Difficult Times

Wayne County’s residents were divided in sentiment when the Civil War began. Although they had voted more than two to one to remain in the Union, many people who lived in the northern portion, including the county seat of Waynesboro, had strong Confederate sympathies. Waynesboro often served as a base for Confederate Col. Jacob Biffle’s 9th Tennessee Cavalry, which skirmished frequently with Federal forces. Services ceased here at Cumberland Presbyterian Church after the war began. Soldiers from both sides occupied the building at different times, and all of the records were lost.