A Thrilling Scene in East Tennessee: Colonel Fry and the Union Men Swearing by the Flag

  • Title: A Thrilling Scene in East Tennessee: Colonel Fry and the Union Men Swearing by the Flag
  • Date: 1862
  • Description: Black and white image of men standing inside a timber frame building lit by a candle on a flag-draped table. The men have their hands raised in the air.
  • Historical Note: This scene was intended to represent Henry Fry and some of the other loyalists in upper East Tennessee who had attempted to burn bridges in order to disrupt Confederate movements in their area. The idea was to burn all of the bridges on the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad from Bristol to Chattanooga and the bridge across the Tennessee River at Bridgeport, Alabama, to prevent Confederate supplies reaching into Virginia. Washington would then send in troops to protect the men and control the area. However, the troops never materialized. After the November 1861 burning of five bridges, five men, including Fry, were hanged for their participation. Among the group was master potter Christopher A. Haun.Others associated with the plot either hid in the mountains, joined the Union Army, or were captured and imprisoned.
  • Contributing Institution: Harper's Weekly
  • Digital Publisher: Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
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