Incident at Waynesboro - Waynesboro, TN - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

County of marker: Wayne County
Location of marker: Court Circle & High St., courthouse lawn, Waynesboro
Marker erected by: Tennessee Civil War Trails
Date erected: 2012

Marker Text:

INCIDENT AT WAYNESBORO
A Case of Friendly Fire   In November 1863, military governor Andrew Johnson ordered Union Maj. John Murphy, 5th Tennessee Calvary, to take charge of two companies of Union Guards in Nashville. These 200 newly mustered men were from Wayne County and vicinity and were not yet organized into a regular regiment. Johnson told Murphy to proceed with them to Waynesboro and open a recruiting office. As they traveled along the Old Natchez Trace, the Federals had several minor engagements with small parties of Confederate partisans and soon learned to be wary of guerrilla tricks, disguises, and ambushes.

  As Murphy's column made its way here, the veteran 7th Illinois Mounted Infantry was returning from duty at Hamburg Landing on the Tennessee River, heading form Pulaski. As they marched along the Pinhook-Waynsboro Road, they halted about two miles outside the county seat to eat and feed their mounts. After dinner, the Illinois soldiers galloped into Waynsboro, not suspecting what was about to happen.

  "A Waynesboro citizen who saw the Illinois men riding hard toward town thought that they were Confederates. As he fled in the opposite direction, he ran directly into Murphy's column. When asked if he had seen any guerrillas, the citizen pointed toward the Illinois regiment's advance guard, and the fighting began. Bullets flew for several minutes, wounding three, until the prospective commanders determined that they were on the same side. Afterward, the 5th Tennessee occupied Waynesboro while the 7th Illinois marched to camp at the Pointer Brothers' iron furnace five miles east of town.

  The Fifth Tennessee having been deceived so often by guerrillas dressed in federal uniforms, they have
  in consequence become very vigilant - Sgt. D. Leib Ambrose, 7th Illinois Mounted Infantry.

Group that erected the marker: Tennessee Civil War Trails URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 200 Court Circle, Waynesboro, TN 38485

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Date Logged Log   11/21/2020 Markerman62 visited it