Born in Nashville, Tennessee, April 10, 1833, Rains graduated from Yale Law School in 1854, opened a practice in Nashville and in 1858 was elected city attorney. Popular in his hometown and political ally of Nashville "Republican Banner" editor Felix K. Zollicoffer, Rains became associate editor of the "Banner." In 1860, he won the office of district attorney for Davidson, Williamson, and Sumner counties. When the Confederate 11th Tennessee Infantry was organized in May, 1861, Rains joined as a private, was elected colonel and with his regiment was mustered into Zollicoffer's brigade in mid-summer.

Rains fought in his first skirmish in Laural county, Kentucky, on September 26, 1861, north of the Cumberland, Gap, and in November occupied the gap with two regiments and seven cannon. He held this position until confronted by Union General George W. Morgan's force in June 1862, then on orders, he retired to Tennessee. The next month, he returned with elements of General Kirby Smith's force, pressed Morgan from the gap, and in General Carter L. Stevenson's division, he soldiered through the Kentucky Campaign. For this service, he was promoted brigadier general in November, 1862 and was assigned command of the 2nd Brigade in General John McCown's Division for the Battle of Stone's River.

There, on December 31, 1862, leading his brigade in a sweeping maneuver against the Federal right flank, Rains was killed. Following the battle, a clergyman received Union General William Rosecrans' permission to move Rains' body through Union lines for burial at Nashville on the condition that the funeral did not become a Confederate propaganda event. It did, however, and Rains, young and talented, briefly achieved the status of Confederate martyr.

Also:

The Not as Famous: Gen. William Thomas Harbaugh Brooks

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