Battle of Day's Gap - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Battle of Day's Gap, fought on April 30, 1863, was the first in a series of American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

skirmishes in Cullman County, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, that lasted until May 2, known as Streight's Raid

Streight's Raid

Streight's Raid took place from 19 April to 3 May, 1863 in northern Alabama. It was led by Colonel Abel D. Streight, who's goal was to destroy parts of the Western and Atlantic railroad, which was supplying the Confederate Army of Tennessee...

. Commanding the Union

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

forces was Col.

Colonel (United States)

In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...

Abel Streight

Abel D. Streight was a peace time lumber merchant and publisher, and was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His command precipitated a notable cavalry raid in 1863, known as Streight's Raid...

; Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest

Nathan Bedford Forrest

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...

led the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

forces.

Background

The goal of Streight's raid was to cut off the Western & Atlantic Railroad, which supplied General Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...

's Confederate army in Middle Tennessee

Middle Tennessee

Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....

. Starting in Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, Streight and his men first traveled to Eastport, Mississippi, and then eastward to Tuscumbia, Alabama

Tuscumbia, Alabama

Tuscumbia is a city in and the county seat of Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,423 and is included in The Shoals MSA....

. On April 26, 1863, Streight left Tuscumbia and marched southeastward. Streight's initial movements were screened by Union Brig. Gen. Grenville Dodge's troops.

Battle

On April 30 at Day's Gap on Sand Mountain, Forrest caught up with Streight's expedition and attacked his rear guard. Streight's men managed to repulse this attack and as a result they continued their march to avoid any further delays and envelopments caused by the Confederate troops.

Aftermath

This battle set off a chain of skirmishes and engagements at Crooked Creek (April 30), Hog Mountain (April 30), Blountsville

Blountsville, Alabama

Blountsville is a town in Blount County, Alabama, United States. Blount County was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on 1818 Feb. 6, from land ceded to the Federal government by the Creek Nation on 1814 Aug. 9. It was named for Gov. Willie G. Blount of Tennessee, who provided...

(May 1), Black Creek/Gadsden (May 2), and Blount's Plantation (May 2). Finally, on May 3, Forrest surrounded Streight's exhausted men three miles east of Cedar Bluff, Alabama

Cedar Bluff, Alabama

Cedar Bluff is a town in Cherokee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 1,820. NASCAR driver Tina Gordon is from the town. Unlike the rest of the county, Cedar Bluff is a wet city. It is the "Crappie Capital of the World" – it has the highest number of crappie...

, and forced their surrender. They were sent to Libby Prison

Libby Prison

Libby Prison was a Confederate Prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It gained an infamous reputation for the harsh conditions under which prisoners from the Union Army were kept.- Overview :...

in Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

. Streight and some of his men escaped on February 9, 1864.

Chronology of events of Streight's Raid in 1863

Nashville, Tennessee (April 7-10) — proceeded by river
Palmyra, Tennessee (April 11-13) — proceeded on foot
Yellow Creek, Tennessee (April 13-14) — proceeded on foot
Fort Henry, Tennessee (April 15-17) — proceeded by river
Eastport, Mississippi (April 19-21) — proceeded either by foot or river
Bear Creek/River, Mississippi (April 22) — proceeded on foot the rest of the way
Tuscumbia, Alabama (April 24-26)
Mount Hope, Alabama (April 27-28)
Moulton, Alabama (April 28)
Day's Gap, Alabama (April 29-30)
Battle of Day's Gap (April 30)
Skirmish at Crooked Creek (April 30)
Skirmish at Hog Mountain (April 30)
Arrival at Blountsville (May 1)
Skirmishes at Blountsville (May 1)
Skirmishes at the East Branch of the Black Warrior River (May 1)
Skirmishes at the crossing of Black Creek, near Gadsden (May 2)
Damaged ammunition while crossing Will's Creek, near Gadsden (May 2)
Gadsden, Alabama (May 2)
Blount's plantation, about 15 miles from Gadsden (May 2)
Skirmishes at/near Blount's Plantation, Cherokee County (May 2-3)
Centre, Alabama (May 3)
Cedar Bluff, Alabama (May 3)
Surrender to Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, 3 miles east of Cedar Bluff, Alabama (May 3)
Taken to Richmond, Virginia, as prisoners of war

Union order of battle

The following regiments participated in Streight's Raid:

80th Illinois Infantry
80th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
The 80th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 80th Illinois Infantry was organized at Centralia, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on August 25, 1862....
51st Indiana Infantry
73rd Indiana Infantry
73rd Regiment Indiana Infantry
The 73rd Regiment Indiana Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 73rd Indiana Infantry was organized and mustered in at Camp Rose, South Bend, Indiana for a three year enlistment on August 16, 1862 under the command of Colonel...
3rd Ohio Infantry
3rd Ohio Infantry
The 3rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served in several important campaigns in the Western Theater in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.-Three-months regiment:...
1st Middle Tennessee Cavalry (2 companies)

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