On May 1, 1862, Col. Scott's 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment attacked the guard outposts on the bridges on the Athens and Decatur Road. Secured the bridges and attacked the main body of Col. Stanley's 18th Ohio Regiment, garrisoned in Athens. The 18th Ohio panicked and fled Athens, leaving behind all their tents, equipment and weapons.

Col. Stanley sent a cavalry unit to Athens on May 2 but the 1st Louisiana Cavalry had already left. In retaliation against the townspeople of Athens, Col. Turchin, formally Ivan Vasilevitch Turchininoff of the Czar of Russia's Imperial Guard, turned loose the 18th Ohio, 19th Illinois, 24th Illinois, and the 37th Indiana regiments on the citizens and town to do as they pleased. The results were the burning of the town, theft of property and rape of 20 of the town's women. The brutal attack, better known as the "Sack of Athens", was reported across the North and South.

The Union cavalry regiment caught up with the 1st Louisiana as it was crossing the Elk River, with over half his command across the river, Col. Scott caused the enemy to retreat until he got the remainder of his command across the river. Col. Scott chose not to mount a retaliatory attack and recrossed the river that night and went on to Courtland, Tenn.

Following the skirmish at Elks River, eight of the ten company commanders of the 1st Louisiana Cavalry went to Gen. Beauregard's Headquarters and made a formal complaint against Col. Scott for "improperly and imprudently ordering a retreat to avoid a fight with the enemy". The tables were turned on the company commanders when Gen. Beauregard ordered them arrested for "insubordinate conduct and abandoning their commands in the face of the enemy".

In October, 1862, the Secretary of War ordered the Officers of the 1st Louisiana Cavalry returned to Col. Scott's command. All, save Capt. Ditto, resigned their commissions. Capt. Ditto was returned to Co. K, again as their commander.
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