Civil War Trust marks Streights Raid anniversary by unveiling interpretive site on recently preserved land
(Cullman County, Ala.) -- The Civil War Trust, the nation’s largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization, marked the 150th anniversary of Streight’s Raid with a ceremony to dedicate its 40-acre Hog Mountain Battlefield property in Cullman County, Ala. on April 27. The group unveiled two new interpretive signs, the first on the battlefield, during the ceremony on Saturday.
“These 40 acres of hallowed ground have been mostly untouched since Forrest, who lost three horses here, and his outmanned troops attacked the Union lines.” said Trust chairman Henry Simpson, a resident of Birmingham. “It’s a rare and exciting opportunity to preserve this caliber of land, which will now be protected for generations to come.”
This month marks the 150th anniversary of Union Col. Abel Streight’s raid through north Alabama en route to Georgia to cut the Western Atlantic Railroad, a Confederate supply line. In April 1863, a Confederate force led by Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest trailed Streight’s raiders, forcing the Yankees to set up lines of battle at sites like Day’s Gap and Hog Mountain. The Battle of Hog Mountain began shortly after dark on April 28, 1863. Streight’s men set up lines atop Hog Mountain, waiting for Forrest. The battle resulted in Streight being able to disengage and proceed toward his objective. The Trust's 2011 acquisition of this property marked the first time a battlefield involved in Streight's raid has been protected.
WHAT: Unveiling of the Hog Mountain Battlefield Interpretive Center on anniversary of Streight’s Raid
WHEN: April 27, 2013
WHERE: Hog Mountain Battlefield, located across from the Cullman County water tower on County Road 1136 (between County Roads 1137 and 1145), Cullman County, AL
The Civil War Trust is the largest nonprofit battlefield preservation organization in the United States. Its goal is to preserve our nation’s endangered Civil War sites and promote the appreciation America’s hallowed grounds through education and heritage tourism. To date, the Trust has preserved more than 35,000 acres of battlefield land in 20 states, including 120 acres in Alabama. Learn more at www.civilwar.org, the home of the Civil War sesquicentennial.