Teaching with Primary Sources — MTSU
PRIMARY SOURCE SET: OCCUPATION
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
During the Civil War, civilians in the South had an
unprecedented level of interaction with military
personnel, including both Confederate and Union
forces. Military occupation took place when the
Union army gained authority over southern states
(or parts of states) that had joined the Confederacy. Tennessee is significant in this regard because
in February 1862 Nashville became the first capital of a Confederate state to be taken by the Union
army. In Union-held areas, tensions developed
between the occupying troops and civilians who
remained loyal to the Confederacy. Early in the
war, occupation forces generally treated Confederate civilians leniently, thinking that they would
quickly change their loyalties. When occupation
forces encountered ongoing resistance from Confederate civilians, they instituted harsher measures
of control over the civilian population. Most occupied areas also included civilians who were Unionists, including formerly enslaved men and
women who had used the advent of Unionoccupation to flee from their owners.
Additional Links:








TPS-MTSU: Civil War Links & Top Ten
TPS-MTSU: The Home Front During the Civil
War
TPS-MTSU: Emancipation During and After
the Civil War
Tennessee 4 Me: Union Occupation
TN Civil War National Heritage Area:
Occupied Home Front
Civil War Trust: The Home Front
National Park Service: Chatham Plantation:
Witness to the Civil War
KnowLA: Fall of New Orleans and Federal
Occupation
[Atlanta, Ga. City Hall; camp of 2d Massachusetts
Infantry on the grounds] [1864]
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHERS
The visual documents in this primary source set provide
one way to introduce students to the theme of Civil
War occupation. Ask students to identify the types of
buildings and community spaces used by Union troops.
How might Confederate civilians have reacted to the
occupation of these civic spaces? Where would everyday interactions between soldiers and civilians have
taken place? Some of the textual documents in this
primary source set contain rules and regulations that
Union authorities issued for the conduct of both Union
soldiers and civilians. What were some of these, and
why were they necessary? How does President Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 letter (p. 6), demonstrate his views
on occupation? Finally, several of the sources relate to
the effect of occupation on slavery. How did occupation affect slavery?
1
Female Seminary, Nashville, Tenn., barracks of the 51st regt.
O.V. ... March, 1862 / sketched by A. E. Mathews. [1862]
Proclamation. Executive office. Nashville,
Tenn., May 9, 1862. Whereas certain
persons, unfriendly and hostile to the
government of the United States . . .[1862]
Appeal to the people of Tennessee ... Andrew Johnson.
Executive office. Nashville, March 18th 1862. [1862]
Print # 15, Tracks of the armies [Etching] [1863]
Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society.
2
The First Union dress parade in Nashville. The 51st
Regiment Ohio volunteers, Col. Stanly Mathews on
dress parade in Nashville, Tuesday, March 4th
1862 / sketched by A.E. Mathews, 31st Regt.
O.V.U.S.A. [1862]
Major General Rosecrans on contributions for the
sick and wounded. Headquarters Department of
the Cumberland. Murfreesboro, February 2, 1863.
[1863]
The Nashville daily union., June 20,
1862, Image 2 [1862] [detail]Courtesy of
the University of Tennessee.
[Sketch map of Camp Brentwood, Tennessee, while serving as
quarters for the 86th and 104th regiments of the Illinois volunteers] /
Anson Smith. [1863]
3
One of the F. F. V.'s after his Contraband. [Pictorial
envelope] [n.d.] Courtesy of the New-York Historical
Society
E. Cheek to Edward Bates, Wednesday, May
06, 1863 (Tennessee Unionist wants to keep
his slaves) [1863]
Contraband barricade. [Pictorial envelope] [n.d.]
Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society
Robert Dale Owen to Abraham Lincoln,
Wednesday, August 05, 1863 (Sends report of John
Eaton concerning freedmen in Tennessee; with
abstract of Eaton's report) [1863]
4
Franklin Tenn. Profield [Sic] June 1863 [1863]
Columbia Tennessee Sentinel,
Saturday, February 06, 1864 [detail]
William S. Rosecrans to Henry W. Halleck,
Wednesday, September 09, 1863 (Telegram reporting
capture of Chattanooga) [1863]
5
Camp in Monument Garden, Chattanooga [between
1863 and 1864]
The levee at Memphis, Tenn.-Hauling sugar and cotton from their hiding-places for shipment north /
sketched by Mr. Alex Simplot. [1862]
William W. Gallaer to Abraham Lincoln, Monday,
February 09, 1863 (Union sentiment in Memphis)
[1863]
Abraham Lincoln, Friday, May 13, 1864
(Memorandum on church at Memphis, Tennessee)
[1864]
6
Capture of Savannah--Gen. Geary issuing passes to
citizens [published 1865]
129th Reg + ILL Volls. [sic] at camp "Lady Polk,"
Nashville, Tenn [1863 September 10 ]
Cave life in Vicksburg [1864]
Print # 5, Searching for arms [Etching] [1863]
Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society
Print # 16, Formation of guerrilla bands [Etching]
[1863] Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society
7
CITATIONS
Teachers: Providing these primary source replicas without source clues may enhance the inquiry experience for students. This list of
citations is supplied for reference purposes to you and your students. We have followed the Chicago Manual of Style format, one of
the formats recommended by the Library of Congress, for each entry below, minus the access date. The access date for each of these
entries is May 23, 2012.
Barnard, George N., photographer. “[Atlanta, Ga. City Hall; camp of 2d Massachusetts Infantry on the grounds.]”
Stereograph. [1864.] From Library of Congress: Civil War Glass Negatives and Related Prints. http://www.loc.gov/
pictures/item/cwp2003000886/PP/.
Middleton, Strobridge & Co., lithographer. “Female Seminary, Nashville, Tenn., barracks of the 51st regt. O.V. ...
March, 1862 / sketched by A. E. Mathews.” Lithograph, color. [1862.] From Library of Congress: Popular Graphic
Arts. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005691195/.
Johnson, Andrew. Proclamation. Executive office. Nashville, Tenn., May 9, 1862. Whereas certain persons, unfriendly and
hostile to the government of the United States, have banded themselves together.. and are now going at large ... plundering Union
citizens whe. Broadside. Nashville, 1862. From Library of Congress: An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/rbpebib:@field%
28NUMBER+@band%28rbpe+17502000)).
Johnson, Andrew. Appeal to the people of Tennessee ... Andrew Johnson. Executive office. Nashville, March 18th 1862.
Broadside. Nashville, 1862. From Library of Congress: An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/rbpebib:@field%28NUMBER+@band%
28rbpe+17501900)).
Volck, Adalbert John. “Print # 15, Tracks of the armies [Etching].” Etching. Baltimore, 1863. From Library of
Congress: Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/
cwnyhs:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28ab01017)).
Middleton, Strobridge & Co., lithographer. “The First Union dress parade in Nashville. The 51st Regiment Ohio
volunteers, Col. Stanly Mathews on dress parade in Nashville, Tuesday, March 4th 1862 / sketched by A.E.
Mathews, 31st Regt. O.V.U.S.A.” Lithograph. Cin[cinnati], O[hio]: Middleton, Strobridge & Co. Lith., 1862.
From Library of Congress: Popular Graphic Arts. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/92505050/.
United States sanitary commission. Major General Rosecrans on contributions for the sick and wounded. Headquarters Department of the Cumberland. Murfreesboro, February 2, 1863. Broadside. Murfreesboro, 1863. From Library of Congress: An
American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/
query/h?ammem/rbpebib:@field%28NUMBER+@band%28rbpe+17502500)).
Greene, O.D., A.A.G. “Headquarters District of the Ohio, Nashville, May 7, 1862.” The Nashville Daily Union.
Nashville, June 20, 1862. From Library of Congress: Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers. Courtesy of
the University of Tennessee. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025718/1862-06-20/ed-1/seq-2/.
Smith, Anson. [Sketch map of Camp Brentwood, Tennessee, while serving as quarters for the 86th and 104th regiments of the
Illinois volunteers] / Anson Smith. Map, manuscript. 1863. From Library of Congress: Map Collections. http://
memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field%28NUMBER+@band%28g3964b+cw0396350)).
Cheek, E. E. Cheek to Edward Bates, Wednesday, May 06, 1863 (Tennessee Unionist wants to keep his slaves). Letter. May 6,
1863. From Library of Congress: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/233/2333000/malpage.db&recNum=0.
D. Murphy's Son, printer. One of the F. F. V.'s after his Contraband. [Pictorial envelope] [n.d.] From Library of Congress: Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/
cwnyhs:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28aj01032)).
8
CITATIONS, cont.
Contraband barricade. [Pictorial envelope] [n.d.] From Library of Congress: Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cwnyhs:@field(DOCID+@lit(aj01029)).
Owen, Robert Dale. Robert Dale Owen to Abraham Lincoln, Wednesday, August 05, 1863 (Sends report of John Eaton concerning freedmen in Tennessee; with abstract of Eaton's report). Letter. August 5, 1863. From Library of Congress: The
Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?
collId=mal&fileName=mal1/253/2533300/malpage.db&recNum=0.
Blakeslee, G. H. Franklin Tenn. Profield [Sic] June 1863. Map. 1863. From Library of Congress: Civil War Maps.
http://www.loc.gov/item/2003630448.
Columbia Tennessee Sentinel. “Orders and Circulars.” Columbia, TN: February 06, 1864. From Library of Congress:
The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?
collId=mal&fileName=mal1/302/3021400/malpage.db&recNum=11.
Rosecrans, Williams S. William S. Rosecrans to Henry W. Halleck, Wednesday, September 09, 1863 (Telegram reporting
capture of Chattanooga). Telegram. September 9, 1863. From Library of Congress: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the
Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/261/2616600/
malpage.db&recNum=0.
“Camp in Monument Garden, Chattanooga.” Stereograph. Hartford, Conn.: The War Photograph & Exhibition
Co., No. 21 Linden Place, [between 1863 and 1864]. From Library of Congress: Civil War. http://www.loc.gov/
pictures/item/2011660051/.
Gallaer, William W. William W. Gallaer to Abraham Lincoln, Monday, February 09, 1863 (Union sentiment in Memphis).
Letter. February 9, 1863. From Library of Congress: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. http://
memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/216/2162200/malpage.db&recNum=0
Lincoln, Abraham. Abraham Lincoln, Friday, May 13, 1864 (Memorandum on church at Memphis, Tennessee). Memorandum. May 13, 1864. From Library of Congress: The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. http://
memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mal&fileName=mal1/330/3303300/malpage.db&recNum=0.
The levee at Memphis, Tenn.-Hauling sugar and cotton from their hiding-places for shipment north / sketched by Mr. Alex Simplot. Illustration. 1862. From Library of Congress: Civil War. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/95504268/.
Blakeslee, G. H., artist. “129th Reg + ILL Volls. [sic] at camp "Lady Polk," Nashville, Tenn.” Drawing. September
10, 1863. From Library of Congress: Civil War. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004661254/.
Capture of Savannah--Gen. Geary issuing passes to citizens. Illustration. [1865.] From Library of Congress: Civil War.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/92508757/.
Volck, Adalbert John, artist. Cave life in Vicksburg. Illustration. 1864. From Library of Congress: Miscellaneous Items in
High Demand. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/90710021/.
Volck, Adalbert John. Print # 16, Formation of guerrilla bands [Etching]. Etching. Baltimore, 1863. From Library of
Congress: Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/
cwnyhs:@field(DOCID+@lit(ab01018)).
Volck, Adalbert John. Print # 5, Searching for arms [Etching]. Etching. Baltimore, 1863. From Library of Congress:
Civil War Treasures from the New-York Historical Society. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/
cwnyhs:@field(DOCID+@lit(ab01007)).
9