First Battle of Collierville

The First Battle of Collierville was a minor battle in the American Civil War that took place on 11 October 1863 in the town of Collierville, Tennessee.

Battle
On Sunday, October 11, 1863, the Confederate forces of Confederate Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers, advanced from its base in Oxford, Mississippi to attack the union garrison at Collierville. His forces consisted of the 7th, 12th, 13th and 14th Tennessee Cavalry, the 1st, 3rd, 12th, and 18th Mississippi Cavalry and the 2nd Missouri Cavalry, along with Buckner's Battery. Buckner's Battery was armed with a 6-pound, a 10-pound and four breech-loading, rapid-fire Williams Guns. Union forces were commanded by Union Colonel D. C. Anthony of the 66th Indiana Infantry, which had established defenses at the railroad depot and a stockade having 8 ft-high walls and also along a line of rifle-pits.

General Chalmers' plan was to approach from the south and cut the telegraph lines, burn the railroad trestles, and surround the fort. The 7th Tennessee and 13th Tennessee and 2nd Missouri (Confederate) Cavalries were to attack from the west, while Colonel Richardson's brigade consisting of the 12th, 13th, and 14th Tennessee and the 12th Mississippi Cavalry attacked from the east. The artillery supported by the 18th Mississippi Battalion was placed on a ridge in the center within 600 yards of the fort and railroad depot. 3rd Mississippi State Cavalry and 1st Mississippi Partisans were sent around the right flank for an attack from the north and gain possession of the town.

About 12 noon, a train containing Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman arrived from Memphis with the 13th U.S. Infantry, which brought the total number of men fighting in the battle to about 4,000. The 13th U.S. was ordered to the left of the 66th Indiana into the woods. Moving north, Colonel McGuirk's command came upon a 40 acre Union cavalry camp on the north side of the town. After routing the Union 7th Illinois Cavalry into the river bottoms and capturing 150 prisoners and 5 stands of colors, McGuirk's men loaded 18 wagons of supplies and destroyed an additional 30 wagons. Because of this delay, Colonel McGuirk was unable to attack the fort from the north as planned.

The battle raged around the fort and depot, and eventually the Confederates drove all the Union forces into the fort, the depot or railroad cuts for protection. Neither side was able to gain control of the battle. Fearing reinforcements from Germantown, the Confederates withdrew without taking the fort. The battle lasted 5 hours. Union losses were 164 killed, wounded or missing and Confederate losses were 128 killed, wounded or missing. General William T. Sherman narrowly escaped capture as the Confederates boarded his train and captured personal items, including his horse, Dolly.