Farmington Engagement

Farmington Engagement. Confederate Cemetery. The Farmington engagement took place along this road during Confederate Gen. Joseph Wheeler's October 1-6, 1864, raid through the Sequatchie Valley to cut supply lines to Federal-occupied Chattanooga. Wheeler and his 4,000 cavalrymen captured or destroyed 750 supply wagons and 4,000 mules and horses and took 1,200 prisoners. They also destroyed railroad cars, several bridges, and miles of track., On October 7, 8,000 of Union Gen. George Crook's cavalry pursued Wheeler on the Farmington Turnpike (present-day State Rte. 64) from Shelbyville. The Union 72nd Indiana and 123rd Illinois Infantry regiments attacked the Confederate rear guard, the 8th Tennessee and 1st Kentucky Cavalry, at Palmetto, 2 miles to your right. After a sharp fight, Wheeler's men fled down an old sunken road to Farmington. Near that community, Confederate gunners fired at the Federals to slow them down. The 8th Tennessee and 1st Kentucky reached Farmington and moved on to Lewisburg. Minutes later the Confederate 8th Texas Cavalry moved down from Clay Hill about five miles north of here, and two companies charged the Federals while the remainder crossed over East Rock Creek about a mile to your left. The 10th Illinois Cavalry and 2nd U.S. Cavalry Division approached from the northeast and north to support their comrades, and heavy fighting ensued for almost two hours. After destroying the bridge over East Rock Creek, the Confederates retreated west to Lewisburg. Casualty figures are uncertain, but each side may have suffered about 20 dead and 80 wounded. The Federals captured about 100 prisoners., (sidebar) , The cemetery and monument about 75 yards in front of you were created to honor the Confederate soldiers who fell in the October 7, 1863, Farmington engagement. Residents buried the bodies of twelve soldiers in a common grave with six men facing east and six men facing west. Two cedar logs were used as headrests; the bodies were covered with blankets. Family members later removed several of the bodies and buried them elsewhere. Bennett Chapman, a former Confederate soldier who had served in the 8th (also called the 4th) Tennessee Cavalry, urged the placement of a monument here. It was dedicated in June 1874 and is one of the oldest Confederate monuments in Tennessee., (captions) , Gen. Joseph Wheeler Courtesy Library of Congress , Gen. George Crook Courtesy Library of Congress , Map of Marshall County, Tenn., 1899 - Courtesy Library of Congress , Confederate monument at Farmington Courtesy Marshall County Historical Society