Near Dickson in Dickson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Civil War on Yellow Creek
A Guerrilla Sanctuary
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 14, 2020
1. Civil War on Yellow Creek Marker
Inscription.
Civil War on Yellow Creek. A Guerrilla Sanctuary. During the Civil War, Yellow Creek's rough terrain and the widespread Confederate sentiment of its inhabitants provided a safe refuge for guerrillas operating in Dickson County and the surrounding area. Regular Confederate cavalry also came through the Yellow Creek valley, including Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's command on the retreat from Fort Donelson in February 1862, and again a year later when he and Gen. Joseph Wheeler sidestepped an interdicting Federal column after their attack on the fort failed. Mainly agricultural, the area attracted partisan rangers seeking food, shelter, and equipment., Federal commanders, realizing that Yellow Creek's residents sheltered the guerrillas, exerted considerable efforts to destroy their networks. Both Col. William W. Lowe at Fort Donelson and Col. Sanders D. Bruce at Clarksville sent patrols to break up these mounted bands, but constant Confederate ambushes and attacks kept the Union forces on edge. As the guerrilla warfare became more intense, both sides resorted to increased threats, violence, and brutality., One such incident occurred late in 1863. Lt. Henry W. Barr's squadron, 3rd Tennessee Cavalry (US), burned the house and farm buildings of a local resident, J. J. Pickett, in retaliation for the shooting of one of their men. Shortly after the war ended, his widow, Jane Pickett, filed an affidavit for the loss of some of her property in Dickson County Quarterly Court., While Federal attempts to break the guerrilla networks were unsuccessful, they eventually pacified the region. By October 1864, Union forces firmly controlled the areas surrounding Yellow Creek and isolated the guerrilla activity there until the end of the war., Today we were fired upon, wounding Lieutenant Beatty, 5th Iowa Cavalry, and 1 man severely. Chased them for several miles, but did not catch them. In both cases the rebels were in ambush. Have given orders to take no more prisoners. , , Col. William W. Lowe, 5th Iowa Cavalry
During the Civil War, Yellow Creek's rough terrain and the widespread Confederate sentiment of its inhabitants provided a safe refuge for guerrillas operating in Dickson County and the surrounding area. Regular Confederate cavalry also came through the Yellow Creek valley, including Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's command on the retreat from Fort Donelson in February 1862, and again a year later when he and Gen. Joseph Wheeler sidestepped an interdicting Federal column after their attack on the fort failed. Mainly agricultural, the area attracted partisan rangers seeking food, shelter, and equipment.
Federal commanders, realizing that Yellow Creek's residents sheltered the guerrillas, exerted considerable efforts to destroy their networks. Both Col. William W. Lowe at Fort Donelson and Col. Sanders D. Bruce at Clarksville sent patrols to break up these mounted bands, but constant Confederate ambushes and attacks kept the Union forces on edge. As the guerrilla warfare became more intense, both sides resorted to increased threats, violence, and brutality.
One such incident occurred late in 1863. Lt. Henry W. Barr's squadron,
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3rd Tennessee Cavalry (US), burned the house and farm buildings of a local resident, J. J. Pickett, in retaliation for the shooting of one of their men. Shortly after the war ended, his widow, Jane Pickett, filed an affidavit for the loss of some of her property in Dickson County Quarterly Court.
While Federal attempts to break the guerrilla networks were unsuccessful, they eventually pacified the region. By October 1864, Union forces firmly controlled the areas surrounding Yellow Creek and isolated the guerrilla activity there until the end of the war.
Today we were fired upon, wounding Lieutenant Beatty, 5th Iowa Cavalry, and 1 man severely. Chased them for several miles, but did not catch them. In both cases the rebels were in ambush. Have given orders to take no more prisoners.
Col. William W. Lowe, 5th Iowa Cavalry
Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1862.
Location. 36° 8.527′ N, 87° 30.169′ W. Marker is
Library of Congress
2. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
near Dickson, Tennessee, in Dickson County. It is on Yellow Creek Road (Tennessee Route 46) south of Old Number 1 Road, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2199 Yellow Creek Rd, Dickson TN 37055, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee, in the Highland Rim, and in Greater Nashville. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 14, 2020
4. Civil War on Yellow Creek Marker inset
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 14, 2020
5. Civil War on Yellow Creek Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 15, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2,957 times since then and 130 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 15, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
