Civil War Sites in Sewanee

Cornerstone site.

by Marisa Wilson, Messenger Intern

With the Fourth of July being the 150th anniversary of the Army of Tennessee battling in Sewanee, I went to see the many Civil War sites in the area. The first historic marker I visited was the sight of the original cornerstone of the University of the South. The school’s founders laid the cornerstone of the first University of the South building on October 10, 1860. Although the building, including the cornerstone, was destroyed by Union troops on July 13, 1863, a symbolic cornerstone was placed in the original location. The new cornerstone is found along a short walking path off of University Avenue near the Sewanee Inn.
Another Civil War-related site in Sewanee is Rebel’s Rest. The site, located at the junction of Georgia and University avenues, is where the home first stood before the Civil War of one of the University’s key founders and lieutenant general in the Confederate Army, Bishop Leonidas Polk. The first two log cabins of postwar Sewanee were also erected on this spot in 1866. Now located on this historic site is a house which is used to accommodate Sewanee visitors.
Near the intersection of highways US-41A and SH-56 is the site of the last Battle of the Tullahoma Campaign, which took place on July 4, 1863. The battle extended 2 miles southwest of the modern-day plaque, which commemorates the battle. At this battle Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans commanded the Union army while Gen. Braxton Bragg commanded the Confederates. The battle was one of many that took place in the area as the Union Army pushed toward Chattanooga.
Other historic sites in Sewanee include the University of the South cemetery located on Georgia Avenue  and All Saints’ Chapel located along University Avenue. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith and the Rev. Francis Asbury Shoup are buried there. They fought as Confederate generals during the war. At the time of his death in Sewanee, Kirby Smith was the last surviving man who had been a full general in the war.

Along the wall facing University Avenue in All Saints’ Chapel is a series of stained glass windows chronicling the history of the University, including a window depicting the original cornerstone of the University being blown up by Union troops.

For more information on the history of Sewanee, visit the Sewanee Trust for Historic Preservation located at 400 University Ave. or visit one of the many events about Sewanee and the Civil War that will be held around town on July 4.