In 1946, a small town of Athens, Tennessee, became a true battleground, as a siege was laid on the town jail by crowd mostly consisted of WWII veterans who decided to take justice into their own hands, as the local politics were plagued by corruption, police brutality and electoral fraud.
The political turmoil was present prior to the Second World War, when an influential political figure in from Memphis, Edward Hull “Boss” Crump, appointed Paul Cantrell as the candidate for Sheriff in 1936. Cantrell won the election in what became known as the “vote grab of 1936”.
Around that time a system of fees was introduced in the Sheriff’s office, which meant that a fee would be paid per arrest. The system proved to be very dysfunctional ― shady arrests were made, often without substantial evidence, which also included numerous fines for “drunkenness” and “fee grabbing” from tourists and travelers on a similar pretext. In a period between 1936 and 1946, it is estimated that more than 300,000 dollars amounted to these fees.
In the meantime, Cantrell ran for State Senate, leaving his trusty deputy, Pat Mansfield, in charge. The racquet worsened, and the local population was greatly displeased. After several investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice failed to make a dent in this lucrative violation of authority, the situation reached its boiling point.
During wartime, thousands of men from the McMinn County, which includes Athens, joined the fight against fascism overseas. The shortage of able men led to low criteria in employing law-enforcement officers, which often included ex-convicts with violent criminal records.
As the war ended in 1945, around 3,000 soldiers from McMinn returned home, only to find that the corruptive local government was stronger than ever. Apart from the sheriff’s office, the corrupt clique, controlled by E. H. Crump held the local media, schools, and pretty much all of the government institutions.
The GI’s decided to respond to this. During the 1946 local elections, they formed a non-partisan political option, stating their candidates. Knox Henry, a decorated veteran of the North African campaign, was elected by the GI party to run against Cantrell who was once again running for Sheriff, while his former deputy Mansfield was holding the chair.
Due to prior scams involved in local elections, the GI’s pointed out their slogan ― Your Vote Will Be Counted As Cast.
In addition, a precaution measure was made ― another veteran, Bill White, organized a militia which was to observe the voting process in case Cantrell and Mansfield tried to rig them again. The veteran militia adopted the name The Fighting Bunch, and pistols were handed out to around 60 men who joined in.
The elections scheduled for the 1st of August 1946 were followed by a number of incidents. On one of the polling places in Athens, an elderly African American farmer called Tom Gillespie was refused to cast his vote by Sheriff Mansfield’s patrolman, C.M. “Windy” Wise.
Wise used racists slurs, despite the presence of a protesting GI poll watcher, and denied Gillespie his right to vote. The deputy then hit Gillespie with a brass knuckle. The farmer dropped his ballot and tried to run away. In response, Wise pulled out his gun and shot him in the back.
This event sparked more quarrel. After a few stand-offs between Sheriff Mansfield’s deputies and the GI militia, a crowd was gathered in protest of the obvious violation of protocol and the clear intention of the administration to rig the election and keep the office despite the will of the people.
The drop that spilled the cup was the arrest and brutal beating of Bob Hairrell, who was one of the poll watchers. Hairrell protested when a girl was brought in by the deputies to cast her ballot, despite the fact that she had no poll tax receipt and who was not listed in the voter registration. The girl also seemed to be underage.
In response to Hairrell’s protest, he was arrested, and the voting process was halted on that polling place. The ballot box, together with the handcuffed GI was taken to the county jail in the town of Athens.
After hearing this, Bill White ordered his men to break into the National Guard Armory to steal weapons. After they looted the armory, White’s fighting bunch was prepared for combat. They had 60 Enfield rifles, two Thompson sub-machine guns and enough ammo to start a minor war in the McMinn County.
When the polls closed, all ballot boxes were transported to the same jail. Allegedly, White responded to the given situation by saying:
Boy, they doing something. I’m glad they done that. Now, all we got to do is whip on the jail.
Very soon, a siege was laid on the county jail. Paul Cantrell, Pat Mansfield, and around 50 or more deputies were caught red-handed while counting the votes without the presence of the second party. The GI’s occupied the second floor of a bank that was located right across the street from the jail. The high ground gave them a strategic advantage, as they were able to return fire with a barrage anytime someone took a shot from the jail.
Cantrell and his partners were pinned down. The GI’s knew that the situation had to be resolved quickly before the authorities send in reinforcements and start a potential bloodbath.
Some deputies who were outside the jail tried to lift the siege but without success. Soon the captives within the building were running through the back door, leaving their weapons behind. White ordered that the escapees pass, but a number of deputies together with Cantrell and Mansfield refused to surrender.
Then the militia threw Molotov cocktails on the building but failed to create any substantial damage. At one point, an ambulance car arrived. White and his men held their fire, as they expected that it was to evacuate the wounded from the jail. An immediate ceasefire was in effect. To everyone’s surprise, the ambulance served for Cantrell and Mansfield to slip through, while leaving their men behind.
White’s top priority now was to secure the ballot boxes. Rumors of reinforcements were circulating among the men and time was of the essence.
Several dynamite sticks were thrown on the jail, each of them causing damage to the building and its surroundings. Eventually, the doors were breached, and the rest of the deputies surrendered.
In front of the jail, an angry mob was gathered, and several Mansfield’s men were badly beaten, including Wise who shot Tom Gillespie earlier that day.
Riots ensued, causing material damage all over the town. Police cars, as well as deputies’ private vehicles were largely targeted by the mob.
In the aftermath of the riots, the votes were finally counted and the GI party candidate, Henry Knox, was elected Sheriff of the McMinn County. (read more)
“…another veteran, Bill White, organized a militia which was to observe the voting process in case Cantrell and Mansfield tried to rig them again.”
The University of Tennessee did an oral history project where they interviewed many veterans of WW II. One of the veterans interviewed was the aforementioned Marine veteran Bill White, the organizer and leader of the militia in the Battle of Athens. While the interview covered his military service during the war, and not so much the Battle of Athens, one can readily see what a man of courage and conviction he was–a patriot who would not stand for his enfranchisement to be trifled with:
https://digital.lib.utk.edu/collections/islandora/object/wwiioh%3A2111
Watched this movie couple months ago
I have wondered for years where the Veterans and Mitch Rapp might be. They are really, really late.
I miss
Mitch Rapp… Vince Flynn.Plus Paul Ryan, Reacher, Spencer & Hawk and their pals, the ‘grit of the Dick Francis protagonists’ … and more. Many, many “Examples”… too few Realities.
Count Dankula did a good job at covering this…
“During wartime, thousands of men from the McMinn County, which includes Athens, joined the fight against fascism overseas. The shortage of able men led to low criteria in employing law-enforcement officers, which often included ex-convicts with violent criminal records.”
This is the reason why Biden is not sending US troops to intervene in Ukraine, because they know that leaves the Swamp behind, here, with us, alone.
The mystery of lawlessness.
32 yr Vet here, armed and ready, just retired a couple months. Aim small miss small.
The Patriot scene:
THIS is the story of men who wanted to be left alone.
I think we need a THOUSAND Battles of Athens to set things right! It’s long past time to remind gov’t officials that they servuce, not the other way around.
Matthew Lyon: Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
Federalists jailed their political opposition, so America loathed the Federalists and turned against them.
“During the American Revolutionary War, Matthew Lyon served as a colonel in the Green Mountain Boys and played an important part in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. After the signing of the Declaration of Independence, he joined the Continental Army and served as a second lieutenant under General George Washington.
“Lyon won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1796… Vermont Federalists charged Lyon with being criminally guilty of acting in opposition to the President… Lyon was re-elected to Congress in prison… The Vermonters also petitioned Adams to pardon Lyon and remit his fine, to no avail…
“The laws were directed against Democratic-Republicans… The only journalists prosecuted under the Sedition Act were editors of Democratic-Republican newspapers.
“Sedition Act trials, along with the Senate’s use of its contempt powers to suppress dissent, set off a firestorm of criticism against the Federalists and contributed to their defeat in the election of 1800…”
https://chrisbray.substack.com/p/dont-miss-the-american-precedent
One very important fact left out of this article is that the DoJ “investigation” of the corrupt McMinn county machine found nothing because the machine was 100% democrat just like DoJ was and continues to be almost 80 years later
At the bottom of the article about The battle of Athens: When WWII veterans took up arms against a corrupt local government in Tennessee
https://libcom.org/article/battle-athens-when-wwii-veterans-took-arms-against-corrupt-local-government-tennessee
“The event initiated a statewide movement against corrupt political machines installed all across Tennessee and related, in one way or another, to Edward Hull Crump. Even though the GI local government was dealing with the corruption, the fight eventually got the best of them.
In an open letter signed by several members of the party the disappointment in the system is obvious:
We abolished one machine only to replace it with another and more powerful one in the making.
The government collapsed in 1947, and it was replaced with a clique similar to the one they were fighting against.”
Corruption is part and parcel of the Political Industrial Complex; and it always appears to be two sided, ‘appears to be’ is the forever word in politics.
The money raised by the Political Industrial Complex puts it along side any major corp. in the world; campaign season became ‘Christmas’ sales time to them.
It is one big happy corporation with dues to join; and loyalty to pledge in what ‘appears to be’ two or more parties.
But low and behold it’s one party for everyone to pretend they have choices; voting has always been corrupted – the Rs couldn’t bring a law suit or even a comment on illegal voting, for how many years? – The Tea Party was actually the start of getting rid of the 1982 decree to stop republicans from challenging any voting abnormalities/cheating.
https://www.jonathanepmoore.com/the-1982-consent-decree-and-connecting-the-dots/
It’s a big ‘country’ and We, in name only, run it; our name – The People. And The People are worthless since they took our vote away by hook and crook throughout Our history. The big Uniparty has been hard at work raising money to keep our votes ‘theirs.’
Who controls the vote controls the purse; We The People pay the bill and follow the playbook of the ‘club’ that runs it; We are not members We only pay the dues.
Why do you think the voting rolls are so low; until someone comes along that really does seem to represent US; like Sarah Palin they smear and destroy. AND build up the likes of John McCain – sidebar I hope they dig him up and throw him on the rubbish heap he deserves – what a world is politics.
IMHO The changes have to come from within; the Political Industrial Complex has to be defunded; their apparatus dismantled, and their powers quelled. It’s a world I may never see, but the children will I dare to hope.
Big Government is the only member of the elite club….. The Political Industrial Complex; you only pay the bills. Your vote has been taken by illegal votes; that includes ‘both’ parties votes. Illegal votes are the only votes that win elections.
God Help US
Big Government. Big Business. Big Media. Big Tech. It all needs to be broken into little bitty innovative, customer friendly, competitive pieces. That is Trump’s job. Reduce Washington DC to about 1/3 its present size, maybe smaller. Then we need to do it at the State Level. Tennessee State Government needs a 50% reduction in size and scope. It is mostly woke and doing things government has no business doing.
Oh yeah? MN has you beat. 18 Billion in surplus from overtaxing and the current leftists spent almost all of it while raising even more taxes, legalizing weed, demonizing police, and oh so gloriously protecting baby killing rights.
From Alpha News.
https://alphanews.org/minnesota-is-reaping-the-results-of-its-failed-leftist-policies/
One small but important step: NO ‘donations’ to either/any “Party” or “Organization”…. Dollars ONLY to a true ‘MAGA’ representative/runner. Starve the RNC, DNC, and any like.
The Scouring of the Shire?
This story and it’s photographs must be widely shared and the Republican Congress must declare a national holiday in its remembrance. You want to sell t-shirts? Sell these.
Great story! Thank you for sharing
Just chattin’ with some neighbors the other day. They were angry, angry, angry at what happened in Maui, and angry at how our government has been acting and all that has been going wrong. One even went so far as to say he would fight, so I asked “Whom will you fight? The government?”. “Yes!”, he said. I congratulated him on his willingness to take up arms to fight for justice against a government that no longer serves the people.
I only share that to say, that this mild mannered Tennessean could see corruption as clear as day, and would be willing to fight the unjustices that keep being laid down on our backs. I think there are a lot more people than the corrupt government could ever imagine that would, indeed, take up arms. I don’t know when that time will come. Just relaying a recent conversation.
Also, the recent gun control legislation that the RINO governor of Tennessee offered up was squarely squashed by our Legislature.
I advise caution and awareness of who may be listening. Sounds nuts but aluminum foil really can block phone audio reception.
The enemy within plays a major role in the hesitation of today’s mules. Once there was a time when mules pulled together but today, too much hay is offered and, suddenly, you find that one mule isn’t pulling but pushing against the others. Nothing like an implanted mule to get the whole herd put out to pasture.
“too much hay is offered and, suddenly, you find that one mule isn’t pulling but pushing against the others”
Apt analogy, Thanks.
We are many, They are few.
I figure our veterans will take the wheel if Trump is not elected in 2024. And I think that’s a big scam. How will he be elected if the rigging & fraud are not corrected? Yet we WAIT. Someone is stalling for time & wringing out our empire for all it’s worth.
I once heard of a high school coach in SW Missouri who would count the toes of the boys trying out for the team . If they had extra toes he would cut them. He said he couldn’t teach them anything.
Athens, an apt name, where philosophers came up with the ideas of freedom and democracy. Ours added the Second Amendment for good measure.
You can’t predict or plan the spark. You plan resistance but not the actual spark. It may take 100’s of demonstrations and protests over an unknown length of time. The J6ers were energized. Some were shot dead, others beaten to death. The rest are now languishing in filthy inhuman conditions and the Constitution has proven to be impotent against a ruthless and corrupt justice system. And no one knows their names.
The Tree of Liberty….
Wow. I had never heard about this. When I was young and still in Scholls it would’ve been fairly recent, so why? Of course, I did go to public school, so maybe there’s one answer, but my parents, grandparents and Uncles/Aunts must’ve known about it too. At least some of them.
At any rate, thank you for sharing this.
It does give on pause to think.e
Back in the 1960s the naval city of Norfolk, VA got just too big for their britches, with the police, bar owners and taxis overcharging and abusing sailors. There were signs such as “Dogs and Sailors keep off the grass”.
After getting nothing but insults from the city council, the navy sailed off one night. The city council was unconcerned until word came that they were entering other ports along the east coast. It appeared that the goose that laid the golden eggs had gone missing. Suddenly the signs disappeared. The Navy returned to better treatment.
Good lesson.
I remember that aboard ship in Norfolk, we were paid once in $2 bills. Then the Navy told the city that all of those $2 bills spent, came. from Navy personnel. They showed what a big financial impact the Navy had on the area
Those drop boxes need to be removed by the locals. They only carry mischief in them. It must start somewhere.
zippo
An old mule could rip those things right out. Could old mules crap accurately enough to block cameras?
Yup, what needs doin needs to be done….
NO MERCY!
Your spell-check misspelled “No Prisoners”.
No worries, though. Spell-check is a softy; gotta keep an eye on it.
And thank you for your service to Our Nation.
No prison, only a traitor’s fate…
The Gateway Pundit posted this today. IRS has offensive weapons for property seizure.
Only a matter of time before a few fall into Patriot hands.
With evil Poppy Bush and Bloody “W”‘s “STUPID” War on Terror. One good ancillary of their blood lust, it has created millions of veterans and even 100’s of thousands of combat veterans, I know a few. These men are waiting for someone to say “when” that’s a throwaway phrase attributed to Doc Holiday and Tombstone but it’s much older than the movie but I digress.
I was in a conversation a couple years ago with one of these young men, he’s around 40 a Airborne Ranger (82nd) who joined up right after 9-11.
This was when the riots and the statues were being torn down and pumped into everyone’s home/brain 24/7 via the enemy MSM and this young man chimed in; the small Southern Town BLM and Antifa were going to send in a protest and tear down a Confederate Soldier Memorial in the town square. As he put it, a few of his brothers in the area kitted-up and posted a guard on the statue. Two busses pulled up to the town square saw these young men and wisely didn’t get out of the busses and just pulled away.
To get the picture, this young man 6 foot plus, has a full arm sleeve tatoo, with a dip of snuff in his lip, I asked, what we’re you going to do? He answered in a deep Southern Drawl, too paraphrase: “I don’t give a damn about that statue, but if they want to take it down they’ll do it lawfully”. He followed with; “I’ve traveled around the world kicking-ass for my country I’m happy to do it here if need be”.
My point, the atmosphere in the country is the same as it was in Athens TN in 1946 and this country is headed in this direction. Who will say “WHEN”!
We’ll see.
God Bless Free America!
Contact your local county registrar and volunteer as a poll watcher. Paticipate, every precinct, every county, every state.
g/B
And that same spirit of justice lives in TN today.
From https://www.battlefields.org/
Lexington and Corncord Massachusetts: How it ended.
American victory. The British marched into Lexington and Concord intending to suppress the possibility of rebellion by seizing weapons from the colonists. Instead, their actions sparked the first battle of the Revolutionary War. The colonists’ intricate alarm system summoned local militia companies, enabling them to successfully counter the British threat.
Fort Sumter South Carolina: How it ended.
Confederate victory. With supplies nearly exhausted and his troops outnumbered, Union major Robert Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter to Brig. Gen. P.G.T Beauregard’s Confederate forces. Major Anderson and his men were allowed to strike their colors, fire a 100-gun salute, and board a ship bound for New York, where they were greeted as heroes. Both the North and South immediately called for volunteers to mobilize for war.
These were the ‘sparks’ that set off the ‘powder kegs’ of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
At some point, the way things are being fast-tracked by the elitists, leftists, fascists, Marxists, and Communists in Our Country, they will likely set off a similar spark, maybe soon, and all Hell Is Going To Rain Down Upon Them. Athens Tennessee will be a mere footnote in future history books by comparison. Americans, generally, are a kind, gentle, peaceful people that just want to be left alone to pursue Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, as stated in our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. To live free, raise a family, worship God and enjoy life, and be left alone (but I repeat myself).
Pushed far enough, though, there WILL be a Call to General Quarters. There are way more of US than them. My understanding is that only 3% of American Colonists fought in the Revolutionary War. If only 3% of Americans answer a call to ‘General Quarters’ that would be 9,900,000 men & women. That would become the largest armed force in the world. Millions of which would be current and former military, along with much of their ‘equipment’.
Thomas Jefferson once said “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
For one, I am ready to answer the call.
The power of the purse, Be selective where and how you spend your money. Made in America also local farmers markets.
Our hometown mules are readying the barnyard. Not all of the animals are interested, but it only takes about a third of them to open the gate.
History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.”
Mark Twain
That needs to happen today in all counties.
We have acquiesced on the 2020 election fraud and the installation of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, but now we are really mad and if illegal acts occur in the next election, we will do something. RIIGHHT.
Would arresting Arizona and Georgia and some other election boards today be unreasonable? Anyone have spare jail to house them until a reasonable and sane judge and jury take the boards’ measure and pass judgement on their actions be appropriate? How about GITMO with veterans acting as guards and jury?
Oops, I got lost and didn’t mention mules or FJB.
Great article about Americans who cared about and guarded the process endowed to us by our Creator and the Constitution.
Reminds me of the Mingo County War in West Virginia. Coal Miner Great War veterans versus the local coal company and their bought-and-paid LEOs. THAT devolved into an actual shooting war.
Should continue reading to get the rest of the story…
“The racquet worsened,” …. Lousy tennis?
Not relevant to the direction indulged by the passivity of the majority in the 21st century but relevant to decisions bartered in courtrooms by Attny’s for the accused and victims and Judges, the system described in this post is practiced today throughout America. Not in the streets and undetected.
Recall the “Tough on Crime” campaign? Abruptly, multiple charges were applied to every arrest. Think. When did you last hear of a single charge of ie; theft or murder levied against an accused?
Always, there are several, some irrelevant to the victim, stacked each with more days in jail and importantly more fines. These fund the DA’s and departments paychecks. The Tough on Crime program of stacking on a half dozen charges is permanently established and decades later is fully operational in America.
DA’s were incentivized to secure convictions. They were and are paid per conviction. Six charges could be bartered to secure just two instead of only one. Justice was and is bartered. For 30 pieces of Silver.
Does Athens closely resemble Maricopa County, Detroit, or Fulton county?
Whenever there is talk of civil war the Leftists routinely get on sites like this and arrogantly proclaim they would win because they have the tanks, the guns and the armed forces. What they don’t have is love of country.
They also seem to have forgotten our history. A small band of Minute Men and volunteer soldiers managed to defeat a powerful army fielded by the most powerful nation on earth. Why? The British really had no emotional stake in the country. We did.
It took 7 years but we pulled it off. Our ruling oligarchy today has no stake in America because it answers to an elite globalist group in Europe. And their army is a soft, fat pronoun army.
As long as we are armed these leftist clowns cannot defeat us. There more of us than there are of them. Many are ex-military who were fired by Obama and Biden. And we are patriots. They are latter day Communists.
Big Bro guv would love for us to take up arms so they can easily handle us by revoking A2, then subsequently haul us off In cattle cars because we took the “bait”.
We can’t shoot our way out of the river of filth we sinned ourselves into.
We need a second reformation and a revival of God’s people’s. 🙏✝️🙏
That just gives me waves of goosebumps ( good ones)
What we should have done.