Sol Ross’ Texas Cavalry Brigade was composed of 420 brave souls who rode worn out horses and mules. Their equipment and firearms were certainly inferior to their Northern counterpart. This rag tag Texas Cavalry unit fought in just about every battle during the Atlanta Campaign.

On August 18, 1864, General Sherman sent his best hand picked cavalry to cut all communication lines south of the city of Atlanta. This U.S. cavalry, consisting of nearly 5,000 well armed cavalrymen, served under U.S. General Judson Kilpatrick. General Kilpatrick was known as “Kill” Cavalry by most of his men and for obvious reasons.

Kilpatrick’s Raid started from Sherman’s Headquarters near Sand Town, just west of Atlanta.

On the night of August 18th, Ross’s Texas Brigade was bivouacked a short distance east of the road leading from Sand Town on the Chattahoochee River. From there, they followed and harassed Kilpatrick’s Cavalry to Fairburn on the West Point Railroad eighteen miles southwest of Atlanta, thence to Jonesboro on the Macon & Western Railroad, some twenty miles south of Atlanta.

The Texans knew that Sherman was anxious to destroy the Macon & Western Railroad at Lovejoy. Sherman had unsuccessfully tried it a month earlier when he sent McCook’s and Stoneman’s U.S. Cavalry to do it. Instead, both McCook & Stoneman’s Cavalry were beaten back and nearly all of their command was captured.

After fighting Kilpatrick’s rear guard at Jonesboro, Ross’s Texans knew Kilpatrick’s Cavalry were headed to Lovejoy to destroy the railroad there. The Texans raced their horses down the muddy roads from Jonesboro and beat Kilpatrick’s cavalry command there.

At Lovejoy Station, 400 Confederate Arkansas Infantry foot soldiers belonging to General Reynolds had just stepped off a locomotive train inbound from Macon to Jonesboro. They had been pre-warned by General Ross that Kilpatrick’s cavalry was heading toward the depot to destroy the tracks. General Reynolds posted his Arkansas men, who were armed with Enfield Rifles, in the woods behind the Train Depot.

At that time, the original Lovejoy Train Depot was located across the road from today’s Dorsey’s Nursery and east of Tara Boulevard near the train tracks.

Confederate Frank Armstrong’s Cavalry was heading from Hampton and Ferguson’s Confederate Cavalry was heading South from Jonesboro. The object of this combined movement was to make a triangular attack on Kilpatrick’s Cavalry. Therefore, Kilpatrick’s command would be totally surrounded.

Kilpatrick’s only escape was to tear out to the east on the McDonough Road towards McDonough. Kilpatrick’s cavalry dashed about a mile east of the Lovejoy Depot and upon reaching a high ridge, spotted 400 of Sol Ross’s Texas Cavalry blocking the McDonough Road near the old Nash Farm, located at McDonough and Babb’s Mill Road.

Three regiments of Kilpatrick’s cavalry drew sabers and charged the Texans. The 3rd Texas quickly dismounted and formed a firing line. Their horses were led back a short distance behind their firing line, but just as quickly as the horse holders had secured the horses from the dismounted cavalrymen, Kilpatrick’s artillery fired their cannons at them with such accuracy, it scattered men and horses in every direction. While this was going on, the Texans quickly placed a 12 pound howitzer cannon (belonging to Croft’s Georgia Artillery) on a small hill on the right side of the McDonough Road.

As Kilpatrick’s cavalry charged eastward towards them, this 12 pound howitzer cannon poured canister and shot throughout their charging ranks. The dismounted Texans fired volley after volley hoping to halt them, but to no avail. Onward came 5,000 of Kilpatrick’s cavalrymen towards them with raised sabers! One Texan reported, “No order was heard; not a word was spoken as they charged toward us; every officer and every man took in the whole situation at a glance. No one asked or gave advice. No one waited for orders. Our line was maintained intact for a few minutes, the men emptying their pieces at the heads of the columns. We fired, emptying our guns as they swept toward us, but they came at us like a tidal wave.”

“Our firing created a momentary flutter and without checking their speed, onward they came in fine style. There was no time for reloading and every one instinctively started for our horses, which were running in every direction in an open field behind us.”

The few Texans who tried to reach their horses failed because Kilpatrick’s Cavalry rode over them, cutting them down to pieces with their sabers. 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 wasn’t long before my command trampled over them.” Kilpatrick’s Cavalry was also running for safe ground. Another battle took place one mile further down the road when Frank Armstrong’s Confederate Cavalry caught up with Kilpatrick’s rear guard at Walnut Creek, but heavy rainfall and darkness helped Kilpatrick’s Cavalry elude the pursuing Confederates.

One of Croft’s Artillerymen reported, “Kilpatrick’s Cavalry captured our 12 pound howitzer, but only after the barrel had cracked and was left disabled on the field.” In Kilpatrick’s report to General Sherman he claimed during his cavalry charge at the Nash Farm that his command captured a cannon and three strands of colors belonging to the 3rd Texas Cavalry, the Benjamin Infantry and the Zachry Rangers flag.

The 3rd Texas Battle flag was captured by Kilpatrick’s men but the flag was found in an ambulance wagon, as it was reported later that the 3rd Texas did not unfurl their flag during the entire expedition.

The Benjamin Infantry and the Zachry Rangers were not even present. They were in Virginia at the time and serving in the Army of Northern Virginia.

The Benjamin Infantry flag was actually taken by Kilpatrick’s men from the bureau drawers of Col. Johnson’s house, which was located on Noah’s Ark Road. The Zachry’s Rangers flag was taken three hours later from Col. Zachry’s house which was located on Ga. Hwy 20. Kilpatrick’s Cavalry ransacked Zachry’s house enroute to Sherman’s Headquarters at Sand Town.

It is unknown whether or not the 3rd Texas Cavalry flag was ever returned to the State of Texas. The Benjamin Infantry and the Zachry Rangers flag are located in the flag museum at Georgia’s State Capitol. A silk replica of the Zachry Rangers flag can be viewed in the new museum at Heritage Park located off Lake Dow Road in Henry County.

Unlike the McCook/Stoneman Raid, Kilpatrick’s Raid fared better. Credit should be given to General Minty and his Brigade (who served under U.S. General Kilpatrick) for not being captured! They led the largest Cavalry Charge ever recorded in Georgia’s history! History will forever remember them as brave men! On the other side of the coin, much is to be credited and remembered by the brave Lone Star Defenders as well, who stood their ground but were unable to hold it at the Nash Farm.