The Tennessee National Guard in the late nineteenth century

This thesis is a study of the National Guard of the State of Tennessee from 1884 to 1899. It attempts to examine the Guard as a product of the time and society in which it served and as a force of arms dedicated to the principles of that society. The thesis is based on official records of the State of Tennessee as well as various personnel letters and telegrams to and from the players in this story. The statistical data presented in the work is based on random samples taken from the official records held at the National Archives. Various newspapers and other secondary sources were used as cited in the text.

The Tennessee National Guard was used by both the State of Tennessee and the Federal government to either promote or preserve the basic socio economic principles which were prevalent in the United States in the late nineteenth century. In the Convict War in East Tennessee of the Early 1890's the Guard was used to defend the rights of private property and to keep public order. In Cuba and the Philippines, they were used by the National government to spread American social, political, and economic principles to other nations. Although great undercurrents of history are involved in the actions of the men from Tennessee, it would seem that most of the volunteer troops of the National Guard and the State of Tennessee were idle young men ready and willing for the excitement of battle.