Battle of Columbus, Georgia

Battle of Columbus
Part of the American Civil War
Date April 16, 1865 Location Girard, Alabama / Columbus, Georgia Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
James H. Wilson	Howell Cobb
Strength
Two cavalry divisions (13,500 cavalry)	3,500
Casualties and losses
60	80

Coordinates: 32°28′01″N 84°59′49″W / 32.467°N 84.997°W / 32.467; -84.997

The Battle of Columbus, Georgia (April 16, 1865), was the last conflict in the Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia, known as Wilson's Raid, in the final phase of the American Civil War.

Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson had been ordered to destroy the city of Columbus as a major Confederate manufacturing centre. He exploited enemy confusion when troops from both sides crowded on to the same bridge in the dark, and the garrison withheld its cannon fire. Next morning, Wilson laid waste to the city and took many prisoners.

Columbus has a strong claim to being classified as the last battle of the Civil War. It is also known as the Battle of Girard, Alabama (now Phenix City).

After the Union victory in the Battle of Nashville (December 15–16, 1864), Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas ordered Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson to march into the heart of the Deep South and destroy the major Confederate supply centers at Selma, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia.

Wilson left Gravelly Springs, Alabama, on March 22, 1865, heading for Selma, a major manufacturing and supply center. The Battle of Selma was fought on April 2, 1865, against the highly skilled leadership of Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, whose men were hopelessly outnumbered by the invaders. The battle took place on the same day the Confederate capital of Richmond fell to the Army of the Potomac. Forrest managed to inflict heavy casualties on the attackers, but Wilson's raiders finally broke through the defenses and captured Selma by 7 p.m. that evening. Wilson's men destroyed all the military supplies and looted the city before moving on.

...
Wikipedia