President Lincoln attached great importance to East Tennessee because of the strong Union sentiment in a bread-basket region whose refusal to support the Confederacy would aid a Union victory.

So, on Dec. 7, 1863, after the Rebels were defeated at Fort Sanders and Gen. Longstreet withdrew his troops from their siege of Knoxville, Lincoln issued a proclamation of thanksgiving:

He recommended that “all loyal people do, on receipt of this information, assemble at their high places of worship, and render special homage and gratitude to Almighty God for this great advancement of the National Course.”