Tag Archives: military
The Re-establishing: Lawrence County’s Wartime Unionist Government
Our county government was founded on October 21, 1817 by the state legislature. But did you know that it was re-founded 47 years later? On February 13, 1864, a group of local Union sympathizers met at the courthouse in Lawrenceburg … Continue reading
Veterans’ Accounts of the Battle of Sugar Creek
A few veterans’ accounts of the Battle of Sugar Creek in southeastern Lawrence County survive. At least two are found in the book ‘The Military Annals of Tennessee.’ In the mid-1880s, a Nashville educator and civic leader named J. Berrien … Continue reading
The Daring Escape of John Bell Hollis
John Bell Hollis was just 19 years old, and it looked like he would never see 20. The young Lawrence Countian was scheduled to be shot the next day just outside of Lawrenceburg–until quick thinking and whiskey intervened. Hollis, despite … Continue reading
Andrew Johnson Hits the Campaign Trail in Lawrenceburg
On June 10, 1853, twelve years before he became President of the United States, Andrew Johnson was on a different campaign trail in Lawrenceburg. That summer, Johnson was running for governor of Tennessee against Gustavus A. Henry. The two men … Continue reading
General Pershing Takes Up for Local Boy
You may have heard of General John J. ‘Black Jack’ Pershing, the commander of American forces in World War I (pictured here). But did you know that he personally intervened on behalf of a Lawrence County boy during a court-martial … Continue reading
When David Crockett Became Colonel Crockett
On this day in 1818, David Crockett was commissioned as the Colonel of Lawrence County’s 57th Tennessee Militia Regiment. Elected not long after the county was organized in the fall of 1817, Crockett was the first commander of Lawrence County’s … Continue reading
Forrest’s Charge at Summertown
To continue with our observance of the 150th anniversary of the Army of Tennessee’s push into Lawrence County, here is General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s account of this weekend’s actions at Henryville and Summertown (Summertown is referred to in his account … Continue reading
Lawrence County History Trivia 