Recalling Memphis

[JOHN42768]

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Memphis Post Office.

Union troops approached in a rowboat and raised the flag over the Post Office.

That looks like one huge P.O. for aprox.22000 people. Great photos, Thanks

 

[kevikens]

I am inclined to date that top photo to late 1880's- early 1890's. Those wires are telephone, not telegraph wires, but before central switchboards permitted a small number of wires to carry a heavy message load. That light hanging in the middle appears to be an electric arc lamp, too powerful for indoor use but actually preceded Edison's incandescent lightbulb. The arc lights were not common, usually only at major intersections. producing a blinding white light, and there would be a generation of gas lamps on the streets before streetlights were electrified with Edison's bulbs. Probably before the late 1890's as the streetcar tracks do not show any signs of Sprague's electrification and no underground cable connection which just preceded electrification in our larger cities. I don't know if Memphis ever had cable cars but plenty of other large cities, not just San Francisco, had them circa 1890.
The Overton hotel photo is, as pointed out, even later. Notice the overhead catenary wire for electric streetcars. Pretty extensive, probably early 20th century, maybe circa 1905.

 

[18thVirginia]

I've found this map at the LoC to be useful in locating Civil War sites. Although it's 1888, and there are many roads which are more recent than the war, it's still close enough to the 1860's that many locations are the same, such as the site of the skirmish at Morning Sun, and the farms of many people who lived near Memphis during the war. This map is pretty accurate and easy to overlay on a modern map with minimal distortion.

During the war, my Civil War ancestor William Harry Sawyer and his brother Wilson L Sawyer of the 1st TN Partisan Rangers, later the 12 TN Cavalry, lived with his folks at the property in district 9, marked WH Sawyer and to the West of Morning Sun. This property is now the northern part of the Countrywood suburb of Cordova, including most of the golf course. Harry Sawyer's bride to be, Nancy "Nannie" Woodson, lived with her widowed mother's relatives at the JW Crouch property in district 7, just to the north of Cheatham. This property is today next to Evangelical Christian School. Harry and Nancy were married on Christmas Day in 1864, apparently when Harry was on furlough from Forrest's forces. It's known that Forrest furloughed a large number of men over that period.

Nancy's father and grandfather, William and John Woodson, were deceased by the time of the war, but close relatives, the Hornes and Daltons, still lived at their old place in district 8, in Brunswick, where John Woodson, one of the first settlers in the area, had been the postmaster. The Brunswick post office is still at this location today.

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3963s.la000879/

Thanks for sharing, Allie. It's Spring Break here and I couldn't open the link yesterday as our internet was running really slow. Interesting stories from your family.

 

[18thVirginia]

I am inclined to date that top photo to late 1880's- early 1890's. Those wires are telephone, not telegraph wires, but before central switchboards permitted a small number of wires to carry a heavy message load. That light hanging in the middle appears to be an electric arc lamp, too powerful for indoor use but actually preceded Edison's incandescent lightbulb. The arc lights were not common, usually only at major intersections. producing a blinding white light, and there would be a generation of gas lamps on the streets before streetlights were electrified with Edison's bulbs. Probably before the late 1890's as the streetcar tracks do not show any signs of Sprague's electrification and no underground cable connection which just preceded electrification in our larger cities. I don't know if Memphis ever had cable cars but plenty of other large cities, not just San Francisco, had them circa 1890.
The Overton hotel photo is, as pointed out, even later. Notice the overhead catenary wire for electric streetcars. Pretty extensive, probably early 20th century, maybe circa 1905.

Thanks for the explanation--I was thinking 1890s by looking at the buggies. But you've given an excellent amount of detail.

 

[18thVirginia]

A description of the Overton Hospital from 1861.

http://www.historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/civil-war-memphis/civil-war-memphis.html

 

[bdtex]

Great thread. Gonna be passing through Memphis in June at least once for the first time but not sure how much time I'll have to see any sights there.

 

[18thVirginia]

Thanks, bdtex. The "photos of cities" threads are fascinating to me. I've learned a lot, even about cities where I've spent some time.

 

[18thVirginia]

More ACW era Memphis hospitals.

Adams Hospital

Officers Hospital

Washington Hospital

 

[18thVirginia]

Hospital ships transported the wounded from battles at Vicksburg to Memphis. From there some patients were transferred to St. Louis. Hospital ships like the Red Rover shown below were in service on the Mississippi River.

The Red Rover Hospital Ship

City of Memphis Hospital Ship

 

[18thVirginia]

The Memphis naval battle from Harper's Weekly
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1862/june/memphis-naval-battle.htm

 

[18thVirginia]

 

[Schwallanscher]

Memphis became an occupied city for the remainder of the Civil War.

View attachment 127559

it doesn't exactly belong here, but is that wording usual? with the csa-government (rightfully) considered a rebellious faction i would have written 'memphis liberated'. unfortunately there's no hint what paper that is but 'it's surrender to our flotilla' is more than a give-away that it 'might be slighty union-leaning' and thus nobody in memphis would buy it anyway.

@jgoodguy, if you are in a thread-splitting mode - i've no problem with that, but please borrow the picture i quoted if you do)

 

[rebelatsea]

View attachment 127558

Battle of Memphis

Interestingly the artist portrays the city class gunboats as having double hulls.

 

[rebelatsea]

Very neat. Thanks for posting!

In the top picture, since it was taken in the 1860s before electricity, I guess all those wires and poles are associated with the telegraph?

The lamp hanging from the wires may be an arc lamp, making this photo a bit later than dated.

 

[DBF]

Like other cities on the Mississippi River, Memphis became a city of hospitals, with hotels turned into medical facilities.

View attachment 127561

Gayoso Hotel

Is this the hotel that "legend has it" William Forrest rode his horse around in? The pictures are wonderful.

 

[18thVirginia]

Yes, that is the hotel where supposedly horses were ridden into the spacious lobby. Here's another drawing of the Gayoso Hotel.

The Gayoso Hotel

 

[18thVirginia]

Interestingly the artist portrays the city class gunboats as having double hulls.

Thanks for commenting, but do you want to explain further, rebelatsea? Your comments would be appreciated.

 

[18thVirginia]

it doesn't exactly belong here, but is that wording usual? with the csa-government (rightfully) considered a rebellious faction i would have written 'memphis liberated'. unfortunately there's no hint what paper that is but 'it's surrender to our flotilla' is more than a give-away that it 'might be slighty union-leaning' and thus nobody in memphis would buy it anyway.

@ jgoodguy, if you are in a thread-splitting mode - i've no problem with that, but please borrow the picture i quoted if you do)

We try in Ladies Tea to present material and information from both sides and also from the point of view of those who were caught up in the events of the time. Certainly, those occupants of Memphis being asked to sign loyalty oaths must have considered their city as "occupied." To me, that term generally indicates cities like New Orleans and Memphis which were captured early in the war and didn't endure the shelling or burning of other communities. Just to clarify, there was no identification of the newspaper article shown above, I provide that when its available.

If you're interested in starting a different thread to discuss whether a certain city would be considered "occupied" or "liberated," we welcome that. Here are some letters and articles from the Memphis Daily Appeal that give the feelings of some residents of Memphis during the War.

 

[Schwallanscher]

We try in Ladies Tea to present material and information from both sides and also from the point of view of those who were caught up in the events of the time. Certainly, those occupants of Memphis being asked to sign loyalty oaths must have considered their city as "occupied." To me, that term generally indicates cities like New Orleans and Memphis which were captured early in the war and didn't endure the shelling or burning of other communities. Just to clarify, there was no identification of the newspaper article shown above, I provide that when its available.

If you're interested in starting a different thread to discuss whether a certain city would be considered "occupied" or "liberated," we welcome that. Here are some letters and articles from the Memphis Daily Appeal that give the feelings of some residents of Memphis during the War.

View attachment 127749

whereas this is quite interesting. i'd love to read a thread about that (i just lack the necessary knowledge to start it)

also, it wasn't what i had in mind. as a freelance journalist i don't undestand my long dead colleagues. this line kinda accepts the csa as a state (they are definately union biased). you occupy enemy territory not your own - your own you liberate.

as i know more or less squat about civil war press (i also have no sources - i don't even know the names of relevant newspapers), i can't, unfortunately, open that thread (to me opening a thread means to keep it running). that thread i'd really like to see would certainly not belong into the ladies' tea ( i don't know where it would belong, either).

otoh i just could not let it go (so i tried to shovel the buck to @jgoodguy )

nix fia unguat (that's bavarian for 'no offence intented')


p.s. whoever tells you about a neutral press is a liar

 

[rebelatsea]

Thanks for commenting, but do you want to explain further, rebelatsea? Your comments would be appreciated.

Ok will do. The City class had a conventional but low freeboard hull, with a well aft in which the paddle wheel rotated, if the recovered Cairo is the same as the rest of the type. The artist has drawn them as it they were catamarans with an overall deck joining the two hulls. However the upper works appear to be spot on. Apologies but for once I don't have drawings to hand.