Union forces stood atop Cemetery Hill as they attacked Blountville on September 22, 1863, during a campaign to control the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad.
Union forces attacked Blountville on September 22, 1863, during Ge, Burnside's campaign to control the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. The Confederates occupied Blountville, while Federal forces held the south bank of the Watauga River.
The cemetery at Blountville Presbyterian Church, which burned during the war but was rebuilt later, was created before 1824. Although churches typically had their own burying grounds, the local Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist churches, which stood near here, all shared this cemetery.
Union Col. John W. Foster led his cavalry brigade across the river at 9 a.m., drove off pickets from Confederate Col. James E. Carter’s 1st Tennessee Cavalry, and then occupied Cemetery Hill. Foster shelled Carter’s positions in Blountville, then ordered a charge about sundown that pushed Carter’s regiment from the town. Foster reported that he suffered six killed and 14 wounded. The next day, he occupied Carter’s Depot as the Confederates withdrew.
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Key Facts
- The four-hour siege began at noon when Union Col. John W. Foster attacked and shelled the town, set fire to the Courthouse, initiated a flanking movement and compelled the Confederates to withdraw.
