The Battle of Day's Gap, fought on April 30, 1863, was the first in a series of

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

skirmishes in Cullman County,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, that lasted until May 2, known as

Streight's Raid Streight's Raid (19 April – 3 May 1863) took place in northern Alabama during the American Civil War. It was led by Union Army Col. Abel Streight and opposed by Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. Streight's goal was to destroy par ...

. Commanding the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

forces was

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Abel Streight;

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Nathan Bedford Forrest led the

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces.

Background

The goal of Streight's raid was to cut off the

Western & Atlantic Railroad The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a railroad owned by the State of Georgia and currently leased by CSX, which CSX operates in the Southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was fo ...

, which supplied General

Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was an American army officer during the Second Seminole War and Mexican–American War and Confederate general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, serving in the Western ...

's Confederate army in

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...

. Starting in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, Streight and his men first traveled to Eastport, Mississippi, and then eastward to

Tuscumbia, Alabama Tuscumbia is a city in and the county seat of Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,423. The city is part of The Shoals metropolitan area. Tuscumbia was the hometown of Helen Keller, who lived at ...

. On April 26, 1863, Streight left Tuscumbia and marched southeastward. Streight's initial movements were screened by Union Brig. Gen. Grenville Dodge's troops.

Battle

On April 30 at Day's Gap on Sand Mountain, Forrest caught up with Streight's expedition and attacked his rear guard. Streight's men managed to repulse this attack and as a result they continued their march to avoid any further delays and envelopments caused by the Confederate troops.

Aftermath

This battle set off a chain of skirmishes and engagements at Crooked Creek (April 30), Hog Mountain (April 30), Blountsville (May 1), Black Creek/Gadsden (May 2), and Blount's Plantation (May 2). Finally, on May 3, Forrest surrounded Streight's exhausted men 3 mi east of

Cedar Bluff, Alabama Cedar Bluff is a town in Cherokee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,845. Unlike the rest of the county, Cedar Bluff is a wet town. Cedar Bluff is located on the north shore of Weiss Lake, noted for its cra ...

, and forced their surrender. They were sent to

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. It gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Priso ...

in Richmond, Virginia. Streight and some of his men escaped on February 9, 1864. The battle also led indirectly to the death of Confederate Lieutenant A. Wills Gould, an artillery officer of questionable competence, who left guns behind to be spiked by Union forces. Gould was furious with Forrest's decision to transfer him to another command and fought an impromptu duel with him on June 14, 1863, in which Gould was killed.

Union order of battle

These regiments participated in Streight's raid: * 80th Illinois Infantry * 51st Indiana Infantry * 73rd Indiana Infantry * 3rd Ohio Infantry * 1st Middle Tennessee Cavalry (two companies)

Preservation

The

Civil War Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization (501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. T ...

, a division of the

American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization ( 501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the American Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 through acquisition of battlefield land. Th ...

, and its partners have saved 40 acres of the battlefield at Hog Mountain, an associated battle that occurred on the same day as the Battle of Day's Gap.
Land Saved by the

, accessed May 18, 2018. Historian Fred Wise opened the Crooked Creek Civil War Museum on the land in which the skirmish at Crooked Creek took place. The museum houses numerous relics recovered from the property.

References

National Park Service battle description
* Eicher, David J., ''The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War'', Simon & Schuster, 2001, .
Update to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields - State of Alabama

External links

Nathan Bedford Forrest Historical Society

"Streight's Raid"
Encyclopedia of Alabama website, accessed December 27, 2014. * Abel D. Streight biographical sketch i

Indiana Historical Society The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies and describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller". It is housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Street ...

The Civil War Battlefield Guide: Day's Gap

History.com: Streight’s Raid begins

Tuscaloosa News: Day's Gap Civil War site listed as 'at risk'
{{authority control Cullman County, Alabama Day's Gap Day's Gap Day's Gap Day's Gap The Lightning Mule Brigade Day's Gap 1863 in Alabama Nathan Bedford Forrest April 1863 events