Tag: American Civil War

MotorCoach Blog 58

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I Am a Motorcoach . . .

. . . and I am back in the mountains, back where ascending and plummeting from tall peaks confuses my turbo, shows off my “horses,” tests my metal, utilizes every advancement of my sophisticated technologies, and keeps passengers gazing out my picture windows with constantly renewed anticipations of amazement. These mountains are less naked then those out west. These are the Appalachians. I’m taking you on a quick “Bet you didn’t know . . .” tour of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Let’s go . . .

Selfies

(which by definition means I’m in them . . . though you might have to look for me)

Bet you didn’t know the International Towing and Recovery Museum is in Chattanooga. This is where you can learn all about the invention and history of automobile towing. You can also walk through an impressive array of pristine early model tow trucks and read their stories.

Bet you didn’t know the Southeast is home to more fishes, turtles, and salamanders than anywhere in North America, and that the Tennessee Aquarium is not only a dynamic place to see them, but its research arm, Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, is a leader in restoring fresh water ecosystems.

Bet you didn’t know that there is more rock climbing surface within a twenty-five mile radius of this hilly Appalachian town than Boulder, Colorado, which makes it a climbers and hikers paradise.

Here Is The News!

MEETING THE NEWS on the roadways of America, first-hand, real time, real world news—going out and discovering the news . . .

TOWING NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the first tow truck was a modified 1913 Cadillac built in Chattanooga by a mechanic named Ernest Holmes, and that the earliest history of towing didn’t include the word truck because it was all about cars modified to be haulers of other ailing cars.

CHOO CHOO NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel was originally a railway terminal and that in its lobby is the largest free standing brick dome in the world.

MILE-HIGH and MINIATURE NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the one-mile “straight up” Look Out Mountain Incline Railway has been in operation since 1895, is one of the steepest passenger railways in the world (72.7% grade), and that somewhere on that mountain miniature golf was invented (Tom Thumb Golf on Lookout Mountain – 1927).

CIVIL WAR NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the Chattanooga and Chickamauga Military Park is the nation’s first and largest National Military Part. The park is made up of six locations throughout the Chattanooga region, the largest being in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia (the park’s headquarters). The park’s 9,000+ acres of Civil War battlefields range from forested areas in rural valleys, to rocky mountain peaks and ridges, and hilltops overlooking urban Chattanooga. In the late 19th Century, Chattanooga – a vital railway junction – was known as the “Gateway to the Deep South.” The title proved prophetic during the Civil War, as Confederate victory in the Battle of Chickamauga gave way to Union conquest of Chattanooga, which paved the way for the subsequent Atlanta campaign, and ultimately the march to Savana, Georgia. The Chattanooga and Chickamauga Military Park preserves this important national history, tells its stories, and highlights the significance of these pivotal events in the American Civil War.

NIGHT FALL NEWS: Bet you didn’t know that every Friday night from the beginning of May to the end of August (rain or shine) Chattanooga hosts a huge party (kids, pets, lawn chairs, streets blocked off, etc…) to which everyone is invited. This shindig in downtown Chattanooga is equal parts FREE concert, way-cool motorcycle rally, and food-fest, and has been going on for over three decades (2019 is year 32). It goes like this: early acts get things going at 7:00 and a nationally touring headliner takes the stage at 8:00 and everyone just kind of grazes the concessions while enjoying multifaceted fun.

MUST SEE...

(Unlike selfies, these are not about me, but about travel discoveries I think you’d like to know about.)

The Tennessee Aquarium is two buildings and one path following the flow of freshwater to the sea. Focusing on the biodiversity of the Southeast, exhibit presentations that are second to none have attracted 25 million visitors since the aquarium opened in 1992.

Quote Of The Day samples

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” – Rumi

“In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then him who continues the attack wins.” – Ulysses S. Grant

(Video run time: 2 minutes 35 seconds)

Musical accompaniment:
Sour Tennessee Red – John Deley and the 41 Players https://youtu.be/Vfc9sAQjJtc

 

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MotorCoach Blog 16

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I am a motorcoach…

. . . reporting on travel, a bit of education from the road. Travel is a big subject. News travels. History travels, onward, accumulating, not singular and static in the rearview mirror as its initial impression often appears. Of course, by the time news is noted it is history. From there it is carried by travelers, voices moving by various modes across generational and geographic boundaries. On this particular journey my passengers are on a mission to gather the news, give it fresh voice, and effectively utilize history in their current work at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). I, by way of Interstate 44, am the mode of transport. We set out from the NGA – located at the St. Louis Arsenal complex established along the Mississippi River in the early 1800s – and traveled west to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield near Springfield, Missouri. There they study and discuss the various determinative influences on a pivotal battlefield scenario in the early stages of the Civil War. I will pass on to you a few of the things I learned listening to my passengers.

Selfies

(which by definition means I’m in them . . . though you might have to look for me)

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There were eleven families (with nearly 60 children) living in the Wilson’s Creek area when the path of war suddenly and dramatically changed their lives, exploding upon their agrarian bliss on the morning of August 10, 1861. Miles of six foot tall fences, built to keep animals out of their corn fields, were no deterrent to military expedience. Twelve thousand Southern troops had arrived and nearly six thousand Federal troops were on their way, hoping for success in a surprise attack.
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One house remains dating back to the time of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek: the home of the Ray family. At 6:30 on the morning of the battle, John Ray could see from his front porch the beginning of the Union attack in his nearby corn field (the fence-lined hill in the distance).
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When the Rays emerged from shelter after the battle ended, the scene was that of land trampled by man and beast, strewn with bodies of the same – like battle debris. But it was the sounds of agony from the dying that would cling to their memories for the rest of their days. Their home was transformed into an overrun field hospital as they feverishly tended to the injured. Countless trips were made by the Rays’ children to this spring house to fetch water. Passing through the horrific scenes, they climbed the hill to their house, some three hundred yards away to deliver water for the soldiers to drink and for the surgeons to use in cleaning wounds and instruments.
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Today, Wilson’s Creek is an eerie reminder of the indiscriminate occasion of war – as picturesque as it was days before the Civil War made its way to Missouri.
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Here Is The News!

MEETING THE NEWS on the roadways of America, first-hand, real time, real world news—going out and discovering the news . . .

NEWS IN THE TOPOGRAPHY: Why a significant battle in a secluded, little-known location like Wilson’s Creek? Stagecoaches – my predecessors – ran along Wire Road connecting Springfield, Missouri and Fort Smith, Arkansas. The road got its name from the telegraph wire strung beside it. Twelve thousand southern troops led by Generals Sterling Price and Ben McCulloch were camped throughout a 1,700 acre area where Wire Road crossed Wilson’s Creek. The creek supplied fresh water for the large army, the road and the wire were important for communication and movement of supplies, and the surrounding land was full of cattle and crops (albeit, those belonging to the families living in the area), enough to feed the sizeable army during a brief encampment.
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NEWS OF WEATHER: Weather played a key role in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in at least two ways. One: rain on the night of august 9 th forced the Confederate leaders to cancel their intended surprise attack on Federal forces due to gunpowder that was unprotected from the wet conditions. Thus they were stationary and unsuspecting when attacked. Near the end of the battle temperatures near 105 degrees made it hard to tell who was fighting who.

NEWS IN A NAME: Quiet and serene, time hushes distant sounds of battle on this peaceful landscape, challenging comprehension of connection to its gruesome name: “Bloody Hill.” But over the course of six hours more than 2,500 soldiers were killed or wounded in this place, many of them on this hill.
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NEWS OF HISTORICAL CONNECTION: Missouri was uncommitted, a slave state but without proclaimed Union or Confederate allegiance. Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon took it upon himself to change that. Prior to the Civil War Nathaniel Lyon had served as commander of the St. Louis Arsenal (present home of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency). His efforts to secure control of the St. Louis Arsenal and the rail line from St. Louis to Rolla gave his Union army logistical advantage, sound weapons, and an ongoing supply of munitions. His daring leadership cost him his life. It also got the attention of President Lincoln, highlighting the importance of greater federal support in Missouri, which ultimately proved decisive.

MUST SEE...

(Unlike selfies, these are not about me, but about places you’ll want to visit.)

Next time you are near Springfield Missouri, make a visit to the Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. The experience will reward you.
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Quote Of The Day samples

“I forgot that little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and therefore what one has done in the secret chamber one has someday to cry aloud on the housetops.” ― Oscar Wilde

“What we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly; dearness alone gives something its value.” ― Thomas Paine

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