The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-04-25
PARKER's CROSSROADS.
An Indiana Surgeons Account of the Battle.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The CORE
spondence of Comrades Ball, Lewis and Taylor
with reference to the battle of Parkers Cross
roads demands some attention; not that any
great interest is involved but because there is
a misunderstanding between the parties men
toned. Comrade Taylor gives very truthful
statement of the forces engaged.
Forrest was loaded with the plumber taken
from railroad stations where cur supplies were
located, and was trying to get away with it ;
and Gen. Sullivan and the troops under his
command were determined to meet him and
give him battle. Forrest knew that he could
not successfully meet Sullivan's united forces.
and therefore determined to divide the Union
forces and whip and fight them in detail. He
was successful in making the division. Col.
Cyrus l.. Durham, of the 50th Ind, was given
command of our brigade, composed of the 50th
Ind, 122d H., seth Iowa. 9TH Wis. battery and
a small cavalry force of 40 or so men. Sullivan
took one of the routes he supposed Forrest
would take, while Durham moved down to
within a few miles of Parkcr's Crossroads the
other route that Forrest must take to get across
the Tennessee River.
On the morning of December 81, 1862. before
daybreak, Durham moved his men towards
Parker's Crossroads, and got there about s
o'clock in the morning perhaps little earlier
than that. Forrest had now to fight, and took
his choice of the ground and had his batteries
in readiness for the attack Durham saw that
| Forrest had the advantage of position, and
! moved his men over the elevated ground oppo-
| site Forests line of battle. The movement oil
the Union forces was so rapid, being in direc.
| ton from the Confederate line, that Forrest
supposed Dunham's forces were dcmoralized
and retreatng, and he pushed a part of hi:
| command after Durham. But when the Union
| forces reached their chosen position they soor
| checked Forests approach. No men ever
| fought better than did these men under Dun
| ham, Forests forces outnumbeTed Durham s
| and they felt confident that they could whiJ
| him in a very short time; but the brave littl,
! brigade fought over the ground two or three
| times, and had Forrest whipped before Gen
Sullivan could bring his men up No men eve
made a better forced march than did the com
mand under Sullivan. They reached the bat
| tefeld late in the day, and have no doub
| fastened Forests defeat, but Dunham's Bri
| gade accomplished this result in less than al
| hour.
This is not written to detract from the BRAY
cry of Sullivan's Brigade. They were as good
men as were DunhaIn's command, and they
did as hard work in marching to reach the
battlefield as did the men who fought all day
| l doubt that had they have been on the fielC
| and occupied the position Dunham's men die
they would have accomplished as much as h,
did. However, they were not there until late
| IN the atterpart OF the day
Forrest was arranging for his retreat whe1
Sullivan arrived, but Suliiyan's forces helped
to capture large number of prisoners and t.
make Forests defeat more disastrous THAI
Dunham's men couldshave done
These are the facts as they came to my obser
walton, for I saw all of the occurrence ant
remained on the ground several days witt
wounded men after the battle. / would like t
have the address of all the men engaged in thi
stormy engagements. w. HERvEY, Surgeon
50th Ind, Indianapolis, Ind