Fall 1863 Operations

Brig. Gen. Philip D. Roddey, much to his chagrin, received the following communication.

Headquarters, Cavalry in Mississippi,
Twelve Miles West of Tuscumbia
October 21, 1863--5 o'clock.

Brigadier-General Roddey:
GENERAL: Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee directs me to say that he has information that you are ordered to report to him, and he presumes you have already received the order from General Bragg.
He directs that you cross the river with your command immediately, and communicate with him as soon as you have crossed. The Yankees are in force at Cane Creek, advancing toward Tuscumbia, and he is retarding their progress.

Very respectfully,
W.D. Pickett,
Assistant Adjutant-General

On October 22, 1863, Brig. Gen. Roddey wrote to Gen. Bragg

General Bragg:
GENERAL: Enclosed find orders sent me. I will of course obey them immediately, and report to General Lee.

I regret exceedingly having to make the crossing, as my arrangements are already made for a Tennessee raid. Reliable information indicates the enemy 700 strong at Columbia, 300 at Franklin, one regiment at Shelbyville, three at Murfreesborough, none at Pulaski, Fayetteville, or Athens. There is a force variously estimated on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad above Huntsville, but there is nothing to prevent my making a successful expedition into Tennessee. I, however, have full confidence in the detachments sent out doing great damage to the road. If you will send me torpedoes, I will put them under the track to a certainty.

Yours respectfully,
P.D. RODDEY
Brigadier-General, &c.

Brig. Gen. Roddey crossed over to the south side of the Tennessee River on October 24, 1863, and visited with Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee, near Caney Creek. Upon returning to Tuscumbia, he wrote to Maj. Gen. Wheeler, that he was amazed the enemy continued to rebuild the Memphis and Charleston Railroad in sight of the Confederate troops destroying the road. He expressed the belief that if the enemy was serious in rebuilding the railroad, they would drive off the Confederate force.

On October 26, 1863, Maj. Gen. Wheeler received orders from General Bragg to bring Brigadier-General Roddey with him to the right of the army (Army of Tennessee in Northwest Georgia), leaving General Lee to watch the enemy in North Alabama. On the 28th, Maj. Gen. Wheeler received a communication (addressed to him, en route from Guntersville) advising him to watch his left flank for Yankees moving south from Bridgeport, Ala.

On October 29, 1863, General Johnston advises Maj. Gen. Lee he approves his calling Roddey back across the river. You would wonder how Brig. Gen. Roddey handled receiving orders from two full Generals, Bragg and Johnston. It appears he responded to the last order received from either.
On October 31, 1863, General Bragg writes Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee that he has ordered Brig. Gen. Roddey to remain with General Lee. A second communication to General Lee that day, directs General Lee to move into Middle Tennessee, leaving behind a force to guard North Alabama, carrying with him Roddey's command, if conditions warrant, with the intention of breaking up the Nashville and Decatur and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroads.

The returns of October 31, 1863, of troops in the Army of Tennessee, General Bragg, commanding, list the following:

On November 8, 1863, Brig. Gen. Jno. D. Stevenson (Union) reports from Corinth, Mississippi, Ferguson's Brigade is at Russellville, (Ala.) with scouting parties at Bay Springs and this side far as Danville. Roddey is on east side of Bear Creek, extending to Leighton, at which place there is a large rebel train of supplies. Moreland's battalion is dispersed in companies between this post and Eastport. He had not heard of Lee's location.

On November 8, 1863, Maj. Gen. Lee from Courtland, Alabama, advises General Bragg that Maj. Gen. T. Sherman (Union) has passed Florence and Gen. Sherman's rear was opposite this place last night. Lee also reports that General Roddey's scouts on the other side of the river had captured a train and destroyed ten or twelve wagons and had brought the mules back. He states, Roddey's horses are in dire need of shoes, and he is shoeing his animals.

On November 13, 1863, Lt. Col. W.L. Lowery, commanding, 2nd Mississippi Regiment of State Cavalry, writes that a scout heard heavy cannonading on the 11th, that he believed to be Gen. Roddey contesting the enemy crossing the river near Shiloh at Savannah.

On November 14, 1863, Brig. Gen. Stevenson (Union) reports:

Ferguson in Bear Creek Valley and Roddey at Leighton.

On November 17, 1863, from Pulaski, Tennessee, Brig. Gen. G.M. Dodge writes:

Lee has gone to North Mississippi via Okolona, leaving Roddey at Decatur and Courtland. He took Forrest's and Johnson's regiments, of Roddey's brigade, besides his on force.

On November 23, 1863, Brig. Gen. Dodge (Union) again reports:

The Tennessee is so low that Roddey fords the river; runs over and back. He has one regiment on this side (north) at Florence. As soon as I get my regiments mounted I will use him up. As it is, I have to watch all points from Decatur to Florence. It keeps my mounted men busy.

On November 27, 1863, Maj. Gen. L.H. Rousseau (Union), reports:

I know Roddey to be near Lawrenceburg, (Tenn.).

On the 27th, Brig. Gen. G.M. Dodge (Union) from Pulaski reports:

Roddey has crossed Tennessee near Florence, and communications captured from Wheeler to him show that Wheeler, with Hill, intend to unite and make a raid in our rear. I have no mounted force of much account except that watching Tennessee River. I do not know where Wheeler is? I should judge he intended to cross the Tennessee near Florence ****.

On November 28, 1863, Brig. Gen. Dodge's Adjutant-General reports from Pulaski:

It is ascertained to a certainty that Roddey has two regiments north of the Tennessee River between Florence and Lawrenceburg. Wheeler is about Cleveland, east of Chattanooga. **** Up to November 26, nothing except two regiments of Roddey's had crossed the Tennessee River west of Florence ****.

The Union's was tiring of chasing Roddey, on November 30, 1863, Brig. Gen. A.S. Williams (Union), from Tullahoma, writes Col. Ross:

Can you get information about Roddey to General Crook? Roddey ought to be caught.

Also, on November 30, 1863, Brig. Gen. W.S. Smith (Union) forwards a report by Brig. Gen, A.S. Smith (Union), commanding at Tullahoma, to Brig. Gen. Crook (Union). The report reads:

Roddey, with 1,000 men, without artillery or train, is reported at Salem last night, moving north. Being unencumbered, it is possible he intends striking the railroad at some unguarded point. There is no cavalry on this line for observation. Col. Oliver, with a brigade of mounted infantry, Fifteenth Corps, is somewhere west of Stevenson. I believe report came originally from him, but cannot learn his whereabouts.

On December 5, 1863, Brig. Gen. Jno. D. Stevenson (Union), from Corinth reports:

**** Roddey has headquarters at Coutland; one regiment at Courtland, one at Decatur, one at Leighton, two north of Tennessee. ****

On December 11, 1863, Brig. Gen. Stevenson (Union) from Corinth reports:

**** A part of Roddey's command crossed the Tennessee River yesterday, above Eastport, with train, and have gone down river to Savannah; the rest of his command remains near Tuscumbia.

The returns, on December 10, 1863, of the troops in the Army of Tennessee, Lieut. Gen. William J. Hardee, commanding, listed, under cavalry in that army, the following:

Roddey's Brigade, Brigadier-General Philip Dale Roddey.
4th Alabama (Roddey's old Regiment), Col. W.A. Johnson.
5th Alabama, Col Josiah Patterson.
53d Alabama, Col. M.W. Hannon.
Moreland's (Alabama) Battalion, Lt. Col. M.D. Moreland.
Ferrell's (Georgia Battery), Capt. C.B. Ferrell.

On December 15, 1863, Maj. Gen. S.A. Hurlbut (Union) advises Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith at Columbus:

Roddey, with his command crossed the Tennessee River above Eastport on the 10th and 11th December, intending to go down river and recross to Forrest at Jackson. Notify Admiral Porter. ****

On December 18, 1863, Brig. Gen. Jno. D. Stevenson (Union), from Corinth, reports in part:

**** Part of Roddey's command yesterday were on the other side of the Tennessee River driving cattle and hogs in direction of Eastport; they were just below Savannah. The beef and hogs were for Bragg's army. ****

During December, 1863, Brig. Gen. Roddey was posted in and around Tuscumbia, Ala. General Nathan Bedford Forrest with his command was in West Tennessee recruiting manpower, animals, foraging, destroying the enemy's communications, and gathering foodstuff. Brig. Gen. Roddey had advised him he would come to his aid if needed. Maj. Gen. Lee advises Gen. Forrest on December 28, 1863, that Brig. Gen. Roddey had communicated to him he would leave on December 25, 1863, to join Gen. Forrest.

On December 29, 1863, Brig. Gen. Dodge (Union), reported to Maj. Gen. Grant:

My scouts captured dispatches today from Roddey to Forrest, in which he says he has sixteen boats below Florence ready to cross on. There is no doubt, from what I can learn, that there is some move in contemplation by Forrest, Roddey, and Lee.

On December 30, 1863. Brig. Gen. P.D. Roddey writes to Maj. Gen. S.D. Lee, that he had been to Iuka and learned that Gen. Forrest had returned from Jackson. Since the country was barren of forage around Iuka, Mississippi, he had returned to Tuscumbia, Alabama.

The organizational posting of Brig. Gen. Roddey's Brigade was the same on December 31, 1863, as on December 10, 1863.

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