Near Pelham in Grundy County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Struggling Through the Mountains

Civil War in the Southern Cumberlands

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 5, 2017

1. Struggling Through the Mountains Marker

Inscription. The beautiful but rugged landscape of the Southern Cumberlands created a transportation nightmare for both Union and Confederate commanders as they struggled to move men and supplies through the area. The Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad provided the most efficient means of transport, but it was uncomfortable and slow. A Memphis Daily Appeal reporter traveled the route in March 1862 and described the experience vividly: "The cars were crowded to suffocation, and it was with difficulty one could get a seat, or retain it after he had got it. The further we advanced, the greater the difficulty of proceeding, owing to the number of returning trains laden with stores, sick and disabled soldiers, and women and children seeking a place of safety." The railroad passed through the Cumberland Mountain Tunnel (on present-day U.S. Route 64 near Cowan) that slaves and white workers carved through the rock in the 1850s. Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans's men took control of the railroad and tunnel in 1863 after the Tullahoma Campaign and guarded them until the war ended.

Between here and Cowan, in Sewanee, is the University of the South,

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

which was founded in 1857. The cornerstone was laid in 1860, and Episcopal bishop and future Confederate general Leonidas Polk consecrated it. The university was founded to espouse Southern principles, and John Armfield, co-owner of the Franklin and Armfield slave-trading firm, was a major contributor. In 1863, Union troops blew up the cornerstone, and no further construction occurred until 1866. Former Confederate generals Josiah Gorgas and E. Kirby Smith played essential roles in the university's postwar revival.

Erected by Tennessee Civil War Trail.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Railroads & Streetcars • Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1862.

Location. 35° 14.668′ N, 85° 51.626′ W. Marker is near Pelham, Tennessee, in Grundy County. It is on Interstate 24 at milepost 133.6, half a mile west of U.S. 41A, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located in the Grundy County Westbound Rest Area. Touch for map. Marker is

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, July 5, 2017

2. Struggling Through the Mountains Marker

in this post office area: Pelham TN 37366, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Cumberland Plateau

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Grundy County / Marion County (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Amphitheater (approx. 1.3 miles away); Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (approx. 1.3 miles away); a different marker also named Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (approx. 1.3 miles away); The Dawn Redwood of Monteagle (approx. 1.4 miles away); Welcome to Monteagle (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Hotel, the Eagle, and College Hijinks (approx. 1.4 miles away); Trail of Tears (approx. 1.8 miles away).

Another marker

Paid Advertisement

is no longer nearby. Tullahoma Campaign (was approx. 0.7 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . Tennessee Civil War Trails. PDF map (Submitted on September 5, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 5, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 620 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 5, 2021, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.