Alan J. Pitts
Toomsuba, Lauderdale County MS
Tue Jun 5 17:32:03 2001


Just over the Alabama line on the road to Meridian.

I'm sure the Federal soldiers involved thought all this was quite amusing.....Guess you just had to be there.

This would have been in mid-February 1864. There were skirmishes at Marion Station MS, February 15-17, 1864, on the rail line just a few miles away. Federal units in the area included the 4th Iowa Cavalry, the 5th & 11th Illinois Cavary and the 10th Missouri Cavalry.

The 10th Missouri had been led by Col. Florence M. Cornyn, who played a major role in the devastation of Franklin (Colbert) County in April 1863. The regiment was also responsible for the destruction of Brierfield Ironworks near Montevallo, March 31, 1865. Interestingly enough, Cornyn was killed by his second-in-command on Aug. 10, 1863. The major of this regiment was Frederick W. Benteen. Yes, THAT Frederick W. Benteen....