Forrest at Columbia Nov 1864 - Page 3

ole · #21 02-05-2007, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Hood has not even crossed the Tennessee River yet (well, I think he has a beachhead on the North side, but he is still encamped, trying to gather troops and supplies).

By October 30th, S.D. Lee occupied Florence; however, he didn't get his Corps across the river until the 2nd. It was the 20th before the last of the AoT was across the Tennessee.
Ole

larry_cockerham · #22 02-05-2007, 11:01 PM

On November 9, the pontoon bridge at Tuscumbia-Florence was knocked out by rising water and could not be repaired until the 12th when Gen. Frank Cheatham's Corps prepared to cross on the 13th. Forrest's cavalry began arriving in Florence on the 14th just as the rain began again. On November 18th Beauregard moved from Florence to Montgomery after laying plans with Hood. On November 19, General Stewart's Corps still unable to cross the river. On November 20, 1864 Hood's three corps of nearly 30,000 and Gen. W. H. Jackson's cavalry of 2,000 successfully crossed and were joined by Forrest and his cavalry of 3,000 who had camped at Shoal's Creek. Cheatham's Corps began the 'invasion' of Tennessee on the morning of November 21 closely followed by the rest of the AOT using the old military road, heading for Waynesboro and Lawrenceburg on the way to Columbia.

ole · #23 02-06-2007, 01:10 AM

Larry:
When you say the "old military road," what road do you mean? There is a road from Florence to Waynesboro and another to Lawrenceburg. According to Eric, Cheatham took the western road (Waynesboro) and Stewart took the eastern (Lawrenceburg). But Lee took a rural road (apparently too rural to show on any maps) that ended in Henryville (just this side of Mt. Pleasant).

Have you heard of seen evidence of this road? It's not in my Official Atlas, and I was trying to trace the routes and stopping points for the Corps during the Nashville Campaign.

Ole

larry_cockerham · #24 02-06-2007, 07:44 AM

The old military road was the eastern road, known as Jackson's (Andrew) Military Road since he had it built with federal funds. It is now known as Alabama highway 47 on a line from central Florence through the little community of St. Florian and then following the route of US 43 to Lawrenceburg. That was the route followed by Stewart and Lee. The other route that Cheatham found a bit muddier was probably Alabama 20 going more or less straight north from Florence towards Waynesboro, a bit out of the way. I guess 30,000 men with horses and wagons would have made one lane a bit crowded.

trice · #25 02-06-2007, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard

So in other words, Hood got out of the frying pan and jumped into the meat grinder.

Pretty much.

By moving himself so far West, he created great logistical problems and granted Sherman/Thomas/Grant time to arrange their campaigns and affairs. If he had been able to cross where he originally told Beauregard (up close to Chattanooga, somewhere around Oct 10-12, IIRR), things might have been very interesting for a while.

By the time he was close to ready to act where he went, he was superfluous.

Regards,
Tim

EricJacobson · #26 02-06-2007, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ole

Larry:
When you say the "old military road," what road do you mean? There is a road from Florence to Waynesboro and another to Lawrenceburg. According to Eric, Cheatham took the western road (Waynesboro) and Stewart took the eastern (Lawrenceburg). But Lee took a rural road (apparently too rural to show on any maps) that ended in Henryville (just this side of Mt. Pleasant).

Have you heard of seen evidence of this road? It's not in my Official Atlas, and I was trying to trace the routes and stopping points for the Corps during the Nashville Campaign.

Ole

Ole,

Check out OR 45, pt. 1, p. 669. The routes of the three corps are mentioned separately. Lee and Stewart were not traveling on the same road. Lee was moving on what was called the Chisem Road.

Eric

ole · #27 02-06-2007, 09:52 PM

Thanks, Eric. Will read that and try to find a map showing it. (That was probably in a footnote, wasn't it?)
Ole

larry_cockerham · #28 02-06-2007, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry_cockerham

The old military road was the eastern road, known as Jackson's (Andrew) Military Road since he had it built with federal funds. It is now known as Alabama highway 47 on a line from central Florence through the little community of St. Florian and then following the route of US 43 to Lawrenceburg. That was the route followed by Stewart and Lee. The other route that Cheatham found a bit muddier was probably Alabama 20 going more or less straight north from Florence towards Waynesboro, a bit out of the way. I guess 30,000 men with horses and wagons would have made one lane a bit crowded.

Let me pull my arthritic fingers out of my butt and correct this as per Eric's eagle eye.

From the journal of the Army of Tennessee..... Lee's Corps used the Chisem road [Eric, can you locate that one?] and Stewart, the Lawrenceburg Road. Cheatham used the Lawrenceburg Road.

Forrest sent Chalmers to West Point, Kelly's Forge, Henryville and Mt. Pleasant. Buford and Jackson moved up the military road to Lawrenceburg before diverting towards Pulaski. Heavy skirmishing by Forrest's guys against Edward Hatch. [as per Forrest's and Thomas' reports]

November 24:

Army headquarters nine miles south of Mount Pleasant, on the Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant Road. Cheatham's Corps continued the march on the Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant Road, camping twelve miles south of Henryville, in the rear of Lee's Corps, which came into Waynesborough and Mt. Pleasant Road from Pinhook (a country road). Stewart's corps camped in rear of Cheathams's corps, having also come into Waynesborough and mount Pleasant road from the Waterloo and Lawrenceburg road. Buford and Jackson's cavalry brigades were approaching Lynnville. Jackson encountered Hatch's Cavalry at Campbellsville. Hatch withdrew and moved to eight miles northeast of Columbia.

November 25 - Army headquarters at Mt. Pleasant. Lee's corps camped just beyond town on Columbia Road; Cheatham's corps, five miles south of town and Stewart's corps at Henryville.

These corps and brigades were moving across a path perhaps fifteen miles in width on their movement toward Mt. Pleasant and Columbia as a common destination. Crossing the Duck river was the next big challenge and spots were limited, though Forrest apparently found at least three crossing sites. That was going to be more of a challenge in December on the trip south.

larry_cockerham · #29 02-07-2007, 09:35 AM

I wrote the following previously:

"From the journal of the Army of Tennessee..... Lee's Corps used the Chisem road [Eric, can you locate that one?] and Stewart, the Lawrenceburg Road. Cheatham used the Lawrenceburg Road."

Chisolm Road is still very much evident on the map of Florence, Alabama and is the central northern route (almost due north from downtown) which is now Alabama highway 17 (number switches to 13 at the Tennessee line). This road is likely the direct path to Waynesborough that Lee's corps would have followed. Good soft soil. Must have been a muddy mess.

ole · #30 02-07-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Cheatham used the Lawrenceburg Road.

I'll guess that you meant the Waynesborough Road. I do the same sort of thing with frequency increasing in direct proportion to the number of years.

Quote:

This road is likely the direct path to Waynesborough that Lee's corps would have followed.

Haven't read the OR report on this, but my understanding is that the Chisolm Road went more or less directly to Henryville. Will be consulting the Alabama and Tennessee "DeLorme" topos to recreate that road in the OR Atlas. Thanks so much.
Ole