Guarding the Railroad

GUARDING THE RAILROAD – (2260 West Street)  Federal troops entered Germantown in June 1862 and occupied houses, churches, and other buildings.  The soldiers confiscated crops and livestock, while many dwellings and businesses were dismantled or burned.  The Memphis & Charleston Railroad depot became the focal point of the Federal garrison.  The men built an earthen redoubt and stockade just east of town.  Confederate cavalry and Union troops fought at least eleven engagements around this rail line in the Germantown area.  By war’s end, Germantown’s population had been reduced by more than half.