Hayes Lowe
12th Miss. Cav. at Spanish Fort
Tue Oct 31 14:52:50 2000


These are some exerpts taken from the draft of my book as regards the 12th Miss. Cav./16th Confederate Cav./12th Miss. and Ala. Cav. at Spanish Fort:

On March 24, 1865, the 16th Confederate Cavalry was redesignated as the 12th Mississippi Cavalry.

The 16th Conf. Cav. (now called the 12th Miss. in the records) reported to Spanish Fort in Alabama between March 24 and March 27, 1865.

On March 27, 1865, Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby's Union forces rendezvoused at Danley's Ferry, and began a siege of Spanish Fort.

According to Gen. Maury's writings regarding this siege, Col. Spence's 16th Confederate Cavalry of five hundred men was the only force standing in the path of forty thousand Union troops. These cavalrymen alone caused the twenty mile march of Canby's force to take nine days. That delaying action was an incredible accomplishment, considering they were outnumbered by eighty to one!