STREIGHT'S RAID FROM TUSCUM BIA, Ala. In the spring of 1863 General Rosecrans organized an expedition to cut the communications of General Bragg's army, then at Tullahoma, Tenn. The objective point was the railroad south of Dalton in northwestern Georgia. For this purpose Col. A. D. Streight, 51st Indiana, who had suggested the expedi tion, was designated to lead it, and was given a provisional infantry brigade of 1,700 men, composed of the 51st and 73d Indiana, 80th Illinois, Third Ohio and two companies of Ten nessee cavalry. He was ordered 'to Nashville to organize the expedition. His instructions were to descend the Cumberland River to Palmyra, thence to Fort Henry, on the Ten nessee, and sweep around the rear of Bragg's army, cut all his railroad communications in northern Georgia, destroying manufactories and depots of supplies, and in every way to cripple the Confederates. Having obtained a partial outfit of unserviceable mules, depending upon the country for a further supply, Streight left Nashville 11 April, with. his troops on steam boats, and landed at Palmyra, from which point he marched across to Fort Henry, gathering on the way as many serviceable mules as possible. He remained at Fort Henry until the fleet of steamboats went down the Ohio and up the Tennessee to that point, when he again em-' barked his men on the 17th and landed at East port on the 20th of April. On the 21st, with General Dodge, who with 7,000 cavalry and infantry had marched by way of Corinth and Iuka, to protect the movement, he moved on Tuscumbia to mask his real intention. Follow ing Dodge, who steadily pushed back Roddey's cavalry, he arrived at Tuscumbia on the 24th, and being supplied by Dodge with some animals and rations, and leaving his sick and disabled men with Dodge, who was to return to Corinth, after holding the enemy until Streight could get a good start, at midnight of 26 April, with only 300 of his 1,500 men on foot, Streight cut loose from Dodge, started southward in a heavy storm, and scouring the country for horses and mules arrived at Moulton, after some slight skirmishing, about dark of the 28th. At midnight, every man being mounted, he re sumed the march eastward to Day's Gap, about 35 miles, bivouacking on the night of the 29th at the east foot of the gap. March was re sumed before daylight next morning, and before his rear guard had cleared the gap Forrest's cavalry was upon it. With 1,200 men and
eight guns Forrest had left Courtland, Ala., 16 miles north of Moulton, at the same hour Streight had left Moulton, and with scarcely a halt had overtaken him. Streight. formed an ambuscade into which Forrest rode and was repulsed with the loss of two of his guns. This check, with Forrest's necessity for rest, gave Streight an advantage of time, which he ithproved, and in the forenoon of 1 May he reached Blountsville, after a running fight in which he was hard pressed and some of his men captured. Here Streight seized fresh ani mals, discarded wornout ones, distributed ammu nition and rations, burned his wagons and near noon started for Rome, Ga., the seat of ex tensive iron works, which he thought to de stroy. His column was not fairly in motion before his rear guard was attacked in the streets of the town. There was a running fight from Blountsville to the Black Warrior River, and upon reaching the river Streight was com pelled to make a stand. Forrest was beaten off, and at 5 P.M. Streight crossed the river and moved on with but little more interruption, until 9 A.M. of the 2d, when his rear guard was fiercely attacked at the crossing of Black Creek, near Gadiden. Forrest was held in check some time by the burning of the bridge and Streight continued the march to Gadsden, where he made a short halt to rest his men and animals. Con tinuing the march at 4 P.M., he again halted 15 miles beyond Gadsden to procure forage for his animals. Meanwhile Forrest was pressing him closely, drove in his rear guard and made a general attack, in which he was repulsed and fell back, and as it was growing dark Streight withdrew half a mile; but Forrest moving to flank him, he again resumed his retreat intend ing to reach Rome and burn the bridge over the Chattooga. When, near Cedar Bluffs, Ala., he was again overtaken and attacked by For rest he found the bridge over the Chattooga held by the enemy; his men and horses had broken down; he had no hope of accomplishing the principal object of his expedition; and at noon 3 May he surrendered 1,365 men. He had lost in killed, wounded and captured prior to the surrender 145 men. The captives were sent to Richmond and confined in Libby prison, from which Streight escaped in February 1864 by burrowing under the foundation walls. Con sult (Official Records) (Vol. XXIII) ; Wyeth, (Life of Gen. N. B. Forrest.)