Delaying Forrest

Delaying Forrest (HMJ3H)

Location: Columbia, TN 38401 Maury County
Buy Tennessee State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 35° 34.467', W 87° 8.381'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 812 views
Inscription

"...a decided stand"

— Hood's Campaign —

(Preface):
In September 1864, after Union Gen. William T. Sherman defeated Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood at Atlanta, Hood led the Army of Tennessee northwest against Sherman's supply lines. Rather than contest Sherman's "March to the Sea," Hood moved north into Tennessee. Gen. John M. Schofield, detached from Sherman's army, delayed Hood at Columbia and Spring Hill before falling back to Franklin. The bloodbath there on November 30 crippled the Confederates, but they followed Schofield to the outskirts of Nashville and Union Gen. George H. Thomas's strong defenses. Hood's campaign ended when Thomas crushed his army on December 15-16.

(Main Body of Text):
On November 23, 1864 as Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood's army marched north from the Tennessee River and Union Gen. John M. Schofield's forces withdrew toward Nashville, sixty-year-old Union Col. Horace Capron led his small, poorly armed cavalry brigade toward Waynesboro to observe Hood's approach and report to Schofield. Most of his men were armed with outdated single-shot Springfield muskets. Suddenly, the Union horsemen encountered the advance elements of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry, riding ahead of the main army, near Henryville. The Federals quickly retreated to Summertown spring, and Confederate Col. Edmund W. Rucker's brigade and Forrest's escort attacked them front and rear. Faced with overwhelming numbers, Capron's brigade withdrew and fought a daylong running battle back along the pike through Mt. Pleasant toward Columbia.

Just in front of you, the depression ahead, Capron's command stood and rallied while converging swarms of Confederate cavalrymen attacked and almost overwhelmed them. When the Federals continued their retreat through the Ashwood community, the Confederates continued to press them. The chase ended abruptly the next day, when Rucker's troopers ran headlong into Union Gen. Jacob D. Cox's infantry division formed up in a line of battle about three miles northeast near the pike's intersection with Old Sunnyside Lane. Capron's delaying action prevented the immediate Confederate capture of Columbia and enabled Schofield's retreating army to continue on toward Nashville.

"[Capron] had been ordered to make a decided stand if it sacrificed every man in his brigade." -Maj. Henry C. Connelly, 14th Illinois Cavalry
Details
HM NumberHMJ3H
Series This marker is part of the Tennessee: Tennessee Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByTennessee Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 19th, 2014 at 6:47am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16S E 487343 N 3936759
Decimal Degrees35.57445000, -87.13968333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 35° 34.467', W 87° 8.381'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds35° 34' 28.02" N, 87° 8' 22.86" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)931, 615
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 6497 Trotwood Ave, Columbia TN 38401, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?