Tennessee's Radical Army: The State Guard and its Role in Reconstruction, 1867-1869

by Ben H. Severance

In Tennessee?s Radical Army, author Ben H. Severance draws upon a wealth of newresearch to argue that the State Guard successfully enforced the Reconstruction policiesof the Radical Republican government from 1867 until its dissolution in 1869.Historians have often accused Governor Brownlow of abusing executive power during hisadministration; Severance argues, however, that although it was a partisan law enforcementbody, the State Guard usually conducted itself with a high degree of discipline andrestraint. When it was deployed during the political campaigns of 1867 and under themartial law decrees of 1869, the State Guard effectively subdued the intimidation andviolence that ex-Confederates frequently used to suppress freedmen and to unseatRepublicans. Severance contrasts these two campaigns with incidents in 1868, when theKlan terrorized large portions of the state. The State Guard was not deployed in 1868,and both the Republican party and freedmen suffered as a result.In this first in-depth examination of the Tennessee State Guard, Severance describesthe militia?s origins, personnel, activities, and accomplishments, and he places the historyof the State Guard within the larger story of the hard-fought battle for Reconstructionin Tennessee. The result is a profile of an organization that became an important tool ofpolitical policy and a force that should have been used for a greater length of time duringthe period of Reconstruction.

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 28, 2005

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Severance writes a nice, compact volume about the Tennessee State Guard, one that challenges some old assumptions and provides new arguments.

Severance sees the State Guard as a potent but underused force against Counter-Reconstruction. His narrative chronicles how this potential was often held back due to intra-state politics and the wariness even from those that called the Guard into existence to fully implement its potential. This opened the door to those hostile to Reconstruction--and particularly violent against freedmen--to undermine it and to erode support for the Guard by moderates.

[Alana Bleness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very data-heavy, but a valuable resource that hits close to home for me.