Harpeth Shoals

After the fall of Fort Donelson in February 1862, Federal forces gained control of Nashville and transported most of their supplies to the city via the Cumberland River. Extending for five miles along the river here, the Harpeth Shoals made navigation hazardous. The rough waters gave Confederate guerrillas an opportunity to disrupt the Union supply line. In 1862 and 1863, Confederate Col. Thomas G. Woodward's partisans frequently attacked Union shipping at the Shoals. Federal commanders sent frequent patrols to the area, but their poorly equipped cavalry and the guerrillas' ability to disperse rapidly thwarted Union attempts to control the Shoals effectively.