Forrest's Raid on Paducah
Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Forrest's Raid. General N. B. Forrest with Thompson's Ky. and Bell's Tenn. Brigades raided Paducah on March 25, 1864. Union's Fort Anderson held with aid of gunboats. Guards at USA warehouse captured. Part of town burned. Supplies of food taken by withdrawing CSA forces. Boast in Union newspaper prompted Forrest to send Gen. Abe Buford back to capture some overlooked horses. Dedicated in 1962. For more information, see ExploreKYHistory: Forrest's Raid
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
On March 25, 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest raided Paducah with Kentucky and Tennessee brigades, but Union Fort Anderson held with the aid of gunboats on the Ohio. Forrest's men captured warehouse guards, burned part of the town, and carried off supplies as they withdrew. When a Union newspaper boasted that Forrest had missed a stock of horses, he sent General Abe Buford back to seize them—a stinging coda to the raid.
Why it matters
Forrest's strike at Paducah, a key river supply point, shows the reach of Confederate cavalry along the Ohio and the vital role Union gunboats played in holding the western rivers.
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Related people
- · Nathan Bedford Forrest
- · Abraham Buford
Related events
- · Battle of Paducah
Themes & tags
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