Battle of Athens (another reason I'm proud to be from TN)

[Guest burninbarns]

Came across this and was really surprised.I have never before heard this story.Thought in these times we might all be able to appreciate what those before us have done for our freedoms.

I'll post the first part, but have included a link for those interested in this inspiring tale.

http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/athens.htm

<CENTER>The Battle of Athens, Tennessee

As Recently As 1946, American Citizens Were

Forced To Take Up Arms As A Last Resort

Against Corrupt Government Officials.

</CENTER><SMALL>

Published in Guns & Ammo October 1995, pp. 50-51</SMALL>

On August 1-2, 1946, some Americans, brutalized by their county government, used armed force as a last resort to overturn it. These Americans wanted honest open elections. For years they had asked for state or federal election monitors to prevent vote fraud (forged ballots, secret ballot counts and intimidation by armed sheriff's deputies) by the local political boss. They got no help.

These Americans' absolute refusal to knuckle under had been hardened by service in World War II. Having fought to free other countries from murderous regimes, they rejected vicious abuse by their county government.

These Americans had a choice. Their state's Constitution -- Article 1, Section 26 -- recorded their right to keep and bear arms for the common defense. Few "gun control" laws had been enacted. These Americans were residents of McMinn County, which is located between Chattanooga and Knoxville in Eastern Tennessee. The two main towns were Athens and Etowah. McMinn County residents had long been independent political thinkers. For a long time they also had: accepted bribe-taking by politicians and/or the sheriff to overlook illicit whiskey-making and gambling; financed the sheriff's department from fines-usually for speeding or public drunkenness which promoted false arrests; and put up with voting fraud by both Democrats and Republicans.

[waynesan]

I have read about this in the past but never with as much detail. Thanks for posting the link.

[G27]

Yah, I love that story. It's a part of our history that you won't find being taught in the classroom, that's for sure...

Wikipedia has some about it, too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946)

[Guest jwp]

My dad grew up in Etowah and has been telling me about this since I was little. He had family members involved in this and actually listened to the radio reports when he was a kid.

[oldogy]

When I decided to move out of the swamp several years back I stumbled across this bit of history. Made me want to live in the area with such patriots. Will history repeat itself:)

oldogy

[Guest marine77]

It sure looks like it needs it here again. They used to have a book on it years ago, i had one, (don't know if i still have it or not, don't see it in my library:p), called "The Battle of Athens."

[Oh Shoot]

I grew up in Athens...the old jail was still there then, dunno about now...

Most native Athenians of my dad's age were pretty proud of the whole episode:

<table id="mainImageInfoControl1_tblCaption" style="margin-top: 4px; width: 400px;" border="0"><tbody><tr><td>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table id="mainImageInfoControl1_tblCaption" style="margin-top: 4px; width: 400px;" border="0"><tbody><tr><td>Deputies who Fought the Battle for Ballots Protesters </td> </tr> <tr> <td>

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Original caption: Athens, Tenn.: Losers In Battle Of Bullets And Ballots. Here are the Deputy Sheriffs who precipitated the battle of the ballots in Athens in last week's election when they forcibly took possession of the ballot boxes and defended them in the ensuing siege of the McMinn County Jail. After several dynamite blasts had shook the jail, the Deputies came out with their hands up. Today the entire slate of the GI-Independent Party was due to be declared officially elected.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table id="mainImageInfoControl1_tblCopyright" style="width: 400px;" border="0"><tbody><tr> <td> Image: </td> <td width="8">

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</td> <td>August 5, 1946 </td> </tr> <tr id="mainImageInfoControl1_trLocation"> <td nowrap="nowrap">Location Information: </td> <td width="8">

</td> <td>Athens, Tennessee, USA</td></tr></tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr> <td>

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[memphismason]

Great piece of history that I don't recall ever hearing about.

[war4peace]

Inspiring piece of history indeed