Tennessee in the American Civil War was one of the most divided states in the country at the outset of the war. Before the bombardment of Fort Sumter, Tennessee was staunchly pro-Union, though there were still a few secessionist hot beds in the western and middle portion of the state. The situation rapidly changed when Fort Sumter was bombarded and Lincoln made the call for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion. Tennesseans saw this as a threat to their "southern brethren," and though Tennessee voted to secede, there were still areas scattered all over state that had strong Union sympathies. The areas Unionism was most prominent
Commemoration of the American Civil War and events that are special to Kunstler." For the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Kuntsler partnered with America Remembers to produce the Mort Kuntsler Civil War Sesquicentennial Tribute Rifle. The tribute rifle, a Henry rifle, which was a reliable gun during the war, is attributed with Kuntsler artwork in 24-karat gold. Don Troiani has created a number of commissioned works for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Most notably, one oil piece that depicts a pivotal moment of African-American involvement on the battlefront, when Sgt. Maj. Thomas R. Hawkins, First Sgt. Alexander Kelly, and Lt. Nathan Edgerton rush