Talladega County Alabama
Part of the American History & Genealogy Project

Atlanta Campaign in the Tennessee Valley

In May of 1864, the Union force at Chattanooga was about to launch the campaign to capture Atlanta. Union Major General Wm. T. Sherman had gathered enough troops and had devised a defense for the railroad back to Nashville. One of his main concerns was the cavalry operating in Northern Alabama under Roddey's and Forrest's cavalry in Mississippi. Unless these two forces could be kept off his communications, he felt he would have difficulty in reaching his objective. In an effort to keep these two forces in their home territories, large numbers of Union troops were left to watch them. Also, raids with large numbers of troops were started by the Union into Mississippi, attempting to keep Forrest in his area.

Because of the difficulty of supplying Corinth, the Union had withdrawn from that point. On May 1, 1864, Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee, commanding cavalry in the Department Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, wrote Maj. Gen. Forrest to occupy Corinth to be used as a base of operations. Forrest was to advise Roddey that the railroad was to be rebuilt from Corinth to Tuscumbia.

On May 1, 1864, Lieut. Gen. Polk directed Brig. Gen. P.D. Roddey to picket the Tennessee River from the Mississippi line as far east as required to prevent the movement of persons loyal to the Union and deserters from crossing to the north side of the river.

On May 6, 1864, Lt. Gen. Polk advised General Johnston, he was moving with the Army of Mississippi to join in the defense of Atlanta, leaving Roddey in the Tennessee Valley.

On May 10, 1864, Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee wrote to Maj. Gen. Forrest at Tupelo to keep his right in contact with Brig. Gen. Roddey at Decatur. On May 11, Major Francis, at Blue Mountain, was instructed to establish a courier at Jacksonville, to forward and receive mail from Roddey. Roddey had a courier line between Jacksonville and Florence.

On May 16, 1864, Colonel Patterson, commanding brigade under Roddey, was making preparations to cross the Tennessee that night with 500 men, fifteen miles up river from Decatur.

On May 17, 1864, Union Brig. Gen. C.L. Matthies reports from Decatur, Alabama:

Rebel Patterson crossed with 500 men, three pieces of artillery, near Trianna, moved on Madison Station, destroyed all but the railroad, took Colonel Gorgas prisoner and 50 men fell back to the river; not known if he recrossed. One regiment of infantry should be at Trianna.

On May 18, 1864, Patterson's force is reported to have recrossed the river.

On May 20, 1864, Union Brig. Gen Mathies reports from Decatur, Alabama:

Refugees report Patterson back in his camp. The gun-boat awaiting orders.

On May 22, 1864, Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee reports, "Roddey sends half his force, 700 men, to Talladega." On May 23rd, Lee again directs Roddey to send half his troops to Talladega. This force was to be commanded by Colonel Patterson. Colonel Patterson was to go to East Alabama to be scouts against the left of the Union Force expected to move through that area. The Confederate officers believed an Union force was about to depart Decatur, Alabama. The information the Confederates had in their procession indicated a movement through Alabama, to either Rome, Georgia, or Selma, Alabama. Patterson's force was also to be the eyes for the Army of Tennessee, to advise if the Union troops were attempting to swing around the left of that army.

On May 29, 1864, Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee reports the enemy on the 28th drove Roddey to Jonesborough, with a force of 10,000. On the 30th, Lee advised that the Union force that drove Roddey on the 28th, had returned to Decatur.

On May 31, 1864, Maj. Gen. Forrest writes he is leaving the next day from Tupelo, Mississippi, for Russellville, Alabama, to join with Roddey in a raid to Middle Tennessee.

On June 3, 1864, a dispatch reached Maj. Gen. N.B. Forrest at Russellville, Alabama, directing him to return to Tupelo to face a Union expedition from Memphis, Tennessee.

Gen. Forrest reached Tupelo on the 5th of June. On the 7th of June, Brig. Gen. Roddey advised Gen. Forrest, that a brigade under Col. W.A. Johnson was moving to join Gen. Forrest. The balance of Brig. Gen. Roddey's command was posted from Decatur to Rome on the flank of the Union force moving through North Alabama on the north side of the river to join Union Gen. Wm. T. Sherman. Patterson's command was still at Talladega, Alabama.

On June 10, 1864, Maj. Gen. Forrest with 3,400 men, won one of his most spectacular battles at Brices Cross Roads in Northwest Mississippi, against Union Maj. Gen. Samuel Sturgis with 8,300 men, a complete rout.

On June 16, 1864, Union Brig. Gen. R.S. Granger writes from Decatur that on the night before he had sent out a patrol which found the advance guard of the Confederate's seven miles out on the Decatur road, scattering them, capturing 6 men and 9 horses. The men said they belonged to Patterson's command, about 250 men, camped for the night some miles farther on road.

On June 18, 1864, Brig. Gen. P.D. Roddey received the following dispatch:

Hdqrs. Department of Ala., Miss., and East La.,
Meridian, Miss., June 18, 1864.

General P.D. Roddey,
Commanding, &c:

GENERAL: In reply to your letter of the 13th instant I am directed by General (S.D.) Lee to say that you will keep 350 men of Patterson's brigade near Decatur, also to prevent raids from that point, whilst the rest of the brigade, together with Johnson's entire brigade, will be kept at Corinth, or in its vicinity, in readiness to meet another threatened move from Memphis. At this time, and as long as there is any considerable force at Memphis, it is impracticable to make any move into Middle Tennessee.

I am, general very respectfully, your obedient servant.
P. Ellis. Jr.
Assistant Adjutant-General

On June 25, 1864, Brig. Gen. P.D. Roddey wrote to Col. Josiah Patterson as follows:

(Col. Josiah Patterson,
Commanding Cavalry Brigade:)

COLONEL: Above find copy (Ellis to Roddey) of General Lee's order of 18th instant, which you will obey at once. This order changes all the plans for the campaign into Middle Tennessee, but I still desire the force left to keep advised as to the position of affairs on the railroads, so if opportunity offers we may know how to strike at any time. You may withdraw the courier line, via Russellville and Moulton and keep a connection, via Tuscumbia to Bear Creek, or wherever your brigade is located.

P.D. RODDEY,
Brigadier-General

On June 27, 1864, a very upset Col. Patterson wrote to Brig. Gen. P.D. Roddey in reply to Gen. S.D. Lee's order:

Headquarters,
Pond Spring, June 27, 1864

Brig. Gen. P.D. Roddey
  Commanding District of North Alabama:

GENERAL: The enemy were out yesterday evening on all the roads feeling our lines. They were back at 10 o'clock last night. Sharp skirmishing along the line. They are becoming bolder and more active every day. I have just seen the officers of that portion of the 5th Alabama Cavalry now here. I have 250 men belonging to these companies and 125 belonging to Stuart's battalion. I will move in obedience to orders tomorrow morning, but I confess that it seems to me like a sacrificing the troops. After very hard service last fall and winter my brigade was ordered to the vicinity of Aberdeen to recruit our horses. We then started out on a recruiting expedition. We had not been there exceeding five days when we received orders to go to Gadsden. From thence we were ordered, without a moments rest, to Rome, and continued the march to Dalton. We here went immediately on the front. We kept up a heavy picket-line in front of the enemy for five or six weeks. We then received orders to return to North Alabama. I marched to the vicinity of Decatur over a barren, mountainous country without as much as quarter rations of corn. My brigade was immediately thrown around Decatur, and remained on picket until ordered to Talladega in May last. During this time we were almost incessantly skirmishing with the enemy, and made one raid across the river. When ordered to Talladega we marched 100 hundred miles across the mountains and 100 miles back again. On my return to Moulton, I found orders to move at once to Tupelo twenty-four hours before my command got up. We then marched to Big Bear Creek and back again to the vicinity of Decatur. We are now ordered to Corinth to meet the enemy. Four companies of my regiment that were left at Cherokee on duty and Colonel Pickett's regiment, that was just relieved from picket duty, have already gone. Stuart's battalion, numbering but little over 100 effective men, and remaining six companies of regiment (5th Alabama Cavalry) are still here. You can imagine, after all this marching, the condition of these men. I have marched over 1,200 miles in the last five months, under orders, without firing a gun; I have been in four engagements during that time --fight at Madison Station, Fletcher's Ferry, Garth's Farm, and Moulton. All of these fights were at my own selection. Have sacrificed my command, ruined the horses of my brigade in marching and countermarching in obedience to orders, and for my life I cannot see where I have benefited the country in a single instance during all these marches. Horses have broken down by the way in large numbers, thus reducing the efficiency of my command at almost every step. You are aware that all of this has been done on less than half rations of corn. The troops I move with in the morning, although once finely mounted, are now in very bad condition, and half the horses, I am informed by the captains, are not able to maarch twenty-five miles without lagging and giving out. I beg some change for the better. Either order my command entirely out of the country, or let me remain on duty here long enough to get in condition to do something. If my brigade was inspected today there would not be 200 horses found fit for active service. I would not write this letter had the hard service which has ruined the present efficiency of the command resulted in any material good for the country.

JOSIAH PATTERSON,
Colonel, Commanding.

Colonel Patterson with a portion of his command remained in the Tennessee Valley, south of the river. On June 29, 1864, Union Colonel C.C. Doolittle, reports his troops attacked the camp of Colonel Patterson at Pond Springs on the Moulton road. Union reports, on July 7, 1864, state that five companies of rebels are around Tuscumbia, probably Patterson's.

The events in Mississippi continued to control the activities in North Alabama. Union Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman, after the defeat at Brices Cross Roads, had instructed the commander at Memphis, to hunt down "That devil Forrest, if it breaks the United States Treasury".

Union Maj. Gen. Cadwallader Washburn was given the task of catching, defeating and killing Forrest, for which a promotion was promised. Union Gen. Wm. T. Sherman, also, had a message sent to Florence, Alabama, that, "if Forrest crossed the river at that point to attack Middle Tennessee, the entire town would be burned".

With the appointment of Union Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant to command of the Union armies, the concept of the war changed. The former commanders of the Northern armies had been chivalrous idealists. They were replaced by commanders who believed the quickest way to end the war was to destroy any and all Southern property, thus bringing the suffering and horrors of war to the door step of the Southern populace.

Maj. Gen. Washburn organized a force under the command of Maj. Gen. A.J. Smith of two infantry divisions, veterans of Vicksburg and the Red River campaign in Louisiana. To that force he added a cavalry division under Brig. Gen. Grierson and a colored infantry brigade, both in the rout at Brices Cross Roads. This combined force consisted of 14,000 men with six batteries of artillery, supplied with twenty days rations.

On July 5, 1864, the Union forces under Gen. Smith left La Grange, near Memphis, on its trek into Mississippi. On July 9th, they reached Ripley, Mississippi, 50 miles south of La Grange, and torched it, burning two churches. Completely robbing and destroying a swath through Mississippi. By July 13, Smith's force was marching to Tupelo from Pontotoc, to attempt to cut the Mobile and Ohio railroad at that point.

The Confederate force under Forrest was joined by 2,000 men under Gen. S.D. Lee. Lee being the senior commander, Forrest gave command of the force to him, and assumed command of the cavalry forces. Even after Lee's troops came up, the Union force still out numbered the Confederates 2 to 1.

On afternoon of July 13, 1864, Maj. Gen. Wm. Sooy Smith's infantry troops had reached Harrisburg, two miles from Tupelo, and his cavalry was at Tupelo, busy tearing up the railroad on both sides of town.

On the morning of July 14, 1864, Lt. Gen. S.D. Lee wanted to settle the affair, because he had pressing demands for his troops to fend off Union attacks on Mobile. He decided rather than wait on the Union force to attack, he would attack, at Tupelo, their far superior force. The Confederate troops in their haste to attack, made piece meal and uncoordinated attacks, suffering severe casualties from the entrenched Union force. After a loss of about 1,350 men, Lee, after two hours of slaughter, called off the attacks.

Union Gen. Smith had some serious problems. His gun powder was defective, causing the Union guns to jam. The July heat had caused the bread to spoil, leaving only a one day supply. He decided to withdraw his troops and return to base at Memphis. On the afternoon of the 15th, Smith moved five miles north out of Tupelo. In six days he returned to Memphis. At least Smith had not suffered a defeat by Forrest. Maj. Gen. Sherman was furious that a force he believed he could have taken and defeated Forrest, had failed to do so. The expedition had given the South a preview of the total war concept that was to be visited on Georgia and other parts to the Confederacy in a few months.

On July 26, 1864, Colonel Patterson's troops were attacked at Courtland. Patterson's troops having moved from their camp at Pond Springs to Courtland to head off a Union column moving in that direction. The skirmish lasted about thirty minutes. The Confederate force withdrew toward Tuscumbia and the Union force returned to Decatur, arriving on the 28th.

On August 2, 1864, Union Brig. Gen. R.S. Granger in command of Union forces in North Alabama, reports he has captured some communications from Col. Patterson showing the Confederates had plans to invade Middle Tennessee and cut off the Union garrison in Decatur, before Maj. Gen. Smith's raid into Mississippi.

On July 29, 1864, General Braxton Bragg writes he was not aware an order had been given to move Brig. Gen. Roddey's command to Southeast Alabama in time to stop the move. On August 3, 1864, General J.B. Hood writes to Brig. Gen. Daniel W. Adams at Opelika, Alabama, "Roddey's command will return to you to-morrow."

On August 10, 1864, Brig. Gen. Adams received a letter from Major-General Maury, commanding in the Department of Ala., Miss., And East La., stating: "since my telegram to you relative to Brigadier-General Roddey's brigade I have received from General Bragg a letter so strongly insisting upon that command being kept in North Alabama that I do not feel at liberty to remove it at the present time."

On August 16-20, 1864, Union Colonel W.F. Prosser made an expedition to Moulton from Decatur and was attacked by 500 to 600 men of Patterson's command. His report of that affair includes in part the following: "Having received information that General Roddey, with his command, was returning from Selma, Alabama, and part had already arrived in the vicinity, and that Colonels Patterson, Biffle, and Nixon were concentrating their forces at Courtland for the purpose of cutting me off from Decatur or capturing my command. I determined to retire from Moulton ****.

On the afternoon of the 18th instant a portion of Colonel Patterson's command followed my rear from Moulton until I went into camp at Antioch Church, and afterwards annoyed my pickets considerably. During the early part of the night the whole of the command arrived, making constant demonstrations on my picket-line until about 1 a.m. The enemy having collected his forces at a single point, made a sudden and furious attack on my camp, accompanied by heavy volleys of musketry and yells incident to such attacks. Having receive them, and their attack was speedily repulsed with considerable loss, 15 dead and mortally wounded **** 40 captured ****. The entire force was under the command of Colonel Patterson and after the attack he withdrew toward Pond Springs or Hillsborough. **** I determined to return to this place (Decatur)."

From the above, it appears that Colonel Patterson's command had remained in the Tennesse Valley, while Brig. Gen. Roddey's command was moved to South Alabama.

With the end of August, 1864, the campaign for Atlanta, with the battles at Jonesborough and Love Joy's Station, Georgia, was drawing to a close.

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