The Helen Ross McNabb Center and the Frank H. McClung Museum will be sponsoring a reenactment of the Battle of Fort Sanders on Friday, Oct. 3.

The first-time event, titled "Bash at the Clash," will take place in East Knox County, where a historically accurate reenactment of the battle between Major General Ambrose E. Burnside's Union forces and Lieutenant General James Longstreet's Confederate forces will be played out.

The Battle of Fort Sanders, which took place Nov. 29, 1863, was the final attempt by Confederate soldiers to siege the Union forces that surrounded the city of Knoxville. Lt. Gen. Longstreet gathered a large force to ascend the steep hill of Fort Sanders, where he thought Maj. Gen. Burnside's department of the Ohio soldiers were weak, but poor reconnaissance failed to alert the Confederates beforehand of a wide and deep ditch between them and the top.

Already committed to the charge and at a positional disadvantage, the Confederates lost both the attack and 780 men, with the Union force losing just 100 men of their own. The Battle of Fort Sanders secured Union control of Knoxville, and the Confederate's subsequent loss of Chattanooga solidified the Union's hold on most of East Tennessee.

The Bash at the Clash is one of ten fundraiser events held annually by the Helen Ross McNabb Center. Tickets are $100 per person, and all the proceeds go to the McClung Museum and the McNabb Center. This year's event is already sold out, but there is a strong possibility it will take place annually.

A mix of 250 youth and adults are expected to attend, with many dressing in attire from the time period.

The Helen Ross McNabb Center is a mental illness rehabilitation center that assists children as well as adults with mental illnesses, alcohol and drug rehabilitation, Nicole Randall, a special events coordinator, said. The McNabb Center is a regional non-profit organization, and it currently has a presence in 20 counties in East Tennessee.

The McNabb center is scheduled to hold several fundraiser events in the near future, including The Great Cardboard Sled Race Jan. 6, the Herman Gettelfinger Bass Tournament April 4, the Pat Summit Golf Tournament in June and the Russell Biven Clayfest Tournament each August.