Civil War Sites

Knoxville was the Confederate center of the most Union-sympathizing part of the state--some claim it was the most evenly divided city in the country.

West of downtown along Kingston Pike lies Confederate Memorial Hall (3148 Kingston Pike, 865/522-2371, www.knoxvillecmh.org, 1-4 p.m. Tues.-Fri., $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 children 12-18, and $1.50 those under 12), otherwise known as Bleak House. Confederate General James Longstreet used this 15-room house as his headquarters while laying his futile siege to Knoxville, and some claim it was from the three-story tower of this house that a Confederate sniper killed Union General William Sanders, who was several hundred yards away. What is more certain is that the Union army hit the tower with an artillery shell fired from more than a mile away, killing one sniper and wounding two others. One observer called that "the prettiest single shot of the war." Owned by Chapter 89 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the house contains period furniture and artifacts.

Fort Dickerson sits atop a hill across the Tennessee River from downtown Knoxville. Union General Ambrose Burnside set up earthworks here, and the remnants of these still exist on the 85-acre park. The earthworks are at the top of the hill, for what is literally a commanding view of Knoxville, and a section of the park overlooks an abandoned quarry that is full of water. In recent years, Fort Dickerson has become a cruising ground for gay men, so evenings might not be the best time to visit. To get there, take Henley Street across the Tennessee River and turn right up the hill. The entrance to the fort is on the right.

Mabry-Hazen House (1711 Dandridge Ave., 865/522-8661, www.korrnet.org/mabry, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun., $4 adults, $2 for children 6-12) was built by Joseph A. Mabry in 1858 and is now on the National Register. In the Civil War, Mabry outfitted an entire Confederate regiment at a cost of $100,000--almost $2 million in today's dollars. This house served as headquarters for both sides during the Civil War. Mabry, along with his son, was killed in a famous gunfight on Gay Street in 1882, an incident reported by Mark Twain in Life on the Mississippi. All three participants died on the scene. The Hazen family lived here until 1987, and the house contains their original furnishings. To get there, go east on Hill Avenue to its intersection with Dandridge Avenue.

A two-block walk from the Mabry-Hazen House leads to Confederate Cemetery, where 1,600 Southern troops rest.

Knoxville National Cemetery (www.cem.va.gov/nchp/knoxville, beside Old Gray Cemetery) began receiving Union dead in 1863, many of them from the battle of Fort Sanders. Almost 9,000 people rest here, including one Confederate soldier as well as General Robert Neyland, the legendary football coach at the University of Tennessee.

Farragut Folklife Museum (11408 Municipal Center Dr., 865/966-7057, www.farraguttn.com/museum, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., free) is named for David Farragut, born west of Knoxville and famous in the Civil War for this cry of "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" He was the first admiral of the Navy. This little museum contains Farragut artifacts, papers, and photos, as well as dollhouses, antique tools, and items from the nearby Battle of Campbell's Station. Farragut is a town along Kingston Pike some 13 miles west of Knoxville.