Battle of Fair Garden

Battle of Fair Garden (HM23DY)

Location: Sevierville, TN 37876 Sevier County
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Country: United States of America
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N 35° 51.699', W 83° 29.895'

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Inscription

Furious Clash of Cavalry

On January 25, 1864, Confederate Gen. James Longstreet ordered Gen. William T. Martin to eject Union cavalry from an area south of the French Broad River stretching from Dandridge to the Little Pigeon River. The next day, Union Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis directed his cavalrymen to watch area fords. Two Confederate cavalry brigades and artillery advanced from Fair Garden in the afternoon, only to be stopped about four miles from Sevierville. Other Confederates attached Union troopers at Fowler's on Flat Creek, driving them back about two miles before fighting ended the day.

The morning of January 27, in a heavy fog, Col. Archibald Campbell and elements of the First Cavalry Division (2nd Michigan Cavalry, 9th Indiana Cavalry, and Capt. Eli Lilly's "Hoosier" Light Artillery Battery) attacked Martin's Crossroads. The Federals fought all day across the farms of Stewart Dickey, Dr. Robert Hodsden, and John McNutt. At about 4 p.m., Federal cavalry charged with drawn sabers to scatter the Confederates, and then bivouacked for the night. Sturgis pursued the Southerners on January 28 with his entire force to the French Broad River near Dandridge before three of Longstreet's infantry brigades offered serious resistance. Realizing that he was outgunned, Sturgis prudently decided to evacuate the area, but first launched an unsuccessful attack
against Confederate Gen. Frank C. Armstrong's isolated cavalry division. Sturgis lost the foraging grounds when forced to withdraw. The Federals suffered about 65 casualties, and the Confederates lost about 100 men.

(captions)
Gen. James Longstreet Courtesy Library of Congress

Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis Courtesy Library of Congress

Capt. Eli Lilly, who founded the pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly & Co. in 1876 - Courtesy Eli Lilly & Co.

Federal troops used Stewart Dickey's home as their headquarters and hospital, installing a telegraph line from there to their main base in Knoxville. - Courtesy King Family Library History Center

Dr. Robert Hodsden, a Union loyalist, lay bedridden in his home, rose Glen, during the battle. He had been a physician on the Trail of Tears (Cherokee Removal) in the 1830s. Courtesy Sally Ripatti Polhemus
Details
HM NumberHM23DY
Tags
Year Placed2013
Placed ByTennessee Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, December 2nd, 2017 at 10:03am PST -08:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 274423 N 3971485
Decimal Degrees35.86165000, -83.49825000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 35° 51.699', W 83° 29.895'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds35° 51' 41.94" N, 83° 29' 53.7" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)865
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near Jim Hickman Dr, Sevierville TN 37876, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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