Newly-opened Andersonville Prison in southwest Georgia is the Confederacy’s answer to the problem of where to hold Union prisoners awaiting exchange. Located near the Southwestern Railroad and far from the battle front, the 16.5 acre open compound had been constructed by slaves in January. A stream flowing through the compound provides water for prisoners. The…
Tennessee businessman and Baptist layman Joseph Alexander Mabry, Jr. (1826-1882), takes the oath of allegiance to the United States of America. Born in Knox County to a political family, Mabry probably attended Holston Seminary, a Methodist institution, before becoming a land speculator in Knoxville in the early 1850s. Using his political connections, Mabry in 1858…
Confederate Gen. James Longstreet‘s campaign to retake Knoxville, Tennessee from occupying Union forces has been underway since November 16, to no avail. Having given up on his siege efforts, Longstreet on December 4 had left the Knoxville area and headed northeast, pursued by Union forces. Today the Knoxville Campaign comes to an end when Longstreet…