Williamson County Parks and Recreation Is Ours!

 

The Valleyist Papers

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

WRITTEN IN FAVOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF STEPHENS VALLEY

Author – William Ray

 

Edition 2. Issue 6.

Williamson County Parks and Recreation Is Amazing!

Since Stephens Valley is not within any incorporated city, and since our promised Town Square is a long way from becoming a reality, it can seem like our property taxes are just disappearing into the ether. Sure, we are helping to fund county schools, and we have access to police and fire protection and a great recycling center, but do you know about the Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department? Well, you should!

The Williamson County Parks and Recreation Department (WCPR) is a government agency that provides a variety of parks, recreation, and cultural programs for residents of Williamson County, Tennessee. The department was established in 1961 and currently operates over 30 parks and facilities, including:

• 13 community centers
• 11 recreation complexes
• 9 pools
• 8 splash pads
• 7 nature parks
• 6 athletic complexes
• 5 golf courses
• 4 senior centers
• 3 libraries
• 2 theaters
• 1 performing arts center

Using all of these facilities, WCPR's programs and services include:

• Aquatics
• Athletics
• Arts and crafts
• Fitness and wellness
• Nature programs
• Senior programs
• Special events
• Summer camps
• Therapeutic recreation
• Youth programs

In 2022, WCPR had a budget of $100 million. Let that sink in. Just because we live in Williamson County and pay property taxes, we have access to facilities and programs which cost $100 million per year! WCPR department employs over 1,000 people and serves over 600,000 residents, and SV residents should be using this asset in which they have so much equity! And you do not have to do athletic stuff to get benefits from WCPR! They have plenty of programs for residents who just want to have fun with their neighbors. There are trips to local restaurants, parks, museums and such. There are exciting entertainment events like concerts, plays, and so many more.

The closest WCPR facility to us is in Franklin, only eight miles away from SV, near the corner of Hillsboro Road and Mack Hatcher Memorial Parkway, and what a facility it is! Only a couple of miles further away, in downtown Franklin, is their Academy Park campus where the Public Library, the Enrichment Center, the Performing Arts Center, and the Academy Park Gymnasium are located. These are all treasures available to us and only 9 miles away! Throughout the county, WCPR is committed to providing high-quality parks, recreation, and cultural programs that enhance the quality of life for all residents of Williamson County.

Here are some additional details about WCPR's facilities, funding, and programs:

• Community centers: Community centers offer a variety of programs and services for all ages, including fitness classes, arts and crafts, sports, and more.
• Recreation complexes: Recreation complexes offer a variety of amenities, including pools, splash pads, playgrounds, athletic fields, and more.
• Pools: WCPR operates nine pools, including outdoor pools, indoor pools, and splash pads.
• Nature parks: Nature parks offer residents a chance to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature. The department's nature parks include hiking trails, nature centers, and more.
• Athletic complexes: Athletic complexes offer residents a place to play sports and get exercise. The department's athletic complexes include baseball fields, softball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, and more.
• Golf courses: WCPR operates four golf courses, offering residents a chance to enjoy the game of golf.
• Senior centers: Senior centers offer a variety of programs and services for seniors, including fitness classes, arts and crafts, social activities, and more.
• Libraries: WCPR operates three libraries, offering residents a place to borrow books, use computers, and attend programs.
• Theaters: WCPR operates two theaters, offering residents a chance to see plays, musicals, and other performances.
• Performing arts center: The Williamson County Performing Arts Center is a state-of-the-art facility that hosts a variety of performances, including concerts, plays, and musicals. This is an amazing small venue where you can park a few feet from the door. Just in June the listing of events you can enjoy there is amazing! https://www.wcpactn.com/tickets_and_events/tickets___events/index.php

Funding

WCPR's funding comes from a variety of sources, including:

• Property taxes: Property taxes are the largest source of funding for WCPR.
• User fees: User fees are charged for some of WCPR's programs and services, such as swimming lessons and sports leagues.
• State and federal grants: WCPR receives grants from the state and federal government to support its programs and services.
• Private donations: WCPR receives private donations from individuals and organizations to support its programs and services.

Programs

WCPR offers a variety of programs and services for all ages, including:

• Aquatics: WCPR offers swimming lessons, water aerobics, and other aquatic programs.
• Athletics: WCPR offers a variety of sports programs for children, youth, and adults, including baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and more.
• Arts and crafts: WCPR offers arts and crafts classes for children, youth, and adults.
• Fitness and wellness: WCPR offers fitness classes, weight loss programs, and other fitness and wellness programs.
• Nature programs: WCPR offers nature programs for children, youth, and adults, such as hiking, bird watching, and nature walks.
• Senior programs: WCPR offers a variety of programs and services for seniors, including fitness classes, arts and crafts, social activities, and more.
• Special events: WCPR hosts a variety of special events throughout the year, such as festivals, concerts, and more.
• Summer camps: WCPR offers a variety of summer camps for children, youth, and adults.
• Therapeutic recreation: WCPR offers therapeutic recreation programs

The programs offered by WCPR are so diverse and ever-changing that there is really just one way to learn everything available to us – go to https://www.wcparksandrec.com/ and dig in! Next, take a day trip around the county and look at some of these amazing resources that you own. Then, get out your calendar and start penciling in events, trips, and programs that you want to experience. You will come away with a new appreciation of the luck you had when you decided to live in Stephens Valley!

Cheekwood is Practically Our Own Place

 

The Valleyist Papers

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

WRITTEN IN FAVOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF STEPHENS VALLEY

Author – William Ray

 

Edition 2. Issue 5.

 

Cheekwood is Practically Our Own Place

 

What if we were getting our own botanical gardens/art exhibits/music venue as a part of the Stephens Valley Town Square we are promised? Would that be cool, or what? Well, the likelihood of that is quite remote. But we already have that just about seven miles east on Highway 100 – Cheekwood. Cheekwood is all of that, and more.

The story of Cheekwood began when Teddy Roosevelt famously requested a second cup of coffee while dining at Nashville’s fashionable Maxwell House Hotel and commenting that it was “good to the last drop.” This quip was seized upon by two southern Kentucky natives – Joel Owsley Cheek (from Burkesville, Kentucky) and Christopher Tompkins Cheek (from my hometown, Glasgow, Kentucky). They had just turned their family grocery firm into a business focusing on their blend of coffee which later became known as Maxwell House Coffee, after the hotel where TR made his coffee proclamation.

The Kentucky cousins had given the prestigious hostelry 20 pounds of their prepared coffee to try in the dining room. In time the supply of coffee was exhausted, and regular diners noticed the change back to the old brand and complained. As a result, the hotel began using the Cheek’s coffee exclusively.

In turn, the Cheeks acquired the use of the hotel’s name to market their coffee and began using the famous “good to the last drop” comment as their timeless slogan. At one point, Maxwell House Coffee had gained one-third of the American coffee market. In 1928, the company was sold to Postum for $42 million that was shared by extended Cheek family members who had invested in the company. The Postum company eventually sold to General Foods which was later sold to Kraft Foods. That $42 million allowed the Cheeks to become philanthropists.

Christopher T. Cheek married Ann Valeria Leslie, daughter of Gov. Preston H. Leslie also of Glasgow (thank you very much!). Their son, Glasgow native Leslie Cheek Sr., became an investor in the family business and in time, was president of the company.

While on a train traveling from New York to Nashville with a stop in Guthrie, Kentucky, Leslie Cheek noticed a beautiful young lady. He bribed the porter with a box of cigars to obtain her name, a ploy that failed. However, with a bit of maneuvering, Cheek found John Clemens, a friend of the young woman, who offered to introduce him, but he refused. Instead, Cheek insisted he wished to meet her at her home and a few days later the gentlemen arrived in Clarksville, Tennessee to call on Mabel Wood.

According to family oral history, Mabel watched from an upstairs window as Cheek and Clemens approached and found she was pleased with Cheek’s handsome and youthful appearance. Clemens explained Cheek’s interest and of his special trip from Nashville to meet her. Apparently agreeable, they all went to church together. Pretty soon, they also went to the altar together! Eventually they built their home – Cheekwood, a name combining Leslie and Mabel’s respective surnames. After three years of construction, the Cheeks moved into their country estate at Thanksgiving 1932. Leslie died at age 60 only two years later and the estate passed to his daughter, Huldah Cheek Sharp, who lived at Cheekwood with her husband Walter until the 1950s when they offered it as a site for a botanical garden and art museum in west Nashville. Today this is on a 55-acre site (adjacent to the Warner Parks described in an earlier issue by Libbey Hagewood) just 7 miles up Highway 100 toward Nashville from Stephens Valley, making it kind of our own place.

Cheekwood is home to a variety of gardens, including a rose garden, a perennial garden, and a Japanese garden. The garden also features a number of sculptures, including works by Henry Moore and Alexander Calder.

In addition to its gardens, Cheekwood also houses a museum that features a collection of American art, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts. The museum also has a number of educational programs, including art classes, lectures, and tours.

Cheekwood is a popular destination for both locals and tourists, and it is particularly popular with the residents of Stephens Valley (although it should be even more popular). The garden is open year-round, and the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is charged for both the garden and the museum.

If you want to experience the burgeoning Nashville music scene in a serene no-stress environment, Cheekwood is the place. They host a variety of music events throughout the year. These events include concerts, recitals, and other performances. The music events are held in a variety of venues, including the garden, the museum, and the Cheekwood Mansion. The events feature a variety of musical genres, including classical, jazz, rock, blues, and country. The events are also a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Cheekwood gardens, especially during their Thursday Night Out events during the peaceful evenings from May through October. Make sure to check at www.cheekwood.org often to see what is coming up there.

Here are some of the upcoming music events at Cheekwood:

• Under the Stars Concert Series: These events cover three separate nights and feature local songwriters, bluegrass, and jazz artists. https://cheekwood.org/calendar-events/under-the-stars-concert-series/
• Thursday Night Out: As the name implies, these events are relaxing opportunities for SV residents to grab a blanket and your neighbors and experience the music and beauty of Nashville. The first TNO for the year is on May 4, and the music will be by our own Les Sabler! Food Trucks are always there! https://cheekwood.org/calendar-events/thursday-night-out-230504/
• Christmas at Cheekwood: This holiday event features a variety of musical performances, as well as other activities such as carriage rides and a visit from Santa Claus. The event is held from late November to early December.

For more information about the music events at Cheekwood, please visit the Cheekwood website. www.cheekwood.org

 

Portions of this article were borrowed, with permission, from The Kentucky Roots of Maxwell House Coffee, written by Sam Terry of Glasgow, Kentucky.

Let's Watch Out for Each Other

 

The Valleyist Papers

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

WRITTEN IN FAVOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF STEPHENS VALLEY

Author – William Ray

 

Edition 2. Issue 4.

 

Let’s Watch Out for Each Other

 

Nashville changed this week. It is certain that we all want to help heal everyone around us, but as Norman Maclean observed in his novel A River Runs Through It, “So it is,” he said, using an old homiletic transition, “that we can seldom help anybody. Either we don’t know what part to give or maybe we don’t like to give any part of ourselves. Then, more often than not, the part that is needed is not wanted. And even more often, we do not have the part that is needed.” But maybe we should still try. Maybe we should talk about Neighborhood Watch during this time. That seems like a plausible idea.

Several months ago, we had a neighborhood meeting with members of the Williamson County Sheriff Department relative to concerns about “visitors” who were cruising the alleys and checking out cars and other possessions. They gave us some really good advice about how we can lock arms and defend ourselves by employing team “my brother’s keeper” tactics. Their recommendations were not complicated. They just suggested that we get to know those around us. They said we should notice unusual things going on and unknown vehicles that might be parked nearby. They said we should talk to each other more and keep each other posted about planned absences and other changes around our homes. They said we should be prepared to call them when something seems amiss, even on each other’s behalf.

When you think about those recommendations, it becomes clear that what the WCSO recommends is also what we should all be doing to bring ourselves closer together and form an increasing bond with our neighbors. As we’ve discussed before in The Valleyist, and as evidenced by the recent annual “HOA” meeting, no one is going to bring us closer together unless we do it ourselves. While clear answers to our questions are still difficult to obtain from the developer, we can certainly provide clear and concise information for each other, and we can sincerely care for one another.

Thanks to a group of volunteers, we have a neighborhood directory of names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. One way you are getting The Valleyist is through the email list created from your cooperation with this volunteer group (chaired by Sage Nozko) in providing the directory information. We all owe her and her volunteers a great big thank you for doing this work! But we also owe them thanks for spearheading the initiative to get everyone on Slack, which facilitates communications which are far more efficient and effective than email. The more the SV owners utilize Slack, the more effective we are at uniting and becoming one.

One of the most powerful features of Slack is the ability to create special channels for groups that share specific interests. For example, there is a channel called “#the-valleyist” and you can find current, and archived, copies of this newsletter there. Even more powerful and on-point with the Neighborhood Watch recommendations are channels like “#webster-street-alley.” Sage created this one in direct response the WCSO recommendations. This channel unites a segment of SV that shares a common alley (and those of you without an alley can unite around where you pick up your mail). Residents of that alley sought out their neighbors and urged them to join the Webster Alley channel and they mostly have. So, now anyone in that group can announce upcoming absences, lost/found items, odd vehicle presences, and such. We can even alert each other if the lighting over their garage doors is non-functioning so the lighting can be repaired.

Every alley group, or mailbox group, needs to replicate this effort! All it takes is someone in each group to become an activist and get their group organized. Walk around your group and collect the home addresses, then go to the SV Directory to convert those addresses to names. Give your proposed group a name and ask Sage (860-462-9466 sagenozko@gmail.com) to create a channel with that name. Then start inviting your neighbors, using their names, to join the new channel. If you cannot find them on Slack to invite them, then use the SV directory and email them a plea to join Slack and join the new group channel. After you have a channel populated, start using it to watch out for each other. Use it to offer congratulations to fellow channel members whose family did something cool. Use it to create impromptu gatherings and eat left-overs! Smell a natural gas leak? Use the alley group to see if others smell it too!

This is how we build community and lasting friendships. WCSO says it is also the way we lock arms to help enhance the security of our neighborhood. It seems logical that we should all make an effort to accomplish these simple tasks to form a more perfect community. Perhaps if we are able to do this, simply because we respect each other and want to be more united, we might even earn respect from the developer, and maybe that new respect will result in more transparency, and more responsiveness in the way our neighborhood operates. Norman Maclean also observed, “Help,” he said, “is giving part of yourself to somebody who comes to accept it willingly and needs it badly.”

Hidden Lake

 

The Valleyist Papers

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

WRITTEN IN FAVOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF STEPHENS VALLEY

Author – Libbey Hagewood

 

Edition 2. Issue 3.

 

Hidden Lake

 

One of West Nashville’s best kept secrets is the Harpeth River State Park on McCrory Lane just off Interstate 40 West. Not only does it offer a beautifully maintained trail for hiking, but at every turn, there are still standing reminders of the famous resort it once was because of the hidden lake at the end of the trail.

 

In the 1800s, the area was used as farmland. From about 1895-1910, the lake was created when the Hutton family started a limestone quarry. During Prohibition in the 1920s, rumor had it that there were speakeasies and illegal moonshine sales operating on the property.

 

In the late 1920s/early1930s, the Dobsons opened a family-style resort called Hidden Lake. They sealed the bottom of the quarry with asphalt and a concrete edge, created a system to filter the water, and built a water slide from the top of one of the bluffs. The resort also featured a lodge with showers and a mess hall.

 

On top of one of the bluffs, you can still see the remains of a 90-year-old stage and marble dance floor, with a beautiful view of the lake. Popular groups from the Big Band era played at the resort for dancing on summer weekends. My parents played there on occasion with their dance band from Springfield Tennessee.  Other similar resorts in the middle Tennessee area were Perry’s Park in Springfield and Dunbar Cave in Clarksville.

 

The sign pictured at left was displayed at the main entrance to the resort for a July 4th weekend.

 

Unfortunately, the lodge burned down in the 1940s, and the resort closed. The area was once again used for farming until acquired by the state in the 1990s.

 

Following are some photos of the area and a map of the trail.

 

 

Map and directions to Hidden Lake Trail.

 

7851 McCrory Lane Nashville TN 37221

 

Easy access from Hwy 100 and Interstate 40

 

 

 

 

 

Located right off Exit 192 on I-40 (the McCrory Lane exit just past Bellevue), this trail is perfect for anyone who loves history, adventure, or discovery– It’s a little under two miles long and far less populated than hiking trails closer to town.

 

When you get off of the interstate, head north for about 3/4 of a mile and you’ll see the parking area for the park just past the Harpeth River on your left. From there, follow the signs to the Hidden Lake trail. If coming from Hwy 100 just take McCrory Lane all the way from Natchez Trace  crossing under I-40 until you see the signs to Hidden Lake Trail.  The trailhead has ample parking and a good map to follow.

 

 

At the trailhead, a sign will point you in the correct direction for the Hidden Lake trail. After that, signage is sparse, so it’s a good idea to print a map before you go, just in case you get confused. At the first fork in the Hidden Lake trail, go right to get to the Ridge Loop Trail (left goes straight to the lake).

Hidden Lake Trail

 

 

The Hidden Lake trail is lovely at any season but is especially recommended for families in the winter and early spring when the leaves have fallen from the trees and underbrush is at a minimum. There are lots of signs of civilization from the 1920s and ’30s that children will love discovering, and much of it is covered up in the summer and fall. With smaller kids, you might skip the Ridge Loop and take the left fork to the lake. Dogs are allowed but must be on a leash.

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the relics on the Ridge Loop include an old shack still standing beside the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First view of the lake from the Ridge Loop Trail

 

 

 

If you cannot hike to the lake to see for yourself, I have included the link to some great photos of the park.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=harpeth%20river%20state%20park%20-%20hidden%20lake%20photos&tbm=#lpg=cid:CgIgAQ==

 

  

Now that you are all enticed, go out and meet one of your new neighbors and set up a hike to a beautiful and historic trail that is only 10 minutes away.

 

Libbey Hagewood

2008 Garfield Street

Of Cheers, Mayberry, and Pickleball

 Edition 2. Issue 2.

 

Of Cheers, Mayberry, and Pickleball

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Most of us came here to do just that…get away…from our former life. The Stephens Valley development team promised us a community where people can live more easily in harmony with nature, while preserving that natural beauty which surrounds us along the Natchez Trace Parkway, and we liked that idea. Their bold intentions are slowly unfolding as the development team minds their stated mission, and, at the same time, their fiscal bottom line. Meanwhile, the mission of the residents is a little different. We are looking to live in harmony with the environment, but we also seek to live in harmony with each other.

We long for the Mayberry qualities we fell in love with as we watched The Andy Griffith Show and Cheers all those years ago. For many of us, we seek out new friends and relationships to replace those we left behind when we left a former life. The builders of our homes have graced us with some of the architectural elements necessary to build relationships and community. We have big front porches that are close to wide sidewalks, and those elements encourage conversation and engagement with neighbors, but those engagements are not automatic. We residents must put in a little work to turn proximity into family relationships. We can use those sidewalks and become pedestrians more than we do.  Giving ourselves the opportunity to encounter each other and become friends is central to our goals for living in Stephens Valley. While we know we cannot achieve that closeness fully until the town square is a reality, which will give us better walking destinations, it is quite amazing how we can generate some of those qualities on our own – without the help of the development team.

Without a town square destination, the residents are still finding reasons to walk – sometimes just to enjoy nature and architecture, but other times with a destination in mind. Residents walk to the homes of neighbors for social events and to play games, like Mahjong. Many residents also walk to the pool and the racket sports courts. And it is suspected that the residents involved in those activities are learning how to play the games, but mostly they are learning about their neighbors, and those neighbors are becoming great friends.

The Mahjong group consists of a dozen, or so, mostly women, who find the game interesting and fun, on the surface. However, just under the surface, they all realize that the most fun is in turning neighbors into friends who enjoy each other’s company. They like to hang out. The pickleball group likes to walk to a destination too – the Stephens Valley pickleball court. It is fair to say that less than a year ago, few of them (there are about a dozen regulars) had ever been on a pickleball court. Now, most of them play about ten hours per week! Their average age is a bit north of what one would consider the sweet spot for athleticism. Although they keep score, they do not dwell on it, nor do they long remember who won. I’m quite certain the Mahjong group is the same way. There have been injuries and certain healthcare providers have been involved in their pickleball addiction. But they too are learning that the gang that populated the bar in Cheers wasn’t there simply to get hydrated. Rather, they loved the community and the people in it. So it is with the Stephens Valley pickleball crew. They show up to play pickleball, but that is just on the surface. They really show up because of the others who show up. They regularly welcome new attendees that have never played pickleball before, and they suspend games to render impromptu clinics to transfer their “vast” knowledge of the game to those neighbors. They spend more time laughing, joking, trash-talking, and becoming friends, than they ever spend hitting pickleballs. They come at the regular times, even when injured and unable to play. They have just as much fun on the sidelines cracking wise with the players, as they do actually playing. They accomplish the goal of building community either way.

It just might be that we make more progress by seeking out these new connections to each other, that we will ever accomplish by lobbying, cajoling, or begging the development team to make progress for us. But, while we are awaiting more progress from the SV development team, we are learning to develop community on our own, and if you are not yet involved in these community building activities, then you should be, because…  

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name

From the Cheers theme song by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart-Angelo

HOW THE STATE OF TENNESSEE GOT ITS NICKNAME, SAVED THE COUNTRY, AND GOT A NUMBER ONE COUNTRY SONG

Edition 2. Issue 1.

HOW THE STATE OF TENNESSEE GOT ITS NICKNAME, SAVED THE COUNTRY, AND GOT A NUMBER ONE COUNTRY SONG

On October 16, 2020, the Tennessee Volunteer Statue was unveiled and dedicated at the Camp

Blount Historic site in Fayetteville Tennessee. For those that do not know how to speak

southern, Fay’-et-vul is the correct pronunciation. Fayetteville is about one hundred miles from

Stephens Valley, south down interstate 65 and then east on highway 64. My sweet wife and I

went to the dedication. You can see a picture of the statue below. It is in honor of and represents

the volunteers from Tennessee that fought in the War of 1812. The dedication was held at the

time of the COVID scare and was not well attended even though it was outdoors. You can watch

the event on YOUTUBE. I found the event to be incredibly refreshing to have a statue of

Tennesseans that fought in the War of 1812 being unveiled and dedicated at a time when other

statues of heroes were being defaced and torn down by mobs of lawless people who have no

sense of history. As a native Tennessean, I am proud of all my relatives who fought for

Tennessee including my Tennessee relative that fought in the War of 1812.

I expect that most folks today know more about King Charles III of England (the current king)

and his children, William and Harry, and their spouses than they know about the War of 1812.

In some regard it is easy to understand, since the United States has saved the English, and their

Royals, at least twice since 1914. However, in 1812 there was no love between us. So, after some

time of abuse, the new country declared war on the mother country. The United States then

called for volunteers to fight the British. The new state of Tennessee (admitted to the country as

a state in 1796) answered the call. Governor Willie Blount called for 3500 volunteers to fight the

British and their Indian Allies. The response by the Tennesseans to the Governor’s request was

immediate and enthusiastic. The response by the men in Tennessee was the beginning of the

nickname, the Volunteer state (and it was renewed in the war with Mexico).

The Volunteer Statue, photo courtesy of Bobby Lanier and Paul Henry per campblount.com

1814 WE TOOK A LITTLE TRIP ALONG WITH GENERAL JACKSON DOWN THE

MIGHTY MISSISSIP

The war was not going well for the new country (constitution ratified 1789 and consisted of 18

states by 1812). The army and militia in the northwest had suffered more defeats than victories,

there were a few naval victories by single ships but nothing to threaten the British fleet. The

British were fighting Napoleon at the same time and finally forced his abdication and first exile

in 1814. Francis Scott Key wrote the song, in 1814, that became our national anthem, The Star

Spangled Banner, but at the same time the British burned The Capital and several other

government buildings in Washington. On their way out, the British sacked and burned Hampton

Roads, Virginia killing and raping civilians in the area. Those British forces and some others

were then headed to New Orleans. New Orleans became part of the United States as part of

Louisiana Purchase in 1803. It was still very much French, and Louisiana had only become a

state in 1814. The British, led by General Pakenham (General Wellington’s brother-in-law),

planned on taking New Orleans, shutting the Mississippi River to the U.S., and keeping it, since

the British did not recognize Napoleon’s right to sell it. The British were bringing 6,800

professional soldiers led by professional officers who were veterans of the Napoleonic

wars to the fight. The United States had General Andrew Jackson leading 4700 men to stop him.

Of that total 1352 were Tennesseans leaving from Camp Blount. The others were around 200

U.S. regulars, Kentucky and Louisiana militia, some pirates, and a few Choctaws. While the

entire campaign lasted a few months, the big day of the battle of New Orleans was January 8,

1815.

WE CAUGHT THE BLOODY BRITISH IN THE TOWN OF NEW ORLEANS

General Jackson had no military training. He was a lawyer and a farmer. What he had was an

indomitable will, unbelievable energy, and a hatred for the British from the time of the

Revolution where he was hacked and scarred by a British officer, lost a brother in fighting, and

lost his mother to disease while she was nursing wounded and captured patriots. He also had the

courage to stand ten paces from someone holding a pistol and wanting to kill him. Jackson did

not know the enemy’s plan, so he worked tirelessly to prepare for the invasion and battle. He

took a defensive position to defend the city, and after some preliminary skirmishes, the day of

battle arrived on January eighth.

WE FIRED OUR GUNS AND THE BRITISH KEPT ACOMING

The British held Jackson and the Americans in utter contempt. They called the Tennesseans

“dirty shirts “. No one can question the courage of the British. They came marching to the

American defensive earthworks thinking they would run over the dirty shirts and drive into the

city.

WE FIRED ONCE MORE AND THEY BEGAN TO RUNNING DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI

TO THE GULF OF MEXICO

The battle was over relatively quickly. The heaviest attack was against the area defended by the

Tennesseans. The British were devastated. The British lost 700 killed, 1400 wounded and 500

captured. The Americans lost 13 killed and 39 wounded. (Some accounts give U.S. casualties as

70 total.) This huge difference in casualties caused many Americans to see the hand of God in

this affair. In fact, January 8 was celebrated like the Fourth of July for many years following the

battle.

Shortly after the battle some northern minstrel wrote a song to commemorate the battle

wrongfully giving some Kentuckians more credit than they were due. In fact, a goodly number of

the Kentuckians arrived without arms. Jackson, at first, found this incredible and remarked that

he had never before met a man from Kentucky that did not have a rifle, a deck of cards, and a

bottle of whiskey on his person at all times.

In 1958 Johnny Horton recorded “THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS “. It became the number

one country hit for the year. You can ask your Alexa to play it, if you have forgotten the words

or never knew them. The song was written by Jimmy Driftwood who also gave us, “THE

TENNESSEE STUD”. [Not related to the War of 1812]. The best version is by Doc Watson on

the Nitty Gritty Band album “WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN “.

For those that have heard that Jackson’s great victory was after a treaty was signed,

you need to know, that by its terms the treaty signed by the British government had not been

ratified by the United States, which was required. Moreover, by its terms, the treaty stated that

each party kept whatever was in that party’s possession at the time of ratification. So, the British

would have kept New Orleans if they had won the battle. The combatants on the day of battle

believed the war was still on, because it was.

As for me and my house, we will celebrate January eighth as I find it to be the most important

day to celebrate in January. I intend to listen to Johnny Horton sing, toast Jackson and the

Tennessee volunteers and try to get my wife to make shrimp gumbo. I will sit by sipping some

good Tennessee whiskey.

Footnotes:

1. Two good books have been published recently that give good accounts of the entire

campaign. Glorious Victory by Donald R. Hickey and Patriotic Fire by Winston Groom.

2. If you want to watch a movie on the battle, there are two by the same name, The

Buccaneer. The second is a remake of the first that Cecil B. Demille directed. Lots of

historical inaccuracies though. The President’s Lady is good from Rachel Jackson’s

point of view, starring Susan Hayward as Rachael and Charlton Heston as Andrew

Jackson.

John Whitfield, Esquire (ret.)