Near Waterloo in Lauderdale County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Wilson's Headquarters and Camp
Gravelly Springs, Alabama
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 1, 2009
1. Wilson's Headquarters and Camp Marker
At this site from mid-January to mid-March 1865, Maj. Gen. James Harrison Wilson, U.S. Army, assembled the largest cavalry force ever massed in the western hemisphere. Five divisions totaling 22,000 camped from Gravelly Springs westward to Waterloo. Wilson made headquarters a mile east of the springs at Wildwood plantation, the boyhood home of Alabama senator and governor, George Houston. After intensive training Wilson's Cavalry crossed the Tennessee to invade South Alabama and Georgia, a campaign which included burning the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and the capture of Pres. Jefferson Davis at Irwinville, Georgia, in May 1865, after Lee's surrender.
Donated by C. L. Culver
Erected by Florence Historic Board of Florence Alabama.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1865.
Location. 34° 53.072′ N, 87° 54.258′ W. Marker is near Waterloo, Alabama, in Lauderdale County. It is at the intersection of County Route 14 and County Route 2, on the right when traveling north on County Route 14. Touch for map. Marker is in this post
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama and in the Shoals. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: General John Coffee (approx. 1.8 miles away); Tiny Jewels of the Air (approx. 1.8 miles away); Rock Spring (approx. 1.8 miles away); Macedonia Church of Christ (approx. 3.1 miles away); Driven Up The Waters (approx. 3.2 miles away); Wet, Wild, and Wonderful (approx. 3.9 miles away); Welcome! (approx. 3.9 miles away); Colbert Ferry (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waterloo.
Also see . . .
1. Gravelly Springs. Shoals History website
via Free Bird's Adventure, 2015
2. Gravelly Springs
2. Wilsons Raid. New Georgia Encyclopedia website entry (Submitted on November 26, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2010, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 5,356 times since then and 170 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 7, 2010, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 2. submitted on November 26, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
