Somewhere on the Holston we begin at one of the most valuable train bridges in Tennessee. Survived a burning attempt and burned four times and was fought over more than ten times.
Nov 17 1861 Ten unionist from Sevier County one man being Gilbert While Underdown and another we know as Sevier Co Sherrif William Pickens. Planned to burn the bridge in Strawberry Plains but when they arrived they didn't realize the bridge was being guarded by James Keelan as the men attacked Keelan opened fire with his pistol shooting the first man dead in the face. A fight for his life ensued armed only with a knife and a single shot pistol the torch light had be struck out and in the darkness he would fight off all the men. He came out alive but shot in three places, lost his hand from a sword strike, considered a hero James Keelan is buried in Bristol, Tn and his hand at the foot of Popus grave in Strawberry Plains. Confederate Col. William Wood sent men to the bridge and promised he'd hang anyone involved locally. Two major train derailments in the Civil War here one being of Confederate troops in 1861 and one of captured Confederated in 1865. Strawberry fields was one huge mud field so many troops had passed through it. Homes and churches were destroyed, and Strawberry Plains College was destroyed soldiers used the bricks for their chimneys in winter camps. June 20 1863 Union Col. WIlliam Sanders brought 1,500 5th Kentucky calvary men to overtake and destroy the bridge. They capture 139 men only a fraction of the Thomas Legion Forces were there most of them had been positioned up by Greenville to stop the advance North. Sanders made haste to retreat East and he paroled soldiers without papers that he had captured. Captain John T Levi Graham Commander of the Virginia battery light artillery which was added to the Thomas Legion in 1863. Capt. Levi Graham's four cannon's had fired the first shots at Sanders as he came up the Holston River with his Calvary.
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