Forrest at Sipsey Bridge,
near Pleasant Ridge, March 29, 1865

by Scott Owens.



OR Ser. 1, Vol 49, Pt 2, pp 1126-1127

Engineer Office
Columbus, Miss, March 18, 1865

Maj. J.P. Strange
Major: I am directed by Maj. D. Wintter to inform the major-general commanding (Forrest) that all troops going either to Tuscaloosa or Finch's Ferry will have to go the same road by way of Bridgeport (Bridgeville?) to a point a little south of Lanier's Mill, where the roads diverge. One will have a signboard "Tuscaloosa;" the other a signboard "Pleasant Ridge, Clinton, Eutaw." The road to Tuscaloosa, then, will have a mark X on the trees. The road to Finch's Ferry will have the trees marked x\("X" with a bar over it). I have sent a courier to Major Wintter informing him that General Forrest wishes the pontoon bridge put across the Warrior River when the water falls at Finch's Ferry.

I am, &c,
W. O. Flynn
Lieutenant and Engineer in Charge.
 

Undoubtedly this “Lanier’s Mill” was the same as that burned by Croxton and not far from Sipsey Bridge. The presence of the signboards would be the reason Croxton’s officers considered this the “military road.”

 

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O. R., Ser. I, Vol. 49, Part 2, p1172

HEADQUARTERS FORREST’S CAVALRY CORPS,

Sipsey Bridge, March 29, 1865

Brigadier General JACKSON,

Commanding Division Cavalry:

GENERAL: The lieutenant-general directs that you leave one commissioned officer with twenty men here for the purpose of guarding the three crossings, this bridge and Carter’s and Colter’s Ferries, one above and one below. They will remain here until day after tomorrow morning, when they will bury the two men who have been shot here at the bridge today, then follow on and report to their commands at Marion, Ala. If not there, to report wherever the command may be. Should this officer left behind catch other deserters he will take them to the bridge and execute them. The ferry above is one-half mile from there; the one below is two miles.

I am, general, your, etc.,
 

J.P. STRANGE
Assistant Adjutant General

Colter’s Ferry is a recognized crossing on Sipsey near Lewiston, near the present Aliceville-Lewiston bridge. It many have been further downstream in 1865. Carter’s Ferry evidently was located at the crossing near where the Ala Hwy 14 bridge is now.

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William A. Love, “Reminiscences of the Closing Days of the War of Secession,” in Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, Centenary Series, Vol. IV, 1921, pp 258-267.


…Leaving West Point, Mississippi, he (Forrest) in person passed through Pickensville, Alabama, and on March 29, reached the bridge over Sipsey River near Pleasant Ridge. There occurred on that day about noon, a tragic incident showing the hasty conclusion reached by General Forrest under provocation and consequent excitement.

As there has been much said, but little written, of that unfortunate tragedy, there is therefore great diversity of opinion as to the real facts in the case. Only one historian of the war, as the writer remembers, gives an account of it and that very briefly and superficially. As we understand it, the facts leading up to and including it are substantially these.

While not an eye-witness to what occurred on March 29 this impartial account is based upon personal observation made at 8 o’clock next morning, together with conversations and correspondence with various survivors of the campaign, and it is believed to be approximately correct. As this paper does not assume the dignity of history in its generally accepted forms, authorities are not cited nor the names of principals and participants given for obvious reasons, and of the rank and file that day all except a small majority have answered the last roll call and entered the realm of everlasting peace.

“Where the war drums throb no longer
And the battle flags are furled.”

As already stated, General Forrest was making a forced march to intercept General Wilson en route if possible with part of his command while the other was expected to occupy and make defensible the works in front of Selma. If successful in that, and General Wilson defeated, he probably would follow in the wake of Sherman and his command beyond the bounds of the Department, perhaps ultimately to unite with General Johnston in the Carolinas, or General Lee in Virginia. The situation was freely discussed around the camp fires and none were ignorant of the dismal prospect at Petersburg and of the dire calamity that would follow General Lee’s capitulation, or evacuation and retreat, which would prove only a disastrous prolongation of the unequal struggle.

It is not unreasonable then that dissatisfaction and discouragement prevailed and it was not unusual to hear the remarks, “I’m no going to cross the Alabama River,” “There’s no more use in fighting,” “The jig’s up boys.” But there was nowhere any open revolt, or overt act of disloyalty displayed. On the contrary, the boys were ready for the fray whenever, or wherever it might be staged, and had General Forrest succeeded in getting all his command in front of General Wilson, there would have been fought then and there the greatest battle of modern times—and old Forrest would have won it! But like Lee at Gettysburg, he failed because he fought with a part and not all his army. However, this is invading the field of speculation which is unpardonable even in a quasi historian. But, getting back to the narrative, at or very near the Sipsey Bridge, the provost guard arrested two men supposedly members of the command who were going in an opposite direction along the road, seemingly conscious of the privilege. Brought before the captain he glanced over the paper presented; and acting perhaps, without a thought of consequences, handed it back with the remark, “General Forrest is coming on just behind, show it to him.” Passing on they soon met the General, who greeted them cordially, with “well boys, what is it you want?” Presenting the paper they had but a moment to wait, when the face of the General flushed and in a positive tone exclaimed, “This is a ____ lie: The officer whose name is signed here is a hundred miles away and knows not a ______ thing about this. You are deserting in the face of the enemy and you shall be punished.” Turning to one of his staff officers, he ordered a detail of twenty men armed and equipped for the duty. Other matters claiming his attention, he for a time seemed to forget this, but later inquired if the order was transmitted. The officer addressed replied, “No, General, I did not think you really meant it, I thought you only intended to scare them.” “Yes, I did mean it,” he said with great warmth. “These men area deserting and shall be made an example of.” Standing erect and facing the General, the officer said with coolness and firmness, “General Forrest, you can send the order through another channel if you choose. These men are entitled to a fair and impartial trial, otherwise, I will have nothing whatever to do with the matter.” It appears remarkable to say the least, that an officer so near General Forrest and one of his own selection should thus defiantly disobey a direct order and thereby subject himself to a charge of insubordination with its attendant penalty. But when we consider the fact that it requires real men of the ranks, as well as officers of the line and staff to make and sustain a successful general, it can be understood why this breach of discipline was overlooked, or palliated.

General Forrest knew and appreciated the officer and realized that he could not dispense with his services without great loss to the cause, for which they both were giving unqualified support. Undaunted by this open resistance the prisoners were declared guilty and promptly executed. After General Hood’s disastrous Tennessee campaign and during the retreat, he was forces by existing conditions to order General Forrest to “keep picked bodies of cavalry near at hand that they may be ready to pursue and capture any men that may desert the army. If the first party of deserters can be caught and promptly punished, it will perhaps deter others from doing the same.”

Whether General Forrest had this in mind is of course, not known; the probabilities however, are that he acted upon his own initiative, considering it a military necessity. In either event it was an unlucky meeting, an unfortunate circumstance of war and perhaps not entirely justified under the peculiar condition, for,

“Remember, caution is not fear, nor rashness valor’s test;
If he who fights and dies does well, who fights and lives does best.”

Enemies of General Forrest, influenced doubtless by rank partisanship growing out of the rivalries of was and post bellum occurrences, even now claim that the men executed were executed by hanging. This is a vicious fabrication and unworthy of a moment’s consideration by fair minded men. This drastic military measure of course, had its effect, but the joyous spirit of soldier boys can only for a time be subdued, a suitable occasion never failing to give expression to sentiments otherwise dormant, as the following incident will illustrate.

The day after the execution, a courier, riding ahead of the column and alone, became weary and turning aside, tied his horse to the fence and stretching himself on the ground was soon asleep. Another courier soon came upon the scene and appreciating the situation, connecting the past and present, he took from his satchel a paper and with the stopper of his ink bottle wrote in letters, “shot for desertion,” and placed it upon the breast of the sleeper. Untying his horse, he led it with his won into the woods, then hiding himself nearby awaited developments. Soon the head of the column reached the spot and broke ranks together beside the prostrate form. Indignation and defiance were depicted in every face, threats and denunciations were heard all around the circle, but the climax was reached when an over-enraged comrade essaying to make a speech exclaimed, “General Forrest, or no General Forrest, this thing must stop,” and suiting action to words clapped his hands together with such force as to make a report like that of a carbine. At this the sleeper awoke and seeing the placard and his assembled comrades looking on in blank astonishment he jumped to his feet and with drawn pistol and a deluge of profanity, threatened to blow hell out of the man that did it. Such is the changeable life of the young soldier, quick transition from the grave to the gay and always ready for a fight or a frolic.