wagon train was only six miles distant
down in the valley, Wheeler proposed to
take 1,500 men and destroy the enemy con-
voy. In the meantime, Wharton would pass
on to McMinnville about 35 miles north-
west. Wharton and Martin protested the
division of force in the face of an enemy of
unknown strength, but Wheeler held fast,
repeated his orders, and finished by saying
he would unite with them at McMinnville
“tomorrow night, if I am alive.”
At the time Wheeler was outlining his
course of action to his men, Brigadier
George Crook, in charge of the pursuit of
the Rebels, reported to his superior that
the Confederates had passed Walden’s
Ridge and that he expected to catch up
with them the next day.
By 3 AMon the 3rd, Wheeler and his
detachment headed down onto the valley
floor. The rest of his command under Whar-
ton moved toward McMinnville six hours
later. After traveling about six miles,
Wheeler’s force came upon 32 enemy wag-
ons each pulled by six-mule teams. In the
fading dark the Rebels charged their prey,
eliminated the train guard, and captured the
whole outfit. After securing his first prize,
Wheeler moved on at a rapid pace. One
hour later his men saw an amazing sight.
Before them the Confederates beheld an
enormous number of white canvas-topped
Union wagons stretching for miles along
the rutted rocky path that passed for a
road. Fanned out along both flanks of the
wagon train was a protective screen of cav-
alry and infantry. Wheeler immediately
formed his troopers for battle and sent
them forward at the charge.
Colonel John T. Morgan’s 51st Alabama
Mounted Infantry struck the wagon
guards head on, but was soon thrown
back by enemy rifle fire. Seeing this
reverse, Wheeler rode up to Colonel A.A.
Russell’s 4th Alabama Cavalry Regiment
and shouted to Russell to retrieve the day.
According to a young trooper of Forrest’s
command who took part in this assault,
“As soon as our line could be formed, we
rode forward at full speed, and receiving a
volley at close quarters, were successful in
riding and capturing the entire escortwithin a few minutes.” The struggle had
included revolver and rifle fire, swordplay,
and hand-to-hand combat along the entire
length of the wagon train. After the Union-
ists threw down their arms in surrender,
Wheeler counted the booty: 1,200 officers
and enlisted men taken prisoner, along
with 800 wagons stocked with provisions,
and 4,000 mules.
The next eight hours saw the Confeder-
ates burning all the captured wagons and
material carried therein that could not be
used or spirited off. Along the 10-mile
wagon column the Graybacks were
ordered to saber or shoot as many of the
mules as possible in order to prevent the
Federals from hauling away any of the
supplies that remained on the field. All
through the day the explosion of fired
ammunition wagons could be heard in
Chattanooga, 20 miles away.
After the orgy of destruction ended,
Wheeler’s detachment regrouped and
headed for McMinnville. In their wake
came their Federal pursuers: Crook and
mounted infantry riding into the valley
from Walden’s Ridge; General Robert B.
Mitchell and Colonel Edward W. McCook
rushing up the valley from the direction of
Chattanooga.
After traveling most of the 3rd, the next
day, October 4, Wharton’s men prepared
to capture the Federal supply depot at
McMinnville as they awaited Wheeler’s
appearance. By noon, after a Confederate
demand for the town’s capitulation, the
garrison commander, Major Michael L.
Patterson, surrendered. As a result, the
Rebels bagged 587 men, 250 horses and
mules, a railroad train, and huge amounts
of stores. Wheeler’s force reached the town
that day, and the united command left
McMinnville after sending south their
recently acquired spoils. Between October
5 and 6 Wheeler feinted toward the heav-
ily garrisoned town of Murfreesboro, tore
up railroad track, and burned every bridge
he came to spanning the Stones and Duck
Rivers. Wartrace was reached and more
supply trains were taken at Christiana and
Fosterville townships.
This two-day rampage ended with theGray riders encamping for the evening (the
6th) near Shelbyville, Tenn., about 20
miles south of Murfreesboro: Davidson’s
three brigades three miles west of the
town; Martin’s division two miles west of
Davidson; and Wharton’s another two
miles west of Martin—all north of the
Shelbyville-Farmington Road. Wheeler
had warned Davidson to be on the look-
out for the Federals and to fall back if
attacked. For some reason Davidson chose
to ignore Wheeler’s directive.
The smoke from the burning Federal
dumps at McMinnville was still rising in
the sky on October 5 when Crook and his
3,500 men entered that place. After a brief
stay they continued their chase and caught
up with Wheeler’s rear guard on the
Murfreesboro Road about two miles
beyond McMinnville. A frontal assault,
supported by a surprise rear attack of the
2nd Kentucky (Union) Cavalry Regiment,
scattered the Rebel battle line. Nightfall
ended the pursuit of the beaten foe.
Mitchell and Crook finally combined eight
miles from Shelbyville on the 6th.
On October 7 the Federals learned of
Davidson’s location and moved toward
him, Colonel Miller’s Lightning Brigade of
mounted infantry in the van. The first
clash occurred between them and Scott’s
Confederate unit. The Rebels were routed
after they failed to budge Miller and his
men with a mounted, and then a dis-
mounted, charge. Davidson, hearing of
Scott’s defeat, put his men in motion
toward Farmington, leaving Colonel
Hodge to hold off the onrushing enemy.
Hodge was pressed back steadily toward
Farmington and later reported: “For five
and a half hours, over seven miles of coun-
try the unequal contest continued.” The
wooded terrain near that hamlet was
unsuitable for mounted action, so the Fed-
erals fought on foot. By battle’s end
Hodge’s brigade was “cut to pieces and
slaughtered” and four cannon were taken
by the repeated dismounted charges of the
Lightning Brigade. Davidson would have
suffered even graver losses if an order by
Crook to Colonel Minty’s Brigade to make
a flanking attack on the Confederate rightCWQ-Sum16 Wheeler's Raid_Layout 1 4/20/16 5:18 PM Page 62