Johnsonville developed as a major port on the Tennessee River when the United State Military Railroad decided to complete a rail connection between that important river and the strategic city of Nashville (via the Nashville and Northwestern Railway).  This river/rail connection as intended to provide an alternative supply line which could support the Federal advance toward Georgia.
 
 

As illustrated in the above map from the Official Records Atlas, a substantial Federal depot developed at Johnsonville.  The USMRR constructed an elaborate complex designed to efficiently transfer supplies from steamboats to railroad cars (an early attempt at what we would today call "intermodal transportation").   Note the complex trackage and its convenient arrangement parallel to the extensive wharf facilities along the river bank; this efficient design allowed goods to be transferred from river vessels to entire trains very quickly.

Unfortunately for the Federal forces, the Confederate raider N. B. Forrest attacked the Johnsonville installation in November 1864, causing tremendous damage to the facilities and destroying large quantities of supplies.  However, this loss did not significantly affect the outcome of the war, because Sherman managed to stockpile supplies for the Atlanta campaign via another route (the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the Cumberland River).   Visit the web pages describing the Battle of Johnsonville for a description of this major Civil War battle in Tennessee.

  River Ports and Shipyards

Last update:  December 5, 2001