. Young folk's history of the war for the union . myfor the capture of Mobileconsisted of about forty-five thousand men, fivethousand of whom werecavalry under GeneralGrierson. The land forceswere to be aided by theWest Gulf Squadron, thenunder command of Eear-Admiral Thatcher. Togive still further aid inthe movement againstMobile, General Grant had ordered General Thomas to send astrong cavalry expedition into Alabama, to destroy the resourcesof the country and prevent supplies and men from being sentto Mobile. General James H. Wilson, who had been selectedto command this expedition, set out
. Young folk's history of the war for the union . myfor the capture of Mobileconsisted of about forty-five thousand men, fivethousand of whom werecavalry under GeneralGrierson. The land forceswere to be aided by theWest Gulf Squadron, thenunder command of Eear-Admiral Thatcher. Togive still further aid inthe movement againstMobile, General Grant had ordered General Thomas to send astrong cavalry expedition into Alabama, to destroy the resourcesof the country and prevent supplies and men from being sentto Mobile. General James H. Wilson, who had been selectedto command this expedition, set out from Chickasaw Landing,on the Tennessee Eiver, on the 22d of March, with about thir-teen thousand men. All his men were mounted, exceptingfifteen hundred, who acted as a guard to the baggage-train oftwo hundred and fifty wagons. Besides these there were fifty-six mule-wagons, laden with a pontoon train for crossing trooper carried five days rations for himself, twenty-fourpounds of grain for his horse, a pair of extra horseshoes, and. George Stoneman. 1865.] WILSONS RAID. 509 one hundred rounds of ammunition. Nearly all were armedwith the Spencer carbine, a rifle which will fire seven shotswithout reloading. Wilson moved in a general southerly direction towardsSelma, an imi^ortant town on the Alabama Kiver. At Elytonhe sent a brigade of his force, under General Croxton, to Tus-caloosa, with orders to destroy the public stores, foundries,factories, and bridges there, and to rejoin him at Selma. Therewere many skirmishes with Confederate cavalry on the route,but the enemy was generally routed, and Wilson went on,destroying iron-works, rolling-mills, collieries, and all otherproperty which could be turned to hostile uses. When nearPlantersville he had a fight with General Forrest, who, withabout five thousand men, held a strong position. After a briefbattle Forrest was routed, with the loss of three guns andseveral hundred prisoners, and pursued twenty-four miles. Inth
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