The National tribune., 1910-04-21
Forrest made the raid into Memphis III
July. Keep history straight"
Revisits Scenes of the Raid.

| 1ScNlSltS SCeItS Ol TIC INaiu.
w. A Wells. Co. E, 137th ILL.,, Win
chester, ILL.,, writes:
The first regiment Forrest struck
after driving in our picket line was the
137th Ill. Col Woods was sick that
morning, and Lieut.. Col Roach was in
command. Henry A. Frills, Grinnell,
Iowa, says we had given up our arms
and were awaiting transportation home.
That is not the fact Our regiment was
| doing picket duty at that time around
Memphis, and one-ha1f of them were ON
duty that morning and did duty for
| fully one month after the raid, and
was mustered out at Springfield Sept.
"a, 1864.
| "Our camp at Memphis was on the
fernando road. Our regiment formed
on the parade ground, and commenced
| firing without orders, and the boys who
| were late getting out of their tents were
between us and the JOhnnies, and were
getting the worst of it. We fired four
or five volleys, and were driven back
| into the camp of the Sd Ill. Cav, and
were pretty badly demoralized. Capt.
Higgins, Co e, 137th ILL.,, took about rs
men, and went to the Methodist Female
Academy to protect Col. Woods. This
| little body of troops was charged on
| repeatedly the 14th and 18th Tenn.
| Cav, who almost reached the very
Il visited Memphis last March, and
| was out to the old college with one of
| the old Johnnies of the 14th Tenn. 1
showed him the window / fired from,
and he showed me the tree he was be-
hind. The bullet marks are still visible
on the walls of the building.
MY company (E) had two killed,
three mortally wounded and eight cap
tured. Gen. Forrest reported nine killed,
four officers and % men wounded, 81
captured. He had with him the I'd Mo-,
| 18TH Miss. Battalion, 18th, 14th and
18th Tenn. He claimed he captured,
killed and wounded 400 Yankees. Gen.
| six wounded, four captured; enlisted
men, IA killed, SO wounded, 112 miss
| ing. Loss of enemy, % killed, Is so
badly wounded could not be carried
away, and 25 captured
Has a Diary to Refer to.
H. Warren Phelps, Lieutenant, Co H,
95th Ohio, Columbus, o., writes:
Forrest was familiar with Memphis,
as it was his home. For many years he
was a slave auctioneer there. He no
doubt had many friends there who gave
him valuable assistance. My company
was with Gen. Smith, and my diary says
we were at Abbeville on Sunday, Aug.
81, with the rebels under Chalmers at
oxford. On Aug. % our advance rushed
oxford. and drove the enemy out At
noon Union cavalry command came
up from Lagrange with word that Mem
phis had been taken by Forrest. who
had burned the city the day before
Sunday. Smoke was soon seen arising
from oxford, and our army started to-
wards Memphis. We passed back thru
Abbevile (the houses had been nearly
all burnedJ, and the enemy made a
fierce attack on our rear. Gen. Joe a.
Mower led the charge on the enemy
with the bride reins in his mouth and
g revolver in each hand. The enemy
soon retreated, leaving more dead and
wounded on the field than we did. On
Aug. 80 we were taken to Memphis on
cars. and found the city had not been
burned. Forrest did not have time to
burn anything. He rode into the Gayoso
Hotel, expecting to lind some Northern
cotton buyers and take their money,
but he was disappointed"