpa Dunn skillfully avoided arrest while staying true to his reputation for honesty. Both he and his wife were Union sympathizers and strongly opposed to slavery. As a result, their home became part of the Underground Railroad. Of course, it wasn’t an actual railroad but rather a network of Union supporters who, often under the cover of night, helped fleeing slaves on their journey to freedom. From Sevier County, the next stop was typically a sympathizer’s home in Greene County, Tennessee.
Grandpa Dunn, known for his sterling honesty, didn’t want to tell a lie, but he also didn’t want to get arrested. So, he came up with a clever solution. He named one of the large rooms in his house "Greene County." When Confederate soldiers came knocking, asking if he was harboring any escaped slaves, Grandpa Dunn would reply, “Yes, I’ve seen the ones you describe, but last I seen them they were going to Greene County.”
In this way, Grandpa Dunn didn’t tell a lie.

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