In early 1864, Union troops rebuilt Sulphur Creek Trestle, one mile south of here, after Confederate troops had destroyed the 73-foot-tall bridge in 1863. The trestle was the tallest bridge on the railroad line, a major artery for transporting troops and supplies from Nashville to the Southern front. The 111th U.S. Colored Infantry, mostly comprised of former slaves from this area, rebuilt the bridge and constructed a fort at the trestle. In February 1864, Brig. Gen. Grenville Dodge praised the command's industry, alacrity, and interest in completing the work. On September 25, 1864, Confederate troops under Gen. Nathan Forrest attacked the forces guarding Sulphur Creek Trestle. In the bloodiest Civil War battle in north Alabama, more than 200 Union and 40 Confederate troops were killed, Forrest took 820 Union soldiers prisoner, and the Confederates burned the trestle, effectively cutting off the supply line.