Tennessee Group Recognized for Commemorating "Forgotten Conflict"

Historians sometimes refer to the War of 1812 as 'the Forgotten Conflict.' Yet it was a war in which Tennessee earned its "Volunteer State" nickname, made possible the acquisition of territory west of the Tennessee River, launched the careers of Sam Houston, David Crockett and Andrew Jackson, and saw thousands of Tennesseans fight in key battles like the Battle of Horseshoe Bend and the Battle of New Orleans.

Now a Tennessee organization dedicating to preserving and promoting history related to the War of 1812 has received a national award for its efforts. The Tennessee War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission will receive a Leadership in History Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History at a ceremony in Louisville this September.

The commission is being recognized for the work it has done since its creation by the Tennessee General Assembly in 2012. Among its other activities, the commission organized 200th anniversary memorial ceremonies, hosted annual symposiums, supported living history programs and workshops throughout the state, produced material for brochures and special editions of Tennessee Historical Quarterly and helped acquire property that is historically significant to the War of 1812.

The commission is currently planning another symposium on the war's legacy that is scheduled to be held in Collierville Sept. 25 and Sept. 26.

The Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) is one of many organizations that have been involved with the commission's work. TSLA hosted an exhibit on the War of 1812 in its lobby and provided materials for a traveling exhibit that has been featured at various locations around the state. TSLA has also conducted workshops for Tennessee teachers who teach about the subject.

Myers Brown and Tom Kanon, archivists at TSLA, both serve on the commission. Brown is the commission's chairman. Kanon is the author of "Tennesseans at War, 1812-1815: Andrew Jackson, the Creek War, and the Battle of New Orleans."

"The War of 1812 had major implications for the state of Tennessee," Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. "I am thankful that the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission is being recognized for its hard work in keeping this important part of our history from being obscured or forgotten."

The American Association for State and Local History is a Nashville-based not-for-profit organization that provides leadership and support for members who preserve and interpret history. Tennessee's War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission is scheduled to receive its award during the association's annual meeting Sept. 18.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

Harlem Hellfighter earns Medal of Honor

On June 2, 2015, Sergeant Henry Lincoln Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Sergeant Johnson and Private Needham Roberts were members of the 369th Infantry Regiment (nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters"). On the night of May 14-15, 1918, the pair were on sentry duty when they were attacked by a unit of German soldiers. Roberts was wounded early in the engagement and lay in their trench, handing grenades to Johnson to throw at the Germans. When their grenades ran out, Johnson began firing his rifle. When his rifle jammed, Johnson used it as a club until its stock shattered, at which point he then began using his bolo knife. The Germans finally retreated when they heard French and American troops approaching.

Image from "Our Colored Heroes," 1918. Thomas Perkins Henderson Papers. "The Volunteer State Goes to War: A Salute to Tennessee Veterans," online exhibit, Tennessee State Library and Archives.

Johnson was wounded 21 times during the fierce hand-to-hand fighting, but he had killed four Germans and wounded another 10-20. As a result of their heroic actions, Johnson and Roberts were the first American soldiers to be awarded France’s prestigious Croix de Guerre medal during World War I. Johnson died in 1929, most likely due to complications from his wounds, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Roughly 350,000 African Americans served on the Western Front during World War I. Because the U.S. military was still segregated at the time, many of the African Americans who served were relegated to labor and stevedore units instead of combat units. One notable exception was the 369th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters." The regiment arrived in France in January 1918 but was given only labor service duties until April, when it was assigned to the French Army. The regiment spent 191 days in combat, more than any other American unit, participating in the Champagne-Marne and Meuse-Argonne campaigns. It was also the first Allied unit to reach the Rhine River in November 1918. All told, 171 of the regiment's officers and men received awards for bravery. The regimental band, led by James Reese Europe, is credited with introducing jazz music to Europe. Other notable members of the 369th were Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the tap dancer and actor, and Vertner Woodson Tandy, one of the founders (or "Seven Jewels") of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first African American fraternity.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

Tennessee Gets Its Start With "Least Imperfect" Founding Document

Tennessee’s first constitution went into effect on this date in 1796, following a process that was full of political intrigue. A group of leaders who lived in the region met in Knoxville for a constitutional convention beginning in January of that year. They came up with a founding document that was eventually ratified by the United States Congress, officially making Tennessee the nation’s 16th state.

Tennessee's first constitution, adopted in 1796. Handwritten in ink on paper.
Tennessee Founding and Landmark Documents
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TeVA)

That first constitution was remarkable for several reasons.

Although it was approved by Congress, the document was never put to a popular vote of the people who were living within the territory that would become the state of Tennessee.

The new constitution granted voting rights to anyone 21 or older who met certain property ownership and residency requirements. This included free black men, although their rights to vote were later rescinded when the state adopted a new constitution in 1835.

The original constitution was criticized by some as giving too much power to the legislative branch of government and not enough to the executive branch.

Congressional support hadn’t come easily, though. At the time, there was a political battle between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Since Tennessee was viewed as likely to support Anti-Federalists, like Jefferson, the Federalists in Congress were reluctant to grant statehood.

However, that didn’t stop Tennesseans from forming its own legislature, which met May 28, 1796 and chose William Blount and William Cocke as its first U.S. senators.

In Washington, a dispute over the census used to determine Tennessee’s representation in Congress was resolved and the federal government voted in favor of statehood, effective June 1, 1796.

On that date, Blount and Cocke’s appointments as senators became official and Andrew Jackson was selected as the state’s lone member in the U.S. House of Representatives. The new state constitution provided for two-year terms for governors with the right to serve "not...more than six years in any term of eight." John Sevier was elected to serve as Tennessee's first governor.

The 1796 constitution became obsolete when Tennesseans approved a new constitution in a public referendum nearly four decades later.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

Photos from TSLA Decorate New Bass Pro Superstore in Memphis

Since its grand opening last month, the Bass Pro Shops superstore in downtown Memphis has earned high praise from those who have toured the facility. The New York Times used the word "stunning" twice in the first six paragraphs of its article describing the 32-story-high building on the Mississippi River's shoreline.

Bass Pro Shops' new location is more than just a place where people can buy hunting and fishing gear. Located in The Pyramid, once the city's main venue for sports and entertainment events, the store is part of a complex that includes a restaurant, a bowling alley, an archery range, a man-made cypress swamp and a hunting lodge-themed hotel.

What visitors might not realize as they browse through 535,000-square-foot building is that many of the striking photographs of nature scenes that they see along the walls come from the Tennessee State Library and Archives.

A man fishing from his boat at Cove Lake State Park near Caryville (1938).
Tennessee Department of Conservation Photograph Collection.

Jeff Harper, a graphic designer for Bass Pro Shops, said details like interior decorations are so important to store development that they are discussed in a planning process that sometimes begins a year or two prior to the opening of new locations.

Harper said it's important that imagery accurately depicts the natural features and plant and animal life found in the areas where the stores are located.

"We like to regionalize our stores as much as possible," Harper said. "That way, they are uniqure and tie into their communities a little bit better."

A man fishing at Bald River Falls in the Cherokee National Forest (1947).
Tennessee Department of Conservation Photograph Collection.

Harper said Bass Pro officials looked at hundreds of images on the Tennessee State Library and Archives' website. Many of those photos were selected for the store and the hotel. They depict scenes showcasing Tennessee's natural beauty as well as people enjoying outdoor activities.

"The photos we selected and ultimately used were perfect for what we were looking for," Harper said.

Bass Pro maintains its own photo archives, which produced some of the decorative images found in the Memphis store. However, Harper said it's been a common practice to search state and local libraries to find location-specific photos for Bass Pro locations across the country.

Harper credited the Tennessee State Library and Archives for its assistance on the project, particularly in meeting some of the tight deadlines required to get the location open on schedule.

"I know they bent over backwards to help me," Harper said.

"It's great that Bass Pro Shops chooses to customize its stores with scenes that are familiar to its customers," Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. "I'm thankful that the State Library and Archives was able to make a significant contribution to a project that's going to be so important to the future of downtown Memphis."

Hikers on the trail near the top of Mt. LeConte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1950).
Tennessee Department of Conservation Photograph Collection.

To find photos at the State Library and Archives, search online at: http://tnsos.org/tsla/imagesearch/index.php or contact the public services division staff at (615) 741-2764.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State. 

"Oll and Toad" - A Civil War Love Story

A newly digitized collection of Civil War love letters is now available online through the Tennessee State Library and Archives' Tennessee Virtual Archive website.

The Oliver Caswell King and Katherine Rebecca Rutledge King Papers document the intimate correspondence of two Sullivan County youths prior to and during the Civil War. About 150 letters are included in the collection as well as political essays, college compositions, and original poetry. Olivia King Inman and Judge Dennis Hisey Inman of Morristown donated these family treasures to the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The collection can be viewed online at: http://tn.gov/tsla/TeVAsites/KingPapersCollection/index.htm.

Oliver Caswell King and Katherine Rebecca Rutledge King Digital Collection website
Tennessee State Library and Archives
http://tn.gov/tsla/TeVAsites/KingPapersCollection/index.htm

"I want to thank Olivia King Inman and Judge Dennis Hisey Inman for their generous donation of their family papers," Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. "These papers will provide researchers with an interesting glimpse at life before, during and after the Civil War. These papers contain a great deal of information about what everyday life was like for soldiers and civilians during a traumatic period in our country's history."

The collection is extraordinary in its content and breadth. It offers valuable social, political, and domestic context for researchers interested in period courtship practices, college experiences, Civil War camp life, and family dynamics. The letters between Oliver King and Katherine Rutledge are peppered with humor, playfulness, gossip, political commentaries, and advice.

Both were well-educated, he at Tusculum College in Greenville and she at the Masonic Female Institute in Blountville. Both enjoyed active social lives, which are richly documented in their letters. Researchers examining antebellum curricula will find the collection particularly useful.

Embossed greeting card displaying a gold-leafed ship’s anchor,
lace and an image of an open book, with red text reading,
"Affections Offering."

King lovingly called Rutledge 'Toad,' and she addressed him as 'Oll.' Most of the letters were written between 1861 and 1863 while King was serving in the Confederate army. King and Rutledge were Southern sympathizers in East Tennessee, a region that was overwhelmingly Unionist in sentiment. (Sullivan County was one of the few exceptions.) King enlisted in the 19th Tennessee Infantry two days before Tennessee voted to secede in June 1861. The correspondence between the couple tapers off in 1863 after King was severely wounded at the Battle of Piedmont in Virginia. For weeks, the chances of his recovery looked gloomy.

Letter from Oliver Caswell King to Katherine Rebecca Rutledge King, May 10, 1858.
Oliver Caswell King and Katherine Rebecca Rutledge King Papers, 1856-1893
Tennessee State Library and Archives

King and Rutledge eventually married. The papers in the online collection include Katherine King’s Confederate widow’s pension application found in the massive number of state pension board records on file at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The application contains approximately 25 letters supporting her claim.

Oliver King died in 1893, then Katherine King died in 1925.

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State. 

Memorial Day and "The Volunteer State"

On this Memorial Day, we remember our fellow Tennesseans who gave their lives in service to our country. Tennesseans have served our nation’s armed forces with a long tradition of selfless volunteerism that earned our state the nickname, “The Volunteer State.”

Most Tennessee historians now agree that the nickname “Volunteer State” is derived from the War of 1812, although the phrase was never actually used during that conflict. Tennesseans exhibited a strong voluntary spirit during the War of 1812, incorporating the word “volunteer” into many of their military unit designations (“Tennessee Volunteers” or “Mounted Volunteers,” for example).

"The Battle of New Orleans," ca. 1861
Tennessee Historical Society Picture Collection

This reputation for volunteering was strengthened during the Mexican War of 1846-1848 and it had been generally thought by some that the expression “Volunteer State” originated at that time. But, in fact, Tennessee had been referred to as the “Volunteer State” at least a decade before the Mexican-American conflict.

1st Tennessee Infantry, USV
The Presidio, San Francisco, CA, 1898
Library Photograph Collection

You can learn more about the beginning of this tradition of service at our newest online exhibit, “Answering the Call: Tennesseans in the War of 1812.” An acknowledgement of Tennessee’s wartime contributions is also chronicled in another online exhibit entitled, “The Volunteer State Goes to War: A Salute to Tennessee Veterans.”

Visit both exhibits at the following links on our website:

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/1812/index.htm

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/veterans/index.htm

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.

Pedaling Through History: May Is National Bike Month

The month of May is recognized as National Bike Month. For the occasion, we take you back in time to the 19th Century.

In 1883, Thuss, Koellein & Giers, a German-American team of photographers, took these photographs capturing members of the Nashville Bicycle Club in rather dandy poses, preparing to ride the streets of Nashville.

The Nashville Bicycle Club first organized in 1880 at a gymnasium located in the rear of a saloon on Deaderick Street. Members were charged a small initiation fee and monthly dues. The club's advent was later described in Nashville's Daily American newspaper as "the turning point of the athletic history of the city."

Four years after establishing the Nashville Bicycle Club, members organized the "First Annual Races of the Nashville Club at the Fair Grounds." On July 12, 1884, the Daily American reported on "a grand parade of wheelmen" who displayed the "marvelous skill some of the bicyclists had acquired over their flying wheels" before a crowd estimated at "about twelve or fifteen hundred, fully repaid for the investment they had made" in attending the race.

These digital photos, and their source citations, can be viewed by searching "Nashville Bicycle Club" in the State Library and Archives Photograph Database: http://tnsos.org/tsla/imagesearch/index.php

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.