Streight’s Raid

Streight’s Raid. The Battle of Hog Mountain. , "This was a glorious fight, one that did the soldiers' hearts good to look upon, made there in the mountains in the darkness of the night, almost hand-to-hand, with only the light from the vivid flash of the artillery and small arms to show the position of each to the other.” , , Confederate Confederate Major M.H. Clift, "I selected a strong position, about 1 mile south of the crossing of the creek, on a ridge called Hog Mountain. The whole force soon became engaged. The enemy strove first to carry our right, then charged the left, but … we were able to repulse them.” , Colonel Abel , D. Streight, USA , On the hallowed ground before you, the Battle of Hog Mountain was fought on the evening of April 30, 1863. Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest personally led the 4th and 9th Tennessee Cavalry regiments in charge after charge against a numerically superior Union force under Colonel Abel D. Streight. Much of the fighting was hand-to-hand and in the dark. Four Union cannons, two of which had been captured from Forrest only earlier that day, bolstered the Union position. Only the flash of small arms and artillery lit the awful scene and helped to distinguish friend from foe. , General Forrest had a horse shot from under him, then another, and then another, as the Federals desperately held their position. A Confederate flanking movement ultimately threatened the Union rear and Colonel Streight ordered his men to retire toward Blountsville. Streight left a doctor behind to care for the wounded and spiked the cannons he had so dearly captured., Photo captions , [Right of portrait] - Hard-fighting Lt. Hiram L. Hendley was at Hog Mountain with the 9th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion and was the type of soldier with which the Union troops had to contest. On one muster-roll to the questions who last paid him and when, Hendley answered "nobody" and "never." Courtesy Library of Congress, [Right top] - Two captured Confederate cannons doubled the number of Yankee artillery pieces in the fight at Hog Mountain. Union Col. Streight used the cannons here, then spiked and abandoned them upon his retreat from Hog Mountain. Courtesy Library of Congress, [Right bottom] - There are no known images or even maps showing the quick nighttime fight at Hog Mountain, but this sketch showing troopers, mounted and dismounted, and artillery in concert approximates the scene. Courtesy Library of Congress