Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Appalachian Ride...

I think I'm going to go by there tomorrow on my way to Lexington, KY. It will be a shorter day than today.

Very cool looking trip! Enjoy and continue posting pics. I love threads like this.

This is a map of Stevenson, AL. during the civil war. It looks like there were 5 Union Forts guarding the rail lines.

Is that a ford highboy inside the roll up door? It looks like a nice one.

We tend to think fo the Confederacy as this monolithic block of states, but there were a lot of areas in The South that were pro-union and anti-secession. Interesting to see the counties that voted against it and why...

Man the brick work on that second building is awesome! The first job i ever had at 14 was working with a brick layer, all i got to do was carry the brick, my brother got to mix the mortar, fun, hard job but I can tell you that brick work is amazing...

True craftsmen, now Mexicans just slap them in the wall.

Overlay this map and the above map and you understand why some areas in North Alabama may have had no use for breaking with the Union...

Irish so glad you posted that map, my hunting club in Ms. is where Sherman camped with some northern sympathizers, there is a grave site on our club where the family that hosted him is buired! You ever want to make a trip down here let me know. A really cool place!

Interesting and great pics as always Irish! Thanks for taking us along, safe travels bud!

Nice pics. That homestead museum is pretty neat. Stayed in one of the cabins at the state park there last year. Think the cabins were built when those homes were. Nice area around there.

The obed wild and scenic river just north of crossville is pretty cool

Second picture. is that a Honda CB250? And I nearly missed the little Z50 in the door. I guess I rode a blue million miles on a Z50 as a kid. Bought my boys one also. One of the toughest bikes ever made. 70's something Hondas were hard to beat.

Interesting history of the 1st Alabama Union Calvary. It was the only white union regiment to come out of Alabama. Most of the guys that joined up did so because the Confederates persecuted their families. There must have been a lot of animosity in North eastern Mississippi, North Alabama and Eastern Tennessee between Pro-Union and Confederates during those times. Hard to say which side my loyalties would have fallen. I had ancestors that fought for both sides just like in the Creek Indian wars, I had ancestors that fought on both sides.

I know for one thing, I'm not one to fight a rich man's war.

http://www.1stalabamacavalryusv.com/loyalist.aspx

Interesting facts about the bridge...

It is named the Captain John Snodgrass Bridge. He was a sheriff of Jackson county before the Civil war. During the war, he was Captain of Company B, 2nd Confederate Infantry Regiment and was wounded at Shiloh. He eventually surrendered his troops as a colonel in North Carolina at the end of the war and became a merchant. He is also noteworthy for having the first phone in Jackson County. The line ran from his store to his home. He died in 1888 at the age of 52. He did a lot of stuff in 52 years.

The bridge was built by American Bridge Company in 1958. Working in the engineering field for my whole career I have had the opportunity to work with a bunch of old timers that at one time or another worked for American Bridge Company in Birmingham.

The mid-span of the bridge is called a "Warren Truss" which is composed of equilateral triangles and although very structurally sound is very lightweight. So much so that the same design was used in early biplanes to truss the two wings together.

Yes it is. And it's an interesting period in our history.

More interesting history about the proposed southern Union state of Nickajack...

https://battleground.substack.com/p/statehood-nickajack

The Nickajack statehood movement began at the start of the Civil War. While much of the South supported separating from the United States to retain the institution of slavery, many Union sympathizers in southern states rejected the idea of secession. Within the Tennessee River Valley, which stretches across both North Alabama and East Tennessee, slavery was largely unprofitable as the land was inhospitable to large plantations. As a result, most residents in this region were Unionists who rejected the articles of secession when their respective states contemplated leaving the Union in early 1861. After both Tennessee and Alabama opted to join the Confederacy, these Unionists hoped to mount a secession from the secessionist movement, mirroring the same set of factors that led West Virginia to become its own state in 1863.

Be careful Brother. I got a bad feeling about your ride today.

Why is that?

Looks like you're getting some much needed wind therapy. We're heading out to Blueridge this morning on our Roadglide Limited. Stay safe and enjoy the ride.