Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, CSA

Wilson had two cavalry divisions against the 5,000 or so troops in Selma.

2,700 Confederate prisoners were taken; the Union lost around 300 men.

Wilson, commanding three divisions totaling about cavalry, led his men south from Gravelly Springs, Alabama, on March 22, 1865. Opposed by Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest, Wilson skillfully continued his march and eventually defeated him in a running battle at Ebenezer Church, on April 1. Continuing towards Selma, Wilson split his command into three columns. Although Selma was well-defended, the Union columns broke through the defenses at two separate points forcing the Confederates to surrender the city, although many of the officers and men, including Forrest and Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, escaped. Selma demonstrated that even Forrest, whom some had considered invincible, could not stop the unrelenting Union movements deep into the Southern Heartland.

Content provided by:
US National Park Service

Selected sources:
American Battlefield Protection Program, Heritage Preservation Services, National Park Service.