Erwin in Unicoi County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Civil War in Tennessee

War in the Mountains

Photographed By Tim Fillmon, July 30, 2021

1. Civil War in Tennessee Marker

Inscription. Secession bitterly divided Tennessee's mountain residents in 1861. Most were Unionist, but this part of the state remained Confederate territory until later in the war. Guerrilla warfare was common here. Secessionists and Unionists lived side by side in the beautiful Nolichucky River Valley (Exit 37). Local farm boys joined both the Confederate and the Union armies.

East of Unicoi (Exit 32 ) on Tennessee Rte. 107 is Bell Cemetery, site of the Limestone Cove Massacre. In November 1863, Confederate Col. William A. Witcher's cavalry rode to the Bell Farm, killed nine young men who were en route to join the Union army, and burned the farmhouse.

The Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site in Johnson City (Exit 24) commemorates Landon C. Haynes, a Confederate senator during the war. Postwar hostility toward former secessionists was so strong that he moved to West Tennessee.

Elizabethton (Exit 24) was home to Samuel P. Carter, a Mexican War naval veteran and professor at the U.S. Naval Academy. When the Civil War began, he remained loyal to the Union, served as a cavalry general, and led raids in East Tennessee in 1862-1863. He later resumed his naval career and was promoted to rear admiral in 1882.

Follow the routes of the armies along the Tennessee Civil War Trails. Colorful markers at each

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stop tell the story of the war's interesting people, places, and events. A free map guide to the Tennessee Trails network is available in the Welcome Center. Please drive carefully as you enjoy the beauty and history of the Tennessee Civil War Trails.

Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trail.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.

Location. 36° 3.179′ N, 82° 30.632′ W. Marker is in Erwin, Tennessee, in Unicoi County. Marker is on Interstate 26 at milepost 5,, 0.2 miles east of Clearbranch Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located near the restrooms in the rest area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: I-26 Rest Area EB/WB MM 5, Erwin TN 37650, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. North Carolina / Tennessee (approx. 4.2 miles away in North Carolina); The Battle of Red Banks / Reunion for the Boys in Blue (approx. 6 miles away); Greasy Cove Racetrack (approx. 6.3 miles away); To the Women of the Confederacy (approx. 8.1 miles away); Unicoi County / The Town of Erwin (approx. 8.3 miles away); Blue Ridge Pottery (approx. 8.3 miles away); Plum Grove

Photographed By Tim Fillmon, July 30, 2021

2. Civil War in Tennessee Marker

(approx. 8½ miles away); Keystone Pottery (approx. 10 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Erwin.

Also see . . . Tennessee Civil War Trail. (Submitted on August 22, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 370 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 22, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.