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A Bluff Beats a Streight: The Surrender at Cedar Bluff
It had been about 17 days since Col Abel D Streight and his "mule brigade" boarded steamboats at Nashville and headed to Eastport MS. The mission was simple: Cross northern Alabama - recruiting Union sympathizers along the way. Destroy the Cornwall Furnace in Cherokee County, AL the Noble Ironworks in Rome, GA and anything else along the way that could aid the Confederate war effort.
After a three day "running fight" over difficult terrain, bad roads, and fewer Union sympathizers than anticipated, Streight was demoralized. He had the advantage of numbers - 1500 to 600, but he didnt know it. His brigade had been without sleep for several nights - harassed at every turn by Nathan Bedford Forrest's men, leading him to believe he was badly outnumbered.
Approaching Gadsden, AL on May 2, 1863, Streights men found the bridge out and were forced to swim/wade across Big Wills Creek. Black Powder got wet, mules spooked and ran off with supplies, and haversacks were lost.
Further on at Gadsden, Streight was almost able to give Forrest "the slip" at Black Creek. Streights men and mules crossed ahead of Bedford Forrest and torched the only bridge for several miles. Streight hoped that this would give his men time to rest and feed. But alas, luck was with Forrest in the form of 15 yo Emma Sansom. Disregarding danger, the young girl swung up behind Forrest on his horse and proceeded to direct him to a ford where the cattle crossed. In short order, Forrests men were pressing Streight's rear guard.
At the Blount Plantation, the Mule Brigade was quickly in trouble again when the men reported that ammunition and powder had been lost at Wills Creek and what was saved was wet and unusable. Streight was devastated by the loss of Colonel Gilbert Hathaway (73rd IN.) Hathaway was struck by a bullet from one of Forrest's snipers. Streight would say, "His loss to me was irreparable. His men almost worshiped him and when he fell, it cast a deep gloom of despondency over his regiment.....We remained in ambush but a short time. I then decided to withdraw as quietly as possible."
Further on toward Rome and still without sleep, Streight's men became hopelessly lost in the dark in an area of cutover timber and coaling. Finally, on the morning of May 3, 1863, reaching an area 3 1/2 miles east of Cedar Bluff, AL, Streight had no choice but to allow his men to stop and rest. They had just dismounted when Forrest's men were seen in the distance. Most of Streight's men were likely already asleep. A courier arrived, under flag of truce, bearing a note from Forrest demanding immediate surrender, "to prevent the further effusion of blood." Although Streight did not immediately agree to surrender, he did agree to speak with Forrest.
During the conference, on the south side of a knoll, another courier rode up and stated that General VanDorn was within 1/2 mile with a division and awaiting orders. Forrest responded that they should await his signal gun whereupon a charge should be executed. Just as this courier rode off, another arrived stating that General Roddy was present and awaiting orders. He received the same instructions. (Neither VanDorn or Roddy were in the State of AL at the time, let alone anywhere nearby.)
In the meantime, Forrests men paraded cannon out of the woods, from one direction behind the knoll, then reversed and came out the same side. Then entered again, and exited on the other side. They did this repeatedly, thus giving the impression (at least from where Streight stood) that there were thousands of Confederates and many cannon.
Streight reportedly said something to the effect of this, "In the name of God! How many cannon do you have? I have counted 15 already." To which Forrest is reported to have replied, "I reckon that is all that has kept up."
Believing that he was surrounded by a much larger force, Streight agreed to surrender to Forrest's much smaller force.
Monument at the Surrender site located on Hwy 9 about 3 miles East of Cedar Bluff AL
Colonel Abel D. Streight surrendered his M1848 Artillery Sword to Forrest at Cedar Bluff AL on May 3, 1863. The sword now resides at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
It had been about 17 days since Col Abel D Streight and his "mule brigade" boarded steamboats at Nashville and headed to Eastport MS. The mission was simple: Cross northern Alabama - recruiting Union sympathizers along the way. Destroy the Cornwall Furnace in Cherokee County, AL the Noble Ironworks in Rome, GA and anything else along the way that could aid the Confederate war effort.
After a three day "running fight" over difficult terrain, bad roads, and fewer Union sympathizers than anticipated, Streight was demoralized. He had the advantage of numbers - 1500 to 600, but he didnt know it. His brigade had been without sleep for several nights - harassed at every turn by Nathan Bedford Forrest's men, leading him to believe he was badly outnumbered.
Approaching Gadsden, AL on May 2, 1863, Streights men found the bridge out and were forced to swim/wade across Big Wills Creek. Black Powder got wet, mules spooked and ran off with supplies, and haversacks were lost.
Further on at Gadsden, Streight was almost able to give Forrest "the slip" at Black Creek. Streights men and mules crossed ahead of Bedford Forrest and torched the only bridge for several miles. Streight hoped that this would give his men time to rest and feed. But alas, luck was with Forrest in the form of 15 yo Emma Sansom. Disregarding danger, the young girl swung up behind Forrest on his horse and proceeded to direct him to a ford where the cattle crossed. In short order, Forrests men were pressing Streight's rear guard.
At the Blount Plantation, the Mule Brigade was quickly in trouble again when the men reported that ammunition and powder had been lost at Wills Creek and what was saved was wet and unusable. Streight was devastated by the loss of Colonel Gilbert Hathaway (73rd IN.) Hathaway was struck by a bullet from one of Forrest's snipers. Streight would say, "His loss to me was irreparable. His men almost worshiped him and when he fell, it cast a deep gloom of despondency over his regiment.....We remained in ambush but a short time. I then decided to withdraw as quietly as possible."
Further on toward Rome and still without sleep, Streight's men became hopelessly lost in the dark in an area of cutover timber and coaling. Finally, on the morning of May 3, 1863, reaching an area 3 1/2 miles east of Cedar Bluff, AL, Streight had no choice but to allow his men to stop and rest. They had just dismounted when Forrest's men were seen in the distance. Most of Streight's men were likely already asleep. A courier arrived, under flag of truce, bearing a note from Forrest demanding immediate surrender, "to prevent the further effusion of blood." Although Streight did not immediately agree to surrender, he did agree to speak with Forrest.
During the conference, on the south side of a knoll, another courier rode up and stated that General VanDorn was within 1/2 mile with a division and awaiting orders. Forrest responded that they should await his signal gun whereupon a charge should be executed. Just as this courier rode off, another arrived stating that General Roddy was present and awaiting orders. He received the same instructions. (Neither VanDorn or Roddy were in the State of AL at the time, let alone anywhere nearby.)
In the meantime, Forrests men paraded cannon out of the woods, from one direction behind the knoll, then reversed and came out the same side. Then entered again, and exited on the other side. They did this repeatedly, thus giving the impression (at least from where Streight stood) that there were thousands of Confederates and many cannon.
Streight reportedly said something to the effect of this, "In the name of God! How many cannon do you have? I have counted 15 already." To which Forrest is reported to have replied, "I reckon that is all that has kept up."
Believing that he was surrounded by a much larger force, Streight agreed to surrender to Forrest's much smaller force.
Forrest reveled in his hard earned triumph. "I ordered my men to come up and take possession of the arms. When Streight saw they were barely six hundred, boy did he rear! Demanded to have his arms back and that we should fight it out.I just laughed and patted him on the shoulder......'Ah Colonel. All's fair, in love and war, you know.'"
https://books.google.com/books?id=nauAFl2QE9YC&lpg=PP1&dq=Those **** Horse Soldiers: True Tales of the Civil War Cavalry&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Those **** Horse Soldiers: True Tales of the Civil War Cavalry&f=falseMonument at the Surrender site located on Hwy 9 about 3 miles East of Cedar Bluff AL
Colonel Abel D. Streight surrendered his M1848 Artillery Sword to Forrest at Cedar Bluff AL on May 3, 1863. The sword now resides at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
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7th Mississippi....I wouldn't even play Go Fish with Forrest!
He made good rocking chairs after the war, though...
)
Dodge was supporting the raid in Alabama by keeping Roddey busy - he had hoped it would be Forrest but Forrest didn't take the bait. He knew he was being offered a choice of going after Grierson or going after Streight. Grant and Sherman were pretty good at giving Forrest devil-or-the-deep-blue-sea choices to keep him out of their way.
Bringing the