A Flush would beat a Straight

A Flush would beat a Straight

Have you ever played poker before? It is a 5 cards game, with 4 cards open and one card facing down. You bet on each card and let the jackpot accumulate. You guess whether your opponent is bluffing or not. If you guess it right, you win. if you are wrong, you lose. Such is the game of poker, playing against chips (money), versus the game that I am going to describe: the contest of two great military commanders. Unfortunately the stake was not merely chips, but the lives of soldiers and the fate of your countrymen.

Colonel Abel D. Streight decided to raid the South. Gen. James Garfield, chief of staff of Gen. Roscrans, supported Streight's idea, knowing that simultaneously, * Col. Benjamin Grierson's cavalry under Grant's command, was planning another raid south. And that would distract and confuse the Confederate defenders. The odd of success would greatly increase.

Col. Streight was a proven successful commander. He made quick and sound decisions. He was resourceful, flexible, intelligent and a very capable leader. He could adjust his plan to fit the changed circumstances. Like a chess player, he would probably be ranked as a Master. However, Streight had the misfortune to meet a Grand Master who could foresee his every moves and counter-act them. The Grand Master was Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Wizard of the Saddle, who had never lost a battle under his command, from 1861 to the end of 1864. His opponent called him "that Devil Forrest." It is exciting to see how two great minds locked horns with each other, in a bold raid and a relentless pursuit.

Streight planned to take his 2,500 cavalry, composed of 51st Indiana, 3rd Ohio, 18th Illinois and 73rd Indiana from Nashville, sailing down the Cumberland river to Palmyra, on the first week of April 1863. From Palmyra the raider would trek overland to Fort Henry, where the transport could carry the troops up the Tennessee river, through Bear Creek to Eastport. Then, with Brig. Gen. Grenville Dodge's 10,000 infantry as rear guard and as screening movement, Streight could take off, crossing northern Alabama to Georgia, through Tuscumbia, Mount Hope, Moulton, Sand Mountain, Blountsville, Gadsden, Cedar Bluff and to Rome, cutting the W. & A. railroad, destroying industries, supply and material along the way. He expected no resistance from the south, but misfortune fell on Streight when the Confederates caught wind of some Union activities and Gen. Baxton Bragg sent Forrest to investigate.

Meanwhile, Murphy's Law prevailed on Abel Streight. First, Rosecrans could not spare him horses, and instead, Rosecrans gave him mules, which were much more difficult to control. Secondly, the escorts (4 gunboats) and transports came a few days late, because of low water level of the river. Thirdly, his men had to spend time learning how to ride the mules. Fourth, Dodge's supporting infantry was delayed, because Confed. Col. Philip Roddey's brigade showed force, as if they were going to overwhelm Dodge. At Bear Creek, Roddey and his command made lots of noise and firing their pistols at night. The mule herd panicked and stampeded. 400 mules drowned or escaped and that delayed the rendezvous. The mistakes gave Forrest time to organize his command and to pursue Streight.

When Forrest heard about the Union raid, he immediately sent Col. James Edmondson, 11th Tennessee Cavalry to reinforce Roddey. Bedford also ordered his scouts to gather information on the Union's intention. He sent a courier to Col. George Dibrell and ordered him to attack Dodge's outposts and to threaten his rear. He then marched south from Spring Hill, with his 4th, 8th, 9th and 10th Tennessee regiments plus Captain John Morton's veteran eight-gun battery, to flush out his prey. Forrest only allowed short rest and sped to Tennessee on 4/27/1863. They moved westward to Florence, threatening Dodge's rear. Dodge, the Chief of Intelligence of the western theater, was forced to pulled back, fearing of being caught amidst the pincers, and he retreated to Corinth. Thus, in one stroke, Forrest cut off Streight's rear guard protection and supplies. Meanwhile, Streight took advantage of a pause, took off from Tuscumbia on 4/26/1863 as planned.

The run was on. The chase was on. The hunter became the hunted.

Abel Streight had lots of advantages: he had more soldiers; his troop were well rested; his was a day ahead of the journey; he could glean all the fresh mounts ahead, take all foodstuff and fodder and leaving nothing for the pursuiters. His guides, who were southern Unionists from eastern Tennessee and north-western Alabama, knew the land very well. However, his riders were not bona fide horsemen. His soldiers were infantry men who knew some riding, and they were also not very enthusiastic about raiding the deep south with no definite contingent plan to come back.

Bedford Forrest took his other regiments, Col. James (the doctor) Starnes' 4th Tennessee, Col. Jacob Biffle's 9th Tennessee and Major W. McLemore's Cavalry and chased the raiders eastward from Mount Hope, even though the southerners were saddle-weary from several days of constant travel and skirmished with Dodge for many hours. But Forrest remembered his first hunt, when he was only a boy. A panther mauled his mother Mariam, scared his aunt Fannie Beck and attempted to snatch their chickens in a basket. Carrying his flintlock, following by his dog, Forrest pursued the hot trail. Flushing and cornering the panther, he waited patiently through the night until dawn. He aimed carefully and shot the prey at the heart. No panther could get away scot-free. No Yankee invaders could get away scot-free either. When Forrest's gall was up, nothing could stop him, not weariness, not hunger, not thirst. He explained the critical situation to his officers and stressed that during the long ride ahead, all would have to display their utmost determination. His troops feared their commander more than the Yankees. Under the wizard's command, they won all the battles against long odds. They admired their leader's ability greatly and trusted his judgment completely. Absolute obedience could be extracted from them. If they were in a jam, they knew Forrest would deliver them to safety, like the retreat from Fort Donelson in the early Spring of 1862.

Bedford was not 100% certain what Dodge's infantry intended to do: to post as a diversion and protect Streight, or to launch a real attack. For insurance, he sent Roddey's cavalry back toward the Tennessee valley to keep an eye on Dodge's men and Edmondson's men eastward toward Somerville to get in between Streight and the Tennessee, thus preventing the raiders from escaping across the river. Now readers, please notice that only Forrest would have the gut to divide his small force against a much larger enemy. You see, Streight didn't know Forrest's "face-down" card and that was the secret of his success. Forrest often had contempt with numbers for numbers in itself meant nothing. What counted were leadership and bold tactics. Forrest also managed his men well. He knew how long his men could stand their fatigue before falling apart. At the right moment, he would let his men sleep at night, say, for a continuous 5 hours, while sending some vanguards to "worry" the Federal all night, so causing them no rest. The fighting itself was the least important element of the contest. The real contest was really the competition of will power, endurance, wit, calculation, control, stamina and bluffing.

The contest was a continuous pattern of running and chasing, halting and fighting, harassing and skirmishing during this long trek across the northern Alabama rugged mountains. Streight was a really capable commander, for he sent his lieutenant Col. Hathaway to ambush the Confederates in Hog Mountain. Well, nothing escaped the eyes of the Grand Master. Taking a look at the terrain, he knew. The glittering Union bayonets under the moonlight betrayed their hiding place beneath the bush. Forrest simply ordered Ferrell's artillery to throw some volleys to their hideout and drove them away. At Big Creek, Streight deployed his sharpshooters as rearguard to hold off the Confederates until his men could ford the creek. At Blountsville, the Federal could take a 2 hours rest. Forrest struck again. The Federal left in a hurry, leaving some burning supplies for the Confederates who would extinguish the fire. Streight moved to Will's Creek and Gadsden. Forrest was hard on his quarry's heels and Streight started show some concern. Streight was trying to find a way to throw off Forrest. At Black Creek, he discovered an only bridge in the region. His men crossed and then burned the bridge. He believed that would give him many hours of lead time, so that his men could take a little rest. Streight had mistaken again.

When Forrest arrived at Black Creek, noticing the only bridge was destroyed, he rode to the rearby farmhouse where widow Sanson lived. The Sanson's 16 year's old daughter, Emma, knew about a trail about 200 yards from the bridge where cows crossed at low water. Miss Sanson rode with Forrest and pointed out the location. Bedford's men crossed. Streight was shock when he heard the galloping hoofs behind him. Again, Streight was outwitted and the race continued. Streight sent Captain Milton Russel's 200 men as vanguard to seize the bridge across the Oostenaula river to Rome, Georgia. Meanwhile, John Wisdom, the mail carrier, rode to Rome in Paul Revere style, and sounded the warning. Streight set up another ambush. Forrest discovered it and flanked around it, neutralizing Streight's trap. The Union wet (mishandled) their gunpowder and paper cartridges when they crossed rivers, while the southerners lifted up their rifles and put their ammunition inside their hats and kept them dry while crossing, per order of the wizard. There were no Home Guard in Rome. The citizens and some convalescent soldiers piled up cotton-bale barricades at the bridge and mustered some shotguns and squirrel rifles for defense. This "fortification" posted a formidable appearance and deterred the Union vanguards from attacking. The bluff worked.

Streight's men were extremely tired on the continuous running fights. In fact, when the battle line were drawn, many fell asleep lying down. They were totally exhausted. With a flag of truce, Forrest asked Streight to surrender and "to stop the further and useless effusion of blood." Streight held a council of war, and learned that Russell could not take the bridge at Rome. Streight asked for parley and Forrest cheerfully granted the request. As they were talking, Forrest noticed Streight was counting the Confederate troops and guns. Farrell's two guns and the cavalry went around in circles on the high ground. Streight asked Forrest,"Name of God! How many guns have you got? There's fifteen I've counted already!" Forrest smiled and replied with a poker face,"I reckon that's all that has kept up." Streight cried,"I won't surrender till you tell me how many men you've got!" Forrest replied cooly,"I've got enough to whip you out of your boots!" Streight said,"I won't surrender!" Forrest called Gauss to sound the bugle, signaling the attack. Col. Streight at last broke down and hollered, "I'll surrender!" The Union invaders stacked their arms and surrendered. When Forrest's men appeared, Streight found out that he had been hoodwinked. Streight's men were 3 times as much as Forrest's (1,700 versus <600). Streight demanded to returned his arms and men and fought a final battle. Bedford Forrest threw back his head and laughed loudly. He patted Streight on the shoulder and said,"Ah, Colonel, all is fair in love and in war, you know!" The flush and the hunt ended as Bedford had expected.

Forrest marched to Rome triumphantly as conqueror and savior on May 3, 1863. Abel became unable. The flush had beaten the straight (Streight).

{Used several books as reference.}

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