Near Wartburg in Morgan County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Civil War in Morgan County

Bushwackers of East Tennessee

Photographed by Tom Bosse, October 3, 2026

1. Civil War in Morgan County Marker

Inscription. After the war began, partisan fighting affected the inhabitants of this sparsely settled, rugged landscape. As in neighboring counties, Morgan County’s residents voted against secession but were divided in their support of the Union and Confederate causes. When the Confederates occupied the county in 1861, many Union sympathizers left and never returned. The farms and families that remained here were exposed to frequent, frightening guerilla raids from both sides.

Confederate Col. J.W. White, 1st Tennessee Cavalry, described a February 1862 engagement with several hundred Home Guard “Lincolnites”. He wrote, “A running fight for nearly an hour ensued in the mountains. The enemy’s force is variously estimated from 100 to 300, armed with Minie muskets and rifles. We killed their captain, and from the best information, 5 others; captured 4 horses, 2 fine Minie muskets 1 Colt’s navy pistol, a small quantity of ammunition, and 1 prisoner.”

In June 1863, Union Col. William P. Sanders with 1,500 raided much of Eat Tennessee before the Knoxville campaign, passing through Wartburg and Montgomery and capturing a Confederate

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garrison of 104 soldiers. Late in the year, foragers and looters were common. Women in particular faced grueling challenges on the home front as they became the main source of protection and provisions. They also braved the dangerous countryside to leave supplies or men who tried to evade the home guards by hiding in the mountains. The daily anxieties and economic hardships that residents endured took years to recover from after the war.

“The town has an old, ragged appearance, but it does well enough for those who live here. Montgomery, the county seat, is about two miles from here. … The people are generally Lincolnites and are perfectly horror-struck by the passing of an army through the country. The men left their houses and the women and boys packed up their baggage and were doing the best they could for an early start ‘for somewhere’. … I think I saw 20 families ready to move yesterday as we passed by their houses.” – Corp. Westwood James, 16th Alabama Infantry

(captions)
“Military Map of Middle Tennessee” Courtesy Library of Congress
Unionist refugees Courtesy Library of Congress
Foragers Courtesy Library of Congress
Dragging artillery through Tennessee mountains, Harpers Weekly, Nov. 21, 1863

Erected by Tennessee

Photographed by Tom Bosse, October 3, 2026

2. Civil War in Morgan County Marker

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° 7.5′ N, 84° 30.276′ W. Marker is near Wartburg, Tennessee, in Morgan County. It can be reached from Flat Fork Road half a mile east of Green Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located near the entrance to the Frozen Head State Park Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 964 Flat Fork Road, Wartburg TN 37887, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee

and in the Cumberland Plateau.

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 original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, October 3, 2026

3. Civil War in Morgan County Marker

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Morgan County Vietnam War Memorial (approx. 5.4 miles away); Morgan County Korean War Memorial (approx. 5.4 miles away); Morgan County Courthouse (approx. 5.4 miles away); Wartburg in the War (approx. 5.4 miles away); Morgan County World War II Memorial (approx. 5.4 miles away); George Frederick Gerding (approx. 5.4 miles away); Morgan County World War I Memorial (approx. 5.4 miles away); Morgan County All Wars Memorial (approx. 5.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wartburg.

Also see . . . Frozen Head State Park. Tennessee State Parks (Submitted on October 10, 2026.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 8, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.