SIEGE OF KNOXVILLE--ITS DEFENDERS AND DEFENCES--COLONEL SANDERS--HIS DEATH AND FUNERAL--PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE--BURNING OF NORTH KNOXVILLE. 250 CHAPTER XVI. HOSPITAL NEEDS--A SCENE AT HEADQUARTERS--INCREASED DESTITUTION--ASSAULT ON FORT SANDERS--LONGSTREET RETREATS--SHERMAN’S APPROACH--BURNSIDE GIVES HONOR TO HIS ARMY. 268 CHAPTER XVII. CAPT. POE’S CONCLUSIONS--PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S PROCLAMATION --GENERALS SHERMAN AND GRANT--INTERCESSIONS WITH GEN. FOSTER --BATTLE OF RESACA--INFLUX OF REFUGEES TO KNOXVILLE. 285 CHAPTER XVIII. DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF EAST TENNESSEE--WATAUGA SCENERY--LANDON C. HAYNES AT A DINNER PARTY--NATHANIEL G. TAYLOR--HIS WRONGS--HIS FEARS FOR THE PEOPLE--HIS MISSION TO THE NORTH AND WORK AT PHILADELPHIA--EDWARD EVERETT’S SPEECH AT FANEUIL HALL. 301 CHAPTER XIX. FUND FOR RELIEF OF EAST TENNESSEE AT BOSTON, PORTLAND AND NEW YORK--MR. TAYLOR AND FAMILY IN GREAT TROUBLE--THEIR TIMELY RELIEF--KNOXVILLE EAST TENNESSEE RELIEF SOCIETY--PENNSYLVANIA COMMITTEE--EFFECTIVE WORK IN RELIEVING DESTITUTION--SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 316 APPENDICES 337 ILLUSTRATIONS. ASSAULT ON FORT SANDERS _Frontispiece._ PORTRAIT OF HON. EDWARD EVERETT 22 PORTRAIT OF MR. LLOYD P. SMITH 34 PORTRAIT OF REV. WM. G. BROWNLOW 77 PORTRAIT OF HON. THOMAS A. R. NELSON 90 PORTRAIT OF HON. JOHN BAXTER 108 PORTRAIT OF HON. ANDREW JOHNSON 129 PORTRAIT OF HON. CONNELLY F. TRIGG 153 PORTRAIT OF HON. HORACE MAYNARD 174 PORTRAIT OF GEN. A. E. BURNSIDE 208 PORTRAIT OF GEN. S. P. CARTER 245 PORTRAIT OF GEN. JOSEPH A. COOPER 294 PORTRAIT OF REV. NATHANIEL G. TAYLOR 313 INTRODUCTION. FIRST SETTLEMENT IN EAST TENNESSEE--NATURAL FEATURES OF THE REGION--ITS PEOPLE--ITS CENTRAL TOWN. “With gold and gems if Chilian mountains glow; If bleak and barren Scotia’s hills arise; There plague and poison, lust and rapine grow; Here peaceful are the vales, and pure the skies, And freedom fires the soul, and sparkles in the eyes.” BEATTIE.