Parker's Cross Roads Tennessee

American Civil War
December 31, 1862

As Brig. General Nathan Bedford Forrest's expedition into West Tennessee neared its conclusion, Union Brig. General Jeremiah C. Sullivan, with the brigades of Col. Cyrus L. Dunham and Col. John W. Fuller, attempted to cut Forrest off from withdrawing across the Tennessee River.
Dunham's and Forrest's march routes, on December 31, 1862, brought them into contact at Parker's Cross Roads. Skirmishing began about 9:00 am, with Forrest taking an initial position along a wooded ridge northwest of Dunham at the intersection. Confederate artillery gained an early advantage. Dunham pulled his brigade back a half mile and redeployed, facing north.
His Federals repelled frontal feints until attacked on both flanks and rear by Forrest's mounted and dismounted troops. During a lull, Forrest sent Dunham a demand for an unconditional surrender. Dunham refused and was preparing for Forrest's next onset when Fuller's Union brigade arrived from the north and surprised the Confederates with an attack on their rear; Confederate security detachments had failed to warn of Fuller's approach. "Charge 'em both ways," ordered Forrest.
The Confederates briefly reversed front, repelled Fuller, then rushed past Dunham's demoralized force and withdrew south to Lexington and then across the Tennessee River. Both sides claimed victory, but the Confederate claims appear to have more credence.
Result(s): Confederate victory
Location: Henderson County
Campaign: Forrest's Expedition into West Tennessee (1862-63)
Date(s): December 31, 1862
Principal Commanders: Brig. General Jeremiah C. Sullivan [US]; Brig. General Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS]
Forces Engaged: Two brigades (approx. 3,000 men) [US]; expeditionary brigade [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 737 total (US 237; CS 500)

Nathan Bedford Forrest's Escort And Staff
The CSA escort company and staff officers of Nathan Bedford Forrest were held in awe by men on both sides of the conflict during the war and long after, and they continue to be held in esteem as figures as legendary as Forrest himself. Not merely guards or couriers, these men were an elite force who rode harder and fought more fiercely than any others

Civil War Model 1851 Naval Pistol with Engraved Silver Tone / Gold Tone Finish and Wooden Grips - Replica of Revolver Used by Both USA / Union and CSA / Confederate Forces

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The Civil War: A Narrative
3 Volume Set : Foote
This trilogy of books on the Civil War is not only a piece of first-rate history, but also a marvelous work of literature. Many know Foote for his prominent role as a commentator on Ken Burns's PBS series about the Civil War. These three books, however, are his legacy

American Civil War Book Titles
FAME'S ETERNAL CAMPING-GROUNDS: A Historical AND the Original Authentic Accounts of the Civil War Battles Fort Donelson, Shiloh, and Vicksburg This two-part book has something for everyone from the Civil War novice to the Civil War buff; for those who enjoy historicals and those who want authentic material	Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson Campaign The war probably could have been over in 1862 had Lieutenant Phelps destroyed the bridge at Florence. Not doing so provided a retreat for A. S. Johnston to move his men to Corinth and then to Shiloh	Winter Lightning: A Guide to the Battle of Stones River Lincoln thanked Rosecrans saying that the nation could not have taken another defeat. Additionally, Lincoln said he would remember this victory as long as he lived	Six Armies in Tennessee: The Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns The Federal success along the river opened the way for advances into central and eastern Tennessee, which culminated in the bloody battle of Chickamauga and then a struggle for Chattanooga. Chickamauga is usually counted as a Confederate victory, albeit a costly one
Sanctified Trial: The Diary of Eliza Rhea Anderson Fain, a Confederate Woman in East Tennessee The Diary of Eliza Rhea Anderson Fain	The Bridge Burners: A True Adventure of East Tennessee's Underground Civil War The railroad that proved such a peacetime boon would become a point of conflict only three years later	A Very Violent Rebel: The Civil War Diary of Ellen Renshaw House The Siege of Knoxville (November 1863) is covered and Sutherland's footnotes make for good history	The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga All the information you need to understand the flow of the battle at Chattanooga as well as the political intriguing that helped to shape the results is here
Bloody Bill Anderson: The Short, Savage Life of a Civil War Guerrilla For a brief but dramatic period, Bloody Bill played the leading role in the most violent arena of the entire war-and did so with a vicious abandon that spread fear throughout the land	Gray Ghosts of the Confederacy: Guerrilla Warfare in the West, 1861-1865 The establishment of a police state in Missouri and the subsequent backlash and ensuing war of sabotage by local guerrillas. Missouri and Kansas had shared much animosity in the years leading up to the Civil War	Autobiography of Samuel S. Hildebrand Figures such as Quantrill and Anderson are better known today, Sam Hildebrand was an equally notorious Missouri bushwhacker in the southeast region of Missouri. Operating with a small group of followers, Hildebrand and his rifle "Kill-Devil" were a terror to local Unionist civilians	Where the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson Campaign The war probably could have been over in 1862 had Lieutenant Phelps destroyed the bridge at Florence. Not doing so provided a retreat for A. S. Johnston to move his men to Corinth and then to Shiloh

Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles
Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles The violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor	Civil War Journal - The Conflict Begins These four programs from the History Channel series Civil War Journal cover critical aspects of the early days of the war.	Long Road Back to Kentucky: The 1862 Confederate Invasion T he often-overlooked Western campaign of the war with a specific emphasis on Kentucky's involvement in the American Civil War. DVD	Gettysburg / Gods and Generals The tide of the war changes during three fierce days of combat at Gettysburg [Disc 1] the gripping saga of the tactics command errors and sacrifices behind the bloodiest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. Gods and Generals [Disc 2] reveals the spirited allegiances and fierce combat of earlier Civil War struggles
History Channel Presents The Civil War From Harper's Ferry, Fort Sumter, and First Bull Run to Shiloh, Antietam, and Gettysburg. The most legendary Civil War battles in brilliant detail. A selection of the soldiers and legendary leaders.	The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one	The Blue and the Gray The Complete Miniseries The Civil War proved a backdrop for this 1982 miniseries. Complete and uncut three disc set. Two families divided by the War Between the States. A Southerner caught when he becomes a war correspondent for the Northern newspaper. He finds himself where history's in the making from the Battle of Bull Run to Abraham Lincoln's assassination	Blue Vs. Gray - Killing Fields Relive the most vicious fighting of the Civil War, in which General Ulysses S. Grant forcibly reversed the tide of the conflict by paying with the blood of thousands. It was a desperate time for the Union

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Parker's Cross Roads Tennessee

American Civil War December 31, 1862

American Civil War
December 31, 1862