The Battle of Collierville

History of Collierville (excerpt from book)

By Elizabeth Parr

Page11-13

Collierville Library Ref 976.819 P258h.    Also Ref 7480261.

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Before mentioning the Battle of Collierville, I would like to retell another of Mrs. J.K. Waddy’s stories, (1) because in it she also mentions the old Methodist Church.  “After the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, word came that wounded soldiers would be put off the train at Collierville, some had been left in La Grange, and some were carried on to Germantown.  When word came, (Miss Waddy said) ‘we ladies’ went right to work to care for them.  When the train arrived, some were lying on flat cars.  Some were carried to my house and the Methodist Church.  I was living at the Summers place near the church.  The ladies came with blankets and sheets and materials for bandages, some even brought their table linens to make into bandages.  Many wounded lay on the palettes.  (Miss Waddy would relate) that ‘we ladies’ did the caring for a more severely wounded soldier sometime.”  I can't ever remember her quoting what the doctor said; very likely there was none available and those courageous women were dressing wounds guarded by a kind Providence and their hard common sense.

Two homes not before mentioned that had been established by now were the C.R. Davis place (2) now occupied by John porters and the Joshua Deloach home and now occupied by Jerry Clarks. In the latter home on June 23, 1862, General U.S. Grant, while on his way to Memphis from Corinth, Mississippi, stopped there for a drink of water and accepted an invitation to dinner since he was in the home of a northern sympathizer.(1) Midway of the meal, he was warned of the approach of Confederate forces and fled out the

1. Same as note 6, page 5

2. Built by Mr. Davis.  Told to me by Miss Eddie King Davis, his daughter-in-law.

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back way as they entered the front door.  General Grant entered Memphis by the Raleigh Road instead of the Memphis and La Grange Road.  One version of the affair is to the effect that Dickey Davis, noted Confederate guerrilla leader, headed those Confederates.  Bill Brown, whose home has been mentioned, was in this group of Confederates. (1)

On October 11, 1863, an engagement took place in Collierville when General Chalmers and his small force attacked the federals who were entrenched in the depot building and nearby breastworks located where the Rayburn Hotel is now.  The Confederates, out in the open, on both sides of the railroad and not more than 200 yards from the enemy, dashed forward in face of the leaden hail, and would have carried the works but for the intervention of general W.T. Sherman, who arrived with a trainload of regulars from Memphis.  He was on his way to Corinth, Mississippi, in his initial move to his “March to the Sea”.  Many were wounded and several Confederates were killed.  Several fine horses were captured, including General Sherman's horse, Dolly, sword and saddle.  On General Sherman's Memorial in Washington is inscribed the “Battle of Collierville” in the list of his engagements. (2) To quote from Sherman's memoirs, “to the south of us was an extensive cornfield with corn still standing, and on the other side was the town of Collierville.  All the houses near that could give shelter to the enemy were ordered to be set on fire,

1. Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas Harris (Miss William). Granddaughter of Bill Brown.

2. Historic Places in West Tennessee, compiled by Mildred Cowan Cowan April,  1940                                  

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and the men were instructed to keep under cover and reverse their fire for the assault which seemed inevitable.” (1) The Brown home just south of the railroad east of the breastworks, built of logs, has many bullets and bullet holes in its walls as the result of the Battle fought here. In latter days it was weather-boarded and in 1948, it burned completely, being known then as the Gossett place or the old Mebane Place. The two-story house that the Roletts had built on the present site of the Milton Mann Sr. home was captured by Grant and used as a hospital for Union soldiers while he was in this part of the state. Many Union soldiers were buried near it, two of whom were moved from the P.A. Perkins’ front yard to the national Cemetery in Memphis as late as 1905. (2) The only identification the soldiers had was a button with the letters “MD” printed on it, thus signifying their company from Maryland.  After inquiry, Mr. Perkins found to old citizens who had witnessed the burial.

In 1866 Mr. Harrison Irby moved into the town of Collierville with Dr. Virginius leake, brought 90 acres of land were the town now stands and divided it into lots in September of the same year; this took the town from its old site on --State Line Road--, as it was called, to the present site on the Memphis and Charleston railroad. (3)

ECT…

1. Sherman’s Memoirs – Alice Mann’s notes. In School Library.
2. Told to me by Capt P.A. Perkins., February, 1949.
3. Goodspeed’s History of Tennessee. Page 987

-- Stateline Road does not refer to the current road dividing Mississippi and Tennessee, but a road alinged with the current Poplar Pike and Poplar Avenue. At that time in history it was thought to be the state boundary---

Excellent Research from Mrs. Elizabeth Parr of Collierville TN.

Fort location clue:

The Raybuirn Hotel no longer exists. Any information about its location could be helpful. It may be easier to find out information about this building since it was a 20th century structure.