Civil War Trails...The Battle at Bountville

On the cusp of this coming Independence Day, it's timely to remember the brave battles that have brought our country to the freedoms we enjoy today.  While it's debatable in circles whether we truly have freedom now or are we soon to be engaged in another fight for our liberties, it's important to look back at the issues and battles that have molded our heritage in order to learn from and hopefully not repeat the same mistakes.  As the old adage goes "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it". 

Patriots and heroes run deep in my own family lineage.  Captain Nathan Hale, the esteemed spy who was captured and hung for treason, was related to my grandmother on my father's side...Marjorie Hale.  Her years of membership with the Daughters of the American Revolution has traced this relationship.  Captain Hale is most know for his famous quote to the British before his death, "I only regret that I have but one life to loose for my country".  Talk about patriotic...and a total slam on his enemies!  God obviously put those words into his mouth as only He knew those profound truths would resonate throughout time.  As a child my family and I visited the Hale homestead in  Coventry, Connecticut.  Here is a link with more information on this living museum if you're ever in that area.  http://www.ctlandmarks.org/index.php?page=nathan-hale-homestead

Noah, our oldest is also fascinated with historical battles, military weapons, etc.  He's watched Gettysburg more times than I have!  We've yet to visit Gettysburg but hope to make that a future field trip.  In the meantime as part of our homeschool, we've taken advantage of the Civil War Trails program in Tennessee.  Thus another crucial war that brings controversy with varying disagreement over what it was truly over.  Government ran learning institutions traditionally teach it as a slave war, which if you think logically. that rationale doesn't hold water.  Would men really leave their families and pledge their own lives in mass numbers for the right to own slaves...or NOT?  Highly unlikely.  Below is an article link regarding the other side of the war we haven't been taught in history...mainly because AGAIN it points to that nasty central government issue and especially that notoriously disputed word...TAX.  Something freedom lovers throughout history HAVE fought over.    http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/civilwar.html

The Civil War Trails event highlights various battles big and small throughout the cities of various states.  Some of the lesser known battles are very intriguing and had no less impact on the people and areas.  Re-creations of these battles through reenactments not only bring out the history but allows us to feel the emotion of the time.  This website chronicles these various small town battles with informative narration you can down load when you seek to travel to a site nearest you.  http://www.civilwartraveler.com/.

We recently visited the Battle of Blountville reenactment merely forty minutes from our home.  Ironically, on the same path of battles extending from Knoxville (along highway 11W) that we have travelled so frequently.  Hard to imagine this area today as once a line of impending zones of death and loss for so many families.  How honored to be living in their footsteps!