ement. Colonel Streight was an officer peculiarly fitted
for such a raid. He was active, clearheaded, determined, and of excellent
judgment, and his many fights with Forrest showed him full of resources;
but his two-days' halt at Moulton, the heavy rains, and the condition of
his stock, were fatal to him.

On the morning of May 27th I felt carefully of the enemy and found them in
my front, and commenced immediately to force them back, trying to make
them believe, if they discovered Colonel Streight, that it was only a side
movement into the loyal part of Alabama, where we had many friends and
where we enlisted a Regiment of loyal Alabamians, which was afterwards
known as the First Alabama Cavalry, commanded by Colonel George E.
Spencer, whose Regiment became noted for its valuable service throughout
the war. General Sherman selected it as his headquarters escort in his
march to the sea.

Generals Forrest and Roddey, on May 28th, made a determined stand to halt
my advance on Town Creek. The high water delayed my crossing, but on the
morning of the 29th, after my force had crossed and driven the enemy from
the heights beyond, I discovered that I had only General Roddey and his
force in my front and I forced my cavalry out towards Decatur until the
enemy disappeared from the front. The evening of the 28th I notified
Colonel Streight that Forrest was still with me, and I was greatly alarmed
to find that Colonel Streight was still directly south of me, when I hoped
he would be well on the road. When General Bragg found that I was
continuing my advance up the Tennessee, destroying his stores, he
despatched General Van Dorn with his cavalry command to cross the
Tennessee at Florence and get in my rear, but as soon as the enemy
disappeared in my front, I turned immediately and marched rapidly back to
Bear River, so that, if General Van Dorn succeeded in crossing the
Tennessee River, I would have him in my front. My troops destroyed all the
supplies in the whole Valley of the Tennessee, burnt the railroad
stations, and destroyed the railroad so that it was never rebuilt until
after the war. There followed me back to Corinth almost the entire negro
population of that valley. They came in every conceivable conveyance from
their masters' private carriage to a wheelbarrow, and they had hitched to
the conveyances sometimes a cow and horse and sometimes a fine team of
horses, or a cow and an ox. Hundreds were on foot, with their house