The Lightning Mule Brigade:

Cullman County’s slice of Civil War history

Story by Hudson Shelton

In the spring of 1863, the Civil War had persisted for much longer than either side had anticipated, and soldiers and civilians in both North and South alike were becoming numb to the endless columns of battlefield casualties. General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia were experiencing some recent success against Union forces at Fredericksburg, but neither side felt assured of victory or even had plans drawn up for the conclusion of the war. Combatants were restless and began getting agitated as it was becoming clearer every day that there was no realistic end in sight. Something had to be done to help shift the tides of the war, and fast.

When Union Colonel Abel D. Streight asked for permission from his superiors to carry out a raid he had devised through north Alabama, he was sure it would give the Union forces the momentum it needed to put a swift end to the war. His plan was to move his forces from their position in Tennessee, through north Alabama, and across the border into Rome, Georgia to destroy a railroad line between Atlanta and Chattanooga that was supplying Confederate armies in several theatres across the south. Streight was confident in his plan and the ability of his men, and believed that it was his destiny to lead men into battle. “These men were prepared to take boundless risks. Their hopes and not their fears were their guides.”

Streight, who was a successful 33-year-old publisher from Indianapolis, led the raid using two armies, the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of the Tennessee, and went about organizing the provisions and transportation for the raid. His first move, which was due to the seasonably rainy weather, was to travel with a band of mules rather than horses, given the commonly accepted knowledge that mules could move more efficiently through rainy, muddy weather than a horse could. After procuring the necessary number of mules, Streight and his force of around 1,700 men set off on their mission. There are reports that several people they passed on the early stages of their journey were taken aback by the sight of soldiers on mules, calling them the “Jackass Brigade.”

Prepared to meet the advancing Union force was Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry Division and General Philip Roddey’s independent cavalry command made up of around 500 men, all in General Bragg’s Army of Tennessee. Forrest, a legendary cavalry commander from Memphis who became infamous after the war for his association with the Ku Klux Klan, had made a name for himself since the beginning of the war as a fierce commander who struck fear into the eyes of his opposing generals. If Streight was looking for a fight, a bitter one would be waiting on him once he entered Cullman County.

After crossing the Tennessee River on their way south on April 29th, 1863, Streight and his men were led to believe that their movements would be unmolested by Confederate forces. Little did they know, Forrest and his men were right on their trail and prepared to flank them on both sides the next morning. Forrest got the opportunity to do just that when he caught up to Streight in the northwest corner of Cullman County in what is now known as Battleground at the Battle of Day’s Gap, which saw the Confederates losses at 50 to 75 killed or wounded, to the Union’s 30. The Union also was successful in capturing two of Forrest’s prized canons. Streight continued to advance southeast towards what is now the city of Cullman, and was engaged again by Forrest at Hog Mountain. There, he repelled several more assaults by Forrest, but Forrest regained the two guns lost earlier in the day.

Both armies continued rumbling across the hill country of Alabama towards Blount County, with Forrest hot in pursuit of Streight’s mule brigade. By now, Streight and his men were seriously lacking in sleep from their endless chase through Cullman County. Still believing that Forrest had a larger force than his own, Streight made the decision to surrender his troops at Cedar Bluff, Alabama, just a couple miles from his target, Rome.

Perhaps the most fabled part of Streight’s mule brigade and Forrest’s relentless pursuit, are the details surrounding the events of the official surrender at Cedar Bluff on May 3rd. For the entire length of the raid, Streight was under the impression that Forrest was leading a much larger force. Numbers differ from place to place, but at three times the size of the Confederates, the Union force was vastly superior in numbers. What Forrest and his men lacked in numbers, they made up for in familiarity with the land and cunning bravery. Streight had his men lay down their arms, only to then realize that he had been duped. When he requested the opportunity to retake up their arms, Forrest laughed and replied, “Ah, colonel, all’s fair in love and war you know!”

Although spanning only one day, the portion of Streight’s raid in Cullman County was significant in that it greatly reduced the Union raider’s capacity to keep moving. With morale quickly diminishing, Streight was forced to pick up his pace, and the never-ending assaults by Forrest’s cavalry made it so that sleep was unobtainable for the Union side. Streight’s raid was ultimately thwarted, but he did gain notoriety a couple months later for escaping his imprisonment in Richmond and rejoining the fight. One of his men told him later the day of surrendering, “Cheer up, colonel, this is not the first time a bluff has beat a straight.”

The Cullman County Museum has a fantastic display dedicated to Streight’s Raid, and a drive along the ForrestStreight Route from Battleground, through West Point, and onto Blountsville gives you a great perspective on the terrain these armies covered, and the short amount of time it took them to do it.