Who Were the 1st Tennessee's Railroad Boys?

OldReliable1862

First Sergeant
Joined
Jul 2, 2017
Location
Georgia
One of the more intriguing companies I've come across in the Confederate Tennessee regiments is Company F of the 1st Tennessee (Maney's), nicknamed "The Railroad Boys." I can find little information on them, other than it apparently being composed of (largely Irish?) railroad workers from the Nashville area. I did find this brief remembrance from a veteran of the 1st Tennessee's Rutherford Rifles about the Railroad Boys' officers:
The Butlers of our regiment were fine soldiers. Jack, captain of the Railroad company and Joe, his brother, lieutenant, refined and handsome as a woman, but brave as Caesar, literally shot to pieces at Perryville
 
Sir...

1635301328096.jpeg


From the The Atlanta Historical Journal, Volumes 24-25 Atlanta Historical Society., 1980

Best I can do at the moment,
USS ALASKA
 
Its common to hear of a group of firemen enlisting together but I havent heard of railroad workers.
I wonder if you could find info at local Nashville library.
 
Sir...

View attachment 419682

From the The Atlanta Historical Journal, Volumes 24-25 Atlanta Historical Society., 1980

Best I can do at the moment,
USS ALASKA
Was there any timeline given for their enlistment? I was reading earlier today in Volume 49, part 2, about a couple of regiments that were very desirous of taking the field and seeing combat due to months on end guarding railroads. This was is 1865.
Lubliner.
 
Was there any timeline given for their enlistment? I was reading earlier today in Volume 49, part 2, about a couple of regiments that were very desirous of taking the field and seeing combat due to months on end guarding railroads. This was is 1865.
Lubliner.
The reference I had mentioned I found again on page 36 (see above). It was a request made late in the war, on March 20, 1865 by Major-General Stanley to Brig. Gen. Whipple the Chief of Staff for the Department of the Cumberland. He wanted General Doolittle assigned to the Fourth Army Corps and have the Eighteenth Michigan Infantry transferred with him. He then says, "He... informs me that it is the dearest wish of the officers and men to get into an active campaign, and they think they can reasonably ask this favor from... their long-continued service as railroad and provost guards."
Lubliner.
 
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