A Confederate cavalry force led by Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest moved into Tennessee and Kentucky to capture Union supplies.

In March 1864, Forrest set out from Columbus, Mississippi, for raiding in West Tennessee and Kentucky, with a force of just under 3,000 men.

The fort was supported by two Union gunboats on the Ohio River, and Hicks began shelling the area with his artillery.

In reporting on the raid, many newspapers stated that Forrest missed more than a hundred fine horses hidden by the Yankees.

The raid put the Union Army on notice that Forrest and other Confederates raiders could still strike deep into Union-held territory.