Dunham Takes the Offensive

Colonel Cyrus Dunham mistakenly believed that General Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry had moved along Rock Springs Road in an attempt to escape, so he ordered his Union soldiers to change front. A line that had been facing west, parallel to the Lexington-Huntingdon road, swung north and, with one end anchored on the road, aligned east-west on a low ridge parallel to Forrest's dismounted troopers to the north on what is now Wildersville Road. Dunham did not realize that this move placed the Union brigade exactly where Forrest wanted it. As Dunham moved into position, Forrest began a vigorous attack. Skirmishers pushed forward into Wildersville Road were quickly driven back, Confederate artillery was brought up, and fire from artillery and small arms raked the exposed Union line, especially its eastern end. Union troops fought stubbornly and defended their positions with marked valor, but the Confederate fire inflicted heavy punishment.

Parker's Crossroads, Tennessee · United States