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During the American Civil War, the occupying forces of the U.S. Army (a.k.a. “the North”) often helped themselves to property and provisions of the citizens in occupied Southern territory that had been captured. Tullahoma was one of many such locations that experienced this self-serve acquisition of personal and community property.

After the war, Congress provided a procedure through which Southern individuals or entities could file for relief for the losses of their stolen property. This came about through the passage of the Tucker Act. The legislation was passed in March 1887 and sponsored by Rep. John Randolph Tucker of Virginia (a former Confederate state). Note that the law passed 22 years after the end of the war. Then as now, the wheels of the U.S. Congress moved slowly.

This case sought compensation for the loss of the Baptist Church’s building at the hands of Union forces during the winter of 1864-1865. The record states: “That during the late war for the suppression of the rebellion, the Baptist Church of Tullahoma, Tenn., was the owner of a certain lot in the town of Tullahoma, State of Tennessee, on which was a certain building used as a house of worship; that during said war said building was used and occupied for a time by United States military forces, and was thereafter, to wit, about the winter of 1864 or 1865, torn down by said military forces and the materials secured from said building and other improvements on said premises, were carried away and converted to the use of the United States Army, to the damage and loss of said church in the sum of $2000.” This is dated November 2, 1903, more than 38 years after the end of the war.

The findings of the court are interesting on a couple of points. One, the court placed the damages due at $1200, not the $2000 sought. More interesting is that part of the court’s justification for making an award of damages at all includes this statement: “It appears from the evidence that the Baptist Church of Tullahoma, Tenn., as a church, was loyal to the Government United States during the late war of the rebellion.” In researching this article (i.e. spending hours going down a rabbit hole), I learned that many other churches and institutions also requested restitution for damages during the war, and this same phrase was used in their court findings. It seems to have been a very common statement; whether factual in most cases, maybe.

Finally, in 1915, a full 50 years after the end of the war, Congress approved the appropriation of $1200 for Tullahoma’s Baptist Church, along with many other churches, individuals, and institutions in the South.

Images here are courtesy of the Government Printing Office.

Do you have sharp pictures of buildings, businesses, churches or events from Tullahoma’s or Coffee County’s past? If so, reach out to me at alanmayes@lighttube.net.