Items Damaged During the Battle of Franklin
Primary Sources aren't just writings! At The Battle of Franklin Trust we have a lot of cool objects that allow us to learn about the Battle of Franklin and the two historic homes. Check out these two items damaged during the Battle of Franklin, read their descriptions, and then answer the questions. As you are looking and examining the objects think about these three questions: Who made the object? Who owned the object? And, what can the object tell us about the owner?
BULLET DAMAGED BUCKETS
Description from Joanna, BOFT's Curator
What would you do if your home was damaged and the things you used every day were destroyed? During the Civil War, many people had to make do with very little. The Carter family was no exception. After the Battle of Franklin, almost everything on their farm was ruined. They started to look for ways to reuse things they had. That is how this object came to be…two buckets (we think feed buckets) were hit by stray bullets while in the yard during the battle. The buckets were useless to haul anything with the holes, so the Carters, being very resourceful, took two buckets, attached them to one another, and made an umbrella stand!
ROCKING CHAIR
Description from Joanna, BOFT's Curator
Where do you see rocking chairs today? Outside Cracker Barrel? At your grandparents house? On people’s front porches? Rocking chairs aren’t in everyone’s home today quite like they were in the 1800s. Rocking chairs were very common around the time of the Civil War. We know that the Carter family had at least three (and probably more) in their house the day of the Battle of Franklin. This is one of those chairs. You might be wondering, “How can you know for sure that this chair was in the Carter House during the battle?” Just look at the top slat of the chair. Do you see that hole? That is actually a bullet hole! It’s a good thing that no one was sitting in this chair when the soldiers were shooting!
Now that you've examined these items, answer the questions! Remember the key to examining a primary source is figuring how who made it, who it was for, and what it tells us about specific people or time periods!
Questions:
What was the bucket originally and what did the Carters turn the bucket into?
What can the bucket tell us about the Battle of Franklin?
What can the bucket tell us about the Carters’ memories of the Battle of Franklin?
How do you reuse items?
The rocking chair was made by the craftsman Dick Poynor. He was a slave in Williamson County, Tennessee, who learned how to build chairs while he was enslaved. Eventually, he was able to purchase his own farm near where the Cool Springs Galleria Mall is now. Poynor chairs were popular in the 1800s and are still today. The Carters owned several Dick Poynor chairs. What can that tell us about the Carters?
What can Dick Poynor's story and skill tell us about enslaved people?
Because the chair would have been located inside the house on the day of the Battle of Franklin, what can the chair tell us about what was happening inside the house?
Answers:
They were originally feed buckets. The Carters turned two buckets into an umbrella stand.
This is an open answer question. The buckets tell us a lot. The fighting was heavy enough to damage small items and the Carters did some of the clean-up from the battle, etc.
In some form or fashion, the Carters always had the battle in their minds. Not only did they experience it in the basement, but one of their family members, Tod, died because of the battle. And, with their house and outbuildings damaged by it and furniture in their house made from battle debris, they saw the lasting effects every single day.
Just let us know! I turn old t-shirts into cleaning rags!
This can tell us a lot of different facts such as the Carters may have come in contact with Dick Poynor and they were wealthy enough to afford his quality chairs.
Mainly this tells us that enslaved people were talented and many of them had specialized skills. Dick Poynor was talented. His chairs are still often in excellent shape today - even after over 100 years. Other slaves were weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, and all sorts of jobs that take practice and talent. One enslaved woman, Phillis Weatley, was an amazing poet.
This tells us fighting was happening inside the house too. We have accounts of soldiers fighting and hiding inside. The rocking chair is not the only piece of furniture damaged. On a Carter House tour you can see a damaged bed and cabinet too. Plus the home itself has bullet and battle damage.