Merry Christmas from Lawrence County History Trivia!

This week marks the 150th anniversary of General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s final battles in the State of Tennessee. His final engagement in Tennessee occurred in Lawrence County, on Sugar Creek, near the town of Appleton.

After the devastating Confederate defeat at Nashville in December 1864, the Army of Tennessee beat a hasty retreat into Alabama. General Hood ordered Forrest to act as the army’s rear-guard in order to keep it from being destroyed by pursuing Federal forces. On Christmas night, 1864, after a day of fighting south of Pulaski, Forrest’s men encamped at Sugar Creek. The next day, December 26, a heavy fog enshrouded the area, giving a tactical advantage to Forrest’s waiting Confederates. Forrest halted the Federal advance at Sugar Creek, and his men pursued the fleeing yankees from the battlefield for two miles before returning to their position on the creek. Here is Forrest’s account of the engagement, from the ‘Official Record of the War of the Rebellion.’

“I halted my command at Sugar Creek, where it encamped during the night.

On the morning of the 26th the enemy commenced advancing, driving back General Ross’s pickets. Owing to the dense fog he could not see the temporary fortifications which the infantry had thrown up and behind which they were secreted. The enemy therefore advanced to within fifty paces of these works, when a volley was opened upon him, causing the wildest confusion. Two mounted regiments of Ross’ brigade and Ector’s and Granbury’s brigades of infantry were ordered to charge upon the discomfited foe, which was done, producing a complete rout. The enemy was pursued for two miles, but showing no disposition to give battle my troops were ordered back. In this engagement [the Federals] sustained a loss of about 150 in killed and wounded; many prisoners and horses were captured and about 400 horses killed. I held this position for two hours, but the enemy showing no disposition to renew the attack, and fearing he might attempt a flank movement in the dense fog, I resumed the march, after leaving a picket with orders to remain until 4 o’clock. The enemy made no further attack between Sugar Creek and Tennessee River, which stream I crossed on the evening of the 27th of December.”