There were apparently a number of African American fraternal and benevolent groups in Tennessee with "Zion" in the name. In Memphis alone, there are references in city directories and newspapers to the Daughters of Zion, Sons of Zion, Sisters of Zion, and United Sons of Zion (apparently different from the Sons of Zion). I have even found mention of a Sons of Zion as far east as Greeneville, Tennessee in 1871. To be perfectly honest, I am still puzzling out the links, if any, between the groups. Here goes my best guess, at this point, about the Sons of Zion, the group that formed Zion Christian Cemetery (
http://tn-africanamericanlodges.blogspot.com/2014/09/zion-christian-cemterysons-of-zion.html).
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| A mention of the Sons of Zion in the Jonesborough Herald and Tribune, August 10, 1871. |
According to G.P. Hamilton, in
The Bright Side of Memphis, the Sons of Zion in Memphis organized in 1867, and at the time of his writing, consisted of one lodge, no endowment, and 200 members. Hamilton describes the group as, "One of the earliest societies in Memphis, it has done much for the welfare of our people. Their leaders have been men of foresight and judgement . . ." The 1874 Boyle Chapman Memphis Directory lists the Sons of Zion as meeting on Rayburn Avenue with 200 members while the United Sons of Zion met at Beale Street church and had 270 members.
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| Memphis Daily Appeal, March 23, 1874 |
The Sons of Zion were active in Memphis. In 1874, they, along with other groups, took part in funeral ceremonies in Memphis to mark the death of Charles Sumner, former abolitionist and politician. They participated in July 4th celebrations. They took responsibility for burial of the dead, as when Joe Morgan, a black man, drowned in the Wolf River. After his body was recovered, they took charge of his remains and buried him.
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| Memphis Daily Appeal, October 8, 1879. Discusses the drowning and burial of Joe Morgan. |
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Brian D. Page has a great article in the
Tennessee Historical Quarterly that discusses the different benevolent and fraternal groups in Memphis following the Civil War. It is ""Stand by the Flag": Nationalism and African-American Celebrations of the Fourth of July in Memphis, 1866-1887," and it is located in Volume 58. number 4 (Winter 1999): pages 284-301.
Apparently at some point, the organization became known as the United Sons and Daughters of Zion. Chapter 9 was in Bartlett, Tennessee, and had a fife-and-drum band led by blues musician Lum Guffin. One recording made by musicologist Bengt Olsson exists of this band, and it seems to have been made in the early 1970's. In the liner notes of the CD where the recording can be heard, Olsson quotes Guffin with regards to Chapter 6 in Brunswick also having a fife and drum band. Guffin stated that these bands would perform at the annual Pole-Bearers Picnic in Brunswick.
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