The returning ex-GIs from World Conflict II little anticipated that they’d struggle one other armed battle after they arrived again in McMinn County in 1946.
Political corruption and improper authorities had existed in Athens and Etowah for a few years. Residents’ complaints of election fraud in 1940, 1942 and 1944 had gone unheeded with no motion being taken by the US Division of Justice after investigations.
In 1936, the Democratic candidate for sheriff from Etowah had gained the workplace as a part of the Roosevelt landslide throughout the nation and established the political machines that will result in the violence within the August 1946 election.
McMinn County had a protracted historical past of bribe taking by native politicians, the financing of the McMinn sheriff by a payment system primarily based on the quantity of fines collected from typically unlawful arrests and a sample of voting fraud by each Democrats and Republicans.
Roughly 3,000 troopers had fought in World Conflict II from McMinn County. Lots of them determined to get entangled within the 1946 election in an effort to offer “an trustworthy poll rely and reform of county authorities.”
They put forth a slate of political candidates in varied workplaces that will oppose the political machine headed by the native sheriff, Pat Mansfield, and his colleague, Paul Cantrell, who had beforehand served because the chief legislation enforcement officer within the county and would once more run in 1946 for sheriff.
In opposition, the group put forth an all ex-GI non-partisan ticket.
The politicking turned heated and it turned apparent that the specter of violence loomed over the upcoming August election.
Within the native newspaper, the Every day Put up Athenian, on June 17, 1946, one GI speaker stated, “The ideas that we fought for on this previous battle don’t exist in McMinn County. We fought for democracy as a result of we consider in democracy however not the discussion board we’re underneath on this county.”
In an effort to intimidate voters (or preserve down violence), Sheriff Mansfield swore in some 200 particular deputies to supervise the election.
Essentially the most vivid historic depiction of the occasions of the election is described in a e book by C.
Stephen Bynum. The Battle of Athens; Parker Productions, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1987.
As anticipated, violence erupted, one African-American voter was shot within the again, ex-GIs had been fired upon and the poll packing containers had been seized by the sheriff’s deputies and brought to the McMinn County jail for counting. This additional enraged the residents and so they positioned the jail underneath siege with the sheriff and roughly 25 deputies inside.
Along with their particular person firearms, the GIs borrowed a set of keys to the Nationwide Guard and State Guard Armory and seized three M-1 rifles, 5 .45 semi-automatic pistols and 24 British licensed rifles.
Gun battles occurred with various inclinations. Estimates ranged from “a couple of rounds fired” as much as “over 3,000” as later described by individuals and witnesses.
Events on each side had been wounded and round 2 a.m. on Aug. 2, GIs threw dynamite sticks onto the jail’s porch inflicting substantial injury. The deputies instantly surrendered and the GIs took possession of the jail and the poll packing containers had been secured.
A rely of the election outcomes confirmed that the GI’s candidate for sheriff, Knox Henry, had crushed Paul Cantrell 1,168 votes to 789. Different GI candidates for Circuit Courtroom Clerk, County Trustee and Register of Deeds gained by related margins.
Within the aftermath, particular deputies had been appointed to take care of legislation and order and citizen patrols consisting of each GIs and residents had been appointed till the final election.
The “battle” attracted nationwide consideration with intensive protection within the New York Occasions and different publications.
Each Chattanooga newspapers despatched reporters to cowl the unfolding story and each of them obtained closely concerned within the actions.
Occasions reporter Richard Rogers was seen mingling within the crowd as an outsider and was confronted by one of many ex-GIs and requested about his goal for being in Athens. He was then escorted right into a storage the place 4 deputy sheriffs had been being detained. One of many veterans used his wartime intimidation and humiliation techniques and threatened to shoot the deputies. Rogers was later launched.
Veteran Information Free Press reporter J.B. Collins had a much less pleasant expertise. He was carrying a digicam and took an incriminating image of a deputy sheriff eradicating a poll field from one of many voting precincts and changing it with an an identical poll field containing presumed pro-administration ballots. The unique packing containers had been then taken to the jail for storage.
J.B. took a photograph of the unlawful change of the packing containers however his digicam was abruptly seized and the movie was destroyed denying the printing of this historic image. He additionally was incarcerated for about two hours within the county jail.
Stories of the Nationwide Guard being mobilized proved to be false as there was reluctance by each the Governor and State Adjutant Basic in calling out troops to presumably interact in fight with the ex-GIs who had simply served their nation.
The actions of the veterans in McMinn County was a motivating issue within the creation of the Good Authorities League in Chattanooga by Legal professional Jac Chambliss and others to struggle related machine politics in Hamilton County.
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Jerry Summers
(In case you have further details about one in every of Mr. Summers’ articles or have strategies or concepts a few future Chattanooga space historic piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)
