Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Carnton Plantation, Franklin, Tennessee
Last week my parents came for a visit. We took a day and headed up to Franklin, Williamson Co., Tennessee for some genealogy research on our Warren line and to also tour the Carnton Plantation.
We were not able to take any pictures inside the plantation but here are a few I took of the outside. You will see where the kitchen was joined to the house.
A little Carnton Plantation History:
Randal McGavock emigrated from Virginia to Tennesse and named his plantation the Carnton which was a term from County Antrim, Ireland, his fathers birth place, in Gaelic it’s cairn meaning “a pile of stones.” Randal was good friends with President Andrew Jackson who visited several times. President Jackson gave a rocking chair to Randal which is still there today; Randal also new President James K. Polk.
Randal died in 1843, leaving his property to his two sons, James and John. John took possession of the plantation. John married Carrie Winder who was his cousin and known as the “Widow of the South”, from Ducros Plantation in Louisiana. Today there are not many original items left in the house. Several years after John’s death, Carrie sold the house. Through the years it went into several hands then fell in disrepair. In 1978 the Carnton Association acquired it and 10 acres. Randall originally had over 1,000 acres. Up until the 1990s the house was under restoration, bring it back to its original state. Several items have been donated from family members. There is a clock on the mantel in the parlor that is original and still running all these years.
Prior to the battle of Franklin, Carrie was at the end of the front walk and saw the troops appear from the tree line marching their way through. Within 20 minutes after the battle started the Carnton Plantation became the Confederate field hospital. The wounded were laid in every room, shoulder to shoulder. As the surgeons worked the carpets and wood floors became saturated with blood. Today you can see the stains on the wood floors, especially in the nursery which was one of the operating rooms.
During the time the soldiers were being tended to by the surgeons, it is thought that the McGavock family stayed in the 2nd floor kitchen area. In 1909 a tornado destroyed the 2 story kitchen but today you can see where archaeologists have excavated the grounds and where the kitchen was built onto the house. Carrie cared for the wounded by comforting them, feeding them and writing letters for them. On the back porch four Confederate Generals had died: Patrick Cleburne, John Adams, Otho F. Strahl and Hiram B. Granbury.
After the battle there were over 2,500 dead soldiers, 1,750 were Confederates. Orders were to bury them in shallow graves by units, regiments, and companies so their identities were not lost. Almost everyone was identified. By 1865 the wood markers were rotting and the names disappearing so John and Carrie donated 2 acres for the Confederate dead. The Union dead were taken to other locations. In the spring of 1866 the last Confederate soldier was reburied in what was and still is called the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.
On the 2nd floor, encased in a glass cabinet is a cemetery record book, which Carrie was given after the battle but through time names have been lost but as of now 780 confederate soldiers’ identities are positively identified, which leaves 558 unknown.
The Front of the House
the Back of the House
Can you see the line on the side of the house? This is where the kitchen was attached to the house.
We were not able to take any pictures inside the plantation but here are a few I took of the outside. You will see where the kitchen was joined to the house.
A little Carnton Plantation History:
Randal McGavock emigrated from Virginia to Tennesse and named his plantation the Carnton which was a term from County Antrim, Ireland, his fathers birth place, in Gaelic it’s cairn meaning “a pile of stones.” Randal was good friends with President Andrew Jackson who visited several times. President Jackson gave a rocking chair to Randal which is still there today; Randal also new President James K. Polk.
Randal died in 1843, leaving his property to his two sons, James and John. John took possession of the plantation. John married Carrie Winder who was his cousin and known as the “Widow of the South”, from Ducros Plantation in Louisiana. Today there are not many original items left in the house. Several years after John’s death, Carrie sold the house. Through the years it went into several hands then fell in disrepair. In 1978 the Carnton Association acquired it and 10 acres. Randall originally had over 1,000 acres. Up until the 1990s the house was under restoration, bring it back to its original state. Several items have been donated from family members. There is a clock on the mantel in the parlor that is original and still running all these years.
Prior to the battle of Franklin, Carrie was at the end of the front walk and saw the troops appear from the tree line marching their way through. Within 20 minutes after the battle started the Carnton Plantation became the Confederate field hospital. The wounded were laid in every room, shoulder to shoulder. As the surgeons worked the carpets and wood floors became saturated with blood. Today you can see the stains on the wood floors, especially in the nursery which was one of the operating rooms.
During the time the soldiers were being tended to by the surgeons, it is thought that the McGavock family stayed in the 2nd floor kitchen area. In 1909 a tornado destroyed the 2 story kitchen but today you can see where archaeologists have excavated the grounds and where the kitchen was built onto the house. Carrie cared for the wounded by comforting them, feeding them and writing letters for them. On the back porch four Confederate Generals had died: Patrick Cleburne, John Adams, Otho F. Strahl and Hiram B. Granbury.
After the battle there were over 2,500 dead soldiers, 1,750 were Confederates. Orders were to bury them in shallow graves by units, regiments, and companies so their identities were not lost. Almost everyone was identified. By 1865 the wood markers were rotting and the names disappearing so John and Carrie donated 2 acres for the Confederate dead. The Union dead were taken to other locations. In the spring of 1866 the last Confederate soldier was reburied in what was and still is called the McGavock Confederate Cemetery.
On the 2nd floor, encased in a glass cabinet is a cemetery record book, which Carrie was given after the battle but through time names have been lost but as of now 780 confederate soldiers’ identities are positively identified, which leaves 558 unknown.
All Star Flags - Every Kind of Flag You Could Ever Dream Of or Wanted
Are you looking for a new American flag for your home or business? All Star Flags is a family owned company with 30 years’ experience specializing in none other than flags (pardon the pun) but not just your everyday American flag. They have every kind of flag you can think of and ones you probably wouldn’t have thought of. Plus, they can make any kind of flag design you could ever think of.
They pride themselves on 2 very important services, which are, “Customer Service” and “Made in America” flags, that you can choose from lightweight polyester blends, the rugged 2-ply “Tough Tex” or a fully sewn American nylon flag. You won’t see these choices anywhere else.
Here’s just a few of the flags they offer: State Flags, Custom Flags, Historical Flags, International Flags and Military Flags plus hundreds more!
The ones I prefer of course are the Historical Flags from the 13 Colonies through the Revolution to the Civil War. I’d have them all but don’t think the husband would like our front porch lined with flags so I have done the next best thing. We have a library in our home and I have draped several of the historical flags on our book shelves and hang like you would hang a quilt.
All Star Flags also have flag poles from the small house mount all the way up to the sky. They will make sure the job is done right. All Star Flags are located in North Carolina but that doesn’t stop them. They service the whole United States. You can even "Like" them on facebook
Here is just one example of what they offer: The 13 Colony Flag
Visit All Star Flags and see for yourself
They pride themselves on 2 very important services, which are, “Customer Service” and “Made in America” flags, that you can choose from lightweight polyester blends, the rugged 2-ply “Tough Tex” or a fully sewn American nylon flag. You won’t see these choices anywhere else.
Here’s just a few of the flags they offer: State Flags, Custom Flags, Historical Flags, International Flags and Military Flags plus hundreds more!
The ones I prefer of course are the Historical Flags from the 13 Colonies through the Revolution to the Civil War. I’d have them all but don’t think the husband would like our front porch lined with flags so I have done the next best thing. We have a library in our home and I have draped several of the historical flags on our book shelves and hang like you would hang a quilt.
All Star Flags also have flag poles from the small house mount all the way up to the sky. They will make sure the job is done right. All Star Flags are located in North Carolina but that doesn’t stop them. They service the whole United States. You can even "Like" them on facebook
Here is just one example of what they offer: The 13 Colony Flag
Visit All Star Flags and see for yourself
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
LeRoy Pope Walker - gave the signal
Well the 10:00 news wasn't all depressing like it normally is. I learned something new for once! And since I live in Alabama now, thought I would pass this along.
LeRoy Pope Walker
Secessionist, Politician, Confederate General. As the first Secretary of War in the CSA, appointed by President Jefferson Davis, he gave the signal, by telegraph from Montgomery, for the bombardment of Fort Sumter which started the five year civil war.
Find a grave has a nice write-up on him and his grave.
LeRoy Pope Walker
Secessionist, Politician, Confederate General. As the first Secretary of War in the CSA, appointed by President Jefferson Davis, he gave the signal, by telegraph from Montgomery, for the bombardment of Fort Sumter which started the five year civil war.
Find a grave has a nice write-up on him and his grave.
The Civil War: More Troops Died Than All Other Wars Combined
I thought I would do some re-posting of some of the article I wrote a long time ago. Here is the first one and I have to say my numbers are a little off since 2007 when I wrote this but the meaning is still the same.
If you combine all the United States wars from the beginning of our great country up to the Civil War, skipping over the Civil War, and adding all the rest of the wars to today; the number of killed and wounded wouldn’t total the number of killed and wounded during the Civil War. Bet you didn’t know that!
Click here the rest of the article
If you combine all the United States wars from the beginning of our great country up to the Civil War, skipping over the Civil War, and adding all the rest of the wars to today; the number of killed and wounded wouldn’t total the number of killed and wounded during the Civil War. Bet you didn’t know that!
Click here the rest of the article
Monday, April 11, 2011
Reenactors Brace for Civil War to Begin -- 150 Years Later
Amelia Youhn has been a Civil War reenactor since before she could walk.
Now in college, she still dresses up and goes out when she can with her parents. A few weeks ago, she took me through what a Civil War reenactment is like beyond the battles. I learned about the food, the activities, and the Saturday night balls. And I learned why people take part in the pastime even today.
click here to read the entire article, then Tuesday for more!
Now in college, she still dresses up and goes out when she can with her parents. A few weeks ago, she took me through what a Civil War reenactment is like beyond the battles. I learned about the food, the activities, and the Saturday night balls. And I learned why people take part in the pastime even today.
click here to read the entire article, then Tuesday for more!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Nowhere else were the Civil War's hostilities more tightly coiled and personal than the Kansas-Missouri border area
If your a Kansas'n like me you will want to follow this. It is in five parts. This month is part one. May is part two, June part three, July part four and August part five. So bookmark this so you don't miss any!
At his inauguration, the eloquent but embattled president from Illinois spoke hopefully of the “mystic chords of memory” keeping Americans united. Those chords now keep the Civil War echoing, 150 years after he, Abe Lincoln, watched it erupt. Beginning with the Tuesday sesquicentennial of Southern cannons firing on Fort Sumter, S.C., a nation divided by some of the same arguments — about federal reach versus states’ rights, about old economy versus new, about race and religion — embarks on a four-year observance of a war that rewrote most everything. The real flashpoint predates Fort Sumter by several years, however. …
click here
At his inauguration, the eloquent but embattled president from Illinois spoke hopefully of the “mystic chords of memory” keeping Americans united. Those chords now keep the Civil War echoing, 150 years after he, Abe Lincoln, watched it erupt. Beginning with the Tuesday sesquicentennial of Southern cannons firing on Fort Sumter, S.C., a nation divided by some of the same arguments — about federal reach versus states’ rights, about old economy versus new, about race and religion — embarks on a four-year observance of a war that rewrote most everything. The real flashpoint predates Fort Sumter by several years, however. …
click here
Five myths about Abraham Lincoln
No American hero, with the possible exception of George "I Cannot Tell a Lie" Washington, has been more encrusted with myth than Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln did boast virtues that required little embellishment. He rose from obscurity through hard work, self-education and honesty. He endured venomous criticism to save the Union and end slavery. He died shortly after his greatest triumph at the hands of an assassin. But tall-tale-tellers have never hesitated to rewrite Lincoln's biography. On Presidents' Day, it's well worth dispelling some perennial misconceptions about the man on the $5 bill.
Get all 5 here.
Get all 5 here.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
25 Great Books on the Civil War Era–FREE!
Want to read some books about the Civil War for free? You can, over at GeneaBlogie you will find a list of 25 Civil War book tittles that you can read on Google e-books. I'll be checking these out.
Community: A Civil Discourse
Secession, slavery, states’ rights. Flag controversies, reenactments, monuments. The Civil War conjures ghosts and shadows. Hunleys and heroes, and conflict still here, where the first shots were fired 150 years ago. To mark the sesquicentennial, we asked noted historians, authors, and educators to offer their personal reflections on what the anniversary means to them, and to our community
A wonderful article, you have to read!
A wonderful article, you have to read!
Old times not forgotten: Civil War at 150
A hush fell over the crowd filling the elegant hall in downtown Richmond, Va. The vote was about to be announced, and a young staffer of the Museum of the Confederacy balanced his laptop across his knees, poised to get out the news as soon as it was official.
Who would be chosen "Person of the Year, 1861"?
Five historians had made impassioned nominations, and the audience would now decide.
Read the whole article here
Who would be chosen "Person of the Year, 1861"?
Five historians had made impassioned nominations, and the audience would now decide.
Read the whole article here
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