A minor Union victory near Clarksville, Tennessee, that repelled a Confederate raid threatening Cumberland River supply lines during the Civil War.
Key Facts
- Date
- September 7, 1862
- Theater
- Western Tennessee
- Duration
- Less than one hour
- Confederate commander
- Colonel Thomas Woodward
- Union commander
- Colonel William Warren Lowe
- Confederate objective
- Clarksville, Tennessee (raiding party)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Confederate Heartland Offensive of 1862, a Confederate raiding force under Colonel Thomas Woodward moved to capture Clarksville, Tennessee. The raid aimed to threaten Union control of the Cumberland River, a strategically important waterway for Federal supply and troop movements in the western theater.
Confederate raiders seized Clarksville, prompting Union Colonel William Warren Lowe to lead several regiments out of nearby Fort Donelson. The two forces clashed at Riggins Hill on September 7, 1862, in an engagement that lasted less than an hour before the Union troops drove off the Confederate force.
The Union repulse of the Confederate raiders secured Clarksville and protected Federal shipping on the Cumberland River. Although the engagement was limited in scale and had no broad strategic impact beyond the local area, it demonstrated the Union's ability to respond quickly from Fort Donelson to neutralize Confederate incursions in western Tennessee.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Colonel William Warren Lowe.
Side B
1 belligerent
Colonel Thomas Woodward.