General Wilson Marches on Selma Alabama

From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:

Finally, in the winter of 1865, through the advice of Gen. Thomas, who commanded the department of Tennessee, Gen. Grant selected Maj. Gen. J. H. Wilson, a prudent and sagacious officer, for the task of capturing Selma, with an independent command. After a careful canvass of the question, Gen. Wilson selected from the federal army of the west, a force of about thirteen thousand men, and encamped them at Gravel Springs on the Tennessee River. After a thorough drilling and equipment unsurpassed by any cavalry force of the world, on the evening of the 17th of March 1865, this splendidly mounted and equipped force was ordered to march on the next morning. The Tennessee River was crossed, and on the morning of the 17th of March 1865, this force, composed of the first, second and third divisions, commanded respectively by Gens. McCook, Long and Upton, were in motion to strike a blow that would be felt by the Confederacy. Thus did this force move on through the mountainous country of Alabama, and with scarcely any opposition, until the 1st day of April, at Ebenezer church, near Dixie Station, on the Alabama and Tennessee Railroad, twenty-seven miles from Selma, Gen. Forrest made a stand; where it is said that Gen. Forrest and the brave Capt. Taylor, of the 17th Indiana regiment, had a running fight of over three hundred yards, resulting in the death of Taylor--Forest falling back upon Selma, pressed hard. On the night of the 10th of April this force camped at Plantersville, twenty-two miles from Selma. Here Gen. Wilson was informed by spies from Selma, that I was the intention of Dick Taylor to evacuate the place and make no defense--that Forrest himself advise it, and for a time lead Gen. Wilson to believe he would meet with no resistance at Selma.

On Sunday morning, the 2nd of April 1865, this force was again in motion, the advance arriving in view of the city about 12 o’clock, and Gen. Wilson himself arriving about 1 o’clock. The guns mounted, the movement of soldiers, and various other demonstrations inside the breastworks, were too plain too leave resistance in doubt, and by 4 o’clock, the whole force was in position to make the attack. Gen. C. C. Andrews, who was in the force gives the following account of the assault of the city by Gen. Wilson:

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