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precaution to send four companies to Clarksburg, seven miles in his rear, to watch for Federal reinforcements, but the command failed to discover Sullivan's approach and the first notice of his presence was the opening of his guns.
Colonel Biffle returned from the rear in time to participate in the affair at Parker's cross-roads; and before rejoining Forrest he captured and paroled 150 Federal prisoners within six miles of Trenton.
Forrest reported a loss of 60 killed and wounded and 122 captured. Among the dead was Col. T. Alonzo Napier, Tenth Tennessee cavalry, who fell while leading his command in a charge on foot.
He was a young officer of great promise and of indomitable courage and energy.
Forrest recrossed the Tennessee river without being molested.
Col. W. K. M. Breckinridge's regiment of Federal cavalry interposed between Colonel Dibrell and the river, but after skirmishing a few minutes, said the gallant Dibrell, ‘we charged and routed the regiment, killing and capturing fifteen or twenty of them.’
General Sullivan telegraphed that he had ‘met Forrest 7,000 strong, and after a contest of four hours completely routed him, with great slaughter.’
Forrest had less than one-fifth of the force attributed to him, but the fierceness and vigor of his attack caused the Federal commander to multiply his numbers many times.
The attack on Fort Donelson of February 3, 1863, was made by Maj.-Gen. Joseph Wheeler, with the brigades of Forrest and John A. Wharton.
Forrest's command consisted of detachments from the Fourth Tennessee, Fourth Alabama, Cox's, Napier's and Holman's Tennessee battalions, Woodward's Kentuckians and Morton's battery, in all about 800 men. Wharton's brigade was about 2,000 strong; but General Wheeler reports that only about a thousand men from both brigades participated in the action.
The fort was defended gallantly and successfully by Col. A. C. Harding, Eighty-third Illinois, with about 750 men of all arms, fighting under cover.
The Confederates
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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