Inscription
Heart of Federal Occupation
Early in 1861, Gallatin and Sumner County were divided over secession, but after the fall of Fort Sumter, residents voted almost ten to one in favor. Support of the Confederacy never wavered, as Capt. Benjamin S. Nicklin, 13th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery, wrote in 1864, "This County has not even the germ of loyalty in it."With the Louisville and Nashville Railroad located just northwest of the public square and the Cumberland River three miles south of here, Gallatin's logistical importance to the Union was obvious. Federal forces occupied the town in February 1862. Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan raided Gallatin throughout the war to disrupt Union supply routes. In August 1862 Morgan's troops destroyed the train depot, the railroad tunnel leading to Bowling Green, Kentucky and the railroad bridge leading to Nashville. After Morgan withdrew, Union Gen. Eleazar Paine reoccupied Gallatin in November 1862 and constructed Fort Thomas, a star-shaped work about 900 yards northwest of here, to protect this transportation hub.
The square served many purposes, including that of an enlistment center. In July 1863, two hundred local African Americans enlisted in the U.S. Army. They were part of the 13th U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), formed at Nashville in November 1863, the same month that the 14th USCT was formed in Gallatin.
Today, several significant Civil War-era buildings remain in Gallatin. Trousdale Place (1815), two blocks west of here, served various functions of the U.S. Army. Next to Trousdale Place, First Presbyterian Church (1836) was used as a hospital. The Williamson Adams Carriage Factory (1839), three blocks east of here, became a Federal barracks.
(captions)
First Presbyterian Church Sumner County Archives
Public Square - Courtesy Sumner County Archives
Fort Thomas and Louisville & Nashville RR Courtesy Sumner County Archives
Details
| HM Number | HM1AMR |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Tennessee: Tennessee Civil War Trails series |
| Tags | |
| Placed By | Tennessee Civil War Trails |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Friday, September 5th, 2014 at 8:06am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] JENMCDAN13
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 16S E 549525 N 4027131 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 36.38805000, -86.44778333 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 36° 23.283', W 86° 26.867' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 36° 23' 16.98" N, 86° 26' 52.02" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 615 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 114-130 W Main St, Gallatin TN 37066, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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