On the morning of Feb. 25, 1862, Federal gunboats were moored on the east bank of the Cumberland River with their guns aimed at downtown Nashville. As detailed in Randy Horick’s story, “The Nonbattle of Nashville,” in the July-August 2015 issue of The East Nashvillian, it was the culmination of a gradual and mostly peaceful invasion of Federal troops from the north that had sparked panic on the streets of Nashville and the withdrawal of Confederate forces to the south.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Mayor R.B. Cheatham and nine other leading Nashville citizens crossed the river in a small steamboat for an appointment in the Edgefield neighborhood. The delegation entered a home at 612 Woodland St. and formally surrendered the city of Nashville to Union Gen. Don Carlos Buel, ending Nashville’s eight months as the capitol of the Confederate State of Tennessee.
One hundred and fifty-four years after that historic day, the Metropolitan Historical Commission has approved the placement of a historic marker in front of the house where the surrender was finalized, and agreed in concept for a second marker on the east bank of the Cumberland where Federal forces were encamped. The community organization Rediscover East! has headed up the push for the two markers and is now raising funds for their placement. The Woodland Street marker will cost $1,750 and the East Bank marker $2,500. Send donations to:
Rediscover East!
PO Box 68069
Nashville, TN 37206
Please indicate “Surrender Marker” in the memo line. Rediscover East! is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and contributions are tax deductible. For more information, visit the Rediscover East! Facebook page.