THE BATTLE OF BLOUNTVILLE
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September 22, 2013, will mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War Battle of Blountville. To commemorate the event, special Sesquicentennial Celebrations will be held on Sept. 6-8, 2013, at the Old Hawley Farm located at 1173 Hawley Rd., Blountville, TN.
Events will begin at 10 AM on Friday with a special Living History Day which will provide an education environment for regional school children. Re-enactments and skirmishes will be held on Saturday and Sunday, along with a Ladies Tea, an old-time County Fair, and a Saturday night Ball. Old-time sutlers and food vendors will be on hand throughout the event. The Irish Volunteers of New York will present Civil War period music throughout the event.
This year's commanders include Col. Lance Dawson in command of Union forces, and Col. Duane Hamby in command of CSA forces. Civil War impersonators will be on hand to portray Jefferson Davis, Abe Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart, Ulysses S. Grant and others. Tri-Cities' own Joe Adkins of the Johnson City SCV Camp will portray Col. Abraham Fulkerson. A must-see event!
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For further information about the event, please visit the website or call 423.323.4660.
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The Battle of Blountville... Was it a Union victory? Some say not. Ask the locals and many will tell you the Confederates were in control of the town the day after the battle. By all accounts, however, it was not a major battle, but it was certainly large enough to play an important part in the history of East Tennessee and the Civil War.
The Battle of Blountville occurred on 22 September 1863 in the historic little town of Blountville, Tennessee. Advancing from Knoxville, the Union Army quickly occupied the heights at the old Blountville Cemetery overlooking the west side of town. Reacting to the threats, Southern forces formed artillery on a knoll near the present-day Blountville Middle School; another line was established by Rebel forces on a nearby hillside in front of the Masonic Hall, now the site of the maintenance building for the Sullivan County School System. The battle of artillery and cavalry began in earnest at noon as Union guns offered the initial volley with the Court House as the first target. In only a few minutes, the Court House was burning. Though casualties were light for both armies, the town was devastated, with countless homes and businesses burned to the ground by fires started by the explosions of Federal guns. For four hours, the battle raged when Union forces dislodged the Confederates who began a withdrawal to present-day Bluff City. The Confederates' withdrawal was a pre-planned surprise counter-attack, with fresh Confederate troops awaiting the pursuing Federals. The plan was not destined for success when Union forces discovered the Confederate plot and refused battle; the men in blue retreated to Blountville. All of the Federal forces returned toward Knoxville within two days. That fateful little day left a burning town - a burned jail, a gutted Court House, businesses and homes destroyed. Only a few historic structures and homes remained. Left behind were the dead and wounded from both sides as well as a town destroyed. Here on this ground, as well as in Gettysburg, men fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Eventually, both armies would withdraw from the immediate area, but Blountville, like much of the South, was left smoldering, and its citizens weeping; thus, this once peaceful village would never be the same.
The 2013 Sesquicentennial event is hosted by the Battle of Blountville Civil War Military Park, the Battle of Blountville Re-Enactment Committee, and the Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism. For further information about the re-enactment, please call (423) 323-4660.
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"Historic Sullivan... Preserving our History, Showcasing our Heritage"
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P.O. Box 3179, Blountville, TN - 423.323.4660
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