Visit to Franklin, Tennessee

The Federal line near the Carter House

My wife and I enjoyed a nice getaway last weekend in Nashville with some longtime friends. On our last day, we made it down to Franklin for some sightseeing. With my friend Aaron Cohen navigating, I tramped around a few of the battlefield sites there including Windham Hill, Fort Granger, and the Carter House. At the Carter House Visitor Center, I had the good fortune to chat with James Knight, author of several titles on the Civil War in Tennessee. He was nice enough to sign a copy of his book on Hood's Tennessee Campaign for me. I learned later that he has also written about Bonnie and Clyde. At Fort Granger, Amy Glover, a California transplant exploring the site with her family, kindly snapped the picture of me below. Fort Granger is an impressive work, towering over the Harpeth River and surrounding countryside. The maps don't do it justice. 
 

Author James Knight and your blogger.

Fort Granger

Another Visit to Plymouth, North Carolina

Fort Compher site, Plymouth N.C.

Recently, I had the chance to make another visit to Plymouth and explore the sites of some of the more obscure fortifications there - most of which are long gone now - and check out some other locations around the town. As I've worked on my North Carolina book, I've had the good fortune to benefit from the vast knowledge of local historian Jimmy Hardison. For decades, Hardison has examined every nook and cranny of the battlefield and made many incredible finds, some of which are on display in the Port o' Plymouth Museum. I've also received extensive assistance from the public historians at the museum, namely David Bennett (now with the Virginia War Museum) and the current curator, Elizabeth Freier. Harding, Bennett, and Freier have patiently fielded emails and phone calls from me over the last few years. I greatly appreciate all of their help.