General Washburn's Escape Alley Traditional Geocache
General Washburn's Escape Alley
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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"They removed me because I couldn't keep Forrest out of West Tennessee, but Washburn couldn't keep him out of his bedroom." - Union General Hurlbut.
You are looking for a magnetic keybox.
Disclaimer #1: This small cache is located in an alley (think dumpsters and cast off items). If you hunt for this cache you will probably see and smell some unpleasant things. After all, people and businesses put things in alleys that they don’t want on the main streets. If you have a weak constitution, please do not seek this cache.
Disclaimer #2: This small cache is located in an alley in downtown Memphis (think panhandlers and homeless). If you don’t enjoy interacting with others, please do not seek this cache.
Disclaimer #3: This small cache is located in an alley in downtown Memphis (think mini canyons). This environmental condition can make for spotty GPSr reception. However, use your noggin and the hint and you should be able to find it without too many problems. If you absolutely, positively must have “spot on” coords, please do not seek this cache.
Disclaimer #4: The historical info should be correct based on some limited internet research. If I've gotten anything wrong, please send me an email and I'll correct the verbiage.
This cache highlights an interesting, if somewhat vague, event in local “War Between the States” history. There is room in the container for a log sheet. Please reseal the log in the zip lock bag and hide the cache back in exactly the same place.
Ok, now for the story behind the history. During the 1864 Union occupation of Memphis, an army of around 1,500 to 2,000 Confederate soldiers led by General Nathan Bedford Forrest launched a raid on the bluff city presumably to free POW’s and capture Union officers.
Upon being awakened some time during the nighttime attack on August 21st, a groggy Union General C.C. Washburn decided that an immediate retreat was in order. With the strong possibility of finding ole Nate or his brothers standing on the front stoop, he left his headquarters building (located on the north side of Union Avenue; supposedly where Autozone Park stands now) by way of the back door.
However, in his apparent haste to slip away to Fort Pickering (present site of Crump Park/Chickasaw Heritage Park), he failed to change out of his bed clothing and apparently ran in a westerly direction down the alley with the tail of the General's nightshirt (and who knows what else) flapping in the breeze. I assume the plan was to high tail it (sorry, I couldn’t resist) to the edge of the bluff and then veer to the south and down to the fort.
All Forrest was able to capture was the General's dress uniform and his wife, both of which were left to fend for themselves. Forrest later returned the uniform prompting Washburn to commission a taylor to stich a new grey uniform for Forrest. I'm not sure what happened to Washburn's wife, I assume she was returned also. See these links for more info:
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The current alley runs east/west for five or six blocks between Front and 3rd. However, you may notice that progress has plopped a parking garage “smack dab in the middle” (great Keith Sykes song, by the way) of the General’s escape route.
If you study a map of the area along with the street signage you’ll also notice a ½ block section that runs north/south just to the west of the parking garage. Maybe the powers that be added this section to the historic “escape alley” to make up for east-west section lost to the parking garage. At any rate, I’ll narrow it down some and tell you that the cache isn’t hidden on that section.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Zntargvp
1. Zrgny-Zntargvp
2. Hc naq Haqre
3. Zrzcuvf Snibevgr OOD