Leland,
I thought you might be interested in this. Here is every reference I could find to engagements at or near Collierville, TN in the reference work:
The Union Army A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States 1861-65 -- Records of the Regiments in the Union Army -- Cyclopedia of Battles -- Memoirs of Commanders and Soldiers. 8 vols. Madison: Federal Publishing, 1908.
Byhalia Road, Miss., July 2, 1864.
Detachment of the 7th Indiana Cavalry.
Col. D. B. Henderson commanding the post at Collierville sent out a reconnoitering party of 20 men on the Byhalia road. When about 1O miles from Collierville this party was attacked by some 200 cavalry and driven back toward the camp.
Henderson, on being informed of the enemy's approach, stationed 250 men at a bridge about a mile and a half from the town and sent forward a small body of cavalry to draw the Confederates into the ambuscade, but upon the advance of this second party the Confederates, thinking that the scouting party was receiving reinforcements, beat a hasty retreat toward Byhalia.
No casualties reported.
Source: The Union Army, Vol.,5 p.,200
Collierville, Tenn., Jan. 28, 1863.
2nd Brigade, Cavalry Division.
Col. Albert L. Lee, commanding this brigade, reports from Germantown under date of Jan. 29: "Had a skirmish with 200 guerrillas south of Collierville and killed about a dozen.
Lost 1 man. All right on the road."
Source: The Union Army, Vol.,5 p.,305
Collierville, Tenn., May 20, 1863.
Pickets of 26th Illinois Infantry.
This engagement was an attack by a band of Confederates on picket posts Nos. 4 and 5. The men stationed there were surrounded, 1 killed and 9 captured.
The enemy's loss was not known, as he retreated as soon as he had accomplished his object.
Source: The Union Army, Vol.,5 p.,305
Collierville, TENN. OCT. 11TH, 1863
Collierville, Tenn., Oct. 11, 1863. Detachments of 66th Indiana 13th U.S. Infantry. As an incident of Chalmers' raid, a Confederate force of 3,000 cavalry and mounted infantry with 8 pieces of artillery, attacked the Union pickets at Collierville. The outposts succeeded in holding the enemy in check until the dispositions of the garrison were made. Chalmers, under a flag of truce, sent Col. D. C. Anthony of the 66th Ind., whose regiment formed the garrison, a summons to surrender which was promptly refused. Upon the return of the flag the enemy opened with artillery but did little damage. Just at this time Maj.-Gen. W. T. Sherman arrived with his escort, a portion of the 13th U.S. infantry, which was brought into action. At noon a charge was made to drive the enemy from the proximity of, the train. It succeeded, but resulted in the loss of several men. At 3:30 the enemy retired. The Federal loss was 14 killed, 40 wounded and 54 captured or missing. Chalmers' report states that he lost but 3 killed and 48 wounded, but Anthony says his command buried 25 of the Confederate dead.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 5
Collierville, TENN NOV. 3RD, 1863
Collierville, Tenn. Nov. 3, 1863. Detachment of 3rd Cavalry Brigade, 16th Army Corps. On the morning of this Date, Collierville was guarded by eight companies of the 7th Ill. cavalry. Brig.-Gen. Edward Hatch was at Germantown with eight companies of the 6th Ill. cavalry, 4 pieces of the 1st Ill. light artillery, 450 men of the 2nd Ia. cavalry and a section of mountain howitzers. Learning that a force of Confederates under Chalmers had crossed the Coldwater at Quinn & Jackson's mill, and was moving on Collierville, Hatch immediately started for that place. When within 4 miles of it artillery firing announced the approach of the enemy and the reinforcements moved forward on the double-quick. The 2nd Ia., dismounted, received and repulsed a charge of the enemy on the right of the troops in the town. Meanwhile a Confederate brigade charged the left and rear, but was repulsed handsomely by the 6th Ill. cavalry. The Union line was then formed to receive an expected attack on its front, but the Confederates failed to advance so the 4th Ia. charged. The result was the rapid retreat of the enemy to the Coldwater, the Federals pursuing. Here the enemy was strongly intrenched and held his position until after dark when he retired. The Confederates lost 6 killed and 63 wounded; their loss in missing, according to their own reports, was but 26. Hatch, however, says he captured 50. The Union loss in killed, wounded and missing did not exceed 60.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 5
Collierville, Tenn., Dec. 27, 1863.
Detachment of Cavalry Division 16th Army Corps.
As an incident of the operations in northern Mississippi and west Tennessee, portions of the 2nd Ia. and the 9th Ill. cavalry met the enemy 2 miles from La Fayette and drove him back.
Here reinforcements came to the aid of the Confederates and the Union force was steadily but slowly driven back until the enemy was brought under the range of the cannon in the stockade at Collierville.
No casualties were reported.
Source: The Union Army, Vol.,5 p.,306
Collierville, Tenn., Jan. 13, 1864.
Battalion 9th Ill. Cavalry.
This detachment, under Maj. Ira R. Gifford, numbering about 60 men, moved out from Collierville in the morning. On crossing the Nonconnah river firing was heard about a mile to the left and the command was immediately deployed in that direction.
After advancing through a thicket the enemy was encountered, but a single volley sent them back in confusion, leaving 1 killed and 7 wounded on the field.
Four Union troopers were recaptured. The Federal force suffered no casualties.
Source: The Union Army, Vol.,5 p.,306
Collierville, Tenn., July 13, 1864.
1st Brigade, Infantry Division,.
Expedition into Mississippi. Collierville was reached at 9 a. m. of this date. The command rested until noon, while a party of 6, including 2 commissioned officers, went up the railroad to notify other Union forces of the column's approach.
When about 3 miles out this party was attacked by a band of 15 Confederates and 2 of the members were captured. The brigade was then moved forward and near the place where the small party was attacked commenced skirmishing with the enemy.
This was kept up until the arrival of the train with reinforcements. No casualties were reported.
Source: The Union Army, Vol.,5 p.,306
------------------
When I was a teenager my Dad was the Golf Course Superintendent at Ridgeway Country Club, which lies between Germantown and Collierville near "Old Bailey Station". As a part of my work one Summer, my Dad asked me to follow the line of the irrigation system with my metal detector and see if I could find the locations of some copper and cast-iron fittings which allowed manual access at different points. As these fittings were flush with the ground surface they would sometimes sink below ground level, become covered with dirt and grass and were difficult to find.
During this search I began to find all sorts of conical lead bullets, including 36, 44, 54 and 58 caliber Minie' balls. Also, I found a number of iron items that appeared to be cavalry related, such as stakes, rings, etc. I literally had two pockets full of this stuff. When my Dad arrived sometime later he was a little upset with me as I had wandered from the irrigation line out into adjacent areas. It was a real treasure hunt and I can only attribute these findings to evidence of some kind of engagement fought there.
I hope nobody reads this and goes digging up the golf course. :-)
Jim