Battlefield of Nashville | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Season 1 | 6m 52sVideo has Closed Captions
Against all odds, the Army of Tennessee tries to capture Tennessee’s capital.
Against all odds, the Army of Tennessee tries to capture Tennessee’s capital.
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Tennessee Civil War 150 is a local public television program presented by WNPT
Battlefield of Nashville | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Season 1 | 6m 52sVideo has Closed Captions
Against all odds, the Army of Tennessee tries to capture Tennessee’s capital.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipThey did March on to win what historians call one of the most decisive battles in the Civil War, The Battle of Nashville.
It started on December the 15th in 1864 and ended on the 17th when General George Thomas' Union Army defeated General John Bell hoods Confederate Army.
They are the black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Fisk historian, Rivas Mitchell.
The Battle of Nashville was significant to the Civil War - to the history of the Civil War and certainly the great outcome of the Civil War was freedom for African-Americans.
I think the significance lies in the fact that locally we celebrate the Battle of Franklin, we talk about the Battle of Stones River, but we seldom discuss the Battle of Nashville in which Americans of African ancestry were pivotal in winning a major Civil War battle.
Each year the African American Cultural Alliance marks the Battle of Nashville anniversary with a program of reenactment at Fort Negley and a memorial service.
This book is called Civil War, Black Soldiers.
In it it mentions Nashville - great pictures of Nashville and why it was important.
And the fact that it says it clearly that the Black soldiers had a higher rate of casualty than either side.
So often when people think of Civil War battles and they think of soldiers they don't think of Black soldiers.
There's the mistaken idea that there'd be any great war in America and African Americans wouldn't be called upon to fully participate.
One of my theories is whenever there's been suffering African Americans have been more than allowed to have their fair share of suffering.
There's a great deal of suffering in the Civil War.
It was also manhood.
It was a reaffirmation of manhood when many people questioned the manhood of the African.
Many who enslaved these men stood up they stood toe-to-toe and they fought not for Black cause, they fought for American cause.
And they were successful.
So, for 21 years here in Nashville we celebrated that success.
Through songs, show-and-tell, and brief history lessons marking the occasion is a sign that times have changed.
There are some 21 markers that denote the Battle of Nashville.
It was about 5 or 6 years ago that a marker was erected for Nashville Blacks in the Civil War.
They primarily dealt with the Battle of Nashville.
In that battle some 13,000 USCT troops, the United States Colored Troops, were in that battle.
They helped the Union Army to build Fort Negley and before the war was over they had constructed approximately 23 fortifications in Tennessee.
In the last 10 years, I must confess, since the popularity of the motion picture glory.
And much of what you see with the 369th, those Black Union soldiers in glory in South Carolina is reminiscent of the Battle of Nashville.
With one great exception, at Fort Sumter the Union was defeated, in the Battle of Nashville the Union won.
For the past 10 years, the few but faithful have participated in the reenactment.
Commanded General Stevenson - in accordance with orders set by President Lincoln, his 4th orders of this day number 12, 15 and 16 this post is now open and in commission.
And, salute.
Dismissed.
First time I was here was 10 years ago and I came out alone because I felt compelled to remember our past history that we need to remember the fact that Black troops fought and died in and around Nashville.
It's gone unnoticed for so long and I feel responsible to the younger generation, to pass on some knowledge and at the same time gain some knowledge for myself.
As General Hood's army advanced the Black soldiers were preparing by building european-style forts.
They were armed with infield rifle muskets to prepare to hit their target.
In many cases they were without shelter and some very cold and inclement weather and they'd work their shift and sleep right there on the ground.
Well, after the fortifications were all built including this one the Union Army felt that well we've got all this free labor right here let's just put him into the army and they conscripted them right into the army and the same regiments and then the same gangs that they already were in.
But it must have been wonderful - it must have been gallant to know that they were going to aid their brother in gaining the great American quality.
That the Battle of Nashville and those Black soldiers accomplished what the American Revolution did not accomplish, freedom for Americans of African ancestry.
[ bugle music, taps ] From the battlefield to the grave, where many of the United States Colored Troops were laying to rest, their headstones bare their names and the acronym USCT.
Now, this is a lesson that you may not have learned in school but Kwame Lillard, Len Norris, and the African American Cultural Alliance hope it will leave a lasting impression.
Lotz House | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 5m 50s | This Williamson County home still bears the scars from the Battle of Franklin. (5m 50s)
Stones River | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 39s | Stones River had the highest percentage of casualties of any major Civil War battle. (3m 39s)
Memorial Day-Stones River | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 1m 27s | Visitors pay their respects each year at the Murfreesboro battlefield. (1m 27s)
Fort Negley | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 32s | Fort Negley became a cemetery for many African Americans forced to build it. (6m 32s)
Fort Donelson Tour | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 16s | Despite turning back Union ironclads, rebels couldn’t turn back U.S. Grant. (3m 16s)
Fort Donelson Relics | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 6s | Items from the Civil War are still being found at Fort Donelson. (6m 6s)
Battle of Franklin | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 20s | This brutal battle would essentially end the Army of Tennessee’s ability to fight. (6m 20s)
Battlefield Overview | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 20s | Tennessee’s battlefields serve as a reminder that such conflicts must never be repeated. (3m 20s)
Now PlayingBattlefield of Nashville | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 52s | Against all odds, the Army of Tennessee tries to capture Tennessee’s capital. (6m 52s)
Sharecropping | Aftermath | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 47s | Without access to land, choices about making a living were few for freedmen. (3m 47s)
Old Glory | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 35s | Ever wonder how “Old Glory” got its name? Here’s the answer. (2m 35s)
Battlefield Shiloh | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 4m 45s | It is said that the South never smiled again after “Bloody April.” (4m 45s)
Impeach Johnson | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 12s | The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson. (3m 12s)
TN National Battlefield | Monuments | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 17s | Tennessee is second only to Virginia when counting the number of Civil War battlefields (2m 17s)
Slave Dwellings | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 1m 41s | The Slave Dwelling Project seeks to preserve existing slave cabins. (1m 41s)
Jeff Davis Monument | Monuments | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 2s | The monument commemorates the birthplace of the president of the Confederacy. (6m 2s)
The Capitol at War | Monuments | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 21s | We know it as the State Capitol, but it was once a Civil War fortification. (2m 21s)
Battle of Nashville | Monuments | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 5m 48s | The result of this battle was a foregone conclusion: the end of the Army of Tennessee. (5m 48s)
Travelers Rest | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 46s | This 18th Century home served as Confederate headquarters during the Battle of Nashville. (3m 46s)
Sam Davis Home | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 5m 47s | This Smyrna mansion was the home of the “boy hero of the Confederacy.” (5m 47s)
Rippavilla | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 33s | Confederate General Hood used this Spring Hill mansion as his headquarters. (6m 33s)
Hunt Phelan House | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 3m 47s | This historic Memphis mansion holds many Civil War secrets. (3m 47s)
Carnton Mansion | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 15s | This Franklin home was a Confederate hospital in 1864. (6m 15s)
Bleak House | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 14s | The tower of this Knoxville mansion played a role in the battle that raged around it. (6m 14s)
Belle Meade Field Trip | Mansions | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 5m 44s | Visitors can learn much about the war during the trip to this antebellum mansion. (5m 44s)
Rhea County Spartans | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 38s | This Confederate Cavalry Regiment was comprised entirely of women. (2m 38s)
Longstreet Museum | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 40s | This home, turned museum, was General Longstreet’s headquarters. (2m 40s)
Guerilla Warfare | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 1m 36s | You know about the major battles, but what about Tennessee’s “un-civil” war? (1m 36s)
The Great Panic | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 1m 48s | The approaching Union Army was cause for alarm in 1862 Nashville. (1m 48s)
Flags of the War | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 4m 20s | Flags served many purposes during the war. (4m 20s)
Cumberland Gap | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 37s | This important piece of real estate changed hands several times during the war. (2m 37s)
Battlefield Surgery | Battlefields | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 1m 50s | Surgical procedures were barbaric during the war, and so were their results. (1m 50s)
Colonel Hurst | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 2m 32s | This controversial Tennessean led a band of guerilla fighters for the Union. (2m 32s)
Andrew Johnson | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 6m 15s | This East Tennessee Tailor would become the 17th President of the United States. (6m 15s)
Admiral Farragut | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 1m 56s | This native Tennessean captured New Orleans and Mobile for the Union. (1m 56s)
The Black Exodus | Aftermath | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 4m 34s | During Reconstruction, many African Americans migrated North to avoid racial violence. (4m 34s)
Adelicia Acklen | Civil War Figures | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 4m 6s | This Nashville native became the wealthiest woman in Tennessee. (4m 6s)
A Myth Is Born | Aftermath | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: S1 | 4m 7s | The myth of “Lost Cause” eases the pain of defeat for the South. (4m 7s)
The Vacant Chair | Songs & Stories | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Ep2 | 3m 57s | Performed by Maura O’Connell with musicians, Donald Johnson, John Mock and David Frances. (3m 57s)
Swing Low Sweet Chariot | Songs & Stories | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Ep2 | 2m 47s | Swing Low Sweet Chariot. Fisk Jubilee Singers, directed by Dr. Paul Kwanee. (2m 47s)
My Old Kentucky Home | Songs & Stories | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Ep2 | 4m 6s | Performed By Crystal Gayle with musicians, Buddy Spiker, Richard Bailey and John Kearns. (4m 6s)
Bonnie Blue Flag | Songs & Stories | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Ep2 | 3m 34s | Bonnie Blue Flag. Performed by Bo Bice with musicians Bart Walker and Jeff Bradshaw. (3m 34s)
Battle Hymn | Songs & Stories | TN Civil War 150
Clip: Ep2 | 3m 14s | With William Lee Golden, Jimmy Fortune, Tim Duncan, Chris Golden and Jimmy Fulbright. (3m 14s)
Union Occupation | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 2m 17s | Union Occupation led to self-emancipation. (2m 17s)
Types of Labor | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 1m 59s | A look at types of labor on Wessyngton Plantation. (1m 59s)
Ten Year Old | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 1m 31s | The harsh reality of 10 year old children being enslaved. (1m 31s)
Task System | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 2m 35s | Task System | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150 (2m 35s)
Slave Rebellion | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 2m 12s | Slave rebellion was a potential problem by slave owners. (2m 12s)
Resistance | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 36s | Slave resistance was feared by slave owners. (36s)
Owner's Control | Wessyngton Plantation | TN Civil War 150
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Clip: Ep8 | 1m 52s | A look at how owners controlled their slaves during the Civil War. (1m 52s)
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Tennessee Civil War 150 is a local public television program presented by WNPT