Archaeological dig uncovers base of Civil War cotton gin

The Carter House Cotton Gin in Franklin, Tenn., the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the Battle of Franklin in 1864, is seen in this photo made during the 1880s.
The Carter House Cotton Gin in Franklin, Tenn., the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the Battle of Franklin in 1864, is seen in this photo made during the 1880s.

NASHVILLE -- An engineering crew in Franklin has uncovered the base of a Civil War cotton gin archaeologists have been searching for since 2009.

Larry McKee, who headed the archaeological dig, said it took three tries before the crew found the limestone foundation of a cotton gin building at the historic Carter House site this week.

"We guessed where it was a good place to start," McKee said. "And within a half-hour, we found it."

Battle of Franklin Trust CEO Eric Jacobson said finding the cotton gin is key to creating a full picture of history.

The dig was part of a broad effort by preservation nonprofits, the city and the state to reclaim land where the Battle of Franklin was fought.

Workers sifted through the soil Wednesday and found whitened bullets apparently dropped in the midst of battle and were embedded in the ground.

"It was sort of a Pompei moment," McKee said. "That was exactly where they were dropped, at the feet of soldiers -- it's this direct connection."

The Tennessean reported even though the city doesn't own the land, preservationists hope to replicate the demolished two-story building as part of a planned 20-acre park.

"We're ecstatic that they've been able to uncover history," said Franklin Parks Director Lisa Clayton.

Julian Bibb, board member of the non-profit Franklin's Charge, said a $1.28 million grant from the National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program will go toward purchasing property across from the cotton gin site for the park.

Bibb said Franklin's Charge, which owns the plot of land where the dig took place, helped fund the $25,000 dig along with funding from a state grant.

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