Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Germantown in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Raiding the Rails

Civil War in Germantown 1862

 
 
Raiding the Rails Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Steve Masler, September 4, 2017
1. Raiding the Rails Marker
Inscription. 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
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
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.
 
Erected 2017 by Tennessee Civil War Trails.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & StreetcarsWar, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 22, 1862.
 
Location. 35° 4.482′ N, 89° 47.784′ W. Marker is in Germantown, Tennessee, in Shelby County. Marker is on C.D. Smith Road, 0.3 miles west of Hacks Cross Road, on the right when traveling west. On the grounds of Union University Germantown Campus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2745 Hacks Cross Rd, Germantown TN 38138, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Oaklawn Garden (approx. half a mile away); Neshoba Junior High School (approx. 0.6 miles away); Fort Germantown (approx. one mile away); Fortunate Survivor (approx.
Raiding the Rails Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Steve Masler, September 4, 2017
2. Raiding the Rails Marker
one mile away); Germantown Road (approx. 1.2 miles away); Glenn's Grocery and Dr. Seay's Office (1940s) (approx. 1.2 miles away); Germantown, Tennessee (approx. 1.2 miles away); Germantown Depot (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Germantown.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2017. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2017, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 430 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on September 4, 2017, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=107968

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 28, 2024