Raiding the Rails

Raiding the Rails (HM21GO)

Location: Germantown, TN 38138 Shelby County
Buy Tennessee State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 35° 4.482', W 89° 47.784'

0 likes
0 check ins
0 favorites
1214 views

Check In Adopt Listing

EMAIL
PRINT
COMMENTS (0)
SAVE AS FAVORITE
LIKE IT

Inscription

Civil War in Germantown 1862

During the Civil War, the railroad in front of you was the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. Union forces occupied the area soon after the April 1862 Battle of Shiloh and the capture of Memphis on June 6. they used the railroad to transport troops and supplies east from the city.

On June 22, at a curve in the track to your right, Confederate Col. William H. Jackson's cavalrymen derailed an entire Federal supply train. This train (the first out of Union-occupied Memphis) was carrying troops and supplies to Union Gen. William T. Sherman's headquarters at Lafayette (now Rossville). As the train approached, Jackson's men dislodged a rail, watched the wreck, and then emerged from hiding in the woods. Union Lt. Col. William H. Raynor, 56th Ohio Infantry, reported that they "took Col. [Peter] Kinney, together with 1 sergeant and 8 privates, of Company B, of this regiment, prisoners," with 73 others. When Sherman learned of this incident, he informed his superiors that Germantown "is a place of mischief. ... I am told they openly boast the Yankees will never run a train over the road."

Persitent attacks by Confederate Gen. Nathan B. Forrest's command along this vital supply line prompted the establishment of Federal camps to guard it. In 1863, a redoubt was constructed just east of here in another failed attempt to prevent
Confederate raids. This derailment was one of several along the line, and one of at least eleven skirmishes in or near Germantown.

(sidebar)
Willim H. Jackson (1835-1903), attended West Tennessee College (now Union University) before his appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (graduated 1856). He served as colonel, 1st Tennessee Cavalry (CSA), in 1861 and was promoted to general in 1862.

Details

HM Number	HM21GO
Series	This marker is part of the Tennessee: Tennessee Civil War Trails series
Tags	Railroads and Streetcars, US Civil War
Year Placed	2017
Placed By	Tennessee Civil War Trails
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Tuesday, September 5th, 2017 at 4:02pm PDT -07:00

Pictures

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	16S E 245021 N 3884904
Decimal Degrees	35.07470000, -89.79640000
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 35° 4.482', W 89° 47.784'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	35° 4' 28.92" N, 89° 47' 47.04" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	901
Which side of the road?	Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal Address	At or near 7966-8042 CD Smith Rd, Germantown TN 38138, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap