Skip to main content

Desperate Days: Last Hope of the Confederacy

After three years of war, with depleting manpower and resources, and a series of stinging defeats, the fate of the Confederacy seemed certain. The South had to gamble, and take costly risks... and Tennessee would take center stage in that effort. Desperate Days: Last Hope of the Confederacy tells this remarkable story through the words and experiences of men, women, and children who shaped the events of the Civil War in Tennessee, or more often just tried to survive.


Watch

Tennessee Civil War 150Desperate Days: Last Hope of the Confederacy
28:46
Published:
Rating: NR

After three years of war, the fate of the Confederacy seemed certain.


Production Credits

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Beth Curley
Kevin Crane
Doug Jackson

PRODUCERS
Steve Hall
Ken Tucker
David Van Hooser

WRITTEN BY
David Van Hooser
Steve Hall

NARRATOR
Ed Bruce

EDITING/POST-PRODUCTION
Ken Tucker

PHOTO JOURNALISTS
Barry Cross
Terry LeCroix
Ken Tucker

NARRATION RECORDING
Audio 51 Recording, Nashville
Bill Gatzimos - Crystal Gayle Enterprises

AUDIO ENGINEERS
Chris Gatzimos
Charlie Johns
Ruth Wyttenbach

HISTORIANS
Rachael Finch
Civil War Research Historian
Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area

Thomas Flagel
Assistant Professor of History, Columbia State

Robert Hicks
Author, "The Widow of the South"

Jim Hoobler
Senior Curator, Art & Architecture, Tennessee State Museum

Stephen M. Hood
Author, "John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General"

Eric Jacobson
CEO, The Battle of Franklin Trust

Jim Jones
Public Historian, Tennessee Historical Commission, Doctor of Arts
Author, "The Hidden History of Civil War Tennessee"

Pam Lewis

Bobby L. Lovett, Ph.D.
Professor of History (retired) TSU

Bill Radcliffe
13th USCT Infantry

Joanna Stephens
Curator, The Battle of Franklin Trust

Margie Gould Thessin
Owner, Franklin On Foot Tours

J.T. Thompson
Executive Director, The Lotz House

Carroll Van West, Ph.D.
Tennessee State Historian

Rick Warwick
Historian, The Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County

CARTER FAMILY DESCENDANTS
William Carter Conway
Mary Anne Warren

RE-ENACTORS
Hardin Figuers - Jacob Alexander
Fannie Courtney - Kimberly Rye
Fannie's mother - Kristen Vogel
Mary Bradford - Cailin McGlory Stewart
Private Sam Watkins - Evan Williams
Benton E. Dubbs - Chase Gough
Soldier Guard - Jackson Smith
Prostitute - Tory Gunn
Matilda Lotz - Elizabeth Tucker

Union Soldiers
John Mertz
Doug Soileau
Kevin Vogel

Confederate Soldiers
Myers Brown
Gabe Dillard
Chad Grey
Justin Rexrode
Blake Stewart
Donnie Watson

13th USCT Re-enactors
Seth Breon
Gary Burke
Dante Floyd
Jacquis Floyd
Bill Radcliffe
Winston Wiley

Carter Cellar Re-enactors
Suzannah Bumpus
Bobby Hargrove
David G. Miller
Billie Ruth Nanney
Sherie Sykes
Randy Rubel
William N. Rubel
Nikki Walsh
Alex Walsh
Jonathan Walsh

Wardrobe Supervisor
Rachel Gallup

Wardrobe courtesy of Freed-Hardeman University Theatre Department
Military uniforms and gear provided by Thomas Cartwright, Harry Dolph,
Kevin Green, Dale Qualls

Voices
Gen. John Bell Hood - Greg Frey
Moscow Carter - Les Horne
Confederate Soldier - Barry Cross
Samuel Thompson Foster - David Van Hooser

Tennessee State Library & Archives Researchers
Darla Brock
Tony Teal

THANKS
Lauren Batte, Travellers Rest Plantation
Krista Castillo, Fort Negley
Candee Cochran, Historical Art Prints
Freed-Hardeman University
Mary Kerr, Travellers Rest Plantation
Casey L. Madrick
Tracy Strain
Jody Thompson
Eddie Hales, Rock Creative
Tom Edwards, CMT
Kristen Ouellette, CMT
Bob Scarborough, CMT

ILLUSTRATORS

Don Troiani
"Opdycke's Tigers", "General Patrick R. Clayburne"

Prostitute Photos
Courtesy of Elizabeth A. Topping Collections
Courtesy of Jay Moynahan

HISTORIC PHOTOS
Library of Congress
National Archives
U.S. Military History Institute
U.S. Military Academy
Rick Warwick
Battle of Franklin Trust

Photo of Hynes School courtesy of Tennessee Historical Society
Tennessee State Library and Archives

Some re-enactment video courtesy of
Amber Kodges and
Harpers Ferry Center, National Park Service

Additional re-enactment video courtesy of
Stephan Foust, EDS/Saturn Media Center
Saturn Corporation, Spring Hill, TN

Shot on location at
Fort Negley
Carnton Plantation
Carter House
Clement Railroad Museum
Harrison House
Lotz House
Travellers Rest Plantation

This has been a presentation of
The Jackson Foundation Media Productions
Doug Jackson, President & Executive Director
Copyright NPT 2014


Tennessee Civil War 150 is made possible in part by:

TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA,
TENNESSEE CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL COMMISSION, and FIRST TENNESSEE FOUNDATION

  Tennessee Department of Education   The University of Tennessee    Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area    Civil War Sesquicentennial   First Tennessee Foundation