About four o’clock, P. M., the Union troops came in sight of Tunnel Hill, and here the enemy made a determined stand. Colonel Harrison, who, as was his wont, had kept close upon the heels of the foe, now found himself confronted by vastly superior numbers; but no sooner did he perceive the infantry advancing to his support, than he dashed at the rebels and drove them in wild dismay out of the town of Tunnel Hill. The rebel General Wheeler, with an entire brigade of cavalry and four pieces of artillery, now checked the career of the daring patriot Colonel. Their cannon opened furiously and effectively upon the assailants, to which the Union artillery replied with resonant thunder, compelling Colonel Brown’s rebel cavalry, who were assailing Colonel Harrison’s right, to shrink from the contest. The fight continued, however, till night descended upon the field of battle, and parted the combatants.
The Union forces, for the purpose of procuring supplies, had retired about four miles in the direction of Dalton. General Stanley’s command, with the Fourth Ohio cavalry under Colonel Long, had, in the mean time, approached from the neighborhood of Cleveland; and, on the following morning, the advance of the whole expedition was resumed at ten o’clock. It arrived at half-past eleven in immediate proximity to the town of Tunnel Hill. The skirmishing became very brisk, and the cavalry were compelled to await the support of the infantry, which they no sooner received than they advanced in column upon the enemy’s position. The rebels, who had hitherto remained concealed, now disclosed a battery, planted on a hill to the right of the tunnel, from which shell were thrown with fatal accuracy into the midst of the Union ranks. This occasioned a precipitate but orderly withdrawal. Captain Hotchkiss now trained two ten-pound Parrotts of the Second Minnesota battery upon this noisy rebel eyrie, but his shells failed to explode, and Captain Harris, of the Nineteenth Indiana battery, was obliged to send his compliments to the rebels from two pieces on the left of the road, before they would vacate their commanding position.
General Morgan, with equal wisdom and daring, now marched his troops along the crest of Tunnel Hill, caught the enemy on the right flank, and turned his works without opposition. General Wainwright was, at the same time, advancing with the view of performing the same feat on the enemy’s left. The rebels fled without firing a gun, and Tunnel Hill was captured.
THE RECONNAISSANCE AND BATTLE AT ROCKY FACE RIDGE.
February 25, 1864.
The enemy was pursued along the road to Dalton to a gorge about three miles from the town. The railroad runs through this gorge, formed in Rocky Face Ridge or Buzzard’s Roost, and the position occupied here by the rebels appeared to be almost impregnable. An advance on the 24th had driven the enemy from all the ridge north of the creek, but on the retirement of the Union troops at night, it was reoccupied by the rebels, who, being now thoroughly aroused to their danger, recalled Claiborne’s, Stevenson’s, and other divisions to aid in repelling their assailants.
At about eleven o’clock, A. M., on the 25th, soon after all the forces comprising the expedition had arrived, the Union troops, in long blue lines, moved in splendid order upon the enemy’s works. The skirmishers became at once closely engaged in the woodland. The advance was steady and rapid, clearing the enemy from the ridge as it proceeded. The object of the reconnoissance was accomplished; the enemy, in overwhelming force, was found to be strongly posted in the gorge, and, accordingly after much heavy skirmishing, the Union forces were ordered to retire. Some rebel cavalry attempted to pursue them, but were soon driven out of sight. The capture of Tunnel Hill, and the other important operations of the expedition, had been accomplished with a loss of about seventy-five killed and two hundred and fifty wounded. The rebels suffered much more severely.
THE CAPTURE OF UNION CITY, TENN.
March 25, 1864.
The Federal posts in West Tennessee and Kentucky, were, in consequence of the withdrawal of the forces under Generals Sherman and A. J. Smith from Vicksburg, left much exposed, and General Forrest did not hesitate to avail himself of the opportunity thus presented of successfully attacking them. He accordingly concentrated and reinforced his command, and, on the 23d of March, started, with about five thousand men, from Jackson, Tenn., and reached Union City on the twenty-fourth. Here he found Colonel Hawkins with the Eleventh Tennessee Union cavalry, consisting of about four hundred and fifty men. At first Colonel Hawkins refused to surrender. His subordinate officers were confident of their ability to hold out till succor arrived, which they believed would soon reach them. Colonel Hawkins was, however, less sanguine, and finally surrendered to the enemy after a slight assault, who captured beside the garrison, two hundred horses and five hundred small arms. Hardly had the place been surrendered, when General Brayman, from Cairo, advanced to its relief. When within six miles from the post, he learned that its surrender had just taken place, and marched back with the shameful tidings to Cairo.
THE ATTACK OF PADUCAH, KY.
March 26, 1864.
General Forrest, after taking possession of Hickman, moved north with Buford’s division, marching direct from Jackson to Paducah, in fifty hours. The veteran Colonel Hicks, who commanded at Paducah, was, however, apprised of his approach in time to notify the inhabitants by special order, and to provide for their safety by removing them to the other side of the river. The pell-mell rush to the wharf of men, women, and children, was, in itself, tumultuous, but fortunately means were at hand to transfer them, so that few were remaining when the attack was made on the city. Colonel Hicks, conscious of the great numerical superiority of the enemy, estimated at from ten to fifteen thousand, ordered his entire command into Fort Anderson, consisting of five companies of the Sixteenth Kentucky, three companies of the One Hundred and Forty-second Illinois, and a detachment of the First Kentucky artillery, (colored) in all six hundred and eighty-five, exclusive of the Union citizens of Paducah for whom arms could be found.