The happy events, the human asides, historic happenings, and family legends . . . make its pages delightful to read. Smith writes warmly and with an easy appreciative wit. -The Tennesseean Central Tennessee is a fascinating and historic area. Home to Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, it was a major battleground during the Civil War. Majestic Middle Tennessee looks at ninety-five glorious antebellum homes in the central Tennessee region. Featured here are the sumptuous Rattle and Snap, the crown prince of them all; Mulberry Hill, where a Yankee stranger was mysteriously shot to death; and Foxview, home to children and cousins by the dozens. Hundreds of photographs and fascinating text detail the exciting and tragic history of each home. "Welcome you are to Majestic Middle Tennessee! Among these hills you can hear the sands of the ages softly covering the tracks of the past." From Andrew Jackson, Tennessee's most famous son, to James K. Polk, one of America's truly great presidents, to Davy Crockett, restless frontiersman and politician, the history of Middle Tennessee abounds with notable names. The rich chronicle of their accomplishments, accomplishments that helped to shape the splendor of the Old South, is reflected in the magnificent structures that dot the hills and hollows of Tennessee. Dedicated to the premise that the lore and legends of the old homes of the Deep South are priceless treasures worth preserving, Majestic Middle Tennessee is a trove of rare gems that recall the glory and distinction of the antebellum days. Written in a warm storytelling tone, Majestic Middle Tennessee strolls the reader through the beautiful and historic midland region of the Volunteer State. Containing more than two hundred exterior and interior full-color photographs of ninety-five of the finest antebellum homes in the region, this wonderful work documents the lives, as well as the lifestyles, of some of the shapers of Southern history. Also included are two vividly dramatic watercolors depicting the traumatically decisive Battles of Franklin and Nashville, where, "too weak to win and too proud to lose," the Confederate Army of Tennessee, led by the foolhardy Gen. John Bell Hood, was almost completely destroyed by the Union army. Each subject is accompanied by descriptive and delightful text that highlights interesting facts about each home and the people who once lived there. "Welcome you are to Majestic Middle Tennessee! Among these hills you can hear the sands of the ages softly covering the tracks of the past." From Andrew Jackson, Tennessee's most famous son, to James K. Polk, one of America's truly great presidents, to Davy Crockett, restless frontiersman and politician, the history of Middle Tennessee abounds with notable names. The rich chronicle of their accomplishments, accomplishments that helped to shape the splendor of the Old South, is reflected in the magnificent structures that dot the hills and hollows of Tennessee. Dedicated to the premise that the lore and legends of the old homes of the Deep South are priceless treasures worth preserving, Majestic Middle Tennessee is a trove of rare gems that recall the glory and distinction of the antebellum days. Written in a warm storytelling tone, Majestic Middle Tennessee strolls the reader through the beautiful and historic midland region of the Volunteer State. Containing more than two hundred exterior and interior full-color photographs of ninety-five of the finest antebellum homes in the region, this wonderful work documents the lives, as well as the lifestyles, of some of the shapers of Southern history. Also included are two vividly dramatic watercolors depicting the traumatically decisive Battles of Franklin and Nashville, where, "too weak to win and too proud to lose," the Confederate Army of Tennessee, led by the foolhardy Gen. John Bell Hood, was almost completely destroyed by the Union army. Each subject is accompanied by descriptive and delightful text that highlights interesting facts about each home and the people who once lived there.