Battle of Selma

Dates: April 2, 1865

Other Names: None

Location: Selma, Alabama

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Selma: Union: Major General James H. Wilson
Confederate:Lieutenant General Nathan B. Forrest

Outcome: Union Victory. 3,019casualties of which 2,700 were Confederate soldiers.

Overview of the Battle : Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson, commanding three divisions of Union cavalry, about 13,500 men, led his men south from Gravelly Springs, Alabama, on March 22, 1865. Opposed by Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, Wilson skillfully continued his march and eventually defeated him in a running battle at Ebenezer Church, on April 1. Continuing towards Selma, Wilson split his command into three columns. Although Selma was well-defended, the Union columns broke through the defenses at separate points forcing the Confederates to surrender the city, although many of the officers and men, including Forrest and Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, escaped. Selma demonstrated that even Forrest, whom some had considered invincible, could not stop the unrelenting Union movements deep into the Southern Heartland.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries