During Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry raid through West Tennessee from Dec. 15, 1862-Jan 3, 1863, his brigade destroyed railroads and severed Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s supply line between Columbus, Kentucky, and Vicksburg, Mississippi. After crossing the Tennessee River at Clifton, Forrest defeated Union Col. Robert G. Ingersoll’s cavalry at Lexington, then captured Trenton and Union City, ranged briefly into Kentucky, raided back through Tennessee, evaded defeat at Parker’s Cross Roads, and crossed the river again at Clifton, prompting Grant to shift his supply base to Memphis. Near this site on December 18, 1862, Ingersoll surrendered to Capt. Frank B. Gurley of Forrest’s brigade, ending the battle for Lexington. Ingersoll commanded the 11th Illinois Cavalry, the 2nd West Tennessee Cavalry, the 5th Ohio Cavalry, and a two-gun section of the 14th Indiana Battery. He placed most of his force on the Old Stage Road from Lexington and sent two companies of the 2nd West Tennessee to block the Lower Road against Forrest’s advance. When the Federal units met the Confederates, they fell back toward Beech Creek on Ingersoll’s orders. Although Ingersoll’s artillery slowed Forrest’s advance, the Confederates drove the 2nd Tennessee back up the Lower Road and threatened to flank Ingersoll’s position overlooking the creek. Ingersoll ordered his guns to retire while part of the 11th Illinois charged to push back the Confederate attack. The cavalrymen briefly succeeded, but Ingersoll’s position was soon nearly encircled, the guns were overrun, and he was captured with about 150 other Federals. After the war Ingersoll became one of the nation’s foremost orators. He accepted his capture with good grace, joking with Gurley that he was now a guest until prisoner exchange resumed. Paroled three days later, he learned draw poker from one of his captors, lost $50 loaned by a Confederate soldier, and repaid it thirty years later. Forrest and his brigade then rode on toward Jackson.