Battle of Anthony's Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Anthony's Hill |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| James H. Wilson | Nathan Bedford Forrest | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 1,000 | 4,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3 killed, 18 wounded, 5 missing | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Anthony's Hill was a small but important fight during the American Civil War. It happened on December 25, 1864, in Giles County, Tennessee. This battle is also known as the Battle of King's Hill or the Battle of Devil's Gap.
It was part of the larger Franklin–Nashville campaign. In this battle, Confederate soldiers, led by Nathan Bedford Forrest, fought against Union forces. The Union troops were commanded by James H. Wilson. The Confederates won this battle.
General Forrest was in charge of the rear guard for the Army of Tennessee. This army was retreating after a big loss at the Battle of Nashville. Forrest's job was to slow down the Union army. This would give the Confederates time to escape to the Tennessee River.
Contents
What Happened at Anthony's Hill?
The Union commander, General Wilson, thought he could easily catch the retreating Confederates. So, on Christmas Day, his troops started moving early. By 3:00 p.m., they found Forrest's soldiers.
Wilson sent three groups of cavalry soldiers, who fought on foot, into a thick forest. They were trying to reach the top of Anthony's Hill. They made good progress at first.
The Confederate Ambush
Suddenly, the Union soldiers ran into a barricade made of rails. Here, General Forrest had hidden his soldiers. He had two groups of infantry (foot soldiers) and two groups of cavalry. He also had three cannons hidden.
The Confederates attacked quickly. They fired their muskets, pushing the Union soldiers back. Forrest's men chased them. Soon, another group of Union soldiers joined the retreat.
Forrest's Disengagement
The Confederates even captured a Union cannon. They kept chasing the Union troops for about half a mile. Then, they met a whole division of Union cavalry.
At this point, Forrest decided to stop fighting. His winning troops went back up the hill. They returned to their original positions at the barricades. As darkness fell, they moved further south to Sugar Creek.
Why Was This Battle Important?
General Forrest was already known for his bold attacks. But at Anthony's Hill, he showed he was also very good at defensive fighting. His actions helped protect the retreating Confederate army.
He also fought the next day at Sugar Creek. These battles bought important time for the Confederate army. They were able to escape safely across the Tennessee River.
The Army of Tennessee crossed the river between December 26 and 28. They made it just hours before the Union pursuers arrived. The fact that they survived and kept fighting is mostly thanks to Forrest. He successfully delayed the Union pursuit.
