July 20, 1864
Note: links are highlighted red
Tanyard Creek Park Greenway Parking Lot: 482-488 Collier Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309
“The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought near Atlanta on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign” …read more Wikipedia
Order of Battle: Link
A 360º Virtual Reality Tour of the Tanyard Creek area of the battlefield:
The Civil War Trust Atlanta Campaign Video:
Recommended Reading:
#battleofatlanta
April 26, 1865: 90,000 Confederate soldiers were surrendered by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. It effectively ended the American Civil War after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia (April 9, 1865). It was the conclusion of Maj. Gen. Williams T. Sherman’s military champaign from Georgia thru the Carolinas.
The dramatic negotiations started on April 17th, 1865. It was intensified by the telegram Sherman handed to Johnston, informing of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln (April 14). Many, including the newly sworn President Andrew Johnson, wanted the heads of the rebel leaders.
A must read about this pivotal American 30 day turning point is April 1865: The Month That Saved America
Bennett Place 360º Virtual Reality Tour
Bennett Place has a wonderful guided tour of the property. Located at 4409 Bennett Memorial Rd, Durham, NC 27705
Revised 22 December 2017
December 21, 2017 – Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest’s statue was removed by the city of Memphis, Tennessee to an undisclosed location. They city bi-passed the state law on removing historical monuments from public land – so they sold it.
What will they do with his General and Mrs. Forrest buried beneath it?
February 2017:
It was with some trepidation, that I set off for Memphis to shoot Nathan Bedford Forrest. The former Nathan Bedford Forrest Park has been renamed the Health Sciences Park on Union Street. Arriving at 7 AM, I had the place to myself. Metered parking was available on South Dunlap street (no weekend fee). To my relief, there had been no desecration of the monument.
Recent efforts my the Memphis City Council to remove the statue to another city was rejected by the Tennessee Historical Commission… read more
I proceeded north towards Henning, Tennessee to shoot Fort Pillow State Historic Park. It was about and hour and a half drive. Bass boats periodically droned up and down Cold Creek below the fort. It’s not easy to find and not very well marked. I am going to submit an update to Google Maps.
Parking at the trail and head on Crutcher Lake Road, it was about a mile hike to the restored earthworks. In the hour and a half I spent there, on a clear warm Saturday morning, I encountered no visitors.
Suggested reading on the larger historical perspective of this controversial figure of American history:
“Having once been a racist, Nathan Bedford Forrest became an outspoken advocate of black civil rights in Memphis, culminating in his beautiful yet largely forgotten speech before the black civil rights Pole-Bearers Association in 1875. Encouraging the black people in attendance to take an active part in their country’s government, he told them he was with them ‘heart and hand’ to help their cause in any way he could.” – Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Redemption
Check this 3D like 360º virtual tour of Fort Pillow and Nathan Bedford Forrest park. Historical markers are embedded in the tour.
Forrest Park: Madison Ave & S Dunlap Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Fort Pillow: 3122 Park Road Henning, TN 38041
Recommended Reading:
#fortpillow #nathanbedforforrest
2322 Zion Rd, Columbia, TN 38401
“The Zion Presbyterian Church is a historic building in Maury County, Tennessee. The church was built between 1847 and 1849 of brick in the Greek Revival style. President James K. Polk attended a school conducted by the church. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1972.”
It is believed to be the oldest Church in Maury County, Tennessee.
“Zion Presbyterian Church was established in the early 19th-century by Scots-Irish families from South Carolina who moved to Maury County, Tennessee. In 1807, they organized and built a structure on 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land they purchased from heirs of Major-General Nathanael Greene, who had received the land as part of a 25,000-acre (100 km²) American Revolutionary War land grant. The original building was replaced with a brick structure in 1813. The present building was constructed in the Greek Revival style by members and their slaves using brick, limestone, and timber. The architectural styling features stepped gables and a recessed open vestibule. A gallery was also provided for slaves to attend service. In the 1880s, Tiffany Stained Glass windows were added to the church building.
With over 1,500 graves, the Zion Presbyterian Church cemetery of is also of historical significance. In addition to many of the church’s founding members, soldiers from the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War are also interred there. The church cemetery contains a monument to “Daddy Ben,” a slave who, during the Revolutionary War, refused to tell the British where his master was hiding, and survived three hanging attempts by the British Army.” – Wikipedia
It is the final resting place of Private Sam Watkins, who was raised near by:
“Samuel Rush “Sam” Watkins (June 26, 1839 – July 20, 1901) was an American writer and humorist. He fought through the entire Civil War and saw action in many major battles. Today, he is best known for his enduring memoir, “Co. Aytch,” which recounts his life as a soldier in the Confederate States Army.” – Wikipedia
NOTE: I would like to add one footnote about Sam Watkins’ narrative: Col Robert Farquharson is mentioned twice in “Co. Aytch” leading the 4th Tennessee. He was actually Colonel of the 41st Tennessee. My GGF Capt. Walter Scott Bearden served as an officer under his command. They apparently fought together at the Bloody Angle at Kennesaw Mountain.
360º Panorama of The Zion Presbyterian Church
#zionchurch
There are not many places you can fly a UAV above a major American Civil War battlefield. From unrestricted airspace at 395′ above the ground, this is a unique perspective. This was shot with the permission of the homeowners at the corner of Adams Street and Mercury Drive.
The 4k footage starts heading 180º towards Winstead Hill in the far distance (left). It then rotates counter-clockwise passing thru Carnton, Fort Granger, Collins Farm and Loring’s Advance (green space in the foreground). Rotation stops heading north towards town. On the 395′ decent, you can see the Cotton Gin park in the center left of the frame.
Franklin @ 395′ from athensofthesouth.design on Vimeo.
#drone #franklin
