News Updates Spring News

NASHVILLE – Two Tennessee men have been arrested for stealing one of the most historical documents in French history – the 1814 Treaty of Fontainebleau, signed by Napoleon and reported stolen in 1988 from the French National Archives in Paris. The Treaty forced Napoleon to renounce his claim to the French Empire and consigned him to exile on the island of Elba.
An indictment, which was filed in U.S. District Court in New York says John William Rooney, 69, is accused of stealing the Treaty and other historical documents from the French National Archives in 1988.
Marshall Lawrence Pierce III, 39, (AKA Frederick Tomcezak), is accused of allegedly approaching Sotheby’s auction house about selling them at auction.
The two men were arrested Tuesday in the home they share in Monteagle, Tenn. Both Rooney and Pierce were charged and released on $20,000 bond and ordered to appear in court April 5.
Federal officials contacted last week said they had little information on the men, but both apparently are highly educated – Rooney was a visiting history professor at The University of the South in Sewanee during the 1995 and 96 school year.
The federal indictment alleges Rooney not only stole the Treaty of Fontainebleau and four letters of ratification signed by Napoleon I, King Frederick William III of Prussia, Emperor Francis I of Austria and Tsar Alexander I of Russia, but also accuses him of stealing 30 letters of King Louis XVIII of France.
Rooney’s alleged accomplice Marshall Pierce, who also holds a P.H.D., reportedly approached Sotheby’s in 1995 and 1996 with the documents reportedly telling the auction house that he had purchased the documents from a lady in Lyon, France. According to reports, he mailed the treaty to Sotheby’s and signed an agreement consigning it to be sold at auction. He also reportedly inquired about selling the letters as well.
Sotheby’s listed the documents for sale and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation recognized the items as stolen.
While Sotheby’s listed the items as valued between $50-$75,000., French historians say the documents are far more valuable.
"It is hard to put these in proper historical perspective," said a French historian with the University of Tennessee. "You could put these documents in the same realm as letters and Treaties signed by George Washington or Thomas Jefferson, but even that pales in comparison because Napoleon was such a world figure who’s impact on history has only been accomplished by a handful of men."
The 1814 Treaty of Fontainebleau is believed to be the only copy of the treaty and is allegedly being held by the F.B. I. in New York. Federal officials in New York and Tennessee contacted last week would not comment on how the documents were stolen or smuggled out of the French National Archives without alerting security.
Officials are being very tight-lipped about the case – saying they will not comment on an ongoing investigation.

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GSMNP releases final report on
2000 bear attack fatality


GATLINBURG – Officials at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park released their final report last week on the May 2000 death of Sevier County teacher Glenda Ann Bradley.
Bradley, who was regarded as an experienced hiker in the Smoky Mountains, was believed to have been attacked by two bears during a hike along the Little River Trail at the intersection with Goshen Prong Trail. Rangers with GSMNP later arrived on the scene and killed both the sow and the cub believed to have attacked Bradley. It marked the first time in the history of the National Park Service that someone had died as a result of a black bear attack.
Officials say their investigation and the autopsy results performed by East Tennessee State University’s College of Medicine "confirmed the preliminary findings that Bradley died of injuries due to bear attack." The manner of death was ruled as an accident.
The Board of Inquiry Report also detailed the Park’s response to the incident and listed a series of eight recommended action that the Park is taking in response to the attack. The changes are mainly in the areas of staff training, tightened procedures for reporting and responding to bear incidents and methods of educating visitors on how to respond to various types of bear encounters.
The following recommendation were made:
1. The February 1993 Black Bear Management Guidelines should be revised and updated. While no major changes are required, the guideline has become dated. Information and insight gained from the Bradley fatality would be a useful addition to the handbook.
2. The Trail Map should be revised. The "Bears and You" section should include advice and recommendations of what to do if encountered by a bear. More attention should be given to evaluation of a bear’s behavior during an encounter with guidance for the proper response.
3. Back country signs should be revised to include the potential for bear encounters. These signs advise visitors of the potential danger of bears. The bear warning sign has been revised to include language that bear attacks on humans have occurred.
4. The ranger division should devote a segment of its annual law enforcement training to problem bear management. Wildlife staff should review the protocols for identifying and managing recurring problem bear behavior.
5. The Black Bear Management Report has been revised and reaffirmed. The procedure for reporting after-hour/weekend observations has been reaffirmed to ensure that bear reports are received by the appropriate resource management staff in a timely manner.
6. The Resources Management and Science Division should identify one person who will be assigned as a point of contact for problem bear reports. This employee will coordinate his response with the wildlife biologist and ranger staff.
7. Other Park information distributed in visitor centers, the communications center and by Resource Education personnel should be modified to include the lessons learned from the Bradley incident. Written materials should describe the appropriate measures to take when encountered by a bear. Research by Professor Steve Herrero and others clearly show that during an encounter people should respond according to specific types of bear behavior. More attention should be given to evaluation of a bear’s behavior during an encounter with guidance for the proper visitor response.
8. The Resources Management & Science Division should resume sponsorship of an annual bear management workshop in the spring of the year. Employees from all operating divisions would benefit from open discussion of bear management issues as b ears emerge from their dens concurrent with the arrival of Spring break campers and backpackers.
"In short," said one Park official, "black bears can be aggressive and people need to know how to act and react when encountering a black bear. Never get too close to one and always try to watch from a good distance. A black bear is a wild animal and will act like one. "

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Native American Indian Movement holds educational meeting in ’Forge

PIGEON FORGE – The Sevier County Native American Indian Movement held a public "Conference of Conscience" last Saturday to discuss ongoing archaeological work on Highway 321N in Townsend and the work being conducted on 321N in Gatlinburg.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Native American tribes, the University of Tennessee, Blalock Construction, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and the Executive Director of The Tennessee Commission on Indian Affairs.
GSMNP Archaeologist Pei-Lin-Yu gave a brief presentation on her work on the 321N project in Gatlinburg, the ongoing land exchange being discussed with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian.
Although a preliminary archaeological survey funded by the Tennessee Department of Transportation showed no Native American historic sites in the region, other surveys conducted by the Park turned up more than 350 such artifacts and is considered substantial reason for the state to resurvey the region. It was also revealed at the meeting that a current Park employee who is native to the Pittman Center community allegedly has a deed from the early 19th Century showing a transfer of land from a Cherokee to an early settler, which would be the first hard evidence of a Cherokee presence in the region.
NAIM Principal Chief Carl "Two-Feathers" Whittaker and other Native American officials recognized Blalock Construction Company for working with Native Americans on 321N in Gatlinburg and helping train their machine operators and employees to keep an eye out for artifacts they may uncover in the road widening project so archaeologists can be notified immediately to study the remains.
In addition, Pei-Lin-Yu, who is GSMNP’s first full-time archaeologist, also discussed how the Park system is adapting to having a full-time archaeologist on staff.
During her presentation, she also discussed other archaeological finds in the Blount County region of the Park near what will be the Governor Sundquist’s new home.
The Governor had asked officials with GSMNP to reroute the Ace Gap Trail when it was discovered the trail would run near his actual house site. Because rerouting the site required dirt turning on the part of Park workers, archaeologists had to survey the region and discovered an 8,000 to 9,000-year-old Native American archaeological site in "wonderful condition" on the new proposed trail site and were forced to reroute the trail again to avoid the site. Yu believes the site was once an old hunting camp used by Native Americans.
U.T. Archaeologist Chuck Bentz, who is currently heading up the archaeological work in Townsend gave a slide presentation of the excavations being done in Townsend.
The current archaeological site is the largest project in Tennessee history and Bentz says one of the best ground records of Native American history that has drawn interest from people across American and from numerous foreign nations.
"I never expect to work on an archaeological site like this one in Townsend for the rest of my archaeological career, " said Bentz. "The finds here have been phenomenal and date back more than 10,000 years giving us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to examine and preserve evidence of Native American existence in early America."
Whittaker says he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting in Pigeon Forge and hopes the local NAIM chapter can hold two such events every year.
"This has been a wonderful opportunity for not only Native Americans, but anyone who is interested in learning about the issues and history of this region, " said Whittaker. "We had some great speakers and presentations here that literally covered the whole of the Smoky Mountain region and we are thankful that so many people from East Tennessee turned out and showed an interest in the program. We hope that by holding these meetings we can give the people of East Tennessee an opportunity to learn about Native American issues and work together to form a coalition with other historic preservation groups who share the same interests as we do in preserving our common American heritage. "

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Human remains found in Hunley
submarine excavation

KNOXVILLE – Local historians who returned from Charleston, S.C, last week said they were excited by the announcement that scientists excavating the C.S.S. Hunley had discovered six remains that have been identified by Smithsonian Institution scientist Doug Owsley as human. The remains are believed to be the remains of the nine man crew lost in the Confederate submarine shortly after sinking the Union warship Housitanic in Charleston Harbor on Feb. 17, 1864 –making it the first submarine in history to accomplish sinking an enemy vessel.
The submarine was raised from a sand bar last summer near Charleston and taken to a climate-controlled facility and began the slow process of excavating the sand and clay-filled vessel.
The conservation organization "Friends of the Hunley", who have been monitoring the excavation and raising money to preserve the Hunley, issued a statement saying that the scientists had uncovered three ribs, part of a belt and pieces of clothing in the front section of the submarine. Scientists also found a corked glass bottle, a wooden shelf, and what is believed to be the controls to one of the submarine’s two ballast tanks. The primitive tanks were used to raise and lower the ship. To submerge, the crew would fill the tanks with water and then pump it out when they wanted to surface it. A Friends of the Hunley spokesperson said if the scientists discover the valve was open, it would help tell the story of final minutes of the submarine crew and that they were trying to dive or submerge.
Many Tennesseans have been keeping up with the excavation on the Internet and actually visited the site of the excavation.
"From what I saw when I was there," said Knoxville resident Stephen Miller, "the scientists are having a time digging through the sand and accumulated sediment that has filled the submarine over the years. It is definitely a toothbrush and finger operation where every grain of material is studied and it is going to take a long time to completely excavate the sub. At the time we visited, they were sort of keeping hopes low that any human remains still existed in the submarine so I am sure this has been a shot in the arm for the team working on it. "
Miller said he was surprised by the number of people who toured the facility and watched the excavation.
"You have people from all walks of life watching it – archaeology students, historians, you name it ," said Miller. "The fact that the sub’s inventor was a Tennessean was one of the reasons I wanted to visit the project while I was in Charleston. I hope that the scientists can find more remains and artifacts that will help tell the story of the submarine’s last mission. "
Researchers with the project say they would like to uncover enough remains so forensic experts will be able to reconstruct the crew member’s faces. Once the project is completed, what remains are found in the submarine are expected to be buried next to the others who died testing the vessel with full Confederate military honors.
Miller says he would like to see a delegation from the U.S. Navy present at the final ceremonies.
"The Navy currently has a sub-tender ship named the U.S.S. Hunley in honor of H.L. Hunley," said Miller, " and I hope the Navy will be involved in the ceremonies. This is a

.Army allows Rangers to adopt tan as
new beret color

NASHVILLE – The U.S. Army Rangers declared a victory of sorts last week when the Army Chief-of-Staff General Shinseki allowed the elite fighting force to change their headgear from the traditional black beret to the color tan in order to maintain their special forces identification.
Many local veterans, who served as Rangers in the Army, say they will support their former colleagues currently serving in the Ranger Divisions, but would have preferred the Army Chief-of-Staff have allowed the Army force to keep the black beret and issued tan to the general army forces.
"To many people," says one former Ranger, "this may seem a childish fight, but the black beret is a Ranger uniform design we thought was protected in 1975 by a regulation issued by the Army. It has always been a part of our tradition and one that we were proud of. If the current Ranger divisions want to switch to a tan beret, then I won’t stand against it. I just can’t believe that the current Army administration thinks a new beret is going to help boost the morale of an Army that has seen it’s role degenerate to that of a glorified police force in the last ten years. The new ‘Madison Avenue Army of One’ advertising campaigns and the beret issue show just what the U.S. Army has sadly come to these days. "
Other former Rangers say things could have been worse and were pleased the elite fighting force can maintain their special forces image.
Many political pundits are also weighing in on the issue saying the Army’s decision shows a change in priorities in the military that can be partly to blame for the sagging morale in the Army.
"The regular Army soldier is one of the best trained, most well equipped and intelligent person in the field today," said political analyst Lowell Lynch, "but I really have to question the wisdom of those at the top. We can easily boost morale in the Army by focusing our efforts on seeing that we keep these men and women out of welfare lines by paying them a livable wage, worrying less about cosmetics and providing them with solid benefits that can help them make the transition to civilian life once their stint or career in the military is over. Far too often, the rank and file soldier has been used as a social engineering experiment, especially in the Clinton administration, and this has led to the falling morale and recruiting numbers.
With that recent history, President Bush did the right thing when he took over asking for a six month study of the military before funneling money into defense. We have to support these men and women completely and I feel that study is going to show that some personnel changes need to be made in the upper echelon ranks in order to restore morale and team spirit to the U.S. Army."
U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-Knoxville) and other congressmen are still asking questions about the alleged cost of the uniform switch is going to cost and the fact the U.S. Congress wasn’t consulted before the Army apparently made the decision to buy the berets from overseas companies, which will cost U.S. textile industry lost business at taxpayer expense. In addition, President George Bush has asked the defense administration to review the Army decision

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Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation(TWRF) needs your support!

 

PBS Seeking Volunteers

PBS seeks willing families to go back in time and live as pioneers in 1880s Montana for a new television series. Participants will dwell for six months on the frontier as late nineteenth century settlers would have done--building their homes, farming and hunting for their food. In particular, PBS strives to tell the stories of all those people who made their lives on the frontier. As history shows, African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans were represented on frontier lands. We encourage people with these backgrounds to apply. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please contact me via email or phone. For more information about the project, look at the Web site: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse

Tennessee Gets New Forest

By Linda Lewanski Contributing Editor

Tennessee will get its first new state forest in more than half a century thanks to the efforts of The Conservation Fund. The US Forest Service and the State of Tennessee have purchased a 6,800-acre parcel of forestland located in Cocke County that is known as the Gulf Tract. This is a unique property, adjacent to Cherokee National Forest. The land, which is made up of diverse forested hardwoods and includes native trout streams, black bear and ruffed grouse, is just four miles west of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When International Paper expressed an interest in selling the Gulf Tract, the fund, which is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to helping protect land and water resources, helped facilitate discussion and the property was subsequently purchased. Gov. Don Sundquist made the announcement last week at the Welcome Center in Hartford. " This land will become the first new state forest in Tennessee in more than 50 years," Sundquist said. "Conserving areas like the Gulf Tract is one of the best things we can do, but it is a big job. We cannot do it alone. We have looked to partners like the Conservation Fund, the U. S. Forest Service and the private sector to work with us in assuring the future sustainability of this unique resource." "We are proud to be part of this unique public-private partnership," said president of the Conservation Fund John F. Turner. "With its six miles of Appalachian Trail welcoming hikers, this wonderful mountain woodland will continue as wildlife habitat and as a sustainable, managed forest. Acquisition of the Gulf Tract adds to Cocke County's reputation as the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains. Everyone benefits." The purchase from International Paper insures that the parcel will be protected from future development. " International Paper is proud of our continuing relationship with The Conservation Fund and of our presence as a corporate citizen of Tennessee," George A. O'Brien, senior vice- president for forest resources of International Paper said. "We are proud to see the land becoming a part of both our national heritage and a source of enjoyment and benefit to all Tennessee residents and visitors." In this innovative partnership, the wildlife and other natural resources found on the tract will be conserved. The natural landscape will remain intact for the ecological, recreational and economical benefits of the surrounding communities. "We are extremely pleased to see this important acquisition take place, " Elizabeth Estill, regional forester for the southern region USDA Forest Service said. "The citizens of Cocke County worked closely with their Congressional delegation to help make this possible. The acquisition of this property is a welcome addition to the Cherokee National Forest to recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, water quality and scenic beauty in the area. We're looking forward to working with the state in managing this property."

Book Review
"Civil War on the Web"

offers a good map to WBTS Internet sites The Internet has fostered countless web sites on the War Between the States, but a new book promises to help serious historians cut through the maze of various sites and point you towards those based upon scholarly research. "The Civil War on the Web" by Noel Loyd covers the numerous sites and offers a grading system of sorts that cuts through the hype and gives readers an idea of where to look for answers. Many of the sites graded you will recognize and others were sites off the beaten path that carried historical documents and rare photographs. "I thought the book was a good beginning and something everyone should have as a reference on the War Between the States on the Internet," said researcher Bob Renfro. "There are a lot of 'junk sites' out there that deal more with the politics and opinions of the war than offer good historical value. Search engines are a bad resource many times for finding the sites I need for my children's school projects. I thought the book was a good resource and would recommend it to historical web masters and librarians who need a good hard-copy source of Internet information." For more information on obtaining a copy of "The Civil War on the Web", you can contact Noel Loyd at nlloyd@scholarly.com

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