I just finished reading "With Blood and Fire - Life Behind Union Lines in Middle Tennessee 1863-65" by Michael R. Bradley. The author studied hundreds of microfilmed records of provost marshalls of the union armies to find records for the area of middle Tennessee that included the N&C railroad. This narrow area between Nashville and Chattanooga was vital for the Union army's supply line, and was frequently the target of guerrilla activities. It also saw an unbelievable amount of violence between neighbors of differing loyalties.
I had alot of family in that area during the war and this book gave me quite a bit of insight into what life must have been like for them there. I would highly recommend it to anyone for a look at the lives of the regular citizens caught in a warzone.