Today in History:

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

Page 497 WILSON'S RAID - ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.

was soon countermanded by another to charge down the Plantersville road mounted, so the regiment charged through the works and into the city. Upon passing the inner fortifications I found the enemy flying in every direction and firing occasional shots at our column. On reaching the first street running at right angles with the one on which I was moving, I saw a large body of the enemy in the greatest confusion moving off to the right. I directed one squadron to charge into them, and with the remaining force moved rapidly forward to the river and made search for the bridge on which it was supposed the enemy had crossed. Finding that there was no bridge over the river. I dispersed the command,sending it by companies in all directions where I could ascertain that the enemy had fled. The First Battalion, Captain Abraham was directed by General Winslow to move eastward on the Burnsville road. This detachment captured 4 pieces of artillery, 3 caissons, about 200 prisoners, 2 battle-flags, and 1 ambulance. About two miles and a half from the city the enemy attempted to recapture these pieces, and, learning it, I took what troops I could and galloped to Captain Abraham's aid. The enemy was repulsed and the captures returned to the city. The resistance of the enemy when we first entered the city was very slight, no organized force attempting to impede our progress. The fleeing mob fired upon us wildly from all directions, while these chivalrous sons of the Sunny South seemed to vie with each other in making way for the Yankee column. The loss of the regiment after entering the city was 1 man killed (Daniel J. Taber, chief trumpeter) and 8 enlisted men wounded. It is impossible for me, from the confused state of things in the city, to give the exact number of prisoners captured, but from the best information I can gain from company and battalion commanders we took 1,495, including 3 colonels and 76 other commissioned officers. We captured besides 9 pieces of artillery, 8 caissons, 3 battle-flags, 1,100 stand of small-arms, 663 horses, 102 mules, 30 wagons with teams attached, and 3 ambulances. The flags were captured one each by Private Nicholas Fanning, Company B; Private Charles A. Swan, Company K, and Private James P. Miller, Company D. We destroyed by order 500 stand of small-arms, 7 pieces of artillery, 12 caissons and 500 rounds fixed artillery ammunition, and killed by order 300 horses and 80 mules. The Third Battalion, Major Dee, was detailed for provost guard, and the destruction of public property by this detachment was reported by General Winslow, commanding the post.

On the 3rd of April I marched with the First and Second Battalions with the brigade to the Cahawba River at Johnson's Ferry, and thence east by Perryville, reconnoitering the country between the Cahawba and Alabama Rivers, fur days and marching ninety miles. On the 7th of April, by order of the brigade commander, I sent a detachment of sixty men, under Lieutenant J. T. Reynolds, which was joined by a small detachment of the Third Iowa Cavalry, and marched to Johnson's and Fike's Ferries, on the Cahawba. At Fike's Ferry this force had a spirited skirmish with 200 of the enemy and drove them and drove the across the river, capturing twenty-four horses and equipments. Here Private, J. T. Mendenhall, Company L, was severely wounded in the face. On the 9th of April the regiment crossed the Alabama River by a pontoon bridge and marched with the army to Montgomery, occupying that city on the 13th. On the 14th Companies H and M, under Captain F. S. Whiting, were ordered to move up the river and destroy certain bridges over the Tallapoosa, if possible to reach it. While reconnoitering the Coosa River, he with a detachment of the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry, surprised three

32 R R-VOL XLIX, PT I


Page 497 WILSON'S RAID - ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.