The American Red Cross and Lotz House are teaming up once again to commemorate the 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Franklin by hosting their fourth annual blood drive.
The donation drive is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26. The Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give something that means something by donating blood in honor of those wounded and who lost their lives in the Battle of Franklin.
All presenting donors will receive free admission to Lotz House as well as a Red Cross celebrity chef electronic recipe card set, while supplies last.
During the past three years, the annual Lotz House Blood Drive has collected more than 110 pints of lifesaving blood for patients in need. Donors of all blood types are needed and encouraged to give in honor of the 152nd anniversary of the Battle of Franklin.
Also available on Saturday are a Battlefield Walking Tour and a Lotz House Cellar tour.
About the Battlefield Walking Tour
Civil War historians Thomas Y. Cartwright and Jamie Gillum will lead visitors through the battlefield beginning at 10 a.m. Visitors will hear stories of some of the bravest men in history – the soldiers of the Battle of Franklin. Cartwright and Gillum will recreate the dramatic conflict that killed or wounded 10,000 soldiers in the heart of Franklin where the Lotz House was at ground zero.
The Battlefield Walking tour is $30 per person and is offered on Nov. 26 and Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to noon. Reservations are required. For more information about the tour, click here.
About the Cellar Tour
Saturday, Nov. 26 | 10 a.m. | Limited space available | $30 per person
In November, 2013, The Lotz House revealed the findings of a two-year archaeological excavation project in the Lotz House cellar. More than 1,000 artifacts were discovered, including medicine bottles, fabric, uniform buttons, bullets and buckles.
The cellar tour, led by Robert Blythe, will include a review of the excavation process, a first-hand look at the some of the relics uncovered and a description of the significance of the findings along with an interpretation of how it relates to a better understanding of the happenings inside the Lotz House following the historic battle.
Like the Battlefield Tour, the Cellar Tour is offered at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov 26. Tickets are $30 per person and reservations are required. For more information about the Cellar Relics Dig, click here.
