The Battle of Dug Hill

The Battle of Dug Hill, or Battle of the Calfkiller, was a minor skirmish that occurred in White County Tennessee. The major players in this battle were George Dibrell and Champ Ferguson for the Confederates, and William B. Stokes and Tinker Dave Beaty for the Union. Stokes had been sent by Governor Andrew Johnson to try and locate Champ Ferguson. Stokes was unable to get anybody in Sparta to talk until he finally threatened to burn the town down. Stokes was able to locate Ferguson along the Calfkiller River. Stokes and his army camped out along the Calfkiller in an effort to perfect their plan to capture Champ Ferguson. Historians do not know when Tinker Dave Beaty joined Stokes, but we do know he was at the battle. Beaty may have been motivated by the opportunity to capture or kill Ferguson, but we will probably never know. The next morning the Union forces were unaware that the Confederates led by Dibrell and Ferguson were hiding in the bushes along the road. As the Union troops were traveling along the road to carry out this plan, the Confederate troops jumped out of the bushes and fought the Union troops right there in the road. The battle took the Union troops by surprise, and was a total rout for them. Champ Ferguson and Tinker Dave Beaty, according to historians, came face to face with each other. Beaty was able to wound Ferguson, and lay him up for a few months, so all was not lost. In general the Battle of Dug Hill is vital to our understanding of the Civil War in the Upper Cumberland area.

Above is a picture of Tinker Dave Beaty.

Above is a picture of William B. Stokes.

Above is a picture of George Dibrell.

The book Confederate Outlaw by Brian McKnight is a good source for more information about the Battle of Dug Hill. 

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The Bell Witch

I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Halloween to all my readers. This blog post will focus on one of Tennessee's most famous ghost stories.

In the early 1800s John Bell Sr, had settled down with his family in Adams, Tennessee as a farmer. The story begins when the family began to hear noises in the walls. They thought this was very unusual. The family then began to hear objects being thrown around the farm with no explanation. Members of the family were being slapped by air, and farm animals were being spooked for no good reason. The Bell family could not figure out why all of this stuff was happening to them. Young Betsy Bell (pictured above) was the target of most of the Bell Witch's tricks. These tricks got worse when she became engaged to Joshua Gardner. Other tricks that the Bell Witch pulled off included a half-dog, half-rabbit creature that was seen on the Bell's front porch. The Bell Witch also poisoned members of the Bell family numerous times. Legend has it that Andrew Jackson had heard of the Bell Witch and was very curious about it. He was so scared however that he refused to go to Adams. The Bell Witch's identity is still being debated today. The most accepted theory that historians have is that the Bell Witch was really Kate Batts. Batts had most likely been cheated by John Bell Sr somewhere down the line, and she was out for revenge. Some people believe that the Bell Witch was a male slave who Bell had killed. The fact is we will never know.

The story of the Bell Witch has been passed down from generation to generation. I first heard of the story from my Papa. He, most likely trying to scare me, said that the Bell Witch lived in a cave on his farm in Granville, Tennessee. Lets just say that I believed him until I got so scared that my mom and grandma told me he was just messing with me. The fact is that these "ghost stories" are fun to tell, but we have to keep them in their proper perspective. Whether you choose to believe in the story of the Bell Witch is up to you. I personally think it is just a fun story to tell, there is really no truth in it.

Above is a picture of the Bell Home in Adams, Tennessee.

The Bell Witch farm and cave is a major tourist attraction. People come from all around hoping to spot the Bell Witch.

Above is a picture of the Bell Witch historical marker.

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Battle of Wildcat Creek

The Battle of Wildcat Creek was a minor skirmish that occurred in Sparta, Tennessee. Not much is known about the battle however. Many historians believe that the battle happened on the farm of Confederate General George Dibrell (pictured above). Where the battle actually happened is unknown. This battle started the friendship between George Dibrell and Champ Ferguson. Ferguson and his men helped to reinforce the Confederate forces. In the end the Confederates, led by Dibrell and Ferguson were able to defeat the Union forces led by Colonel Robert Minty. The victory was much celebrated in Sparta. The morning after the battle ended, the womenfolk of Sparta cooked the victorious Confederate forces a big breakfast. This battle helped to keep the Union forces out of the Upper Cumberland area, but had no effect on the outcome of the Civil War. This battle is vital to our understanding of the Civil War in the Upper Cumberland area.

Champ Ferguson and his men were vital in helping George Dibrell win the Battle of Wildcat Creek.

Above is a picture of Colonel Robert Minty.

For more information about the Battle of Wildcat Creek, I recommend the book Confederate Outlaw by Brian McKnight. This book gives a very detailed account of the skirmish.

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Andersonville Prison Camp

The Andersonville Prison Camp was one of the most deadly prison camps in the Civil War. Prisoners of war were treated like dirt. This camp reminds me of the Holocaust Concentration Camps. The leader of Andersonville was Henry Wirz. He was just a brutal man, who treated these prisoners of war like dogs. The camp, as you can see in the above picture, was very large. It covered around 16 acres, and was surrounded by walls. To keep the prisoners from escaping, the death line was created. The death line was located behind the stockade. If a prisoner attempted to escape, then they were shot by the sentries who were stationed in the pigeon roosts. Andersonville was not over run with food. The prisoners, as well as the staff never really had enough to eat. Wirz on the other hand had plenty. He was so diabolical that he had food snuck in for his own personal enjoyment. Around 45,000 prisoners lived at Andersonville. At the end of the Civil War, 13,000 of them had died from various causes. Wirz was put on trial and convicted of conspiracy and murder. He was hanged, making him only the second man, behind Champ Ferguson to be executed at the end of the Civil War. Andersonville was defiantly one of the more brutal parts of the Civil War.

Above is a picture of Henry Wirz.

Many Union POWs were in rough shape when the war was over and they were released. Above is a picture of one of the survivors.

Above is a picture of the monuments at Andersonville.

Above is a picture of the Andersonville cemetery.

Here is a link to the Andersonville Prison Camp article on the Civil War Trust website: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/warfare/andersonville.html

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Privateers

Privateers were men who were commissioned by the government that they served to go out and raid a rival nation's supply ships. Privateering was a very noble act, because you were helping the cause of your nation. Many privateers started out as pirates. Pirates were independent sailors, who were out to attack any ship that they could. Many of these former pirates became privateers as a way to get their lives back on track. The privateering role can be seen in all major American conflicts. During the Colonization Period privateers went around raiding supply ships to discourage countries from settling in the new lands. Privateers were also common during the American Revolution, War of 1812, and Civil War. These privateers were not only raiding supply ships, but trying to sink naval ships, as well as ships that were carrying soldiers. British privateers like Henry Morgan and Sir Francis Drake are most likely the most well known privateers. These men helped to gain lands for the British, and protect the British people from the Spanish navy, during the Colonial Period. Privateers were essential to making this country what it is today.

The CSS Savannah was probably the most famous privateering vessel during the Civil War.

Above is a picture of British privateer Henry Morgan.

Above is a picture of British privateer Sir Francis Drake.

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The Roanoke Colony

The Roanoke Colony was Britain's first attempt to start a colony in the New World. The mission was funded by Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh. They had the blessing from Queen Elizabeth I. Both Gilbert and Raleigh had made trial runs to start colonies in Ireland. They had had mixed results. The initial goal of this colony was to set up a British raiding port, so that they could attack Spanish ships. It became much more then this however. The first voyage to Roanoke occurred in 1584. It was more of a fact finding mission. Gilbert and Raleigh wanted to see what was there. When they got to Roanoke they encountered the Seacotans and the Croatoan Indians. This first mission was led by Sir Richard Grenville. Grenville was a privateer who had executed numerous raids on Spanish ships. Grenville and his men went missing after they tried to explore the interior of the new land. When the remaining men from the first voyage returned they brought an Indian from each tribe back with them. These Indians told Raleigh all about the geography of Roanoke. After hearing this Raleigh then decided to send another group of colonists to the island. In 1587, 115 British colonists led by John White departed for Roanoke. Their goal was to set up an actual government, and also to find Richard Grenville and his men. They were unsuccessful at both. When they reached the island, their ship ran aground, damaging their supplies. White was forced to sail back to England for supplies. He was unable to return to England for three years, due to the Spanish Armada. When White finally was able to return to Roanoke he found no trace of the 115 settlers. The only clue he found was the word "Croatoan" carved into a tree. The fort had been dismantled, but there seemed to be no sign of a struggle. White and his men attempted to search for the missing colonists, but had to abandon their efforts when a storm came up. They sailed back to England, and the colonists were never heard from again, many historians believe they were captured and forced to live with the Croatoan Indians. The Roanoke Colony was a failed colonization attempt for the British. Roanoke will forever be known as the lost colony.

Above is a map of the Roanoke Colony, drawn by John White.

This is what the fort at Roanoke would most likely have looked like.

Above is a picture of Sir Walter Raleigh.

Above is a picture of Sir Humphrey Gilbert.

Above is a picture of what the fort at Roanoke looks like today.

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Ponce de Leon

I want to say sorry for the delay between posts. School has started back up and I have been swamped with homework and studying. I will try my best to post more often.

Ponce de Leon was born in Spain in 1474. Not much is known about his childhood. After Christopher Columbus' voyage to the New World, the Spanish king was interested in sending more men to Spain. Ponce had served in a war, and when that war ended, he wanted to go seek out new opportunities. This led Ponce to become a explorer, or conquistador. His first expedition led him to Hispaniola where he and his men engaged in many wars with the natives. The Spanish men were able to defeat the Taino Indians. As a result of his fighting de Leon was awarded a land grant. He started a farm and grew produce and raised livestock. He also used the Taino Indians to help him on his farm. In 1508 Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain ordered Ponce to capture all the Taino Indians and force them to work in the mines. De Leon later became the provincial governor of Puerto Rico. He consulted with the Taino Indians on many occasions in order to get a better idea of what crops could be grown in these new lands. He also wanted to learn some of the Tainos' farming techniques. Ponce was trying very hard to settle down as a farmer, but his interest in exploration was still there. The Taino Indians had told Ponce of riches in uncharted lands. Ponce was determined to find these lands, as well as the riches that went with them. De Leon made two voyages to try and find this new land. Ponce de Leon was most likely the first explorer to discover what is now the United States. He landed on the coast of what is now Florida, and he actually gave Florida its name. Some people believe that de Leon was searching for the Fountain of Youth, and just found Florida instead. This is nothing more then legend however. His first expedition to Florida was nothing more then a fact finding mission. It was on his second expedition that he was ready to conquer the land. He took two hundred men, fifty horses, and other domesticated animals and farm tools with him. When he and his men got off the ship they were immediately attacked by Calusa braves. De Leon was injured when he was hit with an arrow that was poisoned with the sap of a Manchineel tree. He and his men fled back to Havana, Cuba where Ponce passed away. His desire for glory and riches proved fatal to him.

Above is the tomb of Ponce de Leon in the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista, Cuba.

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