Elizabethton in Carter County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Samuel P. Carter
Admiral and General
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019
1. Samuel P. Carter Marker
Although Tennessee voted to secede from the Union in June 1861, East Tennessee remained staunchly loyal. The residents of Carter County voted against secession, 1,343 to 86.
One of those residents, Admiral and General Samuel P. Carter (born August 6, 1819), lived here in Elizabethton. He was the only officer in American history to wear two stars in both the navy and the army. He served in the navy as a midshipman beginning in 1840, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1846, and was at sea when the Civil War began. Then-Senator Andrew Johnson had Carter detailed to Tennessee for "special duty" to recruit soldiers for the U.S. Army, and he received a general's commission. Before the end of 1861, Carter led a cavalry raid across the mountains to destroy bridges on the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad. His raid gave hope to East Tennessee Unionists and disheartened Confederate supporters.
In the summer of 1863, Carter commanded the Union army's XXIII Corps cavalry during the Knoxville Campaign. His October victory at the Battle of Blue Springs contributed to the success of the Union advance in the region. He was brevetted to the rank of major general in May 1865.
After the war, Carter left the army and resumed his naval career, commanding USS Monocacy. Before he retired in 1882, he was promoted
this page online
Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Civil • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #17 Andrew Johnson, and the Tennessee Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1865.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 36° 20.932′ N, 82° 12.627′ W. Marker was in Elizabethton, Tennessee, in Carter County. It was at the intersection of North Main Street and East Elk Avenue, on the right when traveling north on North Main Street. Marker is located near the sidewalk, at the southwest corner of the Carter County Courthouse grounds. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 801 East Elk Avenue, Elizabethton TN 37643, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in East Tennessee and in the Tri-Cities Area. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, the State of Franklin, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named Samuel P. Carter (here, next to this marker); Watauga Old Fields (here, next to this marker); Carter County Courthouse (a few steps from this marker); Soldiers Monument Centennial (a few steps from this
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2019
2. Samuel P. Carter Marker (wide view Carter County Courthouse in background)
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Samuel Perry "Powhatan" Carter
Also see . . . Samuel P. Carter. Samuel Perry "Powhatan" Carter was a United States naval officer who served in the Union Army as a brevet major general during the American Civil War and became a rear admiral in the postbellum United States Navy. He is, so far, the only United States officer to have been both an admiral and a general. (Submitted on June 22, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Courtesy Tennessee State Museum
3. Marker detail: Samuel P. Carter
Courtesy Library of Congress
4. Marker detail: Andrew Johnson, ca. 1860
Courtesy U.S. Naval Historical Center
5. Marker detail: USS Monocacy, 1897
Courtesy Library of Congress
6. Marker detail: Battle of Blue Springs, 1863
Credits. This page was last revised on February 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,127 times since then and 79 times this year. Last updated on February 12, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 22, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
