LAUDERDALE COUNTY, ALABAMA
HISTORY
HISTORY OF THE SHOALS
page 4
The following was published in the Times Daily, Thursday, February 25, 1999. It is presented here with the permission of the Times Daily, and the permission of the author, Harry E. Wallace.
Civil War: 1861 - 65
Historian Shelby Foote called the Civil War
"America's Crossroads," an example of Americans' failure to
compromise. Regardless of a person's feeling about the value of the conflict,
the years of the war were devastating. The social, political and economic
structure of the South would never be the same.
On Jan. 7, 1861, Alabama Gov. Andrew B. Moore called for a state convention
to discuss articles of secession. Some North Alabama counties threatened to
leave and form a loyal union state known as Nickajack if Alabama passed
secession. Nickajack was to be formed with counties from north Alabama, east
Tennessee, north Georgia and north Mississippi.
The controversy over secession centered on whether the issue was put to a
popular vote or simply passed by the delegates sent to Montgomery. North Alabama
favored a vote of the people while south Alabama opposed an election. South
Alabama had the largest plantations, more slaves and therefore, more delegates
at the secession convention because three-fifths of the slave population could
be counted for representation.
North Alabama had the largest population but the fewest elected
representatives to the convention. If the issue were put to a popular vote,
delegates who favored secession, known as "fire-eaters," feared
defeat.
Secession Ordinance Adopted
After four days of debate, the Ordinance of Secession passed by a vote of 61
to 39, the 39 opposition votes coming from north Alabama. The delegates
representing Lauderdale (Sidney C. Posey and H. C. Jones), Franklin (John A.
Steele and R. W. Watkins), and Limestone (J. P. Coman and Thomas Mclellan) all
voted against secession except Watkins.
Representatives from Winston County even threatened to form the "Free
State of Winston."
All thoughts of separation in Alabama ended when President Lincoln called for
an army to bring the South back into the Union.
On Feb. 4, 1861, delegates from six of the seven seceded states met in
Montgomery and drafted a constitution that formed the confederate States of
America. The new constitution stressed states' rights and legalized slavery.
Delegates chose Jefferson Davis of Mississippi as president, Alexander H.
Stephens of Georgia as vice president and Montgomery was the first capital of
the Confederacy.
Local units raised for the Confederacy included:
* 4th Alabama Infantry with Robert McFarland as captain.
* 7th Alabama Infantry with Sterling A. M. Wood as colonel
* 9th Alabama Infantry with Edward Asbury O'Neal as lieutenant colonel and
James Crowe as major
* Company D and 1st of the 9th was mostly men from Lauderdale County.
* 16th Alabama Infantry with William B. Wood as colonel
* Company A of the 16th contained men mainly from Franklin County and Company
C had Alexander Donelson Coffee as captain.
* 26th Alabama Infantry (later the 50th) was formed with men from Tuscumbia.
* 27th Alabama Infantry had James Jackson Jr. as colonel
* 35th Alabama Infantry contained many students and faculty of LaGrange
Military Academy.
* 4th Alabama Cavalry was commanded by Gen. Phillip Dale Roddy of Lawrence
County and known locally as the "Defenders of the Tennessee Valley."
* 9th Alabama Cavalry contained many local men.
* 10th Alabama Cavalry had Richard Pickett as colonel.
* 11th Alabama Cavalry served directly under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and
had John R. Burtwell as colonel.
On Oct. 7, 1861, state leaders announced that 27,000 Alabamians were serving
in the confederate Army.
No one has an accurate count of North Alabamians who served in the Union Army
but estimates go as high as the thousands. Articles and books about the
"South's inner war" attest to the hard feelings and sufferings of
families who had loved ones on opposite sides.
Defending the river
The Tennessee River was difficult to defend because it was navigable from the
Ohio River to the shoals almost year-round.
From the Shoals, invaders could sever the Chattanooga-
and- Memphis and
Charleston-and-Memphis railroads that ran through Franklin County and Tuscumbia.
The general lack of local concern only hindered the protection of the valley.
Only one fort, Fort Henry, protected the Tennessee River from invasion. Citizens
living on the upper regions of the river, from Chattanooga to Knoxville, were
more isolated and felt little need for fortifications.
An equal lack of concern came from the middle region of the river,
Chattanooga to Decatur, because steamers could not navigate beyond the shoals.
The populace from the lower regions of the river, Florence to Paducah, were
likewise unconcerned.
Only citizens from Tuscumbia objected to any great extent.
One historian stated that many citizens from North Alabama did not protest
because they favored the Union cause.
Union forces advance
Local fears were soon stirred when on Feb. 6, 1862, Fort Henry fell to forces
under the command of U. S. Grant, exposing the entire lower region of the river
to Union invasion. Those fears were soon confirmed on Feb. 8, when three union
gunboats, The Lexington, The Conestoga and The Tyler, under the direction of
Cmdr. Andrew H. Foote, arrived at the Florence landing.
Foote reported that three Confederate steamers were found burning at the
wharf and that 20,000 pounds of pork and other supplies were captured. A
delegation of Florence citizens asked Foote not to burn the town or destroy the
river bridge; both requests were granted.
Foote's main goal was to destroy the Confederate gunboats Robb and Dunbar.
Local historian Turner Rice has written that the Robb and Dunbar were hiding in
Cypress Creek and the Dunbar became lodged between the banks and was scuttled
and sank. Local citizens used the gunwales of the boat to ford the creek and
gave birth to the name Gunwaleford Road.
Late in 1862, Gen. Roddy's men raised the Dunbar and took it above the
river's shoals. Near the end of the Union campaign at Chattanooga, the Dunbar
fell into Union hands and was used to transport Federal troops across the river.
Florence Bridge burned
On March 18, 1862, the Florence Bridge was burned by
Col. Ben Hardin Helm's
troops on orders given by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston. Historian William L.
McDonald said Union Gen. O. M. Mitchell confirmed Confederates burned the
bridge.
Because of the loss of Fort Henry, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, commander of
the western theater of the Confederacy, feared Grant's flanking invasion up the
Tennessee.
February 1862 was a disastrous time for the South, leaving West Tennessee and
North Alabama in jeopardy. Johnston had little choice but to find Grant's Army
of the Tennessee and drive them from the valley.
James McDonough, in his book "Shiloh - In Hell before Night," said
Johnston's Army of Mississippi was composed of many untrained, undisciplined
troops who were commanded by untested and unskilled officers. Grant's Army of
the Tennessee was hardened and tested at the battles of Fort Henry and Fort
Donelson.
Johnston's army was to engage Grant on Friday, April 4, but the terrain and
miscues delayed the attack to the 5th. More delays and rain caused Johnston to
call a council of his commanders. Generals Beauregard and Bragg favored calling
the mission off but Johnston made the decision to attack on Sunday, April 6.
Grant's 5th Division, under the command of Brig. Gen. William T. Sherman, camped
inland from the river at Pittsburg Landing near Shiloh Methodist Church.
Ironically, Shiloh means a place of rest.
Battle at Shiloh Church
Johnston's attack began about 4:30 a.m. near Sherman's position around Shiloh
church. The 6th Mississippi went into battle with 425 active men and within 30
minutes lost 300, dead and wounded.
Union forces were quickly routed but 4,300 Union troops held an old field
road, later known as the Hornet's Nest, against charges from more than 18,000
confederates, never more than 3,700 at any one time.
It was during this engagement that Johnston was wounded in the leg and bled
to death. Around 5 p.m. 2,000 Union troops in the Hornet's Nest surrendered.
They had successfully checked the Confederate advance that first day.
With the death of Johnston, Beauregard assumed command and called off the
attack until daybreak on Monday. Grant's army was reinforced during the night
with 24,000 fresh troops commanded by Gens. Buell and Lew Wallace. Gen. Nathan
Bedford Forrest's men watched as the fresh Union troops arrived and Forrest
begged permission to attack immediately but was turned down.
At dawn on April 7, Grant's army of 45,000 counter-attacked the battle-weary,
hungry, cold and scattered Confederates. By 4 p.m. Beauregard's army was
retreating to Corinth, Miss.
McDonough stated the South's objective at Shiloh failed because of many lost
opportunities and bad luck. The loss of Johnston, called by many "Lee of
the West," was devastating. The lost opportunities led to the eventual loss
of the entire Tennessee Valley, West Tennessee and North Mississippi.
Shiloh proved to be the bloodiest battle in the west, both sides losing in
excess of 23,600, dead and wounded.
One New Orleans newspaper said the South "could never smile again, after
Shiloh."
On April 9, the first Union raid into Lauderdale County occurred. Union
cavalry entered near the community of Rawhide (Cloverdale), seizing prisoners
and taking supplies.
Raids would become more frequent, many conducted by local men who either
joined the Union army or were deserters from either army and preyed upon the
local populace.
Wade Pruitt's book, "Bugger Saga," contains many stories and
legends about this aspect of the war in North Alabama.
Lauderdale records reveal that 751 families were left destitute by early
1862.
County funds helped replenish basic goods but by early 1863 there were no
more funds available.
Union strategy for Shoals
Early in 1862 the strategic importance of the shoals area drew the attention
of Union forces and the process of occupation began.
By the end of the war, the Shoals had changed hands 40 times.
On April 16, a skirmish was fought in Tuscumbia and Union forces occupied the
town. Tuscumbia was recaptured in fighting April 24 and 25, but the retreating
Union troops burned the Tuscumbia Landing.
In June 1862, Florence was occupied by the Union's 10th Kentucky Regiment
under the command of Col. John Marshall Harlan.
Doris Kelso recorded in her history of the First Presbyterian Church that
Harlan ordered the arrest of the Rev. Dr. William H. Mitchell from his pulpit
for his prayer for the Confederacy.
Mitchell was sent to prison in Alton, Ill., until October 1862.
The obvious intent of this was intimidation of the local population.
Tuscumbia's occupation
Beginning June 9, 1861, Tuscumbia was occupied for a second time by Union
forces.
Their mission was to repair the Memphis-and-Charleston Railroad.
Reports from that time said many locals were robbed by the occupation troops.
Confederate troops liberated the town on Sept. 8 and the retreating Yankees
tried to burn the town.
In July 1862, Waterloo citizen Lon Waters fired on Union gunboats passing the
town. William L. McDonald has recorded that the Union response was to shell the
town.
The year 1862 ended with December skirmishes at Barton and Little Bear Creek.
John McWilliams has written that the Federals eventually were forced to withdraw
to Corinth.
Franklin raid
In April 1863 the Union made a daring raid into Franklin County. The raid was
conducted by a combined Federal force under the command of Gen. Grenville Dodge.
The battle began at Bear Creek on April 17 with Roddy's 4th Alabama Cavalry
driving a portion of dodge's men back into Mississippi.
On April 22, Dodge's force of 7,000 was joined with Col. Abel Streight's
2,000-man cavalry, mounted on mules and jackasses. The invasion through
Tuscumbia was a ploy to allow Streight's forces to drive across north-central
Alabama and burn the railroad bridge in Rome, Ga., forcing Gen. Braxton Bragg's
Army of Tennessee to evacuate Chattanooga.
Roddy's force of 1,300 opposed this massive invasion and fought skirmishes
against the Federals at Tuscumbia and Leighton. Dodge was to hold Forrest and
Roddy and allow Streight's men to escape south to Russellville and then east to
Gadsden.
Forrest arrived in Florence on April 26 and brought his troops across the
ferry at Bainbridge on the 27th. The battle of Town Creek opened on the 27th
with an attack by the combined force of Roddy and Forrest.
Streight's running battle
What transpired next is one of the most famous running battles of the entire
war known as Streight's Raid. Dodge began his withdrawal to Mississippi on the
29th. In his official report, Dodge recorded his army carried off large
quantities of supplies, mules, horses, cattle and slaves.
In addition, his men destroyed five tanyards, six mills, sections of the
railroad and a force commanded by Col. Florence M. Cornyn, known as the the
"Destroying Angles," burned LaGrange Military academy and the female
academy.
When dodge's force withdrew, Forrest's scouts discovered Streight's move.
After catching Streight on the 30th, Forrest's men chased the Federals across
Alabama and eventually cornered and captured Streight and almost 1,500 of his
men. The raid was doomed from the start by poor planning and execution by not
only Streight but his commander, Gen. W. S. Rosecrans. The successful conclusion
of the campaign added more to the legend of Forrest and men as "Wizards of
the Saddle."
Assault on Lauderdale
On May 26, 1863, a Federal force of 1,380 under the command of Col. Florence
M. Cornyn left Corinth, Miss., determined to end the industrial productivity of
Lauderdale County.
At the time, Lauderdale was a leading producer of cotton and wool cloth,
leather and food. Accompanying Cornyn was Capt. Risden Deford, son of a former
Methodist circuit rider. McDonald said Deford knew the location of the mills,
tanyards and foundries and led Union forces against people who had earlier
welcomed him and his father into their homes.
Cornyn's force entered near Rawhide (Cloverdale) and after dividing his
force, they burned the mills and tanyards along Big and Little Cypress creeks,
Cowpen Creek, Shoals Creek and Cox Creek. The "Defender of Florence"
was Brig. Gen. Sterling A. M. Wood, son of Florence's first mayor
Wood's forces met the Federals near Cox Creek on the Coffee Road (Cloverdale
Road) and were quickly forced to fight a retreating movement back into the city.
Wood's men held Florence most of the day as units of Cornyn's men burned the
Globe Cotton Mills on Cypress Creek near the present site of the Florence Golf
and County Club.
Local citizens recalled seeing the smoke from the center of the city. After
forcing Wood to retreat, Cornyn ordered a block of homes and buildings burned to
cover his withdrawal.
Cornyn's raid devastated Florence and industry in the valley.
In addition to the destruction of the Globe Mills, worth more
than $1 million,
Cornyn destroyed food and grain and stole horses, mules, cattle and slaves.
McDonald has said that Florence and the Shoals area did not recover industrially
until the Tennessee Valley Authority came into the valley in 1933.
Franklin County skirmishes
Throughout the month of October 1863, there was a series of engagements in
western Franklin County between Confederates and Federal troops repairing the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad. The skirmishes finally ended Oct. 31 after a
party of Federals crossed the river on their way to Chattanooga.
During 1863, the Confederate ranks were thinned by desertions. Although only
1-of-10 Confederates left, the number of desertions caused President Jefferson
Davis to issue an executive order asking deserters to return and promising
amnesty to all who returned within 20 days.
Brig. Gen. Gordon J. Pillow estimated there were 8,000 to 10,000 deserters
hiding in the hills of North Alabama.
Pillow recommended deserters from the Army of Tennessee be transferred to the
Army of Virginia so they would be farther fro their homes. Maj. Gen. S. D. Lee
stated the South was, in addition to Yankees, fighting a war against starvation
and desertion.
Southern soldiers faced severe hardships on the field and in camp.
But the main reason given for desertions was that their families were
unduly
suffering. The late Louis Eckl, editor of the Florence Times (now Times Daily),
said many desertions were caused by gut-wrenching letters from home.
One example read: "I would not have you do anything wrong for the world,
but before God, Edward, unless you come home we must die! Last night I was
aroused by little Eddie's crying. I called and said, 'What's the matter, Eddie?'
and he said, 'Oh, Mama, I'm so hungry!' And Lucy, Edward, your darling Lucy, she
never complains, but she is growing thinner and thinner every day. And before
God, Edward, unless you come home, we must die!"
Other examples of these letters from both sides can be found in "The
Life of Johnny Reb" and "The Life of Billy Yank" by Bell I.
Wiley.
Jackson's defense
In 1864, Shoals residents saw less military activity than the previous years.
McDonald wrote an account of Col. James Jackson Jr.'s April raid from
Franklin into Lauderdale County in an attempt to end the raiding and plundering
of the infamous 9th Ohio Cavalry.
The white steeds of that group, 150 strong, gave them the name, "White
Horse Cavalry."
Finding the enemy camped on the Peters plantation, Jackson's volunteers from
the 27th Alabama Infantry routed them, killing two, taking 42 prisoners, and
capturing livestock and food stolen from local residents.
Jackson's men returned into Franklin but ironically, two Ohio Cavalry members
escaped to Florence and the Federals evacuated the city, fearing a large
invasion force.
Crossing the river
Another daring episode occurred in late summer of 1864 when Gen. Joseph
Wheeler's 1st Tennessee Cavalry raided into middle Tennessee and were hotly
pursued by Union cavalry as they entered Lauderdale County.
Wheeler sent riders ahead to find a guide for the ford location at the
Bainbridge Ferry crossing at the mouth of Shoal Creek.
With no guide available and the river flooded, Wheeler sent two riders into
the water to find the ford. Working under the handicap of darkness and a mile
wide current, the riders found the crossing and Wheeler's men rode between them
to safety without losing a man.
In September 1864, the legendary Gen. Forrest and his "Critter
Company" crossed the river at Colbert Shoal and rode through Florence via
the Huntsville Road.
After capturing a Union garrison at Athens and wrecking the
Nashville-and-Chattanooga Railroad in middle Tennessee that furnished supplies
to Sherman's Army, he marched through Georgia.
Next, Forrest's cavalry re-entered Alabama with Col. W. H. Morgan's Union
cavalry in hot pursuit.
Forrest hoped to cross at the Bainbridge Crossing but the river was flooded.
After locating a barge, his troops began a two-day process of transporting
men and swimming the horses.
The last regiment of confederates was left to harass the Federals and told to
meet the main body on Seven-Mile Island in two days.
The two cold days on the island were spent without fires, fearing enemy
detection.
Incidents such as this only increased the myths and legends surrounding
Forrest and his men.
Hood in Alabama
After the loss of Atlanta in September 1864, Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood
marched the Army of Tennessee into North Alabama in preparation for an invasion
to recapture Tennessee and Kentucky.
Failing to cross the Tennessee at Guntersville and Decatur, advanced units of
Hood's army arrived in Bainbridge, Tuscumbia, and South Port and prepared for a
river crossing into Florence.
From his headquarters in Tuscumbia, Hood ordered his first corps to cross the
flooded river on a pontoon bridge lashed to the railroad bridge piers, opening
the second Battle of Florence.
The crossing was continually delayed by rain and flooding but eventually
Hood's three corps of nearly 30,000 and Gen. W. H. Jackson's cavalry of 2,000
successfully crossed and were joined by Forrest and his cavalry of 3,000.
Students of the Female Synodical College watched the crossing from the dome
of the school.
Hood's ill-fated plans did not go unnoticed by Union Gen. George H. Thomas in
Pulaski.
With Forrest's cavalry in advance, Hood ordered his army to move out Nov. 20.
The Army of Tennessee left Florence after a 3-inch snowfall.
Gen. Benjamin Cheatham's corps moved out on the Coffee
Road, Gen. Alexander
Stewart's Corps left by the Military Road and Gen. Stephen Lee's corps took the
Chisholm road.
The advance was greatly impeded by bitter cold, snow and freezing rain.
Hood's broken dreams
Following easy victories at Columbia and Spring Hill, Hood's army met the
brunt of Thomas' army in Franklin on Nov. 30.
Historians James Lee McDonough and Thomas L. Connelly state in their book,
"Five Tragic Hours: The Battle of Franklin," that Hood dreamed of
glory but lived in a world of broken dreams.
His combative nature and tactics took a heavy toll on the proud Army of
Tennessee.
Hood ordered a frontal assault on an entrenched Federal force commanded by
Gen. John Schofield. The battle began at 4 p.m. and lasted into the darkness.
Hood's army suffered horrendous losses, 1,750 dead and 5.500 captured or
wounded.
Included in the dead were six generals: John Adams, John C. Carter, States
Rights Gist, Hiram Granbury, Otho Strahl and Patrick "Stonewall of the
West" Cleburne.
Hood's losses exceeded 20 percent, a higher percentage than McClellan's
entire Seven Days' campaign against Lee, Hooker's loss to Lee at
Chancellorsville and Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg.
McDonough and Connelly said that Hood slaughtered his army at Franklin.
Army is broken
Gen. Schofield withdrew his army to Nashville and Hood ordered his shattered
army to follow.
What remained of the once gallant Army of Tennessee was destroyed at the
Battle of Nashville on Dec. 15 and 16.
With Forrest's cavalry fighting rear guard, the broken army
retreat- ed south
into Alabama and crossed Bainbridge on Dec. 25 and 26.
When Hood's army arrived in Tupelo on Jan. 10, 1865, there were fewer than
15,000 infantry.
On the 15th, Hood was relieved of command and replaced by Gen. Joseph E.
Johnston.
The final major troop movement in the Shoals area began in January 1865, when
Union Gen. James Wilson began assembling a 22,000-man cavalry, the largest
massed cavalry in North America, from Bear Creek to Eastport, Miss., on the
south side and Gravelly Springs to Waterloo on the north.
Wilson's raiders began leaving the area the last of February through the
first of March on their massive invasion into the heart of Alabama.
By March 30, Wilson's men burned ironworks at Elyton (Birmingham) and one
division led by Croxton burned the University of Alabama on April 13.
Wilson's major opposition in Alabama was Forrest with less then 2,500 men.
After the destruction of major military factories, Wilson's raiders proceeded
to Montgomery and captured the capital on April 12.
Forrest disbanded his force, the last Major Confederate force east of the
Mississippi River, on May 9.
Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army on April 9, 1865, to Grant at
Appomattox, Va. President Lincoln was shot on April 14 and died on the 15th.
Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee near Greensboro, N. C.,
on April 26.
After the war, the counties of the Tennessee Valley were wastelands.
Ironically, North Alabama counties originally opposed secession and suffered
the worst destruction during the war.
The hardest hit towns were Athens, Decatur, Florence and Tuscumbia.
Go To: History
of the Shoals, page 5 [Reconstruction]
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[Antebellum Period]
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