Tennessee Tech University

Tennessee Tech University is one of Tennessee's oldest universities. It is located in Cookeville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1909 as a private school. Members of the Broad Street church of Christ in Cookeville wanted a Christian college in the city. Jere Whitson and Robert Capshaw led the charge to start Dixie College. What is now Derryberry Hall (pictured above) was the first building that was built. In 1915 the name of the school was changed to Tennessee Polytechnic Institute or TPI for short. After the name change the school became public. The first president of TPI was Everett Derryberry. Derryberry served the school for quite a long time. Under his leadership the school's name was changed to Tennessee Tech or TTU for short. He was preceded by Arliss Roaden. Roaden did not have the longevity that Derryberry had. Roaden is most known for having the University Center built, which bears his name. Angelo Volpe took control of the school in the 1970s. In the Volpe era Tennessee Tech was able to grow. Volpe was responsible for getting the Hooper-Eblen Center constructed, as well as a new library that was named in his honor. After Volpe retired Bob Bell was appointed president. Under Bell's leadership a new Nursing Building and STEM Center were constructed. The nursing building bears the name of both him and his wife. The current president is Phil Oldham. Oldham has steadily been able to keep the projects started by Bell going. TTU has been recognized nationally for its academic excellence. It is still very much an engineering school, but the education, business, and nursing programs are catching up. I am proud to be a student at this fine school.

Above is the official Tennessee Tech University logo.

Above is a picture of the eagle that sits on top of Derryberry Hall. The clock actually plays music every hour.

Above is a picture of Henderson Hall. This building houses the History department. Fittingly this building has been placed on the national register of historic places thanks to its architecture.

The Bob and Gloria Bell Nursing Building is one of the newer buildings on campus. It sits at the opposite end of the Quad from Derryberry Hall. In a way the two buildings are almost twins.

Even though it is a pain to walk in, TTU is very picturesque during the Winter.

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Sherman's March to the Sea

Sherman's March to the Sea, or the Savannah Campaign took place between November 15th and December 21st 1864. The goal was to march through the heart of the Confederacy, and destroy everything in their path. This idea was known as scorched earth policy. Ulysses S. Grant tasked William Tecumseh Sherman to carry out this operation. The plan was to march through Georgia, burn Atlanta, and reach the port in Savannah and seize it. This would give the Union control of one of the Confederacy's main supply lines. This would also disrupt the Confederacy's economy forcing them to surrender. This march could also draw away many Confederate forces from Virginia, leaving Richmond and General Lee vulnerable to attack. Sherman began his march in Atlanta. He made sure the city was destroyed before he left. Sherman was not very familiar with this area, so he had to have a guide. The 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment was tasked with this job. This regiment was made up of Southern men and boys who wanted to remain loyal to the Union. This regiment proved vital to Sherman, he now knew where he was going. Throughout the march, Sherman picked up many men along the way. Sherman did not like this. He felt that they cut down on his supplies. At one river crossing Sherman and his army crossed, but they destroyed the bridge behind them, leaving many of these extra men behind. Sherman thought the less men he had, the better. Sherman and his men finally made it to Savannah on December 10th. Much to his surprise, Confederate General William J. Hardee and 10,000 men were already there. They were preventing Sherman from linking up with the U.S. Navy, like he had planned to do. Sherman decided to send William B. Hazen to capture Fort McAllister. Hazen had the fort captured in fifteen minutes. This allowed Sherman to link up with the Navy, and force Hardee to escape. On December 21st the people of Savannah surrendered to Sherman and his Union army. In just a few short months, the Confederacy would surrender. This was one of the final blows to the Confederacy.

Above is a map of Sherman's March to the Sea.

Above is a picture of William Tecumseh Sherman.

Above is a picture of Ulysses S. Grant.

Above is a picture of William B. Hazen.

Above is a picture of William J. Hardee.

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The Atlanta Braves

For this blog post I have decided to shift gears from talking about wars, to talking about sports. For those who do not know me I am a huge Atlanta Braves fan. The Braves are the most storied franchise in major league baseball. The are also the longest continually operating franchise in baseball. They started out as the Boston Red Stockings. They then changed their name to the Boston Braves. The reason for this is that they most likely wanted their name to be more intimidating. Babe Ruth played with the Braves in his final season in 1935. The Braves stayed in Boston until 1953, when they moved to Milwaukee. They kept the Braves name and became the Milwaukee Braves. Probably the most storied player to ever play for the Braves during their time in Milwaukee was Hank Aaron. Aaron became baseball's home run king. At the end of his career he had hit 715 home runs. The latter part of his playing career came after the Braves had moved to Atlanta in 1966. Aaron hit his 715th home run in 1974 at the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The 1970s and 1980s proved to be a difficult time for the Braves franchise. The one bright spot however was that they had Dale Murphy and Phil Niekro. Both of these men have gone down in Braves history as being the best of their time. The 1990s saw a resurgence for the Braves. They were led by Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Chipper Jones, with John Smoltz eventually joining the team. Their manager was Bobby Cox. Together, along with a newly revamped logo and uniform, the Braves saw their best years yet. This all culminated in a World Series title in 1995. The year 1997 was another transition year as the Braves left the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and moved to Turner Field. The move to a new ballpark did not hurt the Braves, as they kept winning. The 2000s all the way up to present day has been good for the Braves. They have made many playoff appearances, and also have produced many all-star players. The Braves also have a great fan base. If you go to a game, the intensity level is extremely high. This is especially true during the Tomahawk Chop, and also when closer Craig Kimbrel takes the field. Cox, Glavine, and Maddux were inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. The Braves continue to be a force to be reckoned with throughout Major League Baseball.

Above is a picture of the Boston Red Stockings logo.

Above is a picture of the Boston Braves logo.

Above is a picture of the Milwaukee Braves logo.

Above is a picture of the "Screaming Indian" logo that was used in both the Milwaukee days and the early Atlanta days. It was replaced because Native American groups felt it disparaging to them.

The lower case "a" logo was used in the late 1970s and 1980s. This logo is my favorite of all the Braves logos.

The upper case "A" logo has been used since the 1990s. It is pretty cool too.

The Braves have played in two stadiums since moving to Atlanta. Above is a picture of the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and Turner Field, with the Atlanta skyline in the background. In 2017 Turner Field will be replaced by a new stadium in Cobb County, which is North of Atlanta.

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Railroads in the Civil War

During the Civil War, railroads played a vital role in the fighting. Trains were used to move troops and supplies from battle to battle, and most battles took place near railroads. At the time of the Civil War, the railroad was a fairly new invention. The rate of accidents was high, due to the lack of knowledge that the engineers had. Railroads proved vulnerable during the war. Many armies thought that if they could destroy the railroad, they could prevent the opposing army from moving. This tactic was used by both sides. Guerrillas, such as Champ Ferguson led raids on the railroads. They ripped up the tracks so that the train would either wreck or not be able to get through. John Hunt Morgan and John Singleton Mosby chased down trains on their horses and robbed them at gunpoint. Trains carrying soldiers were especially vulnerable to this type of assault. The Confederacy's main rail line ran from Nashville to Atlanta. The Union's main rail line ran from Baltimore to Ohio. Once Nashville fell to the Union, the railroad had been conquered also. The Union army was able to send troops and supplies down into the heart of the Confederacy. John Singleton Mosby made many raids on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, but was never able to fully conquer it. Many historians believe that one reason the Union army won the Civil War, was that they were able to control the railroad. The railroad did indeed play a vital part in the Civil War.

Above is a map of the many railroads in the U.S. during the Civil War.

The Nashville Railroad was one of the main railroads that both sides used during the Civil war. The railroad actually runs right by the Stones River Battlefield.

For more information about railroads in the Civil War I suggest that you check out the article on the Civil War Trust website as well as the article on the Civil War Times website about railroads in the Civil War.

Civil War Trust: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/logistics/railroads.html

Civil War Times: http://www.civilwar.com/weapons/railroads.html

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Custer's Last Stand

Custer's Last Stand was the final skirmish in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The battle was fought between the U.S. and the Lakota Indians. The leader of the U.S. forces was General George Armstrong Custer. The leader of the Lakota Indian tribe was Crazy Horse. The battle was fought over land rights. The U.S. settlers felt that the Lakota Indians were a threat to their way of life, they were also scared of them. The Lakota Indians felt the same way. They also wanted to defend their land from take over by the settlers. The battle took place in Montana, near the Little Bighorn River. The U.S. had an advantage in the battle, because they were led by Custer. Custer had fought with the Union army in the Civil War, and had been successful in other skirmishes with the Indians. The only problem facing Custer was that he was very cocky. He did not think that he could be defeated in battle. Crazy Horse and the Lakota Indians would change that. The entire Battle of the Little Bighorn was an embarrassment for the U.S. Custer was outmatched by the Lakotas. The Lakota Indians unlike the U.S. forces could call for reinforcements. The Arapaho Indians assisted the Lakotas during the battle. Near the end of the battle Custer had lost almost all of his men. What survivors he had were wounded. It was all they could do to make their way up onto a nearby hilltop. This mountain became known as Last Stand Hill. It was here that Custer thought that he could fight off the Lakotas by himself. Custer managed to last for a long thirty minutes, before he was finally killed. His cockiness had finally caught up to him. The legacy of a good general had been tarnished because of one moment of self pride.

Above is a picture of General George Armstrong Custer

Above is a picture of Crazy Horse.

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The Battle of the Alamo

The Battle of the Alamo was fought between February 23 and March 6, 1836. It was one of the most decisive battles fought during the Texas Revolution. The Battle of the Alamo can also be referred to as the Battle of San Jacinto. Americans call it the former, and the Mexicans call it the latter. The battle began as part of a 13 day siege at the mission in San Antonio, Texas. The siege was controlled by Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. This siege caught the attention of the United States government. Sam Houston (from Tennessee) decided to send some men down to the Texas territory to put down this rebellion. These men were led by James Bowie. Houston told Bowie to destroy the Alamo when he got there. He could not however, because the Mexicans had laid siege to it. Bowie called for reinforcements, so Houston sent William B. Travis and Davy Crockett. The plan for both sides was to launch an all out assault on the Alamo. The Mexican army was the first to lay siege to the Alamo. Santa Anna stationed his troops around the outer perimeter of the Alamo. Travis knew he needed reinforcements, so he broke up his army into different regiments. One regiment was driven back to the prairie by the Mexicans, but on March 4th one regiment (led by Davy Crockett) was able to penetrate the Alamo. Both sides now realized that a battle was eminent. Fighting began on the morning of March 5th. Fighting occurred both inside and outside the Alamo. The Mexicans were the first to attack. They killed the American guards in their sleep, and ran into the Alamo yelling "Viva Santa Anna." The Americans were at a disadvantage because they were essentially cornered, with no where to go. Many soldiers, including William Travis, died while leaning over the Alamo wall trying to get an accurate shot directed toward the Mexicans. The Mexicans attacked a total of three times on the first day of fighting. The second and final day of fighting took place primarily inside the Alamo. Like the first day, the U.S. troops were cornered. Many retreated to the barracks and chapel, and fired through holes in the walls. Others escaped over the wall, and headed for the prairie. All of these men were most likely killed, or captured and then killed. The last U.S. regiment that was left standing was led by Davy Crockett. As was mentioned above Travis had been killed, and Bowie had died while lying sick in bed, he saw no action during the battle. Crockett however decided to take control of the battle as best he could. He and his group of men had run out of ammunition sometime during the battle, and were forced to use their guns as clubs. The Mexicans however were able to drive Crockett and his men back into the Alamo, where they most likely were killed. The Mexicans then raised their nation's flag signaling victory. The Mexican army had killed every U.S. soldier. The Battle of the Alamo was a complete catastrophe for the United States.

Above is a picture of Sam Houston.

Above is a picture of William B. Travis.

Above is a picture of Jim Bowie.

Above is a picture of Davy Crockett.

Above is a picture of Mexican General Santa Anna.

The Battle of the Alamo was made into a movie in 1960. Starring John Wayne as Davy Crockett, the movie does a good job of depicting the events leading up to the battle, as well as the battle itself.

Above is the Alamo as it looks today.

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