See for yourself. Here is an old image that we found at the Library of Congress showing the city as it looked in 1864, near the end of the Civil War. The detail is quite incredible if you click on it, so make sure you check that out.
View of Knoxville in 1864
Source: Library of Congress
Here’s another photo of the city from the same time, this time seen from the south banks of the Tennessee River.
Knoxville, Tenn. Environs of Knoxville seen from south bank of Tennessee River; East Tennessee University in middle distance
Source: Library of Congress
