Bodies Under Neyland

#76
#76
The Original Checkerboard.
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#79
#79
Gandalf said:
I'm more of the mind to add a few more union ones to the heap ;)
volchile said:
Need some Rebel bones to balance out the Union ones!
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You folks realize that East TN was heavily pro union and would never have joined the confederacy if it was up to East TN. Even after TN seceded a group from East TN tried to leave the state of TN and form a separate Union State.. The 2nd Tennessee was made up of East TN residents and fought in Ohio, West TN, and at Shiloh under Grant. They helped burn Atlanta under Sherman and after the War very involved in Reconstruction.
 
#80
#80
OldVol said:
I've see this mentioned on here a few times so I thought I'd give a little added history that few are aware of.

We all know the famous line by Kathy Bates in the Blind Side regarding bodies buried under the stadium. That was a reference to the fact that during that time the boxes of bones from the Body Farm that had been decayed and cleaned were stored in cardboard boxes in offices in Neyland. That is no longer the case. In 2017 all of the bones were removed from Neyland and moved to the new Strong Hall. In fact, several times a year they are called on to remove a box of bones so famiies can come visit the remains of their loved ones who generously donated their bodies to science.

That is not where the story originated.

In 1919 construction for what is now Ayres Hall was begun. Shortly after construction began, Brown Ayres, the university president died. His successor began a campaign to have the new administrative building to be named after Ayres.

Before that construction began, because the original building was much smaller, approximately 6 feet had to be removed from the top of The HIll. Roughly 150,000 cubic feet had to be reomved and displaced. Its landing place was the area where Shields Watkins Field and the bleachers along side was also under construction. During the excavation process, on the NW section of the HIll, 6 sets of human remains were found. The bodies were generally considered to be that of 6 Union soldiers who died during the battle of Knoxville. With forensic archeology not being what it is today, little more was done. The assumption was made, however, that there may have been bones of other bodies caught up in the excavations and dumped on the field without anyone knowing it. Without doubt there were fragments of bones and pieces that were not thoroughly searched seeing it was 1919. Some of that would doubtless remain to this day.

Thus began the story that there were bodies buried under Neyland. That assumption, at least to some small degree, is no doubt entirely accurate.

There you have it. The rest of the story.
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I hope we bury Lame Kitty there Saturday too.
 
#81
#81
plumbervol said:
You folks realize that East TN was heavily pro union and would never have joined the confederacy if it was up to East TN. Even after TN seceded a group from East TN tried to leave the state of TN and form a separate Union State.. The 2nd Tennessee was made up of East TN residents and fought in Ohio, West TN, and at Shiloh under Grant. They helped burn Atlanta under Sherman and after the War very involved in Reconstruction.
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I have family from both sides. It was a very mixed bag. Pro union also did not necessarily mean pro abolitionist and vis versa as well. For most of East Tn hill country and Appalachia, the land and type of crops does not lend itself to large plantations and I suspect that slave ownership was not as critical to the economy as in middle to west TN (flatlanders) and slaves were less than 10% of the population. Even today, a lot more individual small farms vs agribusiness. People were fiercely independent and relied on themselves and families to work, fish and hunt and existence. Logging was also the main crop, not cotton.

For the same reason, the Union army was able to take the flat west TN much earlier but the smokey mountain filled east with guerilla bands was much tougher.

Finally, TN was last to succeed and first to rejoin IIRC. It really was brother vs brother decision there unlike other places that were more uniform.

While happily, the end of the Civil War freed the slave population, it sadly had the effect of enslaving the states under a strong federal government, much further away from those who elected them, something that had not previously been the case. Today, we live with the evolution of that tragedy.
 
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#82
#82
OldVol said:
One of The General's popular sayings was, "Boys, when you get to going, don't stop until you reach the checkerboards (on Ayers Hall, which in those days was a clear and open shot from the field) and when you get there, run all the way back."

Dickey heard of this in the 60s and it was his inspiration for the checkerboard end zones.
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That's awesome.
 
#83
#83
Gandalf said:
I have family from both sides. It was a very mixed bag. Pro union also did not necessarily mean pro abolitionist and vis versa as well. For most of East Tn hill country and Appalachia, the land and type of crops does not lend itself to large plantations and I suspect that slave ownership was not as critical to the economy as in middle to west TN (flatlanders) and slaves were less than 10% of the population. Even today, a lot more individual small farms vs agribusiness. People were fiercely independent and relied on themselves and families to work, fish and hunt and existence. Logging was also the main crop, not cotton.

For the same reason, the Union army was able to take the flat west TN much earlier but the smokey mountain filled east with guerilla bands was much tougher.

Finally, TN was last to succeed and first to rejoin IIRC. It really was brother vs brother decision there unlike other places that were more uniform.

While happily, the end of the Civil War freed the slave population, it sadly had the effect of enslaving the states under a strong federal government, much further away from those who elected them, something that had not previously been the case. Today, we live with the evolution of that tragedy.
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My great uncles fought each other, one of USA and one for CSA. I have their paper work and enlistment papers. One looked at for fighting for his country and the other for his state.

Glad you posted this. It's nice to see this outlook not posted in hate. People was a lot more loyal to their state and not to the US over all. I have read Lee's letters. Had VA been union, Lee would have more then likely been a union soldier. His love for his state was bigger then overall love for the government. They didn't have computers to know what was going on all the time, their state was mostly all they knew.
 
#84
#84
C1500 said:
My great uncles fought each other, one of USA and one for CSA. I have their paper work and enlistment papers. One looked at for fighting for his country and the other for his state.

Glad you posted this. It's nice to see this outlook not posted in hate. People was a lot more loyal to their state and not to the US over all. I have read Lee's letters. Had VA been union, Lee would have more then likely been a union soldier. His love for his state was bigger then overall love for the government. They didn't have computers to know what was going on all the time, their state was mostly all they knew.
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Therein lay the great quandry. Robert E. Lee's home overlooked the National Mall. Just across that river was home. In a lot of ways the line was just that small. Lee's famous quote, "I could never raise my sword against Virginia" became the question all men had to ask themselves. Could their love for the union supplant their love for Home. Home, with all of its connotations is a powerful, almost unconquerable bond.
 
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#85
#85
plumbervol said:
You folks realize that East TN was heavily pro union and would never have joined the confederacy if it was up to East TN. Even after TN seceded a group from East TN tried to leave the state of TN and form a separate Union State.. The 2nd Tennessee was made up of East TN residents and fought in Ohio, West TN, and at Shiloh under Grant. They helped burn Atlanta under Sherman and after the War very involved in Reconstruction.
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East Tennessee sent a good number of companies to fight with the union. Brother against brother! Such a sad time it was.
 
#86
#86
This reminds me of my Father dropping a great one on a Florida fan at the swamp. We were in line to get into the game and the Fl fan behind us was saying how he wanted to go to Neyland for a game one day. After a few minutes of talking he said you know Neyland sits atop a Indian burial ground don’t you? My pops responds “nah that’s just a rumor, what really happened is General Neyland would stomp their a$$ into the ground so far that some of them never got out”
I thought it was absolutely hilarious and might not be original but hilarious no doubt!!
 
#87
#87
plumbervol said:
You folks realize that East TN was heavily pro union and would never have joined the confederacy if it was up to East TN. Even after TN seceded a group from East TN tried to leave the state of TN and form a separate Union State.. The 2nd Tennessee was made up of East TN residents and fought in Ohio, West TN, and at Shiloh under Grant. They helped burn Atlanta under Sherman and after the War very involved in Reconstruction.
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They're too full of hate to learn history.
 
#88
#88
The East TN citizens that fought for the Union were for the most part Grand children of American Revolutionary soldiers that settled East TN via land grants. Their Grandfathers were part of the State of Franklin movement and are noted for signing the Dumplin Creek treaty while a part of the State of Franklin, These were the grandchildren of the Over the mountain boys from King's Mountain fame and soldiers who served under Washington from the Continental Army. These East TN boys were Grant's Army, brutal and vicious. Great Book about the TN 2nds and 3rds Calvary and who made up this bunch. Reagans, Ogles, McCarters, Schultz's Ownbys, Ramseys. Emerts all direct descendants of revolutionary War soldiers and first settlers. After all the mess in West TN under Grant they turned towards Chattanooga and the battles there and to start the assault on Atlanta. Other troops started staging there and Confederate forces started heading back into the East TN Knoxville area. Grant turned those soldiers north to retake Knoxville and help the 2nd Infantry under who ever was the field General as Grant took over the Union Army. The documentation of telegrams described it as a harsh March and the US brass feared a blood bath and slaughter as these TN boys were going home to protect their lands and they were angry. The confederates moved out and TN union forces turned South and Marched on Atlanta. After taking Atlanta they were dispatched to stop Nathan Bedford Forrests attempt to hook up with Lee's army. The East TN army was very Pro Union loyal and the best America had to offer. Proud to be a descendant of all the surnames I mentioned. Those soldiers found under Neyland need to be honored and that is a great part of the Legend of Neyland Stadium. Oh yeah every year during football season I take pride in knowing my family burned and pilfered GA and Alabama. Hope our boys start doing it again in the near future.
 
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