Tennessee has over 2,900 recorded sites from the Civil War; 1,000 of these were locations of military actions of varying sizes. Today many of these sites are threatened by or lost to commercial or residential development. In this book, achronological overview of more than twenty of the major battles in the state is conducted using firsthand documents and established sources. Maps and over 100 photographs enhance the text to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the significance of these battles and the current preservation efforts for Tennessee's battlefields from the War Between the States.
A description of major battle sites, past and present. Such battles as Paducah, Perryville, and Middle Creek played a significant role in the outcome of the Civil War. Through firsthand documents, maps, and photographs, this volume provides an overview of the thirteen major conflicts that took place in the Bluegrass State. Sections detail the level of preservation of each site to provide readers with a contemporary perspective.
Join author James B. Jones Jr. on an exciting journey through the unknown and hidden history of Civil War Tennessee. Tennessee's Civil War history is an oft-told narrative of famous battles, cunning campaigns and renowned figures. Beneath this well-documented history lie countless stories that have been forgotten and displaced over time./strong Discover how Vigilance Committees sought to govern cities such as Memphis, where law was believed to be dead. See how Nashville and Memphis became important medical centers, addressing the rapid spread of "private diseases" among soldiers, and marvel at Colonel John M. Hughes, whose men engaged in guerrilla warfare throughout the state.
"An excellent way to travel the battlefields of the great State of Tennessee. Well researched, with detailed maps and photographs, this book allows you to follow Gen. N. B. Forrest over his many engagements and march along the army of Tennessee."--Thomas Cartwright, former director of the Carter House in Franklin, Tennessee"Bishop has done a fabulous job in conducting an overview of the major battles in Tennessee and in noting their status of preservation." --Steve McDaniel, president of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association"This publication is essential for any historian who desires to learn more about the War Between the States in Tennessee." --Confederate VeteranFrom Fort Henry to Franklin, this history book recalls the thirty-eight major battles that took place between 1862 and 1864 in Tennessee. In addition to detailing the current condition of the sites, Randy Bishop provides an overview of such battles as Shiloh and Davis Bridge, which claimed the lives of nearly one thousand soldiers, while emphasizing the strategy employed in each skirmish. The inclusion of diary entries and personal stories from several soldiers, offer a firsthand account of their experiences during the war and acknowledge well-known members of the Confederacy, such as Nathan Bedford Forest and John Hunt Morgan. Along with maps by Dave Roth of Blue and Gray magazine, more than one hundred photos provide a past and present portrayal of the battlefields, making this volume a valuable reference for scholars and a tribute to soldiers.
The actions of the Tennessee Brigade were that of a brave fighting force and the contributions they made to the Confederate Army are emphasized in this extensively researched history book. Letters, personal photos of the Confederates, and diary entries present a closer look at individual members and their experiences. Maps with text offer details on specific conflicts, while current photographs of battlefields and monuments put the brigade's story into a contemporary context. Background of the tumultuous political climate brewing in the state of Tennessee is included for reference.
Middle Tennessee represented one of the most strategically important pieces of land in the Civil War. Both armies recognized the value of its central location, and it became one of the war's most bitterly contested battlegrounds. From November 1862 to July 1863, hard fighting and heavy losses characterized the Stones River and Tullahoma Campaigns. Though these engagements have been largely overshadowed by other, more famous operations elsewhere, they had major implications for the war's outcome. By percentages, Stones River saw the war's heaviest casualties, while the battles at Tullahoma proved to be significant turning points for increasing Union mobility, ultimately hastening the end of the war. Author and military historian Christopher Kolakowski gives a definitive look into the dramatic proceedings that defined these important campaigns and the legendary commanders who presided over them. Book jacket.
Three days of savage and bloody fighting between Confederate and Union troops at Stones River in Middle Tennessee ended with nearly 25,000 casualties but no clear victor. The staggering number of killed or wounded equaled the losses suffered in the well-known Battle of Shiloh. Using previously neglected sources, Larry J. Daniel rescues this important campaign from obscurity. The Battle of Stones River, fought between December 31, 1862, and January 2, 1863, was a tactical draw but proved to be a strategic northern victory. According to Daniel, Union defeats in late 1862—both at Chickasaw Bayou in Mississippi and at Fredericksburg, Virginia—transformed the clash in Tennessee into a much-needed morale booster for the North. Daniel's study of the battle's two antagonists, William S. Rosecrans for the Union Army of the Cumberland and Braxton Bragg for the Confederate Army of Tennessee, presents contrasts in leadership and a series of missteps. Union soldiers liked Rosecrans's personable nature, whereas Bragg acquired a reputation as antisocial and suspicious. Rosecrans had won his previous battle at Corinth, and Bragg had failed at the recent Kentucky Campaign. But despite Rosecrans's apparent advantage, both commanders made serious mistakes. With only a few hundred yards separating the lines, Rosecrans allowed Confederates to surprise and route his right ring. Eventually, Union pressure forced Bragg to launch a division-size attack, a disastrous move. Neither side could claim victory on the battlefield. In the aftermath of the bloody conflict, Union commanders and northern newspapers portrayed the stalemate as a victory, bolstering confidence in the Lincoln administration and dimming the prospects for the "peace wing" of the northern Democratic Party. In the South, the deadlock led to continued bickering in the Confederate western high command and scorn for Braxton Bragg.
In the century and a half since the Civil War, both private and public entities, have earnestly sought to safeguard the legacy of that seismic conflict through the preservation of its battlefields. In Altogether Fitting and Proper, Timothy B. Smith provides the most comprehensive synthesis ever written of the long history of those preservation efforts. Smith traces the story of battlefield park establishment from the war and the Reconstruction era through the "Golden Age of Preservation" at the turn of the century, to the New Deal period and well beyond. While Smith's primary focus is on the famous national parks, he also examines the endeavors of state and local governments, as well as an assortment of private organizations, to establish parks and monuments for lesser-known battle sites. The ongoing conflicts between preservationists and commercial developers form another key element of the narrative. As Smith makes clear, the story of battlefield preservation is in many ways a story of people - from Civil War veterans like Henry Boynton, the Medal of Honor winner who oversaw the development of the first national military park at Chickamauga, to JIm LIghthizer, the president of the Civil War Trust, the private charitable organization spearheading the twenty-first-century preservation movement. In their dedication to this cause, such individuals and the groups they represent have kept a central event in American history alive in our collective memory. -- from back cover.
"An excellent way to travel the battlefields of the great State of Tennessee. Well researched, with detailed maps and photographs, this book allows you to follow Gen. N. B. Forrest over his many engagements and march along the army of Tennessee."--Thomas Cartwright, former director of the Carter House in Franklin, Tennessee"Bishop has done a fabulous job in conducting an overview of the major battles in Tennessee and in noting their status of preservation." --Steve McDaniel, president of the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association"This publication is essential for any historian who desires to learn more about the War Between the States in Tennessee." --Confederate VeteranFrom Fort Henry to Franklin, this history book recalls the thirty-eight major battles that took place between 1862 and 1864 in Tennessee. In addition to detailing the current condition of the sites, Randy Bishop provides an overview of such battles as Shiloh and Davis Bridge, which claimed the lives of nearly one thousand soldiers, while emphasizing the strategy employed in each skirmish. The inclusion of diary entries and personal stories from several soldiers, offer a firsthand account of their experiences during the war and acknowledge well-known members of the Confederacy, such as Nathan Bedford Forest and John Hunt Morgan. Along with maps by Dave Roth of Blue and Gray magazine, more than one hundred photos provide a past and present portrayal of the battlefields, making this volume a valuable reference for scholars and a tribute to soldiers.
