John Sevier died on September 24, 1815, while on a mission in the territory of Alabama. In 1889 his remains were removed from an Alabama cotton field and brought to Knoxville for burial on the courthouse lawn. The newspaper articles for this episode describe in detail the excavation of the grave, the pageantry of Sevier Day, the gathering of dignitaries, and the pride of Knoxvillians in discharging "a duty incumbent upon her citizens."