Tunnel Hill

Tunnel Hill is located in the North Georgia town known as Tunnel Hill. The Tunnel is a former Western and Atlantic Railroad Tunnel. It is most famously known for its role in the Civil War, most notably the Great Locomotive Chase. The Tunnel was the first one to be completed to the south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The Tunnel is approximately 1,497 feet long. During the Great Locomotive Chase, James Andrews and his raiders felt that Tunnel Hill would give them an advantage, in the sense that they could take advantage of the darkness and get away. Much to their dismay, this was not the case, as Will Fuller, and the Texas were able to stay in close pursuit. The original Tunnel stayed in operation until 1928, when a new one was constructed beside it. The old Tunnel was eventually paved and now serves as a tourist attraction, and visitors can walk through it. The Tunnel at Tunnel Hill is truly a great example of Americana, and railroading history.

The original Tunnel as it appears today.

The new tunnel at Tunnel Hill.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond, including the big announcement.

Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Locomotive 576

The Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis railroad locomotive 576, was built around 1930, and was put into service soon thereafter. These particular locomotives, are known as "Dixie" locomotives, due to their large size. 576, is the last of its kind. She weighs 31,000 tons, and has a 15,000 gallon water tank. During its time in service, it was used to haul various cargo, most notably oil. During World War II, it transported soldiers to and from war. 576, was eventually retired and in September 1953, it was put on display in Nashville's Centennial Park. The Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway, in 1957, was absorbed by the Louisville and Nashville Railway. There have been many efforts to restore 576 to its former glory. Just this past week, the Metro Nashville government has approved an 8.5 million dollar project to remove 576 from the park, and restore it. It will be restored at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. It should remain in the park until further notice, so I encourage those who are in the area to stop by and pay her a visit. When completed, it will be a great addition to the city of Nashville.

 Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway marker in Centennial Park.

This picture should give the reader an idea of just how big 576 is. 

When 576 was retired, and the NC & STL merged with the L&N, locomotives like the one above were put into service. They were simply more cost effective.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2016/08/19/nashvilles-centennial-park-train-okd-restoration-operation/88966110/

Click the link above for an article detailing the plan for 576 to be restored.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond, and also for my big announcement.

The Centralia Massacre

The Centralia, Missouri Massacre occurred on September 27, 1864. William "Bloody Bill" Anderson, and twenty-four other men, including Jesse James, rode into town, and completely sacked it. The men were dressed in Union military uniforms, that they had stolen. When they reached the town, they set to work tearing up railroad tracks. They then looted the rest of the town. These men took everything that was valuable. It is reported that they even drank their whiskey from boots, which they had stolen. Anderson and his men then blocked the railroad to prevent the oncoming train from passing through town. The engineer thought nothing was out of place, since the guerrillas were wearing Union uniforms. Once the train stopped, the guerrillas converged onto the train. There were 125 passengers in all, with twenty-three of them being Union soldiers. Anderson and his men ordered the soldiers off the train, and told them to take off their uniforms. The soldiers were then lined up along a wall. Anderson ordered the leader of the unit to step forward. Sergeant Thomas Goodman did so, Anderson ignored him completely, and he and his men commenced shooting the soldiers. Once they were dead, the soldiers were maimed and scalped. The locomotive was set on fire and sent down the tracks toward Sturgeon, Missouri. The guerrillas then set fire to the depot. Goodman was taken prisoner by Anderson, but later escaped as the men were crossing the Missouri River. Union Major A.V.E. Johnston pursued the guerrillas, but he and his band were unsuccessful. The guerrillas engaged them in a battle, and Johnston was shot by Jesse James. The events surrounding Centralia, Missouri, proves that the Missouri-Kansas area during the Civil War, was a hot bed for guerrilla warfare.

William "Bloody Bill" Anderson

Jesse James

SGT Thomas Goodman

Monument for the Centralia Massacre, and the battle that followed.

The book Bloody Bill Anderson, has an entire chapter devoted to the Centralia Massacre.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond, including the big announcement.

The Tennessee Central Railway

The Tennessee Central Railway was founded in 1884 by Jere Baxter. The original intent of the line was to transport coal throughout various towns. The route ran from Hopkinsville, Kentucky to Harriman, Tennessee. At the railway's peak, it covered 296 miles. The base for the Tennessee Central was located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was here, that offices, maintenance shops, locomotives, and train cars were housed. The railway system consisted of individual towns, with a depot in each. Over the years, the TC gained and lost various rail lines. The railway also underwent numerous changes in ownership. In July 1946, the railway changed ownership, and with it, the type of locomotives that were used. In an effort to keep costs down, the TC made the switch from steam powered locomotives to diesel powered ones. The TC ran passenger trains until 1955, this led to the closure of various depots, including the "Crown Jewel of the TC," the Cookeville Depot. The reason for this discontinuance in service was the automobile. People did not want to wait around for a train, when they could get in a car and have their own schedule. As the 1960s came, prices on coal began to drop. This eventually led to the closure of the railway in 1968. Most of the lines were absorbed by the Louisville and Nashville Railway. Most towns along the route chose to demolish their depots. The rail yard in Nashville eventually became a museum, that is still in operation today. Most of the locomotives and rail cars were sold, but a few were kept. Those that were kept have been put on display at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum, in Nashville. It is through the preservation efforts of many, that the legacy of the Tennessee Central Railway lives on.

Map of the entire Tennessee Central Railway.

Jere Baxter, founder of the Tennessee Central.

The Tennessee Central Rail yard in Nashville, as it appeared in the railway's heyday.

Locomotives, like 509, were used by the Tennessee Central until the ownership change in 1946. Sadly many of them have been scrapped. The red caboose behind 509, is known as "TC 9828."

After the 1946 ownership change, most of the diesel locomotives that were purchased were "alco" cabs, with a "streamline" design This particular one, is still in operation today, it pulls the annual Fall excursion trains.

The Tennessee Central also purchased locomotives like the one above. Known as "switchers," they rarely left the yard. They were used to make sure that the correct cars and cargo were connected to the correct trains.

The Tennessee Central Railway Museum, is involved in the restoration of locomotives and train cars. Above is one of their many projects.

The Tennessee Central Railway Museum is home to actor Jackie Gleason's personal train car. All of the TC's passenger cars are "streamline" design.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond, including my big announcement.

Biographies of Civil War Guerrilla Figures

This Summer I have been able to read numerous books. All of them have related to U.S. History in some way or another. However, there have been four that have stood out the most to me. As many of you know, I am a self proclaimed expert on Guerrilla Warfare in the Civil War. These four books that I am going to spotlight have proved vital to me, both in gaining more knowledge, and helping me dig deeper into the lives of these men. I hope that those reading this post will find them as enjoyable as I did.

The first book is entitled Jack Hinson's One-Man War. This book tells of the life of Jack Hinson. Tom McKenney does an excellent job of bringing Hinson to life. McKenney is a former military man, and he is able to effectively explain Hinson's tactics to the reader. If you haven't checked out my post on Hinson, I encourage you to do so, then go pick up this book.

The next book that I read was entitled Quantrill of Missouri. This book primarily focuses on Quantrill's life in the Missouri-Kansas area. Paul Peterson goes into detail about Quantrill's early life, and what drove him to become a guerrilla fighter. This is the first of three books in the series. Just like the Hinson book above, when one reads this book, Quantrill's life will come alive.

The book Rebel Raider: The Life of General John Hunt Morgan, is widely regarded as a classic among historians. James Ramage brings Morgan's story to life. As a native of Middle Tennessee, most of the places mentioned in this work, are familiar to me. Ramage tells of Morgan and his men's thrilling escape from Union prison. He also makes reference to the notorious White County figure, Champ Ferguson. Just a really good book, that should be in the library of all history enthusiasts.

The final book that I want to recommend, is Bloody Bill Anderson: The Short Savage Life of a Civil War Guerrilla. This book, much like the life of Anderson, is very short. Both Castel and Goodrich give a very detailed overview of Anderson's life. In my opinion, the most exciting, and informative part of this book, is the account given of the Centrailia, Missouri massacre (stay tuned for a future post). This work is yet another overall great book.



Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond. I also have a huge announcement that will be revealed in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that as well.

Turner Ashby

Turner Ashby was a Confederate Cavalry commander during the Civil War. He was also involved in the Great Train Raid of 1861. He served under Stonewall Jackson for most of his career. Under Jackson's command, he was responsible for guarding fords on the Potomac River. Ashby was responsible for leading the attack on Harper's Ferry, but was defeated. Ashby spent most of his career lobbying Stonewall Jackson for a promotion, to brigadier general, but he was unsuccessful. Jackson responded to this by stripping Ashby of his cavalry force. He eventually received his promotion in 1862. Ashby was known as the "Black Knight of the Confederacy." He was known to only ride horses that were pure white or pure black. A few historians believe that Ashby was somewhat of a liability to Jackson during his Valley Campaign. At the First Battle of Kernstown, Ashby told Jackson that there were four regiments of Union infantry, the same size as Jackson's. In reality, there was only around 9,000 men. This caused Jackson to retreat. At the First Battle of Winchester, Ashby and his men, according to historians, spent to much time in the rear of the line raiding Union supply wagons. Many historians believe that if Ashby and his men had been engaged in the battle, the Union force could have been significantly destroyed. Ashby was killed while charging on foot at Harrisonburg. His horse had been shot out from under him, which resulted in him becoming a "sitting duck." He only made it a few steps on foot until he was fatally shot through the heart and killed instantly. One of the Confederacy's most elite commanders was dead.

Turner Ashby in action.

After his death, Turner Ashby was laid to rest in Winchester, Virginia.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.