Stories of Appalachia

← Stories of Appalachia3 oct. · 23 min

Hunted in East Tennessee: The True Story of Robert A. Ragan

Hunted in East Tennessee: The True Story of Robert A. Ragan3 oct.23 min

This week Steve and Rod share the true survival story of Captain Robert A. Ragan.

A schoolteacher and Union supporter from Cocke County in East Tennessee, Ragan was forced into hiding for 18 months after Confederate soldiers dragged him from his classroom.

Living as a fugitive in the mountain wilderness, Ragan survived close encounters with rebel patrols, a brutal foot injury, and near-executions. He went on to become a mountain "pilot," guiding hundreds of Unionists across enemy lines into Kentucky, through a perilous sprint across Powell Valley.

It’s another one of the Stories of Appalachia.

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