Forrest "Forrest at Parker's Crossroads" by John Paul Strain

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Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Honored Fallen Comrade
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Dec 3, 2011
Location
Laurinburg NC
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December 18, 1862 – Confederate cavalry leader General Nathan Bedford Forrest routs a Union force under the command of Colonel Robert Ingersoll on a raid into western Tennessee, an area held by the Union.

With the main Union army in the region occupying northern Mississippi, General Braxton Bragg ordered Forrest to cut the Federal supply lines in Tennessee. Forrest left Columbia, Tennessee, on December 11 and began crossing the Tennessee River on December 13. On December 16, Union General Jeremiah Sullivan dispatched Ingersoll and 200 men from Jackson to Lexington, where Ingersoll picked up 470 reinforcements. Most of the troops were raw recruits with no combat experience.

On December 17, Ingersoll’s scouts detected more than half of Forrest’s 2,500 men approaching Lexington from the south. Ingersoll guessed that Forrest would attack along one of two main roads, Old Stage Road and Lower Road. To impede the Confederate advance, Ingersoll ordered the destruction of a bridge across Beech Creek along Lower Road. He then concentrated the bulk of his force along Old Stage Road. Forrest pulled his force up to Lexington, but did not attack until December 18.

In the morning, Forrest advanced along Lower Road. Ingersoll’s scouts had failed to eliminate the bridge the day before, leaving the Confederates a clear path towards the smaller part of Ingersoll’s command. The Yankees swung around to stop the attack, but it was too late. Forrest’s troops overwhelmed the panicked Federals and captured 147 men, including Ingersoll. The rest of the Union force scattered into the countryside. Forrest also captured two artillery pieces, 70 horses, many rifles, and supplies. Forrest continued to Jackson, but found the city well defended. He continued his raid into Kentucky, destroying bridges and hampering supplies to the Union armies in Mississippi.

Artwork - "Forrest at Parker's Crossroads" by John Paul Strain
 
Parker's Crossroads is worth a visit if you in the Memphis area. I-40 pretty much bisects the battlefield and the exit is right along the western edge. I visited in 2007 and am aware they've added to the site since. Civil War Trust has been instrumental in saving quite a bit of the property and it is administered by the Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Association which has laid out pretty decent walking and driving tours.

http://www.parkerscrossroads.com/
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/parker-s-cross-roads.html
 
I have a soldier's CSR for Dibrell's Cav showing he was reimbursed $210 for a horse killed there on Dec 31, 1862. Was there any after action going on that late?
 
I have a soldier's CSR for Dibrell's Cav showing he was reimbursed $210 for a horse killed there on Dec 31, 1862. Was there any after action going on that late?

The battle took place on the 31st. I remember pretty distinctly because it was the same day as Stones River. If I'm wrong please correct me.
 
The battle took place on the 31st. I remember pretty distinctly because it was the same day as Stones River. If I'm wrong please correct me.
That sounds right, but notice the description of the painting says it started on the 18th. ?
 
The action described above is the Battle of Lexington which occurred December 18, 1862. The Battle of Parker's Crossroad occurred on the 31st. Both were part of Forrest's West Tennessee Raid of December, 1862. At Parker's Crossroads Forrest was attacking the Union brigade of Colonel Cyrus Dunham when he was surprised by a second Union brigade commanded by Colonel John Fuller attacking him from behind. Forrest's response was "Charge ’em both ways”. His troops pushed back Fuller and moved around Dunham's already battered forces to reach and cross the Tennessee River.
 
Quoting from Wikipedia.

The Battle of Parker's Cross Roads was fought on December 31, 1862, during General Forrest's return trip.

As Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's expedition into West Tennessee neared its conclusion, Union Brig. Gen. Jeremiah C. Sullivan, with the brigades of Cols. Cyrus L. Dunham and John W. Fuller, attempted to cut Forrest off from withdrawing across the Tennessee River.

Dunham's and Forrest's march routes brought them into contact at Parker's Crossroads on December 31, 1862. Skirmishing began about 9:00 a.m., with Forrest taking an initial position along a wooded ridge northwest of Dunham at the intersection. Confederate artillery gained an early advantage. Dunham pulled his brigade back a half mile and redeployed, facing north. His Federals repelled frontal feints until attacked on both flanks and rear by Forrest's mounted and dismounted troops.

During a lull, Forrest sent Dunham a demand for an unconditional surrender. Dunham refused and was preparing for Forrest's next attack when Fuller's Union brigade arrived from the north and surprised the Confederates with an attack on their rear; Confederate security detachments had failed to warn of Fuller's approach. "Charge 'em both ways," ordered Forrest. The Confederates briefly reversed front, repelled Fuller, then rushed past Dunham's demoralized force and withdrew south to Lexington, Tennessee.
 
Parker's Crossroads is worth a visit if you in the Memphis area. I-40 pretty much bisects the battlefield and the exit is right along the western edge. I visited in 2007 and am aware they've added to the site since. Civil War Trust has been instrumental in saving quite a bit of the property and it is administered by the Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Association which has laid out pretty decent walking and driving tours.

http://www.parkerscrossroads.com/
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/parker-s-cross-roads.html

I will be visiting this battlefield in early August before I head south to the Shiloh National Military Park.

I just downloaded the tour stop PDF file.

How is the visitor center and battlefield tour?

Bill
 
Blue &Gray Magazine had a really good issue on Parkers Crossroads.The article was written by Ed Bearrs.The general's tour is especially helpful if one is going to visit the battlefied and surrounding area.The issue was the fall issue of 2003.

I can't find a copy on the net.....
 
I will be visiting this battlefield in early August before I head south to the Shiloh National Military Park.

I just downloaded the tour stop PDF file.

How is the visitor center and battlefield tour?

Bill

The Visitor Center wasn't built when I was there so I can't give you any information about it. The walking tour was south of I-40 and was quite well marked and informative.
 
Love that picture! Forrest at his best - charged both ways and withdrew sideways! That was how he kept his guns. The horse he was riding was Roderick and it saved his life - he had to dodge across a piece of slippery ridge in front of the enemy to get to his own lines and wouldn't have made it if he'd not been on Roderick. Even the Union soldiers were admiring the feat!
 
Incidentally, this was the only time Forrest was captured. The lines were spectacularly close in places and he rounded some thick brush right into half a dozen Federal gun barrels. They knew who they had and demanded surrender. Forrest said, "Let me get my men." He rode right off, never to return. I've wondered if Ingersoll, sitting with the other prisoners, knew anything about that incident...considering Forrest's capture or death was the objective of his operation!
 
The Visitor Center is an Eastern National building off Route 22 south of the the I-40 exit. This replaces the older one which I believe was the McPeake cabin along one of the two main trails and is the one featured in the Blue & Gray issue.
Civil War Trust purchased the field where Forrest "Charge(d) them both ways" around 2011 but it was not accessible in 2012. That field is along the north side of I-40 (the yellow area on the CWT map posted above). I posted a panorama of it on HMDB here:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=72369
 
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The Visitor Center is an Eastern National building off Route 22 south of the the I-40 exit. This replaces the older one which I believe was the McPeake cabin along one of the two main trails and is the one featured in the Blue & Gray issue.
Civil War Trust purchased the field where Forrest "Charge(d) them both ways" around 2011 but it was not accessible in 2012. That field is along the north side of I-40 (the yellow area on the CWT map posted above). I posted a panorama of it on HMDB here:
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=72369

After doing a little research on this battlefield and tour stops last night, I would say this tour (new visitor center, tour stops and walking the North and South loops) would take about 2 1/2 hours to complete.
 
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