Tennessee

Go inside the story of the battles for Midle Tennessee in late 1862-63 through letters, reports and memoirs.

After the Battle of Perryville in October 1862, the focus of the Civil War in the West shifted back to Tennessee. The Union Army of the Cumberland regrouped in Nashville, while the Confederate Army of Tennessee camped 30 miles away in Murfreesboro. On December 26 the Federals marched southward and fought a three-day brawl at Stones River with their Confederate counterparts. The Confederates withdrew, and both armies spent the winter and spring harassing each other and regrouping for the next round. In the Confederate camp, dissention corroded the army's high command. The critical engagement at Stones River (by percentage of loss the Civil War's bloodiest battle) and the masterful Tullahoma operation will receive detailed attention in this journey through the historic moment in time.

This marvelous collection of more than two hundred rare images celebrates Trousdale County's rich history and highlights some of the major industries and events that shaped the area.

Trousdale County has a history as fascinating as it is long. The region's early reputation stemmed from its well-known race track, a forum that attracted to town such notables as Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston. In the turbulent Civil War years, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan staged the most successful cavalry raid of the war in Hartsville, overwhelming a larger Union force and capturing over two thousand men. During Reconstruction, tobacco emerged as a major crop for the area and today Hartsville boasts one of the top tobacco markets in the state. The history of the county is not all famous names and dramatic events; in many ways the most interesting tales are about the ordinary folks and the way they lived their lives. From the time of the earliest settlers, who forged the Immigrant Trail through Trousdale County in the late eighteenth century, to the present, this area has been home to the humble and the great, the freeman and the slave, the patriot and the soldier, the laborer and the businessman. Combining rare images with a wealth of historical information, this delightful volume brings to life the past of a traditional, yet dynamic, region of Tennessee. Most assuredly, this book reaches deep into the area's soul, offering up a multitude of strong images and valuable insights for resident and visitor alike.

The town of Newport, nestled in the foothills of the Smokies, has a rich and storied history. While some of these rare photographs have appeared in local newspapers, many have never been published or seen by more than a few.

This book reveals glimpses of the community's past, where the everyday citizens have gone about their daily lives while playing vital roles in the community's history. Most of these photographs were taken by ordinary citizens who never imagined that they might be preserving history, from the portraits of renowned townspeople like Thomas Sandusky Gorman, ""the father of Newport,"" to images of buildings that have long since been razed to the ground. Journey with local historian Edward Walker through this pictorial account of times gone by in Newport, Tennessee.

Diggs Nolen's name was the byword for crime in 1920s Memphis. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a swashbuckling outlaw. He turned his back on a promising career, his family and consorted with the worst elements of society. Under the tutelage of train robber Frank Holloway, Nolen became a notorious con artist. Later, he and his gun-slinging wife built an empire out of selling narcotics and trafficking stolen goods. Law enforcement caught Nolen, but they could not hold him. Nolen escaped from Leavenworth Prison, led the largest jailbreak in Memphis history and confounded prosecutors with legal wranglings. Author Patrick O'Daniel details Nolen's quixotic quest for criminal fame that earned him the title King of the Memphis Underworld.