Having made this disposition of his forces, he sent forward, under a flag of truce, a written demand for the surrender of Duffield's command, which was complied with at once.After this, Forrest demanded the surrender of the Third Minnesota, which Lester, after an interview with Duffield and a consultation with his own officers, made, surrendering some five hundred infantry of his regiment and two sections of Hewitt's battery of artillery.The entire forces surrendered were seventeen hundred troops with four pieces of artillery.Forrest captured about six hundred horses and mules, and a very large quantity of stores and Government supplies, part of which he carried away and the rest he destroyed, to the value of nearly a million of dollars.
This loss occurred the day after the opening of the road from Nashville south, and very seriously interfered with the movements at the front.Nelson endeavored to intercept Forest, but could not successfully "chase cavalry with infantry." Forrest on Nelson's approach withdrew to McMinnville, and from there made a dash on Lebanon, some fifty miles distant, where he expected to find a force of five hundred Federal cavalry.This force escaped him, and he then swept around to the south of Nashville, captured 150 bridge guards and burned four bridges.Learning that Nelson was again in pursuit of him, Forrest returned to McMinnville.
From this point he made repeated raids on the line of road south of Nashville, leaving Morgan to operate against the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.These raiders were able to move almost without opposition, as Buell was without sufficient cavalry to cope with them.The latter had been compelled to divide his cavalry into small bands to run down the guerillas that had been operating on his line of railroad.Now that Forrest's and Morgan's commands had become so formidable, he was compelled to organize his cavalry into united bodies for better defensive movements against these raiders.The Second Indiana, Fourth and Fifth Kentucky, and Seventh Pennsylvania cavalry regiments he formed into one brigade, and on August 11th, he sent it under General R.W.Johnson against Morgan, who had been ordered by Bragg to break the railroad between Louisville and Nashville, in order to retard Buell's movement north to Louisville as much as possible, and who was operating about Gallatin, Tennessee, which he had captured with 200 prisoners.
Colonel Boone was in command of the Federal forces at this point.
Morgan hearing that Boone slept in the town away from the camp, sent a small force to capture him, which was done, just as he had dressed and was starting to camp.Morgan then destroyed a railroad bridge south of Gallatin, and the tunnel six miles north, the roof of which was supported with large beams on upright timbers.Running some freight cars into the tunnel, they were set on fire and some eight hundred feet of it destroyed, the roof caving in.
Johnson sought to attack Morgan before he could unite with Forrest, who was on his Lebanon raid at that time, but Morgan hearing that Johnson had infantry and artillery supports, endeavored to avoid an engagement.Johnson forced the fight, engaged Morgan with spirit, and although repulsed three times, after the first and second repulse formed promptly and renewed the attack.After the third repulse the Federal forces commenced retreating, when Morgan followed, attacked Johnson's retreating forces and drove the Federals some three miles.Johnson reformed his lines twice, but the enemy broke, and drove them each time.He then reformed the remnant of his command and fought the enemy dismounted, when the latter charged again, and Johnson, seeing that the greater part of his command had scattered, surrendered.The force that was with him at this time was only a small band of some twenty-five soldiers and a few officers.His loss was 20 killed and 42 wounded.Duke in his "History of Morgan's Cavalry," says: "A great deal of censure was at the time cast upon these men"--Johnson's command--"and they were accused of arrant cowardice by the Northern press.Nothing could have been more unjust.They attacked with spirit and without hesitation, and were unable to close with us on account of their heavy loss in men and horses.I have seen troops much more highly boasted than these were before their defeat, behave not nearly so well." And of Johnson, Duke says: "His attack was made promptly and in splendid style; his dispositions throughout the first fight were good, and he exhibited fine personal courage and energy."
