According to the report submitted by Col. Wallace Campbell, dated November 24, 1864: on September 24, while in the town of Athens, attempting to hold the commissary stores, Col. Campbell saw that the Confederates had captured the depot. Col. Prosser arrived with the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry. Campbell ordered Prosser to charge his cavalry through the town square and then retake the depot from the Rebel troops, but Prosser refused to obey the order, due to his concern for the horses of his cavalry. Campbell then had 30 cavalry troopers dismount, took them and 2o men of the USCT, and on foot, charged through the public square and then drove off the Rebels at the station and put out the fire the Rebs had set. They had captured a Confederate surgeon and a private. According to Campbell's report, the Confederate private told him that Gen. Forrest was in town with 10 to 12 thousand troops. Next, Colonel Campbell ordered Col. Prosser to remain "at or near the fort." Again, Prosser refused to obey the order, stating that he did not think the fort could be held, even with the presence of his regiment. It was at this point that 1st Lt. Sam Kneeland of the 18th Michigan, serving as Acting Assistant Adjutant General to General Granger, who was presently at Decatur, he thought it best that he would write a dispatch to General Granger informing him of the situation at Ft. Henderson, and ask for re-enforcements, give the dispatch to Col. Prosser to deliver to Gen. Granger. 1st Lt. Kneeland took responsibility and he ordered Prosser to deliver the dispatch, possibly saving Prosser from facing charges for refusing to obey orders given by Campbell.
At first, I could find little information if the 2nd Tennessee went with Prosser to Decatur, but according to the re-enactor Sam Campbell, in his article, stated that, along with a black guide, Prosser's troops went with him. I wish I knew what source told him that.
What followed I am not totally clear on, but it appears, according to General Granger, that after he received the dispatch from Kneeland, he ordered Col. Prosser and the 2nd Tennessee to return north to Athens, to attempt to drive off the enemy forces known to be at the plantation of Jack Harris, 22 miles west of Decatur. He also ordered a detachment, consisting of men from the 18th Michigan and the 102nd Ohio, to take the train from Decatur to Athens, to re-enforce Ft. Henderson. Col. Prosser's command managed to drive the Rebel forces back to Athens, but discovered the forces of Gen. Forrest between him and Ft. Henderson. Prosser managed to "extricate his command from this position with considerable skill" and returned to Decatur. Upon his return, he informed Granger of the situation in Athens and at Ft. Henderson. Granger had already sent the detachment, led by Lt. Colonel Elliot, but Granger "gathered together all available forces," at the Decatur fort, "without leaving the posts defenseless" and put together 250 infantry and 250 cavalry and headed north. Before they arrived there, Granger got word that the fort had surrendered, and the detachment was captured.
So, in regards to the movements of Col. Prosser, am I correct in my assessment?
If anyone gives me a response, please notify me at my email address,
[email protected], so that I will know to return to this site to read the response.