A rear-guard action on Christmas Day 1864 that helped cover the Confederate Army of Tennessee's retreat after the Battle of Nashville.
Key Facts
- Date
- December 25, 1864
- Location
- Tennessee, USA
- Campaign
- Franklin–Nashville Campaign
- Confederate commander
- Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest
- Union commander
- Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson
- Retreat distance remaining
- 40 miles to the Tennessee River
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the Confederate defeat at the Battle of Nashville on December 15–16, 1864, the Army of Tennessee was in full retreat. Lt. Gen. John B. Hood assigned Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest to command the rear guard after evacuating Pulaski, Tennessee, on the evening of December 24, tasking him with slowing the aggressive Union pursuit led by Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson.
On Christmas Day, 1864, combined Confederate cavalry and infantry under Forrest engaged Union forces under Wilson at Anthony's Hill in Tennessee. The action, also recorded as the Battle of King's Hill or the Battle of Devil's Gap, was fought as part of the broader Franklin–Nashville Campaign to delay Union pursuit long enough for the Confederate main body to complete its withdrawal.
The rear-guard engagement aimed to buy sufficient time for the Army of Tennessee to cover the final 40 miles of its retreat to the Tennessee River, preserving what remained of the battered Confederate force and allowing it to cross to relative safety following the catastrophic losses suffered at Nashville.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Side B
1 belligerent
Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson.