Affair At Madison Station May 17, 1864 The largest engagement of the Civil War in Madison County Alabama was fought during a driving rainstorm in Madison, Alabama at the site of the railroad depot. Under the command of Col. Josiah Patterson, the Confederate forces (~1000 cavalry and a battery of artillery) crossed the Tennessee River […]
Madison County is a center of the aerospace industry, notably the Marshall Space Flight Center, a division of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Army’s Aviation and Missile Command, both crucial aspects of the nation’s defense and space-exploration efforts.
Patterson’s men captured the 13th Illinois Regiment’s wagon train, taking 66 prisoners. They also burned Union supplies and tore up the railroad tracks before retreating. Portions of the 5th Ohio Cavalry, the 59th Indiana Infantry, and the 5th Iowa Infantry were sent in pursuit from Huntsville.