The vital Memphis-Charleston Railroad, called the backbone of the Confederacy, crossed the Tennessee River here, and its bridge burned several times in 1862-3. General Mitchell of the U.S., occupying Huntsville after the Battle of Shiloh, seized Bridgeport in April 1862 and held it until August. Federal forces recaptured the town in July 1863 as Rosecrans of the U.S. took Chattanooga upriver. As the end of the usable railway from Nashville, the town became a key base of operations in the U.S. victory at Chickamauga and the lifting of the siege of Chattanooga.

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Lee Hattabaugh

Photo: David Tibbs

Photo: David Tibbs