cavalry and showed such gallantry that the Congress at Richmond gave him a vote of thanks. Wheeler was promoted major-general in January, 1863, and was engaged in numerous fights during the following months, his activity being something phenomenal. His first exploit was early in February, when, at the head of a cavalry division, with Forrest as one of his brigadiers, he made a vigorous effort to recapture Fort Donelson, which Grant had taken early in his career. The garrison was weak, and he might have been successful but for the aid to the fort of gunboats on the Cumberland. Wheeler's loss in this attempt was estimated at six hundred men. He lost others in later fights, but succeeded in causing great annoyance to the Federal forces. His greatest service to the Confederate cause, however, was during and after the battle of Chickamauga. He commanded a corps of cavalry in that battle, and took part in what is considered the most desperate cavalry fight of the war, contributing his full share to the Federal defeat. After the battle and when Rosecrans was cooped up in Chattanooga, threatened by Bragg on the surrounding hills, Wheeler was sent north at the head of about four thousand mounted men to do what he could in the way of cutting off supplies from the beleaguered army. Crossing the Tennessee on September 30, he rode north on a nine days' raid, in which he was opposed by strong forces under Crook, McCook and Mitchell, yet succeeded in making such havoc as to threaten Rosecrans and his men with starvation. His first success was in the Sequatchie Valley, where he struck a supply train of nearly one thousand wagons on its way to Chattanooga and burned it before McCook, with two cavalry regiments, could come to its assistance. McCook reached the ground too late to save the train and fought with Wheeler until night, when the active raider slipped away over the mountains in the darkness and fell upon another supply train at McMinnville. This was captured, with six hundred men, and a large quantity of supplies was here destroyed. As before, he was overtaken after the mischief was done, General Crook riding upon him with two thousand men. Wheeler had other business than to stand and fight, and rode briskly away towards Murfreesboro, his rear guard being overtaken by the second Kentucky cavalry under Colonel Long. Wheeler's men greatly outnumbered Long's, and they dismounted and fought till dark, when they sprang upon their horses and rode away at top speed, hoping to seize and hold Murfreesboro, a very important point in Rosecrans's line of communication. Wheeler's plans here miscarried. Murfreesboro was too strong to be taken except by siege, and he had a relentless pursuer on his track in George Crook. So he was soon up and away again, turning southward, burning bridges, capturing trains, tearing up rails, and destroying stores as he went. At Farmington he was struck by Crook, who cut his force in two, capturing four guns and two hundred men, with other spoil, and driving him in confusion south. Wheeler reached Pulaski that night, crossed the Tennessee with some loss, and made his way back to Bragg's head-quarters. He had lost about half his force, but his prisoners nearly equalled his losses, and he had destroyed National property of various kinds to the value of perhaps three million dollars. The de struction of supplies in this bold raid left the army at Chattanooga, now under General Thomas, in a very serious state, which was not removed until after Grant's arrival and Hooker's expedition to restore the broken lines. In November Wheeler was despatched to the assistance of Longstreet, then besieging Burnside in Knoxville, but he was back again in time to aid in covering Bragg's retreat from Missionary Ridge and to take an active part in the battle of Ringgold. We next hear of active service by Wheeler's cavalry in 1864, when Sherman had begun his march for Atlanta. In this long overland march, with its many battles and flank movements, Wheeler was almost incessantly occupied, fighting weekly or daily during June and July. In the end of July he defeated a raid under McCook and others, in which ten thousand men were engaged. Of these he captured more than three thousand. After taking part in the battles around Atlanta, he set out on August 9 on one of his accustomed raids into Tennessee, in which he cut Sherman's communications, captured seventeen hundred cattle, took many prisoners, and destroyed a vast quantity of supplies. When Sherman began his memorable march to the sea Wheeler was almost alone in his front, doing the little damage he could to check his march. The most efficient service he rendered was in the successful defence of Macon and Augusta, with their valuable workshops and ordnance factories. He hung again on Sherman's front in his march through the Carolinas, and was in at the death of the last Southern army, fighting with his old courage at the battles of Averasboro and Bentonville and sharing in the surrender |