Some days I can see the Tennessee River from my back deck.
I am in no hurry to lose the red, gold, and brown that shades the woodland in late autumn, but I also look forward to a view of the river. Barges chug north against the current and flow south. Then the greenery of spring fills the gaps and the river is out of view.
There is a spot nearby where I can see Big Frog Mountain in Cherokee National Forest regardless of foliage, at least on clear days. The view depends on the weather rather than the foliage.
A little mist hides Big Frog, and more obscures the mountain leaving Missionary Ridge in view. It’s a handsome ridge, but it has a bloody history. Confederate forces retreated to Missionary Ridge after the Battle of Wauhatchie and the Battle at Lookout Mountain. They mustered a brief resistance there before retreating to North Georgia.
Fog played a part in the battle at Lookout Mountain, famously remembered as the Battle Above the Clouds. The name made sense to me when I saw the mountaintop above a valley obscured by fog due to a phenomenon known as a temperature inversion. One day I left my home on the mountain’s side and drove downhill into the fog.
Recently, the fog continued for several days, obscuring even Missionary Ridge. At first, I thought the ridge had moved closer, but I was seeing the seldom noticed Stringer’s Ridge, now home to a park. The fog that obscured one ridge brought the other to my attention.
I have driven into Cherokee National Forest and explored the trails there. I have driven the road atop Missionary Ridge (named for a historic mission to the Cherokees) to view the dogwoods in flower on many spring days, but I have never explored Stringer’s Ridge.
Stringer’s Ridge has also seen historic events unfold. It overlooks the Moccasin Bend Archaeological District, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the river where Civil War sites with earthworks and redoubts played a part in the war. Moccasin Bend is also home to Native American artifacts as old as the “Paleo Indian” period. Archaeologists have found evidence from the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods.
The rich heritage of this location also drew treasure hunters looking for everything from musket balls to grave goods. A local Native American told me that he had helped refill several hundred grave sites that had been opened and looted there.
Now that repatriation is moving forward I have learned that some tribes are reburrying returned artifacts. I hope they hide them well and avoid another cycle of looting.
Today’s essay started to go one place and ended in another. Richard Hugo described this phenomenon in his book, The Triggering Town.
My book, It's Just a Phase is temporarily out of stock at the publisher. Check out the other fine books from Walnut Street Publishing. https://walnutstreetpublishing.com/
I am in no hurry to lose the red, gold, and brown that shades the woodland in late autumn, but I also look forward to a view of the river. Barges chug north against the current and flow south. Then the greenery of spring fills the gaps and the river is out of view.
There is a spot nearby where I can see Big Frog Mountain in Cherokee National Forest regardless of foliage, at least on clear days. The view depends on the weather rather than the foliage.
A little mist hides Big Frog, and more obscures the mountain leaving Missionary Ridge in view. It’s a handsome ridge, but it has a bloody history. Confederate forces retreated to Missionary Ridge after the Battle of Wauhatchie and the Battle at Lookout Mountain. They mustered a brief resistance there before retreating to North Georgia.
Fog played a part in the battle at Lookout Mountain, famously remembered as the Battle Above the Clouds. The name made sense to me when I saw the mountaintop above a valley obscured by fog due to a phenomenon known as a temperature inversion. One day I left my home on the mountain’s side and drove downhill into the fog.
Recently, the fog continued for several days, obscuring even Missionary Ridge. At first, I thought the ridge had moved closer, but I was seeing the seldom noticed Stringer’s Ridge, now home to a park. The fog that obscured one ridge brought the other to my attention.
I have driven into Cherokee National Forest and explored the trails there. I have driven the road atop Missionary Ridge (named for a historic mission to the Cherokees) to view the dogwoods in flower on many spring days, but I have never explored Stringer’s Ridge.
Stringer’s Ridge has also seen historic events unfold. It overlooks the Moccasin Bend Archaeological District, surrounded on three sides by a bend in the river where Civil War sites with earthworks and redoubts played a part in the war. Moccasin Bend is also home to Native American artifacts as old as the “Paleo Indian” period. Archaeologists have found evidence from the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods.
The rich heritage of this location also drew treasure hunters looking for everything from musket balls to grave goods. A local Native American told me that he had helped refill several hundred grave sites that had been opened and looted there.
Now that repatriation is moving forward I have learned that some tribes are reburrying returned artifacts. I hope they hide them well and avoid another cycle of looting.
Today’s essay started to go one place and ended in another. Richard Hugo described this phenomenon in his book, The Triggering Town.
My book, It's Just a Phase is temporarily out of stock at the publisher. Check out the other fine books from Walnut Street Publishing. https://walnutstreetpublishing.com/
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