Battle of Day's Gap

Battle of Day's Gap Sand Mountain Began: April 30, 1863 Ended: Same day Location: Cullman County, Alabama Theater: Western Theater Campaign: Streight's Raid in Alabama and Georgia Outcome: Union victory (raid ultimately failed) Combatants Men from 51st Indiana Infantry 73rd Indiana Infantry 3rd Ohio Infantry 80th Illinois Infantry 1st Middle Tennessee Cavalry Commanders Abel Streight Colonel, USA Nathan Bedford Forrest Brigadier General, CSA Strength Casualties 23 65

Union Col. Abel D. Streight led a provisional brigade on a raid to cut the Western & Atlantic Railroad that supplied Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Confederate army in Middle Tennessee. From Nashville, Tennessee, Streight’s command traveled to Eastport, Mississippi, and then proceeded east to Tuscumbia, Alabama, in conjunction with another Union force commanded by Brig. Gen. Grenville Dodge. On April 26, 1863, Streight’s men left Tuscumbia and marched southeast, their initial movements screened by Dodge’s troops.

On April 30, Confederate Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s brigade caught up with Streight’s expedition and attacked its rearguard at Day’s Gap on Sand Mountain. The Federals repulsed this attack and continued their march to avoid further delay and envelopment. Thus began a running series 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). Forrest finally surrounded the exhausted Union soldiers near Rome, Georgia, where he forced their surrender on May 3.