[BroJoeK]

"Steamboats and gunboats ascend from the mouth of the Cumberland to Nashville, and the river is navigable by boats of 1,500 tons for 50 miles above the city, and by smaller boats to the Falls, 500 miles."

When Union forces occupied Nashville they were surprised to find it full of cats, yes cats I say.
And even more amazing, troops found & collected exactly thirteen hundred and fifty two guitars -- but no guitar pickers!
Where did they all go, and what is the strange connection to all those cats?

Enquiring minds want to know! ;-)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

And even more amazing, troops found & collected exactly thirteen hundred and fifty two guitars -- but no guitar pickers!

The only plausible explanation I can come up with is that the guitars were belonged to performers on Grand Ole Opry, but when Bull Nelson's brigade approached all the musicians skedaddled for parts south, leaving their instruments behind.

The cats must remain a mystery as far as I'm concerned.

[jeffersondem]

This has been memorialized in song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4p7prURvIk