A Unionist in East Tennessee
A Unionist in East Tennessee

Author: Marvin Byrd

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2011-02-01

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 162584221X

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The Civil War that tore America in two also pit one Tennessean against another—with deadly consequences . . . During the Civil War, Tennessee was perhaps the most conflicted state in the Confederacy. Allegiance to either side could mean life or death, as Union militia captain and longtime Tennessee resident William K. Byrd discovered in the fall of 1861 when he and his men were attacked by a band of Confederate sympathizers and infantrymen. This unauthorized raid led to the arrest of thirty-five men and the death of several others. Details of this mysterious skirmish have remained buried in archives and personal accounts for years. Now, for the first time, A Unionist in East Tennessee uncovers a dramatic yet forgotten chapter of Civil War history. Includes photos! “The author does a fine job of communicating the charged political atmosphere in 1861, in isolated Hawkins and Hancock counties and in East Tennessee at large . . . [He] constructs a strong case that the planning and conduct of the raid was a local affair not ordered by Confederate military authorities.” —Civil War Books and Authors

A Nation of Outsiders
A Nation of Outsiders

Author: Katharine Dahlstrand

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 139

ISBN-13:

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With the end of the American Civil War, the nation created entire populations of outsiders seeking acceptance and participation in the rebuilding of the country. Northern industrialists, African Americans, and veterans returning from military service demonstrated the failures of Reconstruction in their efforts to reconcile their position with the white southern inhabitants of East Tennessee. This region represents a unique place to explore Reconstruction and exclusionary citizenship because of its distinct relationship with both the Union and the Confederacy during the war. This thesis examines the people who lived the life of an outsider because of their background, skin color, or military service. By focusing on those who failed at successfully entering, or reentering, society, this thesis illustrates the informal fight for acceptance that began when the formal battles of the Civil War ceased.

War at Every Door
War at Every Door

Author: Noel C. Fisher

Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press

Published: 2000-11-09

Total Pages: 270

ISBN-13: 0807861448

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One of the most divided regions of the Confederacy, East Tennessee was the site of fierce Unionist resistance to secession, Confederate rule, and the Southern war effort. It was also the scene of unrelenting 'irregular,' or guerrilla, warfare between Union and Confederate supporters, a conflict that permanently altered the region's political, economic, and social landscape. In this study, Noel Fisher examines the military and political struggle for control of East Tennessee from the secession crisis through the early years of Reconstruction, focusing particularly on the military and political significance of the region's irregular activity. Fisher portrays in grim detail the brutality and ruthlessness employed not only by partisan bands but also by Confederate and Union troops under constant threat of guerrilla attack and government officials frustrated by unstinting dissent. He demonstrates that, generally, guerrillas were neither the romantic, daring figures of Civil War legend nor mere thieves and murderers, but rather were ordinary men and women who fought to live under a government of their choice and to drive out those who did not share their views.