brigade, 2d division, 2d army corps under Bragg at the opening of the battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, but was placed in command of the brigade and was selected to cover the withdrawal of Beauregard's army from the field on April 7, General A. S. Johnston having been killed at two p. m. on the sixth. He commanded the troops confronting the Federal army before Corinth, April and May, 1862, and formed the rear guard during the retreat from Corinth to Tupelo, Mississippi, during which he repeatedly engaged the advancing Federal column. On the transfer of Bragg's army of Mississippi to Chattanooga, Wheeler with a brigade of cavalry rode from Holly Springs, Mississippi, to Bolivar, Tennessee, where he attacked the Federal outposts and interrupted the Federal communication between that place and Jackson. He was with General Bragg in the Kentucky campaign and by desperate fighting September 8 to 16 prevented the Federal force under Buell from reaching Munfordville until Bragg had captured the place and taken four thousand Federal troops prisoners. He was in command of the Confederate cavalry at Perryville, October 8, 1862, and on October 13 as chief-of-cavalry of Bragg's army covered the retreat to Cumberland Gap, which occupied thirteen days, during which time he fought twenty-six engagements. On October 30, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, Confederate States army, being at the time twenty-six years of age. On December 29, 1862, Wheeler led his brigade around the left flank of Rosecran's army at Murfreesboro and captured a corps supply train at Laverque and another at Nolensville and in twenty-four hours had captured four hundred wagons, over one thousand prisoners, destroyed over one million dollars worth of Federal supplies and obtained for his army many fine horses. At Stones River he commanded the entire force of Confederate cavalry and for his distinguished service in that battle and in independent engagements incident thereto received the thanks of the Confederate congress. He received promotion January 19, 1863, to major-general; and after numerous cavalry engagements during the spring and summer he commanded the cavalry corps at the battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19-20, 1863, and when Rosecrans fell back to Chattanooga he captured on the Federal line of communication an ordnance and supply train of over one thousand wagons and nearly starved out Rosecrans' army. He captured the fortification at McMinville after a desperate defense made by the garrison of seven
