The Nashville and Decatur Railroad was in operation five months before
the start of the Civil War and 17 months before the Federals took
control of Nashville and the railroad. Running through Central Tennessee
to Alabama, the highly contested line passed through Confederate–held
territory, where rebels and their sympathizers continually sabotaged
bridges, trestles and track. This first full-length work on the N&D
Railroad emphasizes its importance in the Western Theater and brings to
light the four key men who kept it open for the duration of the war.
Significant military activities in the region are described, along with
the contraband camp, military complex and other features surrounding the
railroad’s only tunnel.
