Tennessee Memories
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 3:48 pm
August 30, 2012
By Christopher Kyte, President
As I write this, the American Queen has just completed her first cruise on the Tennessee River under the banner of the American Queen Steamboat Company. Our guests loved it and so did the people along the river. History is easily visible everywhere you turn. In fact, Tennessee and General Ulysses S. Grant are deeply intertwined.
The voyage began in Chattanooga, TN and the city was a big hit. The American Queen was docked across the river from her former fleetmate, the legendary Delta Queen. After 80 years on America’s rivers, she was retired by her former owners and now serves as a hotel in Chattanooga. While we’d love to see her return to river cruising, we’re happy to see that she is properly maintained and treated with the respect she deserves in one of Tennessee’s loveliest cities.
The name Chattanooga is hard to trace, but all historians agree that it is derived from the Native American population in the area. The Muskogean word “cható” meant “rock” and the suffix “nunga” is generally regarded as meaning a home or dwelling place. Whatever the origins of the name, in 1816 John Ross settled in the area and created a community called Ross’s Landing which grew to become a center of the Cherokee Nation and Ross later went on to become a chief. But in 1838 the U.S. Government forced all Cherokees to resettle in Oklahoma and Ross’s Landing became an internment camp. The railroad arrived in the new town of Chattanooga in 1850 and the town grew rapidly.
This voyage focused on the Civil War and aboard we had historians, civil war-themed musicians, impersonators and a boat full of knowledgeable guests. Our Civil War Themboating adventures are always among our most popular journeys.
Tennessee played a crucial role in the War Between the States and Chattanooga was no exception. The city was bombarded by Union artillery and then occupied on September 9, 1963 as part of the Chickamauga Campaign. The Battles for Chattanooga began on November 23, 1863 when Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant reinforced the Union troops in the city and fought the attacking Confederate troops. The Battle of Lookout Mountain took place the next day and the Confederate soldiers were pushed off the mountain. Grant was victorious again the following day in the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
Another of our ports of call, Savannah, TN, is perhaps best known as the headquarters for General Grant prior to the Battle of Shiloh. Grant and his men set up a nerve center in the 1830-built Cherry Mansion on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River, just 10 miles from the site of the Battle of Shiloh.
When Grant settled into Cherry Mansion in 1862, he had nearly 50,000 Union troops encamped near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. On April 5, the evening before the Battle of Shiloh began; Grant was joined by General Don Carlos Buell and some of his men as they streamed into Savannah. Buell had four divisions with nearly 18,000 men but only three reached the battle in time to provide any useful force.
Confederate General Sidney Johnston had his sights set on the Union forces and on April 6 attacked the Union army at Pittsburg Landing. They almost succeeded in breaking through Grant’s defenses but the Union soldiers fought valiantly, despite having been caught by surprise at the intensity of the battle with more than 40,000 Confederate troops focused on pushing them from their encampment. It was a costly mistake by the South; General Johnston was killed by a stray bullet. He was replaced by General P.G.T. Beauregard. On April 7, 1862, three of Buell’s four divisions reached Pittsburg Landing from Savannah. Buoyed by Buell’s extra divisions, Grant counterattacked in a horrifically bloody battle. Eventually, the surviving Confederate forces retreated as far as Corinth.
From a strategic standpoint, the North had clearly won but the cost had been a tactical bloodbath. Over 13,000 Union soldiers died, more than the 10,000 Confederate warriors who fell during the battle. What might have been a glorious victory for the Confederacy instead was a loss. The sheer number of dead on both sides made it clear to both Union and Confederate leaders this would be a long, savage war. Today the sacrifices of the nearly 24,000 who died at the Battle of Shiloh are immortalized in the nearby Shiloh National Military Park.
Dover, TN might seem like a laid-back town of just 1,500 residents, but it is the site of one of the first significant Union victories of the Civil War. Fort Donelson National Battlefield and Cemetery is a reminder of the sacrifices made by both Union and Confederate troops that cold winter day in February, 1862. It started with a Union gunboat fleet which arrived from Fort Henry via the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers and exchanged fire with the guns of Fort Donelson. After 90 minutes, the shore batteries won out and the fleet withdrew with heavy damage.
The battle on the river set the stage for a terrible conflict ashore. Ulysses S. Grant was receiving a stream of reinforcements and the Confederate generals (John Floyd, Gideon Pillow, Simon Buckner and Bushrod Johnson) began to worry despite their uplifting victory over the Union gunboats. Their plan was to break through the Union troops and reach safety in Nashville and, in the initial skirmishes, the Union Army was pushed back until Grant struck back hard, regaining the land he had lost and closing in on the fort.
General Buckner was left to defend Fort Donelson while the other generals gathered up their men and escaped to the safety of Nashville. Realizing that all hope was lost, Buckner sent a message to Grant asking for the terms of surrender. His inquiry was met with a terse reply by Grant. "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted."
The victory propelled Grant to fame among the Union Army as he became a hero known as “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. Eventually, Grant’s victory at Fort Donelson, coupled with victories at several other battles and Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox, paved the way for Grant to ascend to the presidency of the reunited United States of America.
While Dover helped make Grant famous, nearby Ashport Landing, TN is known for a massacre. It is the gateway to Fort Pillow, now a National Historical Landmark. The battle of Fort Pillow was known in the North as the Fort Pillow Massacre. Fought on April 12, 1864 near Henning, TN, the battle came to an inglorious end when Union troops were killed en masse by Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s forces. Forrest had launched a campaign the month before to destroy forts and supplies supporting the Union advances and Fort Pillow, with 600 Union soldiers, was clearly in his sights.
About half the Union troops at fort Pillow were African-Americans belonging to the 6th U.S. Regiment Colored Heavy Artillery and the 2nd U.S. Colored Light Artillery. The majority were former slaves who were fighting for their continuing freedom. During the battle, Confederate forces had the upper hand and demanded the surrender of Union forces, a request that was initially refused. By the evening, it was clear the Union cause was lost but history is unclear if Union troops formally surrendered or not. What is known is that some fled, moving toward the river where they were either killed or drowned.
Historians agree that the troops remaining inside the fort were massacred in cold blood, despite many throwing down their arms and surrendering. Of the 600 men in the fort, as many as 300 died. While 40% of the white soldiers were casualties, 80% of the African-Americans were killed. Though the act was not sanctioned by the Confederacy, it appears that the fog of war contributed to the massacre. Many of the African-American troops were afraid to surrender, certain that they would be killed due to their allegiance to the Union.
Nonetheless, the horrible tragedy at Fort Pillow is now memorialized on the site of the battle. Ironically, shortly after occupying Fort Pillow, Confederate forces departed to resume their raids on Union strongholds.
People sometimes wonder how we choose our destinations along the river. We do so for a variety of reasons but one thing we know is that each brings its own rich history to the table. Sometimes glorious, sometimes tragic. Woven together, they are the fabric of America and the reason that traveling with us on the American Queen is a vacation like no other.
By Christopher Kyte, President
As I write this, the American Queen has just completed her first cruise on the Tennessee River under the banner of the American Queen Steamboat Company. Our guests loved it and so did the people along the river. History is easily visible everywhere you turn. In fact, Tennessee and General Ulysses S. Grant are deeply intertwined.
The voyage began in Chattanooga, TN and the city was a big hit. The American Queen was docked across the river from her former fleetmate, the legendary Delta Queen. After 80 years on America’s rivers, she was retired by her former owners and now serves as a hotel in Chattanooga. While we’d love to see her return to river cruising, we’re happy to see that she is properly maintained and treated with the respect she deserves in one of Tennessee’s loveliest cities.
The name Chattanooga is hard to trace, but all historians agree that it is derived from the Native American population in the area. The Muskogean word “cható” meant “rock” and the suffix “nunga” is generally regarded as meaning a home or dwelling place. Whatever the origins of the name, in 1816 John Ross settled in the area and created a community called Ross’s Landing which grew to become a center of the Cherokee Nation and Ross later went on to become a chief. But in 1838 the U.S. Government forced all Cherokees to resettle in Oklahoma and Ross’s Landing became an internment camp. The railroad arrived in the new town of Chattanooga in 1850 and the town grew rapidly.
This voyage focused on the Civil War and aboard we had historians, civil war-themed musicians, impersonators and a boat full of knowledgeable guests. Our Civil War Themboating adventures are always among our most popular journeys.
Tennessee played a crucial role in the War Between the States and Chattanooga was no exception. The city was bombarded by Union artillery and then occupied on September 9, 1963 as part of the Chickamauga Campaign. The Battles for Chattanooga began on November 23, 1863 when Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant reinforced the Union troops in the city and fought the attacking Confederate troops. The Battle of Lookout Mountain took place the next day and the Confederate soldiers were pushed off the mountain. Grant was victorious again the following day in the Battle of Missionary Ridge.
Another of our ports of call, Savannah, TN, is perhaps best known as the headquarters for General Grant prior to the Battle of Shiloh. Grant and his men set up a nerve center in the 1830-built Cherry Mansion on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River, just 10 miles from the site of the Battle of Shiloh.
When Grant settled into Cherry Mansion in 1862, he had nearly 50,000 Union troops encamped near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. On April 5, the evening before the Battle of Shiloh began; Grant was joined by General Don Carlos Buell and some of his men as they streamed into Savannah. Buell had four divisions with nearly 18,000 men but only three reached the battle in time to provide any useful force.
Confederate General Sidney Johnston had his sights set on the Union forces and on April 6 attacked the Union army at Pittsburg Landing. They almost succeeded in breaking through Grant’s defenses but the Union soldiers fought valiantly, despite having been caught by surprise at the intensity of the battle with more than 40,000 Confederate troops focused on pushing them from their encampment. It was a costly mistake by the South; General Johnston was killed by a stray bullet. He was replaced by General P.G.T. Beauregard. On April 7, 1862, three of Buell’s four divisions reached Pittsburg Landing from Savannah. Buoyed by Buell’s extra divisions, Grant counterattacked in a horrifically bloody battle. Eventually, the surviving Confederate forces retreated as far as Corinth.
From a strategic standpoint, the North had clearly won but the cost had been a tactical bloodbath. Over 13,000 Union soldiers died, more than the 10,000 Confederate warriors who fell during the battle. What might have been a glorious victory for the Confederacy instead was a loss. The sheer number of dead on both sides made it clear to both Union and Confederate leaders this would be a long, savage war. Today the sacrifices of the nearly 24,000 who died at the Battle of Shiloh are immortalized in the nearby Shiloh National Military Park.
Dover, TN might seem like a laid-back town of just 1,500 residents, but it is the site of one of the first significant Union victories of the Civil War. Fort Donelson National Battlefield and Cemetery is a reminder of the sacrifices made by both Union and Confederate troops that cold winter day in February, 1862. It started with a Union gunboat fleet which arrived from Fort Henry via the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers and exchanged fire with the guns of Fort Donelson. After 90 minutes, the shore batteries won out and the fleet withdrew with heavy damage.
The battle on the river set the stage for a terrible conflict ashore. Ulysses S. Grant was receiving a stream of reinforcements and the Confederate generals (John Floyd, Gideon Pillow, Simon Buckner and Bushrod Johnson) began to worry despite their uplifting victory over the Union gunboats. Their plan was to break through the Union troops and reach safety in Nashville and, in the initial skirmishes, the Union Army was pushed back until Grant struck back hard, regaining the land he had lost and closing in on the fort.
General Buckner was left to defend Fort Donelson while the other generals gathered up their men and escaped to the safety of Nashville. Realizing that all hope was lost, Buckner sent a message to Grant asking for the terms of surrender. His inquiry was met with a terse reply by Grant. "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted."
The victory propelled Grant to fame among the Union Army as he became a hero known as “Unconditional Surrender” Grant. Eventually, Grant’s victory at Fort Donelson, coupled with victories at several other battles and Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox, paved the way for Grant to ascend to the presidency of the reunited United States of America.
While Dover helped make Grant famous, nearby Ashport Landing, TN is known for a massacre. It is the gateway to Fort Pillow, now a National Historical Landmark. The battle of Fort Pillow was known in the North as the Fort Pillow Massacre. Fought on April 12, 1864 near Henning, TN, the battle came to an inglorious end when Union troops were killed en masse by Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s forces. Forrest had launched a campaign the month before to destroy forts and supplies supporting the Union advances and Fort Pillow, with 600 Union soldiers, was clearly in his sights.
About half the Union troops at fort Pillow were African-Americans belonging to the 6th U.S. Regiment Colored Heavy Artillery and the 2nd U.S. Colored Light Artillery. The majority were former slaves who were fighting for their continuing freedom. During the battle, Confederate forces had the upper hand and demanded the surrender of Union forces, a request that was initially refused. By the evening, it was clear the Union cause was lost but history is unclear if Union troops formally surrendered or not. What is known is that some fled, moving toward the river where they were either killed or drowned.
Historians agree that the troops remaining inside the fort were massacred in cold blood, despite many throwing down their arms and surrendering. Of the 600 men in the fort, as many as 300 died. While 40% of the white soldiers were casualties, 80% of the African-Americans were killed. Though the act was not sanctioned by the Confederacy, it appears that the fog of war contributed to the massacre. Many of the African-American troops were afraid to surrender, certain that they would be killed due to their allegiance to the Union.
Nonetheless, the horrible tragedy at Fort Pillow is now memorialized on the site of the battle. Ironically, shortly after occupying Fort Pillow, Confederate forces departed to resume their raids on Union strongholds.
People sometimes wonder how we choose our destinations along the river. We do so for a variety of reasons but one thing we know is that each brings its own rich history to the table. Sometimes glorious, sometimes tragic. Woven together, they are the fabric of America and the reason that traveling with us on the American Queen is a vacation like no other.