TheBattle of Lexington in Tennessee was a small battle of theAmerican Civil War, fought atLexington, Tennessee on December 18, 1862, as part of GeneralNathan Bedford Forrest's cavalryraid into western Tennessee.

In late 1862, the mainUnion army in the west was in northernMississippi. GeneralBraxton Bragg sentGeneral Forrest to raid into Tennessee against theMobile and Ohio Railroad, which was a Union supply line. Forrest leftColumbia, Tennessee, on December 11, 1862 and crossed theTennessee River. On December 16, GeneralJeremiah Sullivan sent ColonelRobert G. Ingersoll fromJackson, Tennessee to Lexington. At Lexington, Ingersoll had 670 men (mostly raw recruits) and two 3-inch guns; part of his force was a contingent of cavalry under Col.Isaac Roberts Hawkins. Forrest had about 2,500 troopers.^[1][2]

As Forrest approached, Ingersoll ordered the destruction of a bridge across Beech Creek at Lower Road, and concentrated his forces along Old Stage Road, where he guessed that Forrest must attack. But the bridge across Beech Creek had not been destroyed, and Forrest crossed it, fell upon the flank of Ingersoll's command, and routed it. The Confederates captured Ingersoll, 140 men, both guns, and other equipment.^[1]

Forrest then moved toJackson, Tennessee andfought there, then raided the railroad depot atTrenton, before moving toUnion City andClarksburg and withdrawing. Union forces attempted to cut off his withdrawal at theBattle of Parker's Cross Roads on December 31, 1862, but were not successful.^[3]

• Confederate victories of the American Civil War
• Forrest's Expedition into West Tennessee
• Battles of the American Civil War in Tennessee
• December 1862
• 1862 in Tennessee

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