Paducah and the Civil War Video from The History Press

Paducah and the Civil War

Here is the cover and description of my forthcoming book: Paducah and the Civil War:

Despite Kentucky’s aim to keep a neutral position in the Civil War and Paducah’s Confederate tendencies, the Union captured the town soon after Confederate troops occupied Columbus. As a result, the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River became permeable entry points for infiltrating farther south and maintaining supply lines deep into Confederate states. That strategic advantage was halted when Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest invaded the town during the Battle of Paducah. Ultimately, a combination of guerrilla warfare tactics and General Eleazer Paine’s Reign of Terror contributed to the Union’s final victory over Paducah. Historian John Cashon recounts the tumultuous struggle for Paducah during the War Between the States.

Description of Cover: The boat at the bottom is the USS Peosta gunboat that was here during the Battle of Paducah. The men at the top are: General U.S. Grant, General Nathan Bedford Forrest, and General Lew Wallace, the author the classic, Ben Hur. They all had a role to play in Paducah.

Release Date: October 10, 2016.

Pre-orders are available at Amazon.com.

Western Kentucky in 1865

The map below is the most detailed map of western Kentucky that I have seen. The full map can be found at the Library of Congress by clicking here. This map shows many of the smaller towns, as well as the roads in the region at this time.

How Paducah, Kentucky got its name

A common story told in the Paducah area is that William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark fame, named Paducah for a Chickasaw chieftain called Chief Paduke, but this is incorrect. Clark was actually referring to a tribe he learned about during his travels exploring the west.

In a letter to his son on April 27, 1827, Clark wrote:

“I expect to go to the mouth of the Tennessee River, and be absent about two weeks. I have laid out a town there and intend to sell some lots in it, the name is Paducah, one of the largest Indian nations known in this country, and now almost forgotten.”

A message of empathy

Protecting our constitutional rights is the reason for protest given by many different groups today, and for different reasons, but the idea of freedom and rights is strong in all of us, no matter who we are.

Close your eyes and imagine different groups saying that you are not entitled to the rights given to everyone else. They despise you and call you every derogatory name in the book, and they are condescending toward you like you are stupid, while others tell you that you aren’t even human.

McCracken County Presidential Election Results from 1976 to 2012

	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
2012 Election	10,062	19,979	510	30,551
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	32.94 %	65.40 %	Republican	Romney
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
2008 Election	11,285	19,043	426	30,754
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	36.69 %	61.92 %	Republican	McCain
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
2004 Election	11,361	18,218	218	29,797
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	38.13 %	61.14 %	Republican	Bush
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
2000 Election	11,412	14,745	532	26,689
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	42.76 %	55.25 %	Republican	Bush
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
1996 Election	12,670	10,221	2,396	25,287
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	50.10 %	40.42 %	Democrat	Clinton
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
1992 Election	13,341	10,657	3,155	27,153
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	49.13 %	39.25 %	Democrat	Clinton
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
1988 Election	12,208	12,160	275	24,643
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	49.54 %	49.34 %	Democrat	Dukakis
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
1984 Election	12,535	12,903	390	25,828
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	48.53 %	49.96 %	Republican	Reagon
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
1980 Election	13,365	10,281	679	24,325
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	54.94 %	42.27 %	Democrat	Carter
	Democrat	Republican	Other	Total
1976 Election	14,956	6,997	734	22,687
	Democrat	Republican	Winner
	65.92 %	30.84 %	Democrat	Carter

Source: Kentucky.gov Presidential Election results from 1976 to 2012 except 2000. 2000 is from uselectionatlas.org.

Confederate Major Anderson’s fight with two Federals at the Battle of Paducah

Here is a recorded account describing a pistol and saber fight between Major Charles W. Anderson, an aide on the staff of Nathan B. Forrest, and two Federal soldiers on the streets of Paducah on March 25th, 1864.  This account was written by Capt. B. L. Ridley from Murfreesboro, TN., which was described to him at the home of Major Anderson in Florence Depot, TN., and was recorded in the Confederate Veteran Magazine, Volume 4, in 1896 on pages 358-59. Major Anderson told the story, at first, as if he were a witness to the events, but he later identifies himself as the Confederate Officer in this fight. Afterwards, there is another account written by J. V. Grief in Confederate Veteran Magazine, Volume 5, page 4.

Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum Gallery