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Mosheim in Greene County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Pottertown Bridge Burners

Unionists Pay the Ultimate Price

 
 
Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2013
1. Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker
Inscription. When Tennessee left the Union in June 1861, Greene County was a hotbed of divided loyalties. Several Unionists, who crafted multi-colored earthenware pottery which is still highly valued, were among the occupants of the nearby community named “Pottertown.” That autumn, celebrated antebellum potter Christopher Alexander Haun conspired with other residents to cripple the Confederate-controlled rail system by burning railroad bridges. The Rev. William Blount Carter, a local minister and Unionist, devised the plan. President Abraham Lincoln approved and promised Federal forces would protect the bridge burners’ families.

Capt. David Fry, Co. F, 2nd Tennessee Infantry (U.S.) came from Kentucky with orders to burn the bridges. With his help, Carter finalized the plan to burn all major railroad bridges in East Tennessee in one night. On November 8, 1861, local Unionists arrived at the home of Jacob Harmon, Jr, another local potter, and were sworn into Fry’s command.

About sixty men then went to the Lick Creek railroad bridge, where they captured Confederate pickets. After burning the bridge, they released the Confederates, a decision they soon regretted. Although the president had promised military protection, Confederates later captured several men associated with the bridge burning and hanged Haun, Henry Fry,
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Jacob Harmon Jr., Henry Harmon and Matt Hinshaw. Confederate President Jefferson Davis commuted Harrison Self’s sentence.

The Harmons are buried here in the family cemetery. Haun’s pottery kiln stood a few hundred feet up Pottertown Road to the right, and the Bridge-Burner Memorial marker and flagpole are on the left.

“I am very glad to hear of the action of the military authorities and hope to hear they have hung every bridge-burner at the end of the burned bridge.” —Confederated Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin

(captions)
Jar made by Christopher A. Haun —Courtesy Donahue Bible Collection, Mohawk, Tenn.
Capt. David Fry (left) and Sgt. John McCoy —Courtesy Donahue Bible Collection, Mohawk, Tenn.
“Execution of Jacob Harmon and His Son, Henry,” from Parson Brownlow’s Book (1862)
 
Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trails.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1861.
 
Location. 36° 12.033′ N, 83° 0.826′ W. Marker is in Mosheim, Tennessee, in Greene County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Pottertown
Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2013
2. Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker
Close up of the map in the lower left side of the marker
Road and Gravel Woods Road, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1270 Pottertown Road, Midway TN 37809, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Bridge Burners Monument (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Execution of the "Bridge-Burners" (approx. 0.6 miles away); Blue Springs Lutheran Congregation (approx. 3.2 miles away); Blue Springs Church and Cemetery (approx. 3.2 miles away); Battles of Blue Springs (approx. 4½ miles away); Battle of Blue Springs (approx. 4.6 miles away); Archie Campbell (approx. 5½ miles away); Bible Covered Bridge (approx. 5.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mosheim.
 
Also see . . .  Rivers and Rails-Remembering the Pottertown Bridge Burners (video). (Submitted on November 20, 2016, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.)
 
Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2013
3. Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker
Distant photo showing the Harmon Family Cemetery in the background
Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
4. Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker
Bridge Burners Monument in Foreground.
Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2013
5. Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker
Grave marker of Henry Harmon, buried in the Harmon Family Cemetery. He is mentioned in the text of the marker
Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Don Morfe, July 30, 2013
6. Pottertown Bridge Burners Marker
Grave marker of Jacob Harmon buried in the Harmon Family Cemetery. He is mentioned in the text of the marker
Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
7. Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument
"In the hour of their country's peril, they were loyal and true." On the night of November 8th 1861, these five Union men along with others, who mostly remain unknown, carried out the orders of President Abraham Lincoln transmitted to general George H. Thomas and given to their leader Capt. David Fry, to burn the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad bridge over nearby Lick Creek. All five men were summarily executed by Confederate authorities. The five executions left nearly twenty fatherless children.
Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
8. Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument
"In the hour of their country's peril, they were loyal and true." Jacob Harmon Pvt Co F 2 Tenn Vol Inf USA June 2, 1818 December 17, 1861 Hanged at Knoxville, Tennessee
Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
9. Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument
"In the hour of their country's peril, they were loyal and true." Henry Harmon Pvt Co F 2 Tenn Vol Inf USA September 3, 1839 December 17, 1861 Hanged at Knoxville, Tennessee
Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
10. Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument
"In the hour of their country's peril, they were loyal and true." Christopher A. Haun Pvt Co F 2 Tenn Vol Inf USA September 5, 1821 December 11, 1861 Hanged at Knoxville, Tennessee
Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
11. Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument
"In the hour of their country's peril, they were loyal and true." Henry Fry Pvt Co F 2 Tenn Vol Inf USA December 7, 1823 November 30, 1861 Hanged at Greeneville, Tennessee
Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
12. Pottertown Bridge Burners Monument
"In the hour of their country's peril, they were loyal and true." Jacob M. Hinshaw Pvt Co F 2 Tenn Vol Inf USA December 8, 1840 November 30, 1861 Hanged at Greeneville, Tennessee
Graves of Henry Harmon and Jacob Harmon image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Tom Bosse, April 1, 2017
13. Graves of Henry Harmon and Jacob Harmon
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2017. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,003 times since then and 74 times this year. Last updated on March 17, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on October 21, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland.   4. submitted on April 1, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.   5, 6. submitted on October 21, 2013, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland.   7, 8, 9. submitted on July 9, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.   10, 11, 12. submitted on July 13, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.   13. submitted on July 18, 2017, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024