Today in History:

350 Series I Volume XLIX-I Serial 103 - Mobile Bay Campaign Part I

Page 350 KY.,S.W. VA., TENN., N&C C. GA., MISS., ALA., & W. FLA.


HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND,
Office Provost-Marshal-General, Nashville, June 8, 1865.

Respectfully forwarded for the information of the major-general commanding.

J. G. PARKHURST,

Brevet Brigadier-General and Provost-Marshal-General, &c.


No. 2. Reports of Bvt. Major General James H. Wilson, U. S. Army, commanding Cavalry Corps, Military Division of the Mississippi.


HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS, MIL. DIV. OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
Macon, Ga., May 3, 1865.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit, for the information of the major-general commanding, the following summary of operations since leaving the Tennessee River, March 22, 1865:

Upton's division marched by the way of Barton's Station, Russellville, Mount Hope, and Jasper, crossing the two forks of the Black Warrior at dangerous fords on the road to Elyton. Long's division marched by the way of Cherokee Station, Frankfort, Russellville, crossed Bear Creek on the Tuscaloosa road, and thence by Thorn Hill and Jasper to Elyton. McCook pursued the same route to the crossing of Bear Creek, and thence by Tuscaloosa road to Eldridge, Jasper, and Elyton. Upton reached Elyton on the 29th, the other divisions on the next day. The march to this place was extremely difficult and toilsome, country rough and barren, roads, bad, streams swollen, and approaches treacherous. At Jasper, having previously learned that Forrest was moving toward Tuscaloosa, I gave orders to leave the trains in the forks of the Warrior River, under charge of Captain William E. Brown, acting chief quartermaster, and Major Archer, with a guard of dismounted men, directed the troops to push forward with the greatest possible rapidity to Montevallo. March 30, detached Croxton's brigade, of McCook' division, to march rapidly on Tuscaloosa, with instructions to take the place, burn the military school, foundry, stores, and bridges, and rejoin the command near Selma by the way of the Centerville road. March 31, crossed the Cahawba at Hillsborough on the railroad bridges; arrived at Montevallo. Upton's division, having reached there the evening before, destroyed Red Mountain Iron-Works, Cahawba Valley Mills, Bibb Iron-Works, Columbiana, Works, and much valuable property. At 1 p.m., enemy having made his appearance, Upton moved out and attacked, driving him in great confusion, taking nearly 100 prisoners from Roddey's command or Crossland's (Lyon's old) Kentucky brigade. Camped on Six-Mile Creek, ten miles south of Montevallo. April 1, moved at daylight. Upton, in advance, struck the rebels again at Randolph; drove them rapidly back. At 9 a.m. captured couriers with dispatches from Colonel Anderson, of Forrest's staff, to General Jackson, by which I learned that Jackson's division had camped at Scottsville, on the Tuscaloosa and Centerville road, the night before, and that Croxton had reached Trion. Chalmers at Marion, Ala., but ordered to cross Cahawba and put his division between us and Selma. I immediately ordered McCook, with La Grange's brigade, to march as rapidly as possible, seize the Centerville bridge, push on, form a junction with Croxton, and, if possible, break up


Page 350 KY.,S.W. VA., TENN., N&C C. GA., MISS., ALA., & W. FLA.