Random History Question for you guys...

[Bigorange123]

 

[Volosaurus rex]

If you never saw the Nashville Vols play at the Sulphur Dell you missed something. The outfield actually sloped uphill. Of course most of you aren't old enough. Notice the right field line is 262ft but with the slope and the wall being very high it took a pretty lick to hit it out.

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Babe Ruth and the Yankees, including the Murderers' Row edition (1927), played in Nashville many times on their "barnstorming tours" north before the beginning of the regular season. Their first appearance at Sulphur Dell was in 1927. Allegedly, "In the bottom half of the first inning, Ruth lived up to his fame and hit a scorching liner that cleared the outfield fence. Adding to his legend, some said it landed in a railroad coal car that ended up in Birmingham, Alabama to set a record for distance – a 200-mile-long homer." Babe Ruth Played in Nashville's Sulphur Dell - Baseball in Nashville. See also Sulphur Dell (Nashville) – Society for American Baseball Research.

 

[dmon]

I was wondering about it....

When did the Volunteers start being called "The Vols?" Was that something that came with the conception of the nickname or did that come on down the line? Who started it?

I just wondered, since that's not a "normal" nickname for a volunteer (I only say Vols in connection with the University of Tennessee), when it first became the nickname for us?

Does anyone have any insight? Just something I was asked, and I really had no clue.

The state got it's nickname from the large number of volunteers the state gave for the War of 1812 part of Andrew Jackson 's force as well as in the Mexican War when James K Polk was president.

 

[ArdentVol]

The song "Fight! Vols, Fight!" was written in 1938 so obviously "Vols" was used by then.

Fight! Vols, Fight - Volopedia

Volopedia doesn't state when "Vols" originated but "Volunteers" originated in 1902. So "Vols" came about sometime between 1902 and 1938

Nickname - Volopedia

The nickname for UT athletic teams and groups is “The Volunteers.” In the final road game of the 1902 season (UT vs. Georgia Tech) T. B. Green scored a touchdown in the game’s final five minutes to give UT a 10-6 victory. The next day, the Atlanta Constitution referred to the UT team as The Volunteers. Use of the term was probably a resurgence of the designation of Tennessee as the “Volunteer State” because of the large numbers of volunteers from Tennessee for the Spanish-American War (1898). The term originated when, during the Mexican War (1846–48), Tennessee sent more than 30,000 volunteers in response to the governor’s call for 2,800. The term is often shortened to Vols.


Prior to general adoption of this nickname, the teams had been designated as “The Tennesseans” or “The Varsity.” It was not until March 26, 1905, that the Knoxville Journal and Tribune used the name “Volunteers”—in relation to a practice game of the baseball team with Baker-Himel School. In fall 1905 both local newspapers used the term freely in referring to UT athletic teams.

good stuff

 

[ArdentVol]

Babe Ruth and the Yankees, including the Murderers' Row edition (1927), played in Nashville many times on their "barnstorming tours" north before the beginning of the regular season. Their first appearance at Sulphur Dell was in 1927. Allegedly, "In the bottom half of the first inning, Ruth lived up to his fame and hit a scorching liner that cleared the outfield fence. Adding to his legend, some said it landed in a railroad coal car that ended up in Birmingham, Alabama to set a record for distance – a 200-mile-long homer." Babe Ruth Played in Nashville's Sulphur Dell - Baseball in Nashville. See also Sulphur Dell (Nashville) – Society for American Baseball Research.

it was my first baseball ... in 1956
good ppost

 

[ZZ13]

W.W. Bright

 

[Toujours Pret]

Wouldn’t call it a curb stomping. It was six thousand against less than 200. Yet Crocket and the other defenders killed about a thousand of the Mexicans. Their army was so battered that it made San Jacinto possible a few months later

This is not accurate. A great story, yes. But more legend than fact, unfortunately.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Tennessee became a state in 1796. Blount College was founded in 1794 and ultimately became the University of Tennessee...so the school is actually 2 years older than the state.

Correct

 

[Jravol78]

The song "Fight! Vols, Fight!" was written in 1938 so obviously "Vols" was used by then.

Fight! Vols, Fight - Volopedia

Volopedia doesn't state when "Vols" originated but "Volunteers" originated in 1902. So "Vols" came about sometime between 1902 and 1938

Nickname - Volopedia

The nickname for UT athletic teams and groups is “The Volunteers.” In the final road game of the 1902 season (UT vs. Georgia Tech) T. B. Green scored a touchdown in the game’s final five minutes to give UT a 10-6 victory. The next day, the Atlanta Constitution referred to the UT team as The Volunteers. Use of the term was probably a resurgence of the designation of Tennessee as the “Volunteer State” because of the large numbers of volunteers from Tennessee for the Spanish-American War (1898). The term originated when, during the Mexican War (1846–48), Tennessee sent more than 30,000 volunteers in response to the governor’s call for 2,800. The term is often shortened to Vols.


Prior to general adoption of this nickname, the teams had been designated as “The Tennesseans” or “The Varsity.” It was not until March 26, 1905, that the Knoxville Journal and Tribune used the name “Volunteers”—in relation to a practice game of the baseball team with Baker-Himel School. In fall 1905 both local newspapers used the term freely in referring to UT athletic teams.

Good call!!

 

[lukeneyland]

This is not accurate. A great story, yes. But more legend than fact, unfortunately.

Then what is the real story? If you cite the Mexican account which has every reason to understate their losses I’m going to laugh

 

[Toujours Pret]

Then what is the real story? If you cite the Mexican account which has every reason to understate their losses I’m going to laugh

5 or 600 seems reasonable. Still a good account given by the Martyrs.

 

[njvols]

Babe Ruth and the Yankees, including the Murderers' Row edition (1927), played in Nashville many times on their "barnstorming tours" north before the beginning of the regular season. Their first appearance at Sulphur Dell was in 1927. Allegedly, "In the bottom half of the first inning, Ruth lived up to his fame and hit a scorching liner that cleared the outfield fence. Adding to his legend, some said it landed in a railroad coal car that ended up in Birmingham, Alabama to set a record for distance – a 200-mile-long homer." Babe Ruth Played in Nashville's Sulphur Dell - Baseball in Nashville. See also Sulphur Dell (Nashville) – Society for American Baseball Research.

Crazy...I played some legion ball games (Twitty City Classic) at Sounds Stadium back in mid 80's, and went to Sounds games, but never knew about the history of the space where the field is until now.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

If you never saw the Nashville Vols play at the Sulphur Dell you missed something. The outfield actually sloped uphill. Of course most of you aren't old enough. Notice the right field line is 262ft but with the slope and the wall being very high it took a pretty good lick to hit it out.

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I spent ten years in Nashville metropolitan area, mostly in the 70's, but never made it to that site. Just surfed the history a little while ago and hate I missed it. I was 12 when the last pro game was played there.....

 

[Vol524]

I just wish they would put the V O L S back on top of the stadium. I miss it.

 

[lukeneyland]

5 or 600 seems reasonable. Still a good account given by the Martyrs.

You’ve got massed line infantry charging reasonably high walls bristling with cannons and riflemen. The Mexicans artillery had done next to nothing over the course of the siege. I don’t believe that the Texans had lost a man or an artillery piece due to shelling. The Mexicans launched 3 full scale assaults on the walls that morning and the first 2 waves were repulsed. Let’s imagine that each assault wave contained between 1 and two thousand men and let’s imagine that they suffered around 20-30 percent casualties per wave . Combining that with massive casualties they would have suffered fighting hand to hand inside the fort and one thousand deaths seems almost conservative. Texas A&M put out an interesting document regarding this matter if you are interested I’ll try to find it for you. Have you ever been to the Alamo? Only the chapel is left where a very small portion of the fighting took place but it’s worth seeing

 

[Hunerwadel]

I spent ten years in Nashville metropolitan area, mostly in the 70's, but never made it to that site. Just surfed the history a little while ago and hate I missed it. I was 12 when the last pro game was played there.....

I went to several games there when I was a kid in late 50's and early 60's. The Dell was one of old wooden stadiums. We'd sometimes go early and watch batting practice. The sound echoing through the nearly empty stadium sounded like a rifle shot.

 

[Toujours Pret]

You’ve got massed line infantry charging reasonably high walls bristling with cannons and riflemen. The Mexicans artillery had done next to nothing over the course of the siege. I don’t believe that the Texans had lost a man or an artillery piece due to shelling. The Mexicans launched 3 full scale assaults on the walls that morning and the first 2 waves were repulsed. Let’s imagine that each assault wave contained between 1 and two thousand men and let’s imagine that they suffered around 20-30 percent casualties per wave . Combining that with massive casualties they would have suffered fighting hand to hand inside the fort and one thousand deaths seems almost conservative. Texas A&M put out an interesting document regarding this matter if you are interested I’ll try to find it for you. Have you ever been to the Alamo? Only the chapel is left where a very small portion of the fighting took place but it’s worth seeing

Been several times, and will again. I personally feel in the spirit of legend we tend to overestimate the damage inflicted by the texians.

Once the north wall was breached it was likely over in 15 minutes. The Texian artillery had no proper canister, and its not as if they had John Pelham manning the guns. I'm taking nothing from any of the defenders but John Wayne and Fess Parker didn't teach history lessons, they made movies.

 

[lukeneyland]

Been several times, and will again. I personally feel in the spirit of legend we tend to overestimate the damage inflicted by the texians.

Once the north wall was breached it was likely over in 15 minutes. The Texian artillery had no proper canister, and its not as if they had John Pelham manning the guns. I'm taking nothing from any of the defenders but John Wayne and Fess Parker didn't teach history lessons, they made movies.

That’s cool ( I don’t mean that sarcastically) I’m glad that you like going. They might not have had proper canister shot but they would have had grape shot or something similar. I don’t think that 1k is an exaggeration but it’s ok if you do. Neither of us have anything better than circumstantial evidence. What’s fascinating is that Santa Anna could have avoided the pounding they took had he waited a few more days for his heavy artillery to arrive. What do you think the casualty rate was for each of the three Mexican waves that made the attack. I’m not sure if I agree with the 15 minute claim. I think but won’t swear that Susanna Dickinson’s account implies that the final stage lasted a little longer than that. I know this isn’t a perfect equivalent but humor me for a moment. I don’t know if you are familiar with the Battle of Culloden but the Scottish took massive casualties that day almost WW1 esque in terms of rate. This was roughly 100 years before the Alamo and artillery was even less sophisticated in that era. This was against standard British line infantry who did not enjoy the benefit of Fortifications. I think 1k is more plausible than you might assume in this era.

 

[Toujours Pret]

Figuring the assault(s)was before dawn, and in rapid order, coupled with the Texians being caught somewhat off guard, I don't think the fields of fire would've been conducive for turkey shoot style casualties like Culloden. I would assume that.most Mexican casualties occurred at the base of the wall, as successive waves pushed forward trapping the prior waves. It all.comes down to the timeline, I tend to believe from the first shot to the breach of the north wall was probably 60 minutes tops. To give aimed fire would mean exposing oneself to the massed enemy below.

Like you said, no way to tell. Heroic? Absolutely. I simply tend to believe the lower numbers arenmore plausible