Civil War in Tennessee - War in the Mountains - Erwin, TN - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

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 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.

Type of site: Other Address: I-26 Rest Area EB/WB MM 5 Erwin, TN USA 37650 Admission Charged: No Charge Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: At the I-26 Rest Area that is accessible from either direction near MM 5, Erwin. Phone Number: Not listed

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