Battle of Athens (1946) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Athens |
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 Tennessee Historical Commission marker at the "Battle of Athens" site |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Local World War II veterans and other citizens | McMinn County Sheriff's Department | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Bill White James Buttram Knox Henry Frank Charmichael George Painter Charles Picket E. R. Self |
Pat Mansfield Boe Dunn Paul Cantrell |
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| Strength | |||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Some injuries, no fatalities | Many injuries, some severe, no fatalities | ||||||
The Battle of Athens (also known as the McMinn County War) was a conflict in August 1946 in Athens and Etowah, Tennessee, United States. It involved citizens, including many World War II veterans, who rose up against the local government. The citizens believed that local officials were unfair, used too much force, were involved in political corruption, and tried to stop people from voting freely.
Contents
Why It Happened
In 1936, a powerful political group from Memphis gained control of McMinn County. This happened when Paul Cantrell became the sheriff. He was very popular because he supported President Roosevelt. Cantrell won the election, and many people believed the vote was unfair.
Cantrell was re-elected sheriff several times. Later, his friend Pat Mansfield became sheriff while Cantrell moved to the state senate. A new law made it harder for people to oppose these officials. The sheriff and his deputies were paid based on how many people they arrested and processed. This led to them stopping and charging many people, especially travelers, just to earn more money. This was called "fee grabbing."
There were also many problems with voting. Officials would try to scare voters who didn't support them. They also allowed people who shouldn't have voted to cast ballots. Even votes from people who had died were sometimes counted! The U.S. Department of Justice investigated these problems but didn't take action.
The political leaders also allowed illegal activities like gambling and selling illegal alcohol. During World War II, many young men from McMinn County went off to fight. Some of the deputies hired during this time were former criminals. These deputies helped the political group stay in power and controlled the citizens. Even local newspapers and schools were influenced by this group.
When the soldiers returned home after the war, they heard about these problems. They were upset because they had fought for democracy abroad, but felt it was missing in their own county. Many returning soldiers were targeted by deputies who tried to take their "mustering out pay" (money given to soldiers when they left the military).
For the August 1946 election, Paul Cantrell ran for sheriff again, and Pat Mansfield ran for the State Senate. Many of the 3,000 returning soldiers in McMinn County decided to challenge the corrupt political system. They formed the GI Non-Partisan League. They chose their own candidates, making sure to pick both Republicans and Democrats to represent the county. A respected veteran named Knox Henry ran for sheriff against Cantrell.
Local business owners gave money to the GIs' campaign. The veterans knew people thought the election would be rigged, so their slogan was "Your Vote Will Be Counted As Cast."
To make sure the election was fair, a group of veterans called the "fighting bunch" was formed, led by Bill White. Their job was to protect the GIs and prevent cheating. White carefully picked his men, choosing those who had fought on the front lines and were not afraid to stand up for what was right. Sheriff Mansfield also prepared for the election, hiring about 200 deputies, many from other areas.
First Problems
Water Works Voting Place
On August 1, 1946, election day began. Usually, there were only about 15 police officers on duty, but this time there were around 200 armed deputies, many from outside the county. In Etowah, a veteran who was watching the polls asked to see an empty ballot box, which he was allowed to do by law. But he was arrested and taken to jail. In Athens, another person was arrested for complaining about unfairness.
Around 3:00 PM, a patrolman named C.M. "Windy" Wise stopped an elderly farmer, Tom Gillespie, from voting. When Gillespie and a veteran poll watcher protested, Wise hit Gillespie and then shot him in the back. Wise was later charged for this and served some time in prison.
Twelfth Precinct Voting Place
At another voting place, the veteran poll watchers were Bob Hairrell and Leslie Doolie. The official in charge, Minus Wilburn, tried to let a young woman vote who Hairrell believed was too young and not registered. When Hairrell tried to stop Wilburn from putting the ballot in the box, Wilburn hit him and kicked him. Wilburn then closed the voting place and took the veterans and the ballot box to the jail. Hairrell was badly beaten and had to go to the hospital.
After these events, Bill White, the leader of the "fighting bunch," decided they needed weapons. He sent some men to the National Guard Armory. The GIs got the keys and took about 60 rifles, two sub-machine guns, and ammunition. Bill White then gave these weapons to 60 GIs.
Polls Close
When the polls closed, and votes were being counted (except for the three boxes taken to the jail), the GI-supported candidates were winning by a lot. When the GIs heard the ballot boxes were at the jail, Bill White said, "Now all we got to do is whip on the jail."
The GIs knew they had broken the law and that the sheriff's side would get more help by morning. So, they felt they needed to act fast. The deputies weren't good at battle tactics, but the GIs were. They took positions in a bank across the street from the jail, allowing them to shoot down at the jail.
By 9:00 PM, Paul Cantrell, Pat Mansfield, and about 50 deputies were inside the jail. They were believed to be tampering with the ballot boxes.
The Battle
Many veterans surrounded the jail, possibly hundreds. Bill White had at least 60 men. He split his group, with some at the bank and others at the post office.
Stories about how the Battle of Athens began and ended are a bit different. Some say the veterans demanded the ballot boxes, were refused, and then started shooting. This battle lasted several hours. Others say it was much shorter.
The day after the battle, The New York Times reported that the shooting started when someone shot through a jail window and demanded that people inside be released. The deputies refused, and the siege began.
Some deputies outside the jail tried to get inside, but Bill White's group stopped them. Some people inside the jail managed to escape out the back. One of them was George Woods, who called for help from a neighboring county, but was refused.
The veterans knew they had to win before morning, or they would face serious legal trouble. Rumors spread that the National Guard was coming. White demanded surrender every hour. The GIs tried to throw Molotov cocktails at the jail, but they couldn't throw them far enough. So, they decided to use dynamite.
An ambulance arrived at the jail. The GIs held their fire, thinking it was for the wounded. But two men jumped in, and it sped off, carrying Paul Cantrell and Sheriff Mansfield to safety.
Then the dynamite was used. Bill White described taping sticks of dynamite together and throwing them. They couldn't reach the jail, but they hit cars parked nearby, blowing them up and flipping them over. One bomb landed under a police car, flipping it over. Bill White realized they needed to get bombs closer to the jail. He crawled up and placed a bomb on the jailhouse porch. Three bombs went off almost at the same time. One destroyed Mansfield's car, one landed on the jail porch roof, and one hit the jail wall. The bombs damaged the jail and scattered debris.
The battle ended around 3:30 AM. The deputies inside the jail, some injured, surrendered. The ballot boxes were recovered.
End of the Battle and Vote Counting
When the GIs entered the jail, they found that some of the tally sheets had been changed to show Cantrell winning by a huge margin. After the final count, Knox Henry was elected sheriff.
During the fight at the jail, there was some disorder in Athens, mostly targeting police cars. This continued after the ballot boxes were found but calmed down by morning. The cars of the deputies, many from out of state, were also damaged. The mayor of Athens was away, and city police were not around during the trouble.
The morning of August 2 was quiet. There were a few small acts of revenge, but mostly, people felt happy and relieved. The governor first planned to send in the National Guard but then changed his mind. The GIs held a meeting. They elected a special committee to keep law and order. George Woods, who had escaped the jail, sent a message saying he would certify the election of the GI candidates. Later, the veterans gave control of order in Athens to the Police Chief. The GIs said they would keep control of McMinn County until September 1, when Knox Henry would officially become sheriff.
Sheriff-elect Knox Henry, a 33-year-old former Army Air Force sergeant, returned to McMinn County on August 2. He had spent the night in a nearby jail for his safety. He said, "They were going to kill me yesterday, and I had to leave town."
What Happened Next
The recovered ballots confirmed that the five GI Non-Partisan League candidates had won. One of the changes they made was to pay officials a set salary instead of the "fee system," and they set a limit of $5,000 for officials' salaries. Gambling houses that had worked with the old government were shut down. Deputies from the old administration resigned and were replaced.
The final vote count showed a big win for the GI Non-Partisan League. Many veterans were there when George Woods, the election commissioner who had fled, was brought back to the courthouse under guard. Knox Henry received 2,175 votes for sheriff, compared to 1,270 for Cantrell. The League also won the other races.
Bill White, the leader of the "fighting bunch," became a sheriff's deputy. He said his job was to keep the GIs in line and stop them from causing more trouble. He mentioned having many fights to control them, but he used his fists, not weapons, to earn their respect. The fee system for deputy pay continued for four more years before it was changed to a salary.
In early September, the mayor of Athens and the four town council members resigned. This was popular with the public. Their resignations came after a shotgun blast hit the home of one of the council members.
The "Battle of Athens" led to veterans in other Tennessee counties trying to form similar groups to fight corruption in upcoming elections. However, the governor and the powerful "Crump Organization" worked to stop this new GI movement. A meeting was held to create a new national party, but a military general advised the GIs to work within the existing political parties instead.
The new GI government in Athens soon faced challenges, and old political loyalties started to reappear. By January 1947, some of the GI leaders felt they had just replaced one powerful group with another. The GI government in Athens eventually failed. The veteran political movement in Tennessee quickly faded, and politics in the state went back to normal. The GI group advised veterans in other parts of the United States that using violence was not the best way to solve political problems.
Its Importance
The Battle of Athens was an important event in the years right after World War II. It showed how some veterans were willing to take strong action against unfair governments. It led to similar movements by ex-soldiers in other parts of Tennessee and other Southern states. There were concerns that returning soldiers might become violent. However, the story of veteran violence began to disappear from the news. The Battle of Athens itself initially received some criticism in the press. One reason the GI League in McMinn County eventually failed was because of ongoing disagreements and conflicts among the veterans themselves.
