464 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period v. 



the general, and galloping to the point showed it to him 

 under the fire of the enemy's sharpshooters, and the 

 Confederates in a short time were across the river in full 

 pursuit. 



Grddsden was soon reached, and then Forrest, selecting 

 300 of his best mounted men, again led the advance, 

 and after a race of nine or ten miles, the enemy were 

 again overtaken about 5 P.M. on the 2nd May, at 

 Turkeytown, where another sharp fight took place. 

 Streight had prepared an ambush, but Forrest's impe- 

 tuous rush at full gallop, his men firing right and left, 

 with pistols and rifles, carried him past the ambuscade 

 with little loss, and Ijroke the Federal lines beyond ; 

 killing, wounding, and capturing a number of them. It 

 was now dark, and again the enemy were flying. Forrest 

 halted for the night, to let his scattered troops come up, 

 and to give his horses the rest that had become absolutelv 

 necessary. 



By sunrise on the 3rd, the remnants of the Confede- 

 rate force, now only 500 effective men, were again on 

 the march, and about 9 a.m. the Federals were over- 

 taken, and driven for some distance, when they rallied, 

 and formed up, once more to give battle. Forrest, 

 whose impetuous spirit and boiling courage led him 

 instinctively to deal hard crushing blows, was never- 

 theless always watchful to gain his object by stratagem, 

 if that were possible, and he thought the time had now 

 come to try to obtain a surrender.' His force was so 

 small, that while the negotiations were going on he was 

 obliged to make the most skilful disj)lays of his com- 

 mand, and ]3y showing portions of it rapidly at diflferent 

 points, to impose upon the Federal commander. 



At last a surrender was agreed upon, and Forrest, to 

 conceal the paucity of his numbers, said that on account 

 of the difficulty of obtaining forage, he would only take 

 two regiments to escort his prisoners to Rome, some 

 miles distant, and that the remainder of his force would 

 be sent to neighbouring towns. To deceive Colonel 

 Streight, he gave fictitious orders in his hearing, directing 

 ^ Campaigns of Forrest, 273. 



