Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-09-27
vas stationed at Shelbyville and

was StdtlOueU dI OuclDyFIlle I'LL
Tullahoma; but the division o
Major General Van Dorm arrivin
from Mississippi, he. as the senio
officer, took the chief command
The brilliant affairs of Thompson
Station and Brentwood evidence,
that undoubted genius had plann
ed and put on foot these expedi
tions, and rumor pointed to Forres
as the man. At least he played /;
prominent part in the execution
of the plan, to whomsoever it act
ually belonged.
In the spring, the federal com
manders inaugurated their policy
of ''raiding" over the South fol
the purpose of destroying manu-
factories, arsenals, and depots, de.
voting picked commands to thisser.
vice, whose missions were to de-
stroy until they were overpowered
and captured. Having this OBJ
ject in view, Col. Streight had
disembarked a select brigade in
the neighborhood Of Tuscumbia,
Alabama; but Forrest suspecting
his intention, had marched rapidly
with a force of 1000 men to the
Tennessee river. Streight had ta-
ken the direction of Rome, Geor-
gia, through North Alabama, and
was already many miles the start
of Forrest, who Immediately be-
gan pursuit. After forty-eight
hoursof hard riding, which broke
down half his horses, he overlook
the federal rear guard on the
mountains, and drove it upon
their main column. The weary
raiders had little rest from that
time; for, though they rode
hard, night and day. their sleep
less and untiring pursuers kept
upon their heels, dealing wounds
and death among them, until the
spires of Rome were almost visi-
bic in the distance. Streight,
brought to bay, was compelled,
for his safety, to halt and make
his dispositions for battle. For
rest Immediately and peremptori-
ly demanded his surrender, and
the perplexed raider, believing
himself threatened by a superior
force, yielded to the necessity of
the case, and delivered up his
sword in sight of the rich prize
that he had hoped to gain. He
must have been somewhat morti-
fed when he found that sixteen
men had stacked arms to
ess than six hundred! The man
factories and arsenals of Rome
stood unburned, and his prom
sed honors, that he had hoped to
wear, faded before his eyes.
1t was said that he declined the |
irst summons to surrender; but
when he stood face to face with /
Forrest, heard the summons re-
,eatedin his peculiar voice, and
ooked into the fierce gray eye,
hat expressed no hesitation, his
leart failed him and bowed to the
,reater spirit.
The Importance of this victory
qualled its brilliance; for had
Forrest failed to overtake and ar
est Col. Streight, the manufacto-
les of Rome, of Atlanta, of Ma
on, every magazine and arsenal
lpon which the army of the west
depended, would have been in the
'ower of the federal cavalry
lad they entered the rich regions
n the neighborhood Of Rome, 2
hey would have pressed a relay
f fresh horses, and have defied
Il pursuit. The country was not (
t all prepared to defend itself
gainst the sudden attack of a
rigade of bold raiders; there were
10 arms for the squads who could
ssemble to repel a raid; and it {
7as impossible to have protected I
he country by sending detach-
lents from a distant army.
The fact was, but for the heroic
forts of Forrest, the federal COM !
handler would have laid waste the Z
7hole country from which the ar
MES of the Confederacy drew ]
heirsupplies and munitions Of war.
)f vast Importance, then, was the
apture Of Streight's column; and ]
S to its brilliance, nothing in the I
istory of the war begins to equal
Forests name was inthe mouths
f the people and the army, for all j