Posted by anderc8 on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 in Historic Black Nashville, News.

In October, the students of Historic Black Nashville visited Fort Negley to learn about the social, political and military forces central to Nashville and Middle Tennessee during the Civil War. Two student-penned blog posts can be found below.

Leoncia K. Gillespie
Freshman
Biology major
While struggling to read through manuscripts and other primary documents is an example of analyzing tangible history, there is something different about being in a space where historical figures and happenings once were. The nature of this kind of experience, for me, is more surreal than reading letters and manuscripts.

At Fort Negley the original stones used to build the fort were still present and intact. I saw this durability of the stones as a symbol for the durability of the fort’s narrative, as well as the slaves who helped build it. Walking the path to the pinnacle of the fort, I listened as Professor Bobby Lovett explained the purpose of the structure and its history. At one point he pointed down a hill and informed us that some of the slaves who helped build the structure were buried, bodies lying east to west, in that area.  At that moment, I was reminded that the “narrative” of Fort Negley that I have been studying was indeed another person’s reality.

I appreciate . . . the Hermitage and Fort Negley site visits because they have a way of putting you in the midst of beautiful places and reminding you of cruel and uncomfortable truths. It is easy to simply think of writing the paper for this class as a mere assignment, but then I see and learn about places like Fort Negley. Bobby Lovett’s students visited the site before they had access to as much information on the site as my classmates and I. Realizing that they had something to do with what I am learning presently, makes me understand the significance that my research can hold in the future.

Max Martineau
Senior
Economics & Public Policy major
I really enjoyed learning about Fort Negley and getting to walk around and experience it firsthand. I think this is a great example of the important role that historians can play in telling stories that might otherwise go unheard. Over the years, Fort Negley deteriorated and became overgrown and forgotten.  Now, however, restoration of the old fort to its original appearance allows groups like us to learn about Nashville’s history in ways that would have otherwise been impossible. [Professor Lovett] talked about how his students once asked him why no one wrote any history about them. He explained that history was about “his story” and “her story.” Our visit to Fort Negley was a great example of the importance of writing our own story, and telling the story of those who cannot tell it themselves.