Reported by the Columbus Daily Sun newspaper
on August 27, 1864

“At first light on August 20, 1864 General Sol Ross’s Texas Cavalry located Kilpatrick’s U.S. Cavalry after they had looted and destroyed Jonesborough’s train depot. Retreating southward towards Lee’s Mill, the Texans dogged their rear guard as they took the road south toward Lovejoy’s Station.”

By midmorning, contact was made with Kilpatrick’s main body of 5,400 cavalrymen near Lovejoy’s Station where the Texans were joined by the brigades of Armstrong and Reynolds to engage the enemy “briskly.” The Yankees soon fell back along the railroad and upon reaching Thompson’s Plantation turned east, taking the road toward McDonough some ten miles away.

However, when Kilpatrick was about four miles from Lovejoy’s and near the Nash place, (located today at the corner of Babb’s Mill and McDonough Roads), the Confederates “got them surrounded.” To assault the stalled enemy, Ross dismounted his Texas troopers in a lane and deployed them “in a line across an open field to the left or south side of the McDonough Road and a section of Croft’s “Flying Artillery” Battery from Columbus, Ga. was placed on an elevation to the left side of the road.” Observing these maneuvers, Kilpatrick realized his danger and quickly determined to save his command by a desperate charge to “break out” of the encircling Confederates.

With sabers flashing, the Federal Raiders charged forward in “three heavy columns” along the McDonough Road into the arms of a Confederate 12 Pound Howitzer Cannon belonging to Lieutenant Young of Croft’s Battery. Onward they came as thousands of hoofs thundered down upon them. It is strange that they did not kill or capture every man of [Ross’] Texas brigade who was positioned on the McDonough Road and in an open field. Ross’ Texans fought both for their lives and their horses. Many Texans were sabered and cut to pieces but held firm. General Minty of the 7th PA Cavalry said of the charge, “Many of the Rebels defended themselves with almost superhuman strength, yet it was all in vain.”

Ross’ Texans formed behind fences and as the enemy charged them, they gave them the contents of their shot guns and six-shooters.

It was in this charge that the old belching 12-pounder under Lieutenant George B. Young from Columbus, Georgia did noble and effective work. As a column of Federal raiders came charging down toward him, he would open so wide a hole in the charging cavalry line that they would pass around him without running over his cannon. He fired rapidly, turning his gun in three or four directions. The enemy made desperate attempts to take it, and twice General Ross sent word to Lieutenant Young that he had better leave his gun and try to save his men. His reply was, “Not while I have a shot left!”

As the blue-coated column thundered headlong toward him, Young “played on their charge…throwing shells across the charging columns until his ammunition was exhausted and his piece overrun.” Young’s howitzer was finally abandoned by order of General Ross but not until it was almost completely surrounded and every round of ammunition expended.

General Ross took thirty men and went up the hill, (hill located today on McDonough Road at the intersection of Babb's Mill Road) and went up to the cannon and said, “Well, Young, if you are determined to stay with your cannon, we will stay with you.” And, they did stay there until they had fired every round of ammunition he had. The next to the last round, a double charge of grapeshot, cracked the cannon barrel but it did not frighten them from firing the last shot.

General Ross proclaimed, “Lieutenant Young is the coolest and bravest man I ever saw under fire. Every one of his men stood by the old 12-pounder cannon. Of the five men operating the cannon, he lost one man killed, Corporal Knight and five others were wounded and captured. Privates Jesse Brown, (severely), Allen McDaniel, (dangerously), H.L. Bullard (slightly), and William Wallace (slightly). All of these men were taken prisoners and ended up in the dreadful Union POW Camp at Camp Chase, Ohio. Private A.P. McDaniel was a driver of a gun mule team when he was wounded in his left arm and side. As he fell, he was sabered across the head by a Federal lieutenant and left for dead.

Spurred on by the heavy Confederate fire, Kilpatrick finally raced away to the east toward McDonough, closely pursued by General Frank Armstrong’s Mississippi Cavalry who finally caught up with them at Walnut Creek about 3 miles down the road. Severe fighting with Kilpatrick’s rear guard took place here for nearly an hour and a half.

The Southerners’ running fight after Kilpatrick caused him to “abandon wagons, horses, and ambulances” as they fled to Decatur via to McDonough to regain Sherman’s lines.

The severity of the fight is reflected in Kilpatrick’s losses in men and material: 500 men killed, wounded, and captured; two pieces of artillery and four battle flags taken. Federal reports the Confederate loss not less than 1,000.

As described by Captain Sidney Champion of the 28th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment (Armstrong’s Brigade), this day was “a scene never to be forgotten.”

This 1864 Columbus newspaper story adds another piece of the puzzle to the greatest cavalry charge ever recorded in Georgia’s history. It was “a scene never to be forgotten” and it all happened on Henry County soil.