Historical Insights

We will meet some of the key players in the upcoming drama of Cornyn's and Streight's Raids, and discuss the dramatic rising action that led to these two notorious events.

We will review what we have discussed so far for the eventful year 1862, discuss General Buell's removal, and explore the hardships faced by the people of the Shoals as 1862 turned to 63.

We will discuss the shocking acts of vengeance committed against the citizens of Athens, Alabama, by soldiers under command of the Russian-born Colonel Turchin, and the aftermath in the courts and the press regarding the government's official policy toward the seceded South.

We will visit First-Person accounts of the many surprising ways the presence of the Union Army affected life in the Tennessee Valley during the hot and dusty summer of 1862

We will discuss the dramatic obstacles the Army of the Ohio faced as they moved through North Alabama in the hot and dusty summer of 1862, and the shocking reversals of fate they were destined to endure

In April 1862, a courageous group of Union soldiers snuck behind Rebel lines to steal a locomotive and disrupt a vital artery of the Confederacy. But all did not go according to plan

Immediately following Shiloh, Federal forces occupy stretegic points in North Alabama, while Rebels attempt to undermine their position in every way possible.

We will explore the events of the second day's fighting at Shiloh, and the aftermath in the nation and the Tennessee Valley. At the 15:39 mark, I state incorrectly Buell's forces arrived as late as 11:00 a.m. Tuesday. I should have said Monday

Here you'll find unabridged eyewitness accounts of the battle of Shiloh, with brief biographical blurbs about the authors. (I let my Southern accent slip a little bit with Sam Watkins, but it seemed appropriate) You can follow the link below to see pictures of the authors as well as a transcript of this episode. Enjoy! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AAaDHAflwe0NLQAj2wOLtdrDHDHW9n51/view?usp=driv...

We will examine the bloody struggle which took place one lovely Sunday morning on the banks of the Tennessee River from the eyes of those who experienced it firsthand. See the link below for the excerpted quotations I gathered for my research: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pGgHWyJWPcni4TyfnWkjDWSmtuqREdVi/view?usp=drivesdk

We will discuss the historical context leading up to the monumental battle of Shiloh, early in April 1862. *At 10:53 and 16:25 I forget to say "end quote"

The Valley of the Tennessee is opened to Union invasion with a dramatic turn of events for life in the Shoals.

We will discuss the events of the Civil War between Lincoln's inauguration and the aftermath of Bull Run; a time characterized by naive misconceptions about the bloody nature of the war to come.

We will discuss the fractious election of 1860, the Alabama state secession convention, with detailed eyewitness narratives and demographic information. At the 13:33 mark, it's Seward, not Steward. I know that, just misspoke!

What were the events that led to the Southern leaders deciding to secede from the Union in 1860?

We will examine key terms and definitions and also explore the various sources that will be our guides as we journey back in time to the 1860s.