'Where dreams come true': Reenacting on Georgia battlefield

Melea Medders Tennant and her family reacquired their hallowed ground. 

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So I attended the annual Battle of Resaca (Ga.) reenactment on the very ground fighting occurred in May 1864, and naturally Nashville-based Mrs. B gave me grief.

“I want my axle to come home with my car.”

We can trace Mrs. B’s angst to my recent adventure in rural Mississippi in her SUV — she calls it “Murray” — on roads that were, ah, a little suboptimal. Let it go, Mrs. B! Murray can take anything I dish out. Well, except for that ford on the Potomac River when I was following the September 1862 route of A.P. Hill to Antietam.

I passed on these Ulysses Grant cigars.

Anywho, the day at Resaca became sublime when I spotted my friend Melea Medders Tennant. The ground upon which the reenactment was held—hallowed ground—had been in her family for generations. Then it slipped away.

Months ago, Melea and her family banded together to reacquire the property, more than 400 acres in all. Her sister received the news of the deal closing as she arrived at Disney World and spotted the “Where Dreams Come True” sign. Melea and I hugged.

The rest of the day was kind of a blur. For a buck, I bought a bumper sticker reading “We Will No Longer Be Called Hillbilly Rednecks. We Will Henceforth Be Known As Appalachian Americans.” (Mrs. B refuses to let me stick it to Murray.) A sutler named Chuck, who was eating venison meatloaf, baked beans and mashed potatoes and sweating profusely, called Union Army renactors who skedaddled early “pansies.” I ran out of money and tried to score a free Sno-Cone at the cash-only stand on hallowed ground but struck out. Ugh. I’m a longtime journalist/freeloader, lady!

By the way, Mrs. B’s Murray made it home sort of OK.

Let’s keep history alive.

For more, read my book, coming soon. 👌

Rebel musicians in action.

The reenactment took place where the fighting did in May 1864.

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