Historical Insights with Jordan Collier

07/10/2024

Let's explore some of the details in the map I created to accompany my most recent episode!

07/10/2024

New episode! 🥳🥳
I zoom into great detail to describe the events of five days in November 1864 -- as the Shoals of the Tennessee River takes center stage in the unfolding drama of the Civil War in the western theatre. Top generals, mid-level officers, and innocent civilians find themselves caught at the intersection of grand design and local necessity. And uncertainty, and doubt rule the day.
Please join me! Follow the link ⬇️

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: November 1-5, 1864 https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jordan-collier10/episodes/November-1-5--1864-e2lqbi1

Attached below please find a map I've drawn to illustrate some of the key points in the drama.

07/02/2024

Hello everyone! Please watch for a little update! 😎😇

04/22/2024

New episode! 🥳
I'm so excited to share this latest episode of my podcast! After literally months of research, I am so pleased with the finished product. We will examine the events of 4 days -- October 29 through November 1, 1864 -- following General Hood's forces from Decatur to Tuscumbia, as the Federals respond to his movement with sometimes awkward results.
We will hear from a variety of eyewitnesses on both the Union and Confederate side to illustrate the bleak conditions in the Tennessee Valley. And we will follow the first Confederates to set foot on the north bank of the Tennessee River at the Shoals, the vanguard of what would become Hood's disastrous invasion of Tennessee. The Confederates will carry the day, for now, as Brigadier General Croxton struggles to hold them back and determine their intentions.
Some images below. One is a map (I prefer to draw my maps by hand, but for the sake of time this will do in a pinch) showing possible locations where the Confederates of Ed Johnson's came ashore (the answer depends on which source you use and where you start measuring).
Also an image of John Croxton, and how the Shoals of the Tennessee River would have looked near the spot the Confederates crossed.

Follow the link below! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jordan-collier10/episodes/Hood-crosses-the--e2imnas

04/20/2024

Hi everyone! It's been a while!
I am working on writing the script for a new episode! The research material has been rich and detailed, and there's been so much to process and work through. I've found some great primary sources, which provide first-person details that color-in the grand movements of entire armies.
We will follow General Hood from the withdrawal at Decatur on October 29, 1864, to his gradual crossing of the Tennessee River at the Shoals and establishment of a temporary lodgement at Florence as he prepared for what would become his Middle Tennessee Campaign. And we will examine the rapid, and at times desperate, Federal response to this movement.
I am not sure yet where to cut the episode off. It is by no means the end of the story, it's only the beginning. The long-foretold climax of the Civil War at the Shoals has entered its first act.
Stay tuned!

01/27/2024

📣 New episode! 📣
I'm pleased to share a new episode! We'll follow the convoluted and often inscrutable events which led Confederate General John Bell Hood to move west to the Shoals in late October 1864. We'll examine the action at Decatur, as the gallant little Federal garrison, including BIPOC in uniform, holds off Hood's army of Tennessee with daring and dogged strategy.
I will also present some original research from the Southern Claims Commission which proves what a stunningly enormous impact Sherman's army had upon the local population in East Alabama as he watched and waited to see Hood's next move.
Dramatic moments in the war such as this practically write themselves, and play like a scene from a movie. The events we discuss today will leave off with the Confederates on the verge of crossing the Tennessee River at the Shoals: one step closer to their destiny and the fate of the Civil War in the west.
I hope you'll join me!

Follow the link below

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: Hood goes West

We will follow the frustrated and often inscrutable events that placed General John Bell Hood at Decatur, Alabama in the last week of October 1864.

12/18/2023

After MUCH delay I am delighted to share a new episode of Historical Insights!

We'll talk about the tense few weeks after Forrest's Raid, as the situation in Georgia undergoes a fundamental shift, leaving everyone guessing what's next. And when the dust settles and the die is cast, it will become increasingly clear that the Shoals, once again, will be under the gun.

To those who have always supported my work here, I sincerely apologize for dropping the ball. Professional obligations got out of control and I found it hard to get abreast of my responsibilities.
For a while I was putting all my extra energy into "This Week in Muscle Shoals Civil War History" .. and while I am so proud of the finished product, the amount of effort required to produce them was not sustainable, as I'm also working full-time, while working as an independent consultant, and on the board of TVHS & NTGS.

Furthermore, as we reach a point in the war where the Shoals takes center stage, there is so much to analyze, dissect, and string into a cohesive narrative. It just takes time.
But.
I'm so excited to have a new episode ready to share and I pledge to get back on my old schedule of posting content roughly every month.
Let me know what you think!
And as always, thank you for your support.

We will examine the tense time between the end of the pursuit of Forrest and the movement of General Hood out of Georgia toward the Shoals. We'll see how reaction, contingency, uncertainty and strategy all coalesced to lay the groundwork for the Shoals to find itself centerstage in the drama to come

10/22/2023

Dramatic stories in history, like this one, practically write themselves!
Battle at Decatur, as Hood tries to cross the Tennessee River, and the gallant little Federal garrison holds their own.
It's astonishing what images you can find of the Tennessee Valley from the time of the Civil War!
Please join me!

General Hood turns his back on Georgia and turns his sights on Middle Tennessee. Battle erupts at Decatur, Alabama, as he intends to cross the Tennessee Rive...

10/15/2023

This week in Muscle Shoals Civil War History: Week of October 15 - 21.
Skirmish at Cane Creek as Sherman's Corps enters North Alabama.
Follow the link below!

Osterhaus' Division of Sherman's Army enters north Alabama and skirmishes with Confederates at Cane Creek. Rosecrans is fired and Thomas takes over the worse...

10/08/2023

Hello everyone! I've started a new project I'm so excited to share! 🥳
May I present "This Week in Muscle Shoals Civil War History:" a weekly series where I will give you the highlights of what took place at the Muscle Shoals during the Civil War for the upcoming week. They'll be BITE SIZED videos with the same first-person eyewitness-based research I've featured in my podcast.

I'll still make podcast episodes! (I've got one very close to recording at the moment so stay tuned!) But I understand the episode length and format may not appeal to everyone who would otherwise love to know more about Civil War history in North Alabama. This is a quick and easy way to learn more about what happened in our own backyard right at the moment in time when it was happening.

Phew. (I hate sounding like an informercial) 😅

The first video is up now. I'd love for you to check it out!
Follow the link below.

Recognize any familiar names or places? Let me know in the comments!
And subscribe to the channel so you always have your weekly dose of local Civil War history.

And thanks so much for your support!

Discover what happened in the Shoals during this week in Civil War history. For the week of October 8 through 14.

10/07/2023

Hi everyone! I have something entirely new I'm getting ready to share 😁 Very exciting!
And I'm close to having a new episode ready to debut as well.
So stay tuned for something new in the next couple of days! And thank you for your support

07/07/2023

New episode! 🥳 I hope you'll join me as we examine the stunning events of mid September 1864, as Nathan Bedford Forrest stealthily slips into Union territory north of the Tennessee River, despite assurances from Union high command that he was no threat, and proceeds to wreak havoc - with infamous, humiliating, and disastrous consequences for the Federals. This is part one of two.

Also an apology because my podcast app was being glitchy while I was editing and once or twice some of the audio is a little... clippy.
At the 13:39 mark, I garbled the phrase "Colbert's Shoals." I hope you'll forgive these slight flubs, because I'm really very excited to share this episode with you!

With Forrest's Raid, the war in the Shoals will heat up steadily, until reaching a furious pitch ahead of the conclusion to the war in the west. There's so much left to cover, but this chapter is particularly dramatic with the Federal army caught with its pants down, and gallant Union servicemen including BIPOC paying a heavy price for their commanders' shortsightedness. I hope you'll join me as we explore more! Follow the link below!

I created a diagram showing Forrest's movements in mid September and the position of his forces at Athens, Alabama, on September 23-24, 1864.

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/Forrests-Raid--part-1-e26fhhl

07/06/2023

Hello everyone!

07/02/2023

Hello everybody! I realized that I never shared my most recent episode: Wheeler's Raid, September 1864.
I'm actually about to record another one tonight, which is going to be the first of a two-parter about Forrest's Raid, which takes place immediately after. I'm really excited for it and can't wait to share!
Get all the necessary background info by checking out Wheeler's Raid by following the link below. And stay tuned for more!

We will learn the fate of Atlanta and follow General Wheeler's retreat out of Middle Tennessee and across the Tennessee River at the Shoals. We'll see how the Federals were mired in misinformation, surrounded by disparate rebel groups everywhere they looked, and how local people were impacted by the...

04/29/2023

📣New episode! 🥳 Join me as we look at events late in the summer of 1864. From battle at Tupelo, Mississippi, where we see African Americans take a much more active role in combat; to action closer to home between Colonels Prosser and Patterson (pictured below) near Moulton; and developments at Atlanta that will soon shift the focus back to the Shoals of the Tennessee Valley as the setting for the dramatic climax to the war in the West.
I hope you'll join me!
Follow the link below.
https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/Late-summer-1864-Battle-at-Tupelo-and-Atlanta-e22t6n3

04/23/2023

Hello everyone! I'm really close to having a new episode ready to debut!
We're going to talk about the Battle of Tupelo, or Harrisburg, in July 1864 - the most significant military engagement to take place within 100 miles of the Shoals in the summer of 1864 - and look at events around Atlanta in August 1864 that will set the stage for the dramatic climax to come in which the Shoals finds itself at the center of the action. Stay tuned!

03/12/2023

New episode!! 🥳 At last I'm proud to present a new episode of Historical Insights.
We will see how North Alabama played into the Atlanta Campaign, as General Sherman is within sight of capturing the city, despite critical losses. We'll see a massive shakeup in the Confederate command. We'll visit a skirmish at Courtland where we encounter some stunning experiences of enslavement. And we'll set the stage for a famous raid close to home as the Atlanta Campaign reaches its climax as the fateful Summer of 1864 begins to fade to fall.
Below are images of Col. William Grower who led the Courtland expedition and a satellite image of the Courtland battlefield today.
Follow the link below!

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/July-1864-e208k8k

02/27/2023

Hello friends and followers!
I'm just checking in. I know an episode is long overdue.
Excuses include becoming full-time at my job and having a series of speaking engagements right after the holidays.
Additionally, the point we're at in the war is becoming very involved and there's simply more to process and digest before I can present.
That being said, I'm excited at the things I've found and to be reaching the climax of the war. I can't wait to share what's next! I'm about 75% of the way to having a new episode ready to record. Stay tuned!!
I appreciate you all!
-Jordan

12/16/2022

📣📣New episode!! 🥳 I'm proud of the work I did on this episode! Please join me as we discuss June 1864 as Gen. Joe Johnston becomes increasingly despondent as Sherman pushes him closer to Atlanta. And closer to home as Forrest lurks along the Tennessee River threatening Union held Middle Tennessee.
I hope you'll join me!!

We will discuss dramatic events in the Atlanta campaign in June 1864 which will set into motion fateful consequences for North Alabama before the year's end

12/16/2022

📣📣New episode!! 🥳 I'm proud of the work I did on this one. Please join me as we discuss June 1864 as Gen. Joe Johnston becomes increasingly despondent as Sherman pushes him closer to Atlanta. And closer to home as Forrest lurks along the Tennessee River threatening Union held Middle Tennessee.
Below: Col. Charles Doolittle (18th Michigan) who led a short raid on rebels in Lawrence County from the Federal base at Decatur. And James E. Saunders as a young man, who advised his friend Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest on a policy which Forrest soon will put to practice with destructive results. I hope you'll join me!! Follow the link below.

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/June-1864-Johnston-vs--Sherman-as-Forrest-eyes-the-Shoals-e1sb1bo

11/29/2022

Update: A new episode is in the works. It's taking me a bit longer than usual for many reasons.
One is the complexity of the situation in summer 1864.
Military events in the region are rising in intensity as Sherman presses Joe Johnston closer and closer to Atlanta and the Confederate command seeks drag Sherman off of his heels.
A basic understanding of the Atlanta campaign is necessary to understand what was happening in the Tennessee Valley and why.
It's just taking me more time to dissect than usual.
Stay tuned and let me know if there's anything you'd like me to focus on or a question you'd like me to address.
As always thank you for your support!
-Jordan

11/14/2022

Check out my presentation for the Natchez Trace Genealogy Society

Jordan Collier’s presentation is happening now!!!

10/26/2022

Listeners of my podcast will have an advantage in answering this question!

Ready for this week's History Mystery? It's from Jordan Collier, MSNHA consultant and also assistantgGenealogy & local history librarian, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library. He asks you this question:

Which city and county seat in the Muscle Shoals National Heritage area was pillaged by Union forces in May 1862?

Post your best guesses in the comments below, and check back tomorrow for the full story. (Photo of 1863 map from https://www.loc.gov/)

National Park Service Alliance of National Heritage Areas University of North Alabama UNA Public History Program

10/18/2022

📣New episode! 📣 Please join me as we look deeply into lawlessness and depredations committed in and out of uniform in North Alabama, the complex reputation of a local Union officer, and examine skirmishing early in the summer of 1864, as Sherman continues his campaign in North Georgia. I hope you'll join me!
Pictured below, left: 2nd Lieut. Elias Thrasher; right: Brig. Gen. John C. Starkweather

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/Early-Summer-1864---Gangs-of-horse-thieves-and-the-Very-Devil-Forrest-e1pdis7

09/07/2022

If you're a regular listener of my podcast, you'll probably know the answer to this question!

Ready for this week's History Mystery? Jordan Collier, library assistant with Florence-Lauderdale Public Library & an MSNHA consultant, has a Civil War question for you:

Where did Union soldiers first set foot in Alabama?

If you can identify the photo below, you're on your way to solving this mystery! Post your best guesses in the comments below & check back here tomorrow for the whole story.

National Park Service Alliance of National Heritage Areas University of North Alabama UNA Public History Program Florence-Lauderdale Public Library

09/05/2022

📢New episode! 🎆 May 1864 - Battle at Florence.
As Sherman plunges into Georgia at the start of the fateful Atlanta campaign, rebels cross the river in a surprise attack on Union forces in Lauderdale County. Join me to find out what happens in this dramatic event which might have happened in your own backyard. I've included a map below showing some of the key points in the battle.
We'll meet Brig. Gen. Walter Quentin Gresham (pictured below) who seems to have been the only one with a cool head while all this was going on.
I hope you'll join me! Follow the link below.

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/May-1864-Battle-at-Florence-e1ncqsb

07/05/2022

I'm pleased to present this new episode! I had fun with this one, I couldn't wait to record it. It's got so many elements which are emblematic of what makes the Civil War so fascinating to me. There's personal drama, surprising twists, and eyewitness testimony that reveals what's hiding in plain sight in the history of our area.
I hope you'll join me as we hear from two such witnesses, Daniel Leib Ambrose of the 7th Illinois mounted infantry, and Asbury Gatch of the 9th Ohio cavalry, who were both here in Lauderdale County in the spring of 1864. They're shown below later in life. Also Col. Spencer Ives of the 35th Alabama who will help lead a stealth raid resulting in an infamous incident involving Gatch's own 9th Ohio.
Follow the link below. Give a like, share with a friend, and comment to let me know what you found the most interesting!

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/Spring-1864-e1kp8mt

05/29/2022

📣New episode!!📣 I'm pleased to present a new episode of Historical Insights! I hope you'll join me as we explore the tense standoff and skirmishing on the Tennessee River at the Shoals in February and March 1864. We'll witness a monumental shift in the Union high command - a harbinger of the final act of the war. And we'll hear from a rebel colonel with an important local connection - James Jackson, Jr. (pictured below; Also pictured, the USS Peosta.)
Follow the link below!
I hope you'll join me! Like, comment, share, and all that good stuff. 😇

https://anchor.fm/jordan-collier10/episodes/February-and-March-1864-e1j70e2

05/05/2022

Hello everybody!
I've got a lot of "irons in the fire" right now. In addition to my day job, (which seems to snowball in complexity from week to week) I've taken a consultancy with the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area to help them create their Civil War trail. This is obviously enormously exciting but also consumes almost all of the available free time I have.
That being said, I'd love to stay on track with the podcast (keeping to my schedule of posting once a month) but I admit I'm falling behind in the research required to make a new episode. My goal is to have a new episode debut by the end of May.
Just know I love and cherish all of your support, and I have not forgotten about Historical Insights. Quite the contrary.
Stay tuned for updates!
- Jordan