On Thursday, November 24, 1864, under the cover of darkness John Scofield’s Union force moved defensively northward from Pulaski, Tennessee toward Columbia. Union troops under Jacob Cox, in the vanguard of Schofield’s force, arrived at Columbia, only to discover a skirmish taking place between Columbia based, Federal forces and elements of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry. Cox quickly committed his troops and drove the Confederates from the field, insuring that the remainder of Scofield’s Union forces arrived at the important river crossing on the main road from Nashville to Columbia before John Bell Hood’s invading Confederates. Federal forces immediately took up strongly entrenched, defensive positions on both the north and south side of the Duck River and prepared to make a stand against Hood’s oncoming Confederate invaders.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.