- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Location
- Collierville, TN
The 3rd of November is the anniversary of the 2nd Battle of Collierville, TN.
During the CWT Vicksburg Tour, I got a chance to describe the Battle of Collierville that took place on 11 October 1863. Well this is about the 2nd battle. For a long time, the National Park Service's list of battles only included the 2nd battle and omitted any mention of the first battle in October that threatened the capture of General Sherman.
NPS has changed their site and added new text that does mention other battles/skirmishes at Collierville. The text opens with this statement:
"Four minor battles occurred in 1863 at Collierville, Tennessee, during a three-month period."
Further down, the write-up refers to the 1st battle:
"Chalmers, as he had done only three weeks earlier, attacked from the south."
NPS Link
Here is a brief, but detailed, overview of the 2nd Battle of Collierville.
After the first battle of Collierville, General Sherman began ordering the men guarding the M&C RR to be sent to Chattanooga. General Chalmers received intelligence reports only one regiment was left to guard the M&C RR at Collierville. For the second time in 3 weeks, General Chalmers ordered his cavalry division to advance from Oxford and attack the town. Chalmers started out with 3 cavalry brigades. He was so sure of the victory and wanted to trap the Union troops, that he left one brigade and his artillery in the rear and ordered an immediate attack on the earthen fort, north of the RR.
CONFEDERATE Forces: General James R. Chalmers {I am missing some of the units}
<> McCulloch's Brigade – Col. Robert "Black Bob" McCulloch
. . . . . 1st Mississippi Partisans, Lieutenant-Colonel Hovis
. . . . . 18th Mississippi Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Chalmers (general's brother)
<> Selmon's Brigade – Col. W. F. Slemons
. . . . 5th Mississippi Cavalry – Col. James Z. George
. . . . 3rd Mississippi Cavalry - Col. James A. Barksdale
. . . . 2nd Arkansas Cavalry
<> Richardson's Brigade – Col. J. J. Neely - diverted against other Union cavalry in the area.
Confederate Report stated:
On October 26, I received a telegram from General Johnston notifying me that Sherman was moving east, and ordering me to harass his rear and break the railroad behind him. I replied by telegraph, that the road could by most seriously injured between La Grange and Corinth, but that the enemy could concentrate there more troops and faster than I could, and suggested that I could make a demonstration on Germantown or Collierville, which would draw the enemy's cavalry from the road between La Grange and Corinth, and that I would order Colonel Richardson with his brigade to watch his opportunity and tear up the road as soon as it was vacated. Major-General Gholson, of the Mississippi Militia, was requested by me to co-operate with Colonel Richardson, and very promptly agreed to do so. My ammunition had not been replenished since my last forward movement, and the waters of the Tallahatchie were then up so high that I was compelled to build two floating bridges to cross it. This prevented me from moving earlier, but on the morning of November 1 my whole command was put in motion. Colonel Slemons' brigade encamped that night at Looxahoma, McCulloch at Ingram's Mill, and Richardson at Cherry Creek.
On the night of the 2nd{November 1863}, I concentrated Slemons' and McCulloch's commands at Anderson's house, between the fork of Pigeon Roost and Coldwater, 16 miles from Germantown and 19 form Collierville, threatening both places. Major Mitchell, with two companies of the Eighteenth Mississippi Battalion, had been sent forward on the evening before, and drove in the enemy's pickets at Quinn's Mill, expecting that they would cross Coldwater in force the next day after him, and we were in a good position to cut them off had they attempted it, but they did not. Before leaving camp I had ordered Captain Henderson to keep scouts in Holly Springs and Hernando, and also on the railroad and State line road, with instructions to report instantly any movement of troops, and to cut the telegraph wires.
The scouts from near Germantown and Collierville reported on the night of the 2nd that the enemy was evacuating the railroad; that the infantry had all been taken away, and that there was only one regiment of cavalry at Germantown and one at Collierville [the Sixth and Seventh Illinois Cavalry]. Supposing that the scouts were on the State line road as ordered, and having heard nothing from them of any movement of troops from Memphis or La Grange, and feeling able to encounter, even behind entrenchments the two regiments of cavalry, I changed my plan and determined to attack Collierville.
Starting before day on the morning of the 3rd, we crossed Coldwater below Quinn's Mill; moved in rear of the pickets and cut them off, killing 2, wounding 4 too severely to move, and capturing a lieutenant and 26 men. This was about 10 o'clock, and we moved thence by two roads [Slemons on the western and McCulloch on the eastern road] to Collierville. The citizens up to within a mile of the place confirmed the statement of Henderson's scouts, that there was but one regiment at Collierville; and believing that if that were true the enemy would skirmish with me until re-enforcement could arrive, I ordered a charge to take the place by assault.
General Chalmers' information on the strength of the Union forces were inaccurate; there was not 1 regiment guarding the town. The 7th Illinois Cavalry were defending from the small earth fort, armed with 2 mountain howitzers. More of Colonel Hatch's cavalry brigade were arriving in town with two additional artillery pieces.
UNION Forces: 3rd Brigade of Cavalry, XVI Army Corps – CO: Col. Edward Hatch
. . . . 7th Illinois Cavalry, 8 companies – Col. George W. Trafton
. . . . 2nd Iowa Cavalry - Lieut-Col. William Peters Hepburn
. . . . 2nd Tennessee Cavalry(battalion)
. . . . 1st Illinois Light Artillery.
- Approximately 850 men -
More from Confederate reports:
This was about 10 o'clock, and we moved thence by two roads [Slemons on the western and McCulloch on the eastern road] to Collierville. The citizens up to within a mile of the place confirmed the statement of Henderson's scouts, that there was but one regiment at Collierville; and believing that if that were true the enemy would skirmish with me until re-enforcement could arrive, I ordered a charge to take the place by assault. Colonel Slemons moving on the left, and McCulloch on the left, charged up very gallantly. But we discovered at the first fire that the enemy were in position with infantry, artillery, and cavalry, and I determined at once to draw off as soon as we could do so successfully, and for this purpose ordered McCulloch's brigade to dismount and skirmish with the enemy until Slemons could be formed in his rear to cover his retreat.
Slemon's brigade lead the charge with the 5th Mississippi Cavalry out front. The 2nd Iowa Cavalry fell in behind the RR embankment and waited for the Confederate charge to get close. They sprung and fired 5 volleys from their Colt Rifles. The only enemy to reach the RR embankment was Colonel George and two officers.
Note: Colonel J. Z. George had previously served as the Adjutant General of Mississippi and was referred to by both sides as "General".
Excerpts from: "The Second Iowa Cavalry" by Sgt Lyman B. Pierce, 1865
The Federal reported their losses were 5 KIA, 12 WIA and 20 MIA. They reported the enemy left 41 dead on the field, and they took 50 prisoners with an estimated 200 enemy wounded. Many Union and Southern, as well as newspapers, reported one Confederate general captured.
The Confederates reported 69 KIA and WIA and 26 MIA from the two brigades. (this count may include the totals for the entire raid)
Participants:
General James R. Chalmers -- Continued to command cavalry division under General Forrest. After the war, he was a lawyer and a state senator for Mississippi and a US congressman.
Colonel Edward Hatch -- Seriously wounded on 4 December 1863 at Battle of Moscow, TN, and was not expected to live. Recovered and returned to lead cavalry again. Post war commander of the 9th US Cavalry Regiment. Commander of the district of New Mexico and became known as an Indian fighter.
Colonel James Z. George -- Remained a Prisoner for the rest of the war. Originally served in the Mexican War under Colonel Jefferson Davis. After the war, he represented Mississippi in the US Senate where he was recognized for his debate skills and helped frame the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. His statue is one of two statues in the Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection representing leaders from Mississippi.
Tablet erected in the town as part of the State's Civil War Trails.
During the CWT Vicksburg Tour, I got a chance to describe the Battle of Collierville that took place on 11 October 1863. Well this is about the 2nd battle. For a long time, the National Park Service's list of battles only included the 2nd battle and omitted any mention of the first battle in October that threatened the capture of General Sherman.
NPS has changed their site and added new text that does mention other battles/skirmishes at Collierville. The text opens with this statement:
"Four minor battles occurred in 1863 at Collierville, Tennessee, during a three-month period."
Further down, the write-up refers to the 1st battle:
"Chalmers, as he had done only three weeks earlier, attacked from the south."
NPS Link
Here is a brief, but detailed, overview of the 2nd Battle of Collierville.
After the first battle of Collierville, General Sherman began ordering the men guarding the M&C RR to be sent to Chattanooga. General Chalmers received intelligence reports only one regiment was left to guard the M&C RR at Collierville. For the second time in 3 weeks, General Chalmers ordered his cavalry division to advance from Oxford and attack the town. Chalmers started out with 3 cavalry brigades. He was so sure of the victory and wanted to trap the Union troops, that he left one brigade and his artillery in the rear and ordered an immediate attack on the earthen fort, north of the RR.
CONFEDERATE Forces: General James R. Chalmers {I am missing some of the units}
<> McCulloch's Brigade – Col. Robert "Black Bob" McCulloch
. . . . . 1st Mississippi Partisans, Lieutenant-Colonel Hovis
. . . . . 18th Mississippi Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Chalmers (general's brother)
<> Selmon's Brigade – Col. W. F. Slemons
. . . . 5th Mississippi Cavalry – Col. James Z. George
. . . . 3rd Mississippi Cavalry - Col. James A. Barksdale
. . . . 2nd Arkansas Cavalry
<> Richardson's Brigade – Col. J. J. Neely - diverted against other Union cavalry in the area.
Confederate Report stated:
On October 26, I received a telegram from General Johnston notifying me that Sherman was moving east, and ordering me to harass his rear and break the railroad behind him. I replied by telegraph, that the road could by most seriously injured between La Grange and Corinth, but that the enemy could concentrate there more troops and faster than I could, and suggested that I could make a demonstration on Germantown or Collierville, which would draw the enemy's cavalry from the road between La Grange and Corinth, and that I would order Colonel Richardson with his brigade to watch his opportunity and tear up the road as soon as it was vacated. Major-General Gholson, of the Mississippi Militia, was requested by me to co-operate with Colonel Richardson, and very promptly agreed to do so. My ammunition had not been replenished since my last forward movement, and the waters of the Tallahatchie were then up so high that I was compelled to build two floating bridges to cross it. This prevented me from moving earlier, but on the morning of November 1 my whole command was put in motion. Colonel Slemons' brigade encamped that night at Looxahoma, McCulloch at Ingram's Mill, and Richardson at Cherry Creek.
On the night of the 2nd{November 1863}, I concentrated Slemons' and McCulloch's commands at Anderson's house, between the fork of Pigeon Roost and Coldwater, 16 miles from Germantown and 19 form Collierville, threatening both places. Major Mitchell, with two companies of the Eighteenth Mississippi Battalion, had been sent forward on the evening before, and drove in the enemy's pickets at Quinn's Mill, expecting that they would cross Coldwater in force the next day after him, and we were in a good position to cut them off had they attempted it, but they did not. Before leaving camp I had ordered Captain Henderson to keep scouts in Holly Springs and Hernando, and also on the railroad and State line road, with instructions to report instantly any movement of troops, and to cut the telegraph wires.
The scouts from near Germantown and Collierville reported on the night of the 2nd that the enemy was evacuating the railroad; that the infantry had all been taken away, and that there was only one regiment of cavalry at Germantown and one at Collierville [the Sixth and Seventh Illinois Cavalry]. Supposing that the scouts were on the State line road as ordered, and having heard nothing from them of any movement of troops from Memphis or La Grange, and feeling able to encounter, even behind entrenchments the two regiments of cavalry, I changed my plan and determined to attack Collierville.
Starting before day on the morning of the 3rd, we crossed Coldwater below Quinn's Mill; moved in rear of the pickets and cut them off, killing 2, wounding 4 too severely to move, and capturing a lieutenant and 26 men. This was about 10 o'clock, and we moved thence by two roads [Slemons on the western and McCulloch on the eastern road] to Collierville. The citizens up to within a mile of the place confirmed the statement of Henderson's scouts, that there was but one regiment at Collierville; and believing that if that were true the enemy would skirmish with me until re-enforcement could arrive, I ordered a charge to take the place by assault.
General Chalmers' information on the strength of the Union forces were inaccurate; there was not 1 regiment guarding the town. The 7th Illinois Cavalry were defending from the small earth fort, armed with 2 mountain howitzers. More of Colonel Hatch's cavalry brigade were arriving in town with two additional artillery pieces.
UNION Forces: 3rd Brigade of Cavalry, XVI Army Corps – CO: Col. Edward Hatch
. . . . 7th Illinois Cavalry, 8 companies – Col. George W. Trafton
. . . . 2nd Iowa Cavalry - Lieut-Col. William Peters Hepburn
. . . . 2nd Tennessee Cavalry(battalion)
. . . . 1st Illinois Light Artillery.
- Approximately 850 men -
More from Confederate reports:
This was about 10 o'clock, and we moved thence by two roads [Slemons on the western and McCulloch on the eastern road] to Collierville. The citizens up to within a mile of the place confirmed the statement of Henderson's scouts, that there was but one regiment at Collierville; and believing that if that were true the enemy would skirmish with me until re-enforcement could arrive, I ordered a charge to take the place by assault. Colonel Slemons moving on the left, and McCulloch on the left, charged up very gallantly. But we discovered at the first fire that the enemy were in position with infantry, artillery, and cavalry, and I determined at once to draw off as soon as we could do so successfully, and for this purpose ordered McCulloch's brigade to dismount and skirmish with the enemy until Slemons could be formed in his rear to cover his retreat.
Slemon's brigade lead the charge with the 5th Mississippi Cavalry out front. The 2nd Iowa Cavalry fell in behind the RR embankment and waited for the Confederate charge to get close. They sprung and fired 5 volleys from their Colt Rifles. The only enemy to reach the RR embankment was Colonel George and two officers.
Note: Colonel J. Z. George had previously served as the Adjutant General of Mississippi and was referred to by both sides as "General".
Excerpts from: "The Second Iowa Cavalry" by Sgt Lyman B. Pierce, 1865
The Federal reported their losses were 5 KIA, 12 WIA and 20 MIA. They reported the enemy left 41 dead on the field, and they took 50 prisoners with an estimated 200 enemy wounded. Many Union and Southern, as well as newspapers, reported one Confederate general captured.
The Confederates reported 69 KIA and WIA and 26 MIA from the two brigades. (this count may include the totals for the entire raid)
Participants:
General James R. Chalmers -- Continued to command cavalry division under General Forrest. After the war, he was a lawyer and a state senator for Mississippi and a US congressman.
Colonel Edward Hatch -- Seriously wounded on 4 December 1863 at Battle of Moscow, TN, and was not expected to live. Recovered and returned to lead cavalry again. Post war commander of the 9th US Cavalry Regiment. Commander of the district of New Mexico and became known as an Indian fighter.
Colonel James Z. George -- Remained a Prisoner for the rest of the war. Originally served in the Mexican War under Colonel Jefferson Davis. After the war, he represented Mississippi in the US Senate where he was recognized for his debate skills and helped frame the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. His statue is one of two statues in the Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection representing leaders from Mississippi.
Tablet erected in the town as part of the State's Civil War Trails.
Bringing the