Henry County Battlefield Website http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/History/Lonestar.

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Sol Ross Texas Cavalry Brigade was composed of 420 brave souls who rode worn out horses and mules. Their equipment and firearms was certainly inferior to their Northern counterpart. This rag tag Texas Cavalry unit fought in just about every battle during the Atlanta Campaign. http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/History/Lonestar.htm 1. The Brigadier Generals name was SUL Ross, for Sullivan Ross. 2. The Confederate Enfield rifles were actually superior to the Union Springfield rifles. As found on page 474, Shermans Horsemen, by David Evans: A Confederate soldier armed with a muzzle-loading rifle could fire from ranges at which a Yankee trooper could not effectively reply. Confederate General Dan Reynolds (who first met the Union forces at Lovejoys about 11:00am) thought that made a difference. My Enfield rifles were much more effective in the small timber than their short cavalry guns. After fighting Kilpatricks rear guard at Jonesboro, Rosss Texans knew Kilpatricks Cavalry were headed to Lovejoy to destroy the railroad there. The Texans raced their horses down the muddy roads from Jonesboro and beat Kilpatricks cavalry command there. http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/History/Lonestar.htm Both the Official Records of the Civil War (War of the Rebellion) and Shermans Horsemen tell the events at Lovejoys Station on August 20, 1864 differently. When the first Yankees approached the intersection at 11:00am, about a dozen of Red Jacksons Confederate scouts, who had been hovering just outside rifle range all morning, opened fire. That skirmish was the beginning of a three-hour battle between Confederate and Union troops. It was nearly 2:00pm when Sul Rosss Texas Cavalry arrived. As the Rebel infantry withdrew Yankee troopers heard the rattle of musketry in the rear. The echoes grew sharper and more insistent. It was hard-riding Sul Ross and his Texans storming down the road from Lees Mill. Kilpatricks only escape was to tear out to the east on the McDonough Road towards McDonough. Kilpatricks cavalry dash about a mile east of the Lovejoy Depot and upon reaching a high

ridge, spotted 400 of Sol Rosss Texas Cavalry blocking the McDonough Road near the old Nash Farm, (located at McDonough and Babbs Mill Road). http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/History/Lonestar.htm Taking each statement on its own merits, Kilpatricks cavalry dash about a mile east of the Lovejoy Depot is misleading. Union forces were formed south of McDonough-Fayetteville Road and north of Griffin Road. Again, Official Records of the Civil War depict fierce fighting north of the Depot and south of the Dorsey home, which was located about a mile north of the Depot. The Cavalry Charge was formed and started near the Dorsey house, As Captain Burns reported, Kilpatrick told Minty, We will form here, facing our present rear; you will form line on the right of the road, Colonel Murray will form on the left; you will charge simultaneously. The Charge crossed several hundred yards, as recounted by veteran reports. Troop alignments are also verified by Official Records and veteran accounts: The statement, upon reaching a high ridge, spotted 400 of Sol Rosss Texas Cavalry blocking the McDonough Road, Is utterly false. The Confederate cannon position was on the left of the road, and Rosss main line was half way across the field to the south and west of the cannon. As told by 2nd Lieutenant Samuel Benton Barron, Company C, 3rd Texas Cavalry: The line was maintained intact for a few seconds, the men emptying their pieces at the heads of the columns. There was no time for reloading, and everyone instinctively started for the horses a mile in the rear, a half-mile of open field behind us. The statement, Texas Cavalry blocking the McDonough Road near the old Nash Farm, (located at McDonough and Babbs Mill Road), ignores the onemile distance from the Dorsey house to the Nash property, and the one and onehalf mile distance from McDonough-Fayetteville Road to the Nash property. Before the Charge, Union troops were spread from below McDonoughFayetteville Road to just east of the Dorsey house. As told by Lieutenant W. S. Scott of the First US Cavalry: We now began to realize that we were surrounded, and the chances looked desperate, as our ammunition had already been pretty well exhausted, and we must cut our way through the lines. The distance between the two lines of the enemy could not have been more than threefourths of a mile. Colonel Minty of the U.S. 7th PA Cavalry said of the Texans, The Texans fought and stood their ground with almost superhuman strength, but it was all in vain. It wasnt long before my command

trampled over them. http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/History/Lonestar.htm

Based on Official Records and veteran accounts, Shermans Horsemen tells a different narrative: The charge caught Sul Ross in the act of withdrawing the two Texas regiments he had previously sent forward on foot. His skirmishers fled before the Yankee onslaught without attempting to make a stand, while his main line crouched behind a hastily built barricade about half way across the field. Rosss line was maintained intact for a few seconds, the men emptying their pieces at the heads of the columns. Before the Rebels could reload, the Union horsemen were upon them. The Texans threw down their guns and ran. Captain Burns reported, Upon reaching the woods, we could not go so fast and could not keep in column. The troops became scattered, chasing dismounted and demoralized Texans in every direction. They led the largest Cavalry Charge ever recorded in Georgias history! http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/History/Lonestar.htm This statement ignores the later cavalry action at Waynesboro, Georgia. The National Park Service record of Kilpatricks Charge at Lovejoy is barely a footnote to the days events: On the 20th, they reached Lovejoys Station and began their destruction. Rebel infantry (Cleburnes Division) appeared and the raiders were forced to fight, finally fleeing to prevent encirclement.