March 8, 2022 meeting of the McHenry County Civil War Round Table.
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This was both an in person and a Zoom meeting with presentation given by Gene Salecker.
After Sherman captured Atlanta he had long supply lines back to Nashville, Tennessee.
September 24, 1864, Nathan Forrest had 3,600 cavalry troops at Cherokee Station. He was hoping to break the railroad link and draw Sherman's army after him.
Fort Henderson was at Athens, Alabama, and Forrest and 4,000 of his men surrounded it and made the fort's commander, Colonel Campbell believe he had 13,000 to 15,000 men and scared Campbell into surrendering the 900 men under his command. Most of the Union troops surrendered were of the 110th USCT. (Black soldiers surrendering to Confederates, never a good thing.)
There were 13,000 Union troops at Decatur, Alabama, and they sent a force of 378 to Fort Henderson's relief. They were from the 102nd Ohio and under the command of Lt. Col. Elliott. Forrest attacked them and after hard fighting, forced them to surrender as well. Elliott was mortally wounded. These men were sent to Cahaba Prison.
The Blacks captured at Fort Henderson were sent to Mobile, Alabama, to work on the fortifications there. While doing this, they came under fire of Union ships.
--Old Secesh
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