Alan J. Pitts
Roddey's men during Hood's Tennessee campaign
Thu Feb 8 15:43:16 2001


In late 1864 General P.G.T. Beauregard was in command of the military division of the West. Both Beauregard and the department commander, General Richard Taylor, were expected to manage General Hood and the Army of Tennessee. Taylor directed Forrest's Cavalry to cooperate with Hood during his advance into Tennessee, and Roddey was acting under Forrest's command.

Roddey's men did not ride into Tennessee with Forrest. They did move north of the Tennessee River when the Federals retreated and occupied Huntsville for several weeks. Roddey recruited a new cavalry company from Madison County while there. After Hood was defeated at Nashville and forced to retreat, Roddey was pressed back over the Tennessee River. A relatively small Federal cavalry expedition beat Roddey at Pond Springs on Dec. 29th and pushed on to capture Hood's wagon train, which was being guarded by Roddey's men. The train, reported to be five miles long, was well south of the Tennessee and should've been secure. It was a devastating end to the disasters suffered by Hood's army in Tennessee.