To all,

The consensus on the chain artifact ID question is that it is part of a tug or
heel chain which has probably been shortened. The tug or heel chain attached
to a trace of leather straps by way of the plate on the end, which attached to
the horse or mule and via hooks on the opposite end to a singletree - all for
pulling a wagon, cart or other such load.

The story behind this artifact is that it has been hanging on a hook in the
basement of an antebellum mansion in Carthage, Tennessee for quite some time.
Legend has it that the object was used to chain recalcitrant slaves in the
basement. The architecture tells another story. The 6 room basement has 3
exterior entrances and fireplaces in all but one of the rooms suggesting that
people lived in the basement. In fact, according to oral tradition one of the
rooms was used as a winter kitchen (the fireplace is rather large). I had the
pleasure to meet a woman in Nashville who has a picture of her great-great
grandmother who lived in that basement as a slave according to her family
tradition. It appears that the reality of slaves living and working in this
house transformed to them being shackled in the basement, possibly by the mere
existence of this chain.

The twentieth century edition of the story is also interesting. The legend of
slaves being chained in the basement of the house is well in the town of
Carthage, TN. Carthage is home to Al Gore. On his presidential campaign Gore
used the house as a stop on a media tour of his hometown. According to the
current owners Gore took all the news anchors to the basement to see the
"shackles". I relate this, not as an indictment of Al Gore for weak historical
knowledge, but to illustrate how an artifact can potentially change history.
And it’s a darned interesting story. My thanks to all who contributed answers.
I knew ya'll would come through.


Michael

Michael Strutt
Director of Cultural Resources
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department