Nancy Hagelgan's photo of her grandfather John Henry Perdue "Pappy" was taken around 1881. John was somewhere between sixteen to eighteen years of age. He was born in Sumner County 20 Sept 1863 four months after his father Eli Green Perdue joined the Union Army in Kentucky 14 May 1863. Eli Perdue was discharged from the Army 22 December 1864 and according to family tradition went to where his wife Mary Ann Dow Perdue was residing. Eli took John Henry from Mary Ann's arms and back to his family in Sumner County. John Henry was fifteen months old. Eli filed for divorce and Mary Ann lost custody of her son. She moved to Illinois before the final divorce decree. Eli Perdue married two more times. John Henry made his home with family members including his great grandfather Asa Perdue. Most of John's early years were spent with his paternal grandparents Reason and Nancy Perdue who sold him a farm where he lived and grew tobacco near Boiling Springs.