As for the Civil War, while the Southeastern Tennessee and Northwestern Georgia area is famous for its Civil War history, many are unaware Sequatchie County is where a very famous Civil War raid, called Wheeler’s Raid, took place. After losing the Battle of Chickamauga, Union Gen. William S. Rosecrans’s Army of the Cumberland had retreated to Chattanooga, Tennessee. A narrow, winding road through the Sequatchie Valley was the sole, tenuous supply line to the Union army. Very early in October 1863 Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, commanding the Army of Tennessee, ordered Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler to disrupt the Sequatchie Valley supply line. General Wheeler brought his raid through what is now Powell’s Cross Roads, in Marion County, Tennessee, and continued north on what is now East Valley Road and up what is now US 127 to Signal Mountain, also known as Walden’s Ridge. His troopers destroyed hundreds of wagons and took hundreds of prisoners. General Wheeler released the prisoners as he escaped the valley and returned to the safety of Confederate lines. A marker, located about half way up US 127 from the valley to the top of the ridge, identifies one place involved in the raid.
22 Cherry St • Dunlap, TN 37327
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