March 29, 1864 – Skirmish between Bolivar and Somerville
Report of Maj. P. Jones Yorke, Second New Jersey Cavalry, of skirmish near Bolivar.
HDQRS. FIRST Brig., CAVALRY DIVISION, 16TH CORPS, Camp Grierson, near Memphis, March 30, 1864.
CAPT. I enclose two reports received this day from scouting parties from my command. I respectfully call attention to the fact that the cavalry which repulsed Col. Hurst must be a force which we have not taken into consideration, as it seems not to have been McCulloch’s, and could not have been Forrest’s. I have every road near me picketed at a distance of from 2 to 3 1/2 miles.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, GEO. E. WARING, JR., Col. Fourth Missouri Cavalry, Cmdg.
HDQRS. DETACHMENT FIRST CAVALRY BRIGADE, Raleigh, Tenn., March 30, 1864—12 m.
Col. Hurst, Sixth Tennessee Cavalry, was attacked and whipped yesterday between Somerville and Bolivar by a brigade of the enemy’s cavalry. He lost all his trains, Capt. Moore killed, the surgeon captured, and a great many men killed, wounded, and missing. As it was reported by a prisoner I captured yesterday afternoon near Somerville that a force under Gen. Chalmers from LaGrange was advancing toward this river, I thought it best to fall back and hold the ferries at Shelby and this point.
I have the honor to be, colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, P. JONES YORKE, Maj., Cmdg. Department.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 32, pt. I, p. 585.
JACKSON, TENN., April 2, 1864.
Lieut.-Gen. POLK:
SIR: Col. Neely engaged Hurst on the 29th of March near Bolivar, capturing his entire wagon train, routing and driving him to Memphis, killing 30 and capturing 35 prisoners, killing 2 captains and capturing 1.
N. B. FORREST, Maj.-Gen. Note 1
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 32, pt. III, p. 733.
Note 1: General Chalmers added the following detail to the route of Colonel Hurst’s Sixth Cavalry in his April 20, 1864 address to his troops on their raid into West Tennessee: “Col. Neely, of the Thirteenth Tennessee, [CS] met the traitor [Fielding] Hurst at Bolivar, and after a short conflict, in which we killed and captured 75 prisoners of the enemy, drove Hurst hatless into Memphis, leaving in our hands all his wagons, ambulances, papers, and his mistresses, both black and white.”
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 31, pt. I, p. 623.