Today in History:

523 Series I Volume XXXIX-I Serial 77 - Allatoona Part I

Page 523 Chapter LI. FORREST'S RAID INTO ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE.

Volunteers, be sent to Major-General Washburn or other commanding officer at Memphis, Tenn., to be retained on their paroles of honor to act in opposition to the forces of the Confederate States until they are duly exchanged by Generals Washburn and Forrest, which exchange shall occur as speedily as possible. The exchange is to be conducted by an exchange of officers for officers of same rank, and man for man.

Again, said commissioned officers shall and hereby are permitted to retain and keep all their personal property, including horses, saddles, side-arms, and clothing. All this permanently.

Again, the enlisted men (soldiers) of Colonel Wallace Campbell's command shall be kindly and humanely treated and turned over to the C. S. Government as prisoners of war, to be disposed of as the War Department of the Confederate States shall direct.

N. B. FORREST,

Major-General, Commanding, C. S. Army.

WALLACE CAMPBELL,

Colonel 110th U. S. Colored Infantry, Commanding.

About 2 p. m. we were marched south by Florence road. It is the opinion of officers in my command from conversations held with General Forrest and his officers that had the fort been stormed no lives would have been spared.

On the 21st day of September I sent Lieutenant Colonel J. B. Minnis, commanding THIRD Tennessee Cavalry, to scout in the direction of Florence, Ala., with instructions to send me courier in case of meeting the enemy of gathering any information, which he failed to do after having met the enemy at or near Rogersville, thereby leaving me perfectly ignorant and unprepared for approach of such a force.

My force consisted of detachments from the following regiments: One hundred and sixth Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry, 105 men and 4 officers; One hundred and tenth Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry, 233 men and 17 officers; One hundred and eleventh Regiment U. S. Colored Infantry, 80 men and 8 officers; THIRD Regiment Tennessee Cavalry, 120 men and 4 officers. Total, 538 men 33 officers. Number of men unarmed, 140; number of muskets, 398.

I have the honor to be, lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

WALLACE CAMPBELL,

Colonel 110th U. S. Colored Infantry.

Lieutenant J. D. HAZZARD,

Actg. Asst. Adjt. General, U. s. Forces, Pulaski, Tenn.

ADDENDA.

ENTERPRISE, MISS., October 17, 1864.

We, the undersigned officers in the U. S. service, who were surrendered to Major General N. B. Forrest, at Athens, Ala., on the 24th day of September, 1864, by Colonel W. Campbell, commanding the post, feel it incumbent upon us to make known to the public the precise situation of affairs in the fort at the time, in order that the responsibility of the surrender may rest upon the proper persons, and also to place upon record our judgment as to the necessary of the surrender.

The fort was a strong one, well built, 1,350 feet in circumference, 17 feet from t ditch to the top of the parapet, and encircled by both a palisade and an abatis of felled trees. It was considered by inspecting officers to be the strongest work between Nashville and Decatur.

The garrison at the time of surrender consisted of detachments from the One hundred and sixth, One hundred and tenth, and One hundred and eleventh Regiments U. S. Colored Infantry, numbering in the


Page 523 Chapter LI. FORREST'S RAID INTO ALABAMA AND TENNESSEE.