Archive for August 2008
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Road Trip — Nashville TN - The Battle of Nashville
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Today is my last day in Nashville and then I fly home this evening. I decide to check out a few of the sites on the Battle of Nashville brochure that I picked up in the hotel lobby. Most of the sites on the map are only a history marker about what happened there, but there are a few sites that are more and Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum, built in 1799 by Judge John Overton. is one of them. During the Civil War, his son was a Confederate sympathizer and Travellers Rest served as Confederate headquarters during the Battle of Nashville in December 1964. A guide dressed as an authentic Confederate soldier gave me a tour around the buildings; I walk around the grounds and herb garden by myself. I then drove around the suburb neighborhoods finding various markers and reading them. The original “Homes of David Lipscomb” still stand in front of the David Lipscomb College, founded in 1891 as Nashville Bible School. The building is closed, but I can peek in the windows. Next is the Battle of Nashville Monument, a beautiful statue and monument. This is a relatively new monument built to replace the original that was destroyed in 1974 by a tornado. My last stop before heading to the airport is Sunnyside, a Greek Revival home located in Sevier Park. Sunnyside was the home of Mary Benton, widow of Jesse Benton. Jesse Benton and his brother were involved in a famous duel with President Andrew Jackson in 1813. After enjoying the peacefulness of Sevier Park, I head off to the airport to begin my flight home.
Road Trip — Nashville TN - The Hermitage
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Today I toured The Hermitage - Home of President Andrew Jackson. “Old Hickory” was our seventh President from 1829-1837 and Nashville is where he made his home with wife Rachelle. As you walk around the grounds and buildings, you have a audio player that gives you a narrative for each of the numbered spots you encounter. The mansion is well preserved, and even though they don’t want you to take pictures inside the mansion, I snuck in a few… shhh! In back of the mansion is a large manicured field with a path circling it. Along the path you see the slave quarters, an old farm building, the springhouse and several cabins. The formal gardens are cared for once again and are lovely to walk through. In the back corner of the garden is Jackson’s Tomb and the family cemetery. Lastly I toured the museum and browsed the gift shop before heading back to the hotel. It’s wonderful to see that we have our country’s history preserved so well.
