Welcome to ETCWC.ORG!
East Tennessee Civil War Campaigns' mission is to preserve Civil War History in East Tennessee by
providing support, education, living history events, battle re-enactments, cemetery/tombstone
restoration and battlefield preservation.
ETCWC sponsors regional re-enactments of historic battles and skirmishes, provides presentations
exploring how each engagement impacted the region and the nation, and supports efforts by individuals
and historical groups promoting opportunities for a better understanding of the struggle in this region.
This ETCWC website is designed to serve as an information center for anyone interested in sharing or
gathering information. We welcome your input, questions and critique of ETCWC initiatives!
Contact Webmaster: Carlos Whaley
.
American Civil War in Tennessee
ETCWC.ORG website features numerous links and resources for accessing information about
the Civil War in Tennessee. It is our hope that this brief summary will kindle your interest and
motivate you to continue your studies and take advantage of resources offered in this domain.
Tennessee's Civil War history is very rich. Only the State of Virginia saw more fighting or
supplied more Confederate Troops than the Volunteer State! Tennessee was the only
Confederate state to supply the Union Army with more than 50,000 troops during the conflict.
Tennessee was the last Southern State to join the Confederacy and the first to rejoin the Union
after the Civil War ended.
The Pro-Unionist citizens of East Tennessee successfully blocked the state's first convention to
vote on separating from the Union in February, 1861. Following the Confederate attack on Fort
Sumter on April 12, 1861, Lincoln's call for 75,000 troops to put down the rebellion prompted
the majority of Tennesseans to vote for separation on June 8, 1861. However, East
Tennesseans voted two to one against separation, thus, creating a most contentious division
that heightened the turmoil among the citizens of the state for the entire war and its
aftermath.
Geographically, Tennessee represented a crucial border between North and South. Critical
transportation routes included three major rivers and two major railroads ran through the
state. All of these routes offered avenues for military invasions by Union Armies. The state was
in Lincoln's words, the "keystone of the Southern arch."
The Union Navy captured control of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in February, 1862.
By January, 1863, the Union Army controlled most of Middle and West Tennessee, but these
regions of the state were continually contested by the Confederate Army until December, 1864.
Tennessee's Civil War Heritage Trail has identified 2931 engagements across the state. During
the four years of the American Civil War, nearly 66,000 Confederates and 58,000 Union
soldiers lost their lives on Tennessee soil. One-fifth of all Civil War combat deaths took place on
Tennessee battlefields.
The devastation of the Civil War in Tennessee was profound. Prior to the war, the state was
considered the "breadbasket" of the Lower South and possessed a significant portion of the
South's manufacturing capacity. After the war, the economic gains and property values did not
reach their 1861 levels until 1900. During the war, citizens were subjected to military rule by
both sides, with its attendant burdens of foraging, loyalty oaths and stealing. A vicious cycle of
bushwhacking and hanging characterized martial law in some areas. Animosities engendered
by four years of military occupation and guerrilla fighting ensured that Tennessee endured a
long, contentious recovery from the war.
Tennessee's divided character made it a laboratory of political reform after the war. The Federal
occupation of the state was led by Andrew Johnson, a leading pro-Union Southern political
leader from East Tennessee. While Johnson was serving as Military Governor of Tennessee, he
abolished slavery and led the conversion of Tennessee freedmen to United States "Colored
Troops." After the war ended, Pro-Union elements in Tennessee quickly ratified the 13th and
14th Reconstruction Amendments and returned the state to the Union earlier than any other
Confederate state. Tennessee did not have to endure post-war martial law imposed by the
Radical Republican Congress on all other former Confederate States.
***East Tennessee Bridge Burners & Trial of Harrison Self"
Saturday, January 21st, 2012, 3:00PM
Boones Creek Historical Trust Meeting
Boones Creek Christian Church Chapel,
305 Christian Church Road, Gray, TN
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Tri-Cities Civil War Roundtable Battlefield Tour: Shiloh - May 10-13, 2012
Contact Carlos Whaley for more Details
ETCWC Signature
Scouting Event:
A DAY IN THE LIFE
OF A CIVIL WAR
SOLDIER
Re-enactors may
Register on-line
or print Registration Forms
For Mailing
ETCWC Offers
FREE Presentations
and Impressions
for schools, historical events &
Civic Organizations
ETCWC Information
Page provides important links to historical websites,
book reviews & essays relating to the Civil War Era in
Tennessee
ETCWC is always glad to hear from you!
Click on the link above for contact information.
You are the
visitor to ETCWC
ETCWC provides
Free Unit Links
for Recruiting and
Information
Click on the link above for Confederate Unit information.
ETCWC provides
Free Unit Links
for Recruiting and
Information
Click on the link above for Union Unit information.
ETCWC provides a variety of support
services & opportunities for
Historical Groups
