More Civil War Loudon County..... Lenoir City Lenoir Plantation A June 19, 1863, Union raid and subsequent Federal occupation changed the lives of the owners of the 2,700-acre plantation along the railroad line here. The Lenoir family later claimed damages of more than $70,000 including losses of livestock, timber and grain. Lenoir’s Station On June 19, 1863, in an effort to cripple Confederate held railroads in the area, Union troop led by Col. William P. Sanders attacked, destroying the depot, general store and Confederate military supplies here. According to local tradition, the mill was spared due to the exchange of Masonic signs between the owner and the Union military. After this encounter, Sanders continued east, destroying other railroad facilities. Philadelphia Battle of Philadelphia Philadelphia was the southernmost Union-held town in the autumn of 1863 as Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside’s troops occupied Knoxville and the surrounding area. On Oct. 20, 1863, Confederate cavalry captured Union wagons gathering supplies then advanced on the town. Union troops went out to meet the attackers but were defeated, losing not only the wagons but pieces of artillery as well. Loudon Loudon Railroad Bridge The covered East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad bridge here was an important link between Chattanooga and Virginia. Confederates burned the bridge as they evacuated the area in September 1863. Union soldiers then established a rail base at Loudon, shuttling supplies across the river. Confederates again took control of the area a few months later, but were displaced by Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s advance again in December. The bridge, rebuilt in 1864, was under Union control the rest of the war.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:08:20 +0000
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