A^" /.-; ' « * ^^ v^ ..\^ ^J. ■'^ •Vy .\ .^> -^^^ ". '> >#V' r\>y" ^/. '■u/ ^S W * -S' < 1 ^ ^ ■ ■■ ^'L„-',-^ -■•• .0 » 1 -s-^ .\ xc. ^ ^.^%6^ .0-^ "^' J^^ '■■>. >0- ^ O A \ <0,^ -^ , V sS- ^i i^ i J' - v" '^ _ • - ■ V. = Cj ', ■■^■W-\* , "^ '^c^, ^^' ■•'"'' '^-^^ .V^' >>. ^\ \ / . .0 "?- J ■-, K *■ y ,*^ : xo^^ -.W*^ aV ^p .' * .'-1 -^ LJ .■■/. .^^ '''^^ -^^ v^ : \^ .00^ - ,A-^ ^ ^ * * -A "bo^ x^^.. :l v^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ 'P;0 ^ * A^^ HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT OF Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry GREAT WAR OF THE REBELLION, WITH THE ARMIES OF THE OHIO AND CUMBERLAND, UNDER GENERALS MORGAN, ROSECRANS, THOMAS, STANLEY AND WILSON. 1S62-1865. BY W. R. CARTER, COMPANY C. ILLUSTRATED. KNOXVILI.K, TENN.: GAUr-OGDEN CO., PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 1902. \ n^ THE LIBHArtY 0F| CONGHESU, 1 WOV, ;>ij t9fj9 -*IW ^^'j^ No. corv 13. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1896, by W. R. CARTER, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. W -3^ \cX TO THE SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE FIRST TENNESSEE CAVALRY; TO THE MEMORY OF OUR DECEASED COMRADES AND THEIR kindred; TO THE MARTYRED PATRIOTS OF east tennessee who died on the gallows and in prison, and to the loyal and patriotic peo- ple who sympathized with them, this volume is respectfully dedicated, in fraternity, charity and loyalty, by The Author. PREFACE. As the years go by and age creeps upon the soldier, he delights in telling those about him how he fought and suf- fered for his country when it was in danger. One of the reasons for writing a history of the First Tennessee Cavalry is to hand down to posterity the many gallant and heroic deeds performed by it. I was urged by my comrades to undertake the work, realizing, however, that it would require time, patience and plenty of hard work before the completion of the history. The Adjutant-General's Report of the State and War Diaries had to be consulted and the matter put in shape for publication. But, after a year of hard, faithful work, the author is able to furnish a history of the regiment, in which are recorded the many valiant deeds performed by it in the sixties. The author has endeavored to give a fair and impartial account of all the doings of the regiment from 1862 to 1865. He does not claim that his regiment put down the rebellion, or did all the fighting and none of the running. But one thing the author dwells upon, and that is, the regiment per- formed its duty well, and no order was ever given to it that was not promptly executed. Its battles and large death-roll are evidence of faithful service. The author has not attempted to go beyond the services of his own regiment in the preparation of this work, only so far as the movements of other troops with whom it served mention is made for the purpose of conveying to the reader an intelligent idea of the arduous duty performed by the regiment. 6 PREFACE. I do not claim that the work is entirely free from errors, as that would be impossible, it being: over thirty-seven years since the last hostile gun was fired, and during^ that time much valuable information has been lost. But errors are found in all histories. The roster is in the main correct, as the author at the very beginning' decided that every name that appeared upon the rolls of the regiment should be given and, as far as possible, the postoffice address. The chief object has been to tell what the First Tennessee Cavalry did, and how they did it. The facts contained in this volume will no doubt shed some new light on and answer as a reminder of the very honorable part the regiment took in that great struggle. The author acknowledges and tenders his thanks to those who so cheerfully and kindly assisted him in the prep- aration of this work. This is a history of wdiat one regiment did, and not of the army, and is a plain recital of facts that happened back in the sixties. Neither does the author attempt to describe the movements of the army. That has already been done by other historians. To some it may appear that the author has been too modest, that he has not "bio wed his own horn" enough ; but he will let others judge. The author has not attempted to rob other regiments of their glory or honor won upon the battlefield. The Author. Knoxville, Tennessee, July 25, 1902. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE East Tennksske Unionist — Organization of the Regiment — The First Camp — Drills and Parades — Ordered to the Front — Nigpit Marches — First Alarm — Organization op THE Seventh Division 1 1 CHAPTER n. Cumberland Gap — Morgan's Campaign — The Stronghold Falls — Operations Around the Gap — Hard Service and Short Rations 29 CHAPTER HI. Morgan's Famous Retreat — Fatiguing March — Harrassed by THE Enemy — Marching Under Dipficulties — Camp Liee on the Ohio — Camp Dennison in 1862 46 CHAPTER IV. The Fourth Tennessee Mounted — Muskets to Carbines — In- cidents AT Cam? Dennison — Ordered to Murfreesroro — First Saber Charge — Half in Hospitals — Colonel John- son Resigns — Re-Oganization of the Cavalry — Brown- low Wears the Eagle 59 CHAPTER V. TuLLAHOMA Campaign — The Advance — Guy's Gap — Ten Thousand Cavalry on a Wild Charge — Wheeler Forced TO Swim Duck River — Bragg Leaves Tennessee — His- toric Camp — Movements op the Cavalry — Concentration AT Stevenson — Preparing for an Advance 74 CHAPTER VI. Advance of the Army — Climbing Mountains — Scenery Above TPiE Clouds — Daring Move of the First Tennessee — Lost IN a Mountain — Bloody Chickamauga — Two Days on THE Field — Crawfish Spring — On the Move — Watching Wheeler 85 8 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. Wiii'.ixkr'ip Crkat Raii>— I,argiv Waoon Train Burnkd — The Pursuit — Winciikstkr — Ordkred to East Ti-nnksskk — Fighting Busiiwhacki'rs — LiKuT. Bowman Attacked NEAR SrAuTA — His Soldiers Kiei.eo aeter Surrendering — Take no Prisoners — I^rowni.ow Quiets the "Guerh.las" ioo CHAPTl'.R \lir. East Tennessee Campaign — Ci.imiunc. the Cumberland — The First Tennessee at Homv:— A Lively Set-to at Dandrdige. A Brilliant Charge — The Saher Freely Used — Christ- mas Eve in Camp. 112 CHAPTER IX. How CuKisTMAS Was Spent — Battle oe Mossy Creek — Death oi" Captmn Cannon and Lieutenant Cox — A Gallant Charge — Indian Fighting in the Mountains— Capturing A Wagon Tr a 1 n i .26 ciiapti-:r X. BA'rrLE OF Fair Garden— Capture of Colonel Brownlow — He Bribes the Guard and Makes His Escape — Back to the Army of the Cumberland — Camp Life at Cleveland — WiiKELER Attempts to Capttuk tuk Ri:c.imi:nt 138 CHAPTER XI. The Atlanta Campaign — From Cleveland to Pine Mountain. — Dug Gap and Tilton— Across the Coosawaitee and Etowah — Soliuerinc^. under Difficulties — Burnt Hick- ory — Brownlow s 1 lu.i 150 CIl APTl'R XI 1. Atlanta Campaign Continued — Operations Around Pine Mountain — Advance on the Kennesaw Line — Assault AND Flank Movement— Daring Feat of the First Ten- ESSEE AT THE Cll ATTA IlOOOIlKi; — P.UOWNI.OW'S NaKED ChARGE 164 CHAPTER XHl. Raid lelow Atlanta — Great Destruction of Property — Death of Lieut. Roberts— Brownlow. Refuses to Surrender- Cuts THE Lines— A Race for Life— Swimming the Chat- tahoochee — Hardships of the Men 176 CONTENTS. 9 CHAPTER XIV. Ordkki'I) to Nasiivii.lk — Whkkf.Kk's Raio — Sn.\Kr FioirriNO — Colonel Brownlow Woundkd — Whi'ICler Driven Across THE Tennessee — Forrest Returns hut Meets the Same FxVTE — The Daring Raider Forced to Fight — Fighting Bushwhackers — Liee along the Tennessee i8B CHAPTER XV. Hood Crosses the Tennessee — Race with Schoeikld — Hatch Flogs Forrest at CAMrnELLSviLLE — Wilson at Duck River — Night Makcii to Franklin — Preparation eor Rattle 201 CHAPTER XVI. Battle oe Franklin — Hood Assaults the Union Lines — Re- ruLSEfi WITH Gre-\t Slaughter — PIis Loss in Oeeicers Un- EQUALED in the War — Desperate Fighting — General Stanley Wounded — Schoeielu Withdraws in the Night. Safe in Nashville 213 CHAPTER XVII. 1'>attle 01' Nashville — A Great Union Victory — Tiiic Great Cavalry Battle of the West — Wilson's Cavalry Cap- turing Forts — Hood's Army Wrecked — The Defeat and Rout — Captl'rini; Prisoners and Guns — The Pi'rsuit.... 225 CHAPTER XVIII. The Pursuit Continued — Engagement at Lynnville — Christ- mas Eve — Pursuit Ended — Ordered to Waterloo — Winter Quarters — The Move into Mississippi — Return to the Old Camp 239 CHAPTER XIX. Relieved at the Front — Ordered to Nashville — The Surren- der of Lee — Great Ricjoicing in Camp — The War Ended. — Preparing for Muster-Out — Relhcved of Duty 253 CHAPTER XX. Closing Scenes — Under the Tattered Flag — Mustered Out. Farewell Greeting — Return Home — Recepi'ion r.\- the Loyal People 264 Roster, Record and Postoffice Address 269 Roll of Honor 332 Recapitulation 333 History of First Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry. CHAPTER I. EAvST TENNESSrClv UNIONIST — ORGANIZATION 01- THE REGI- MENT — EIRST CAMP — DRIEES AND PARADE — ORDERED TO THE FRONT — ElRST ALARM — ORGANIZATION OF THE SEVENTH DIVISION — NIGHT MARCHES. When the reverhcrations of Sumter's ^'uns came sweep- ing' across the valleys antl the mountains the loyal people from all parts of the Lhiion thronged to the field to assist in protecting the inheritance hequeathed to them by their forefathers. They were so patriotic and eager to enlist that for the time being they even forgot the luxuries, pleasures, and com- forts of their homes. In no part of the country did this das- tardly act arouse a greater feeling of patriotism than was manifested in East Tennessee. It brought thinking" people to a full realization of a stern duty that awaited every true patriot. The whole country was wild with excitement, as a terrible war seemed inevitable. When the President called for men to put on the har- ness of war he designated no particular class of people. Men came from the farm, shop, store, office, yes and even the pro- fessional man was seen to enter the ranks. All classes were represented in the great and growing army that soon rivaled that of Napoleon I. 12 HISTORY OF riKST RKGIMKNT History affords no parallel to the universal and hearty response made by the loyal men of the nation to the support of the government in the g;reat Civil War l)ctwccn the North and South. The bombardment and fall of Fort Sumter threw the whole Coventry into threat excitement. Immediately after this noted event President Lincoln called for seventy- live tJKnisand volunteers for the suppression of the rebelHon. Tennessee's ([uota was two re.c^imcnts, and at that time if the loyal and patriotic people of East Tennessee had been given an opportunity to respond to this call, ten regiments could have been furnished from this division of the State. The inhabitants of this section were mostly Whigs and the descendants of frontiersmen and Indian fighters. They were full of patriotism and had been taught from childhood to resent an insult, and especially one to the flag of their country, the emblem of liberty. They were trained also to the use of the rifle, consequently were excellent marksmen. They were the direct descendants of the brave men who fought at and destroyed Furgeson's army at King's Moun- tain, and Packenham at New Orleans. It was therefore not unnatural that they should be aroused by this great insult to their country's ilag and the great shock that this event pro- duced, when the news was flashed across the country that Fort Sumter had been fired upon. In no part of the country had the people been more loyal than here in l^ast Tennessee. In every war since Tennessee became a State we find her sons ready and willing to go forth and die if need be for the old fiag. We make the modest claim that in no part of the country was there manifested greater indignation at this treasonable act, and a greater determination to resent the insult to the nation, than here in East Tennessee. They s]">rang to the "call to arms" like their forefathers and poured oui their blood for the preservation of the Union. No one can forget the great excitement this event produced and the enthusiasm of the loyal people of the United States to stand bv the government in the dark davs of 1861. TKNNKSSEF, VOI.UNTF.KR CAVALRY. 13 The same patriotic spirit that had always characterized Tennessee in former wars in coming to the defense of the old Hag now manifested itself again. In the war with Mex- ico it is said that the spirit for volunteering was such that it became a question not as to who must go, but who may go. I'he following telegram was sent by the Secretary of War to the Governor of Temiessee : War DKi'AKTMKNT, Washington, April 15, 1S61. To His Excellency, Ishani 0. Harris, Governor of Tennessee: Call made on you by to-night's mail for two regiments of militia for immediate service. Simon CamCRON, Secretary of Jl'ar. Governor Harris was absent when the call came, but on his return sent the following answer : ]^\ncuTivi; Di;i>artmi:nt, Nashville, Tennessee, April 17, i86r. Hon. Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. : Sir: Your dispatch of the 15th inst, informing me that Ten- nessee is called upon for two regiments of militia for immediate ser- vice, is received. Tennessee will not furnish a single man for the purpose of coercion, but 50,000 if necessary for the defense of our rights and those of our Southern brothers. ISHAM G. Harris, Governor of Tennessee. Tennessee was at that time one of the States of the Union, and the Secretary of War had a right to call upon Tennessee for troops. Tennessee had always been very patriotic, and the readiness with which it had always re- sponded to the calls and came to the defense of the country, when threatened either by a foreign or a savage foe, had won for it the name of "The Volunteer State." It was one of Tennessee's grand and patriotic citizens, as well as soldier, who exclaimed, "The Union ! It nnist and shall be preserved !" This was the iron man who led his Tennessee riflemen to victory at New Orleans, defeating the flower of the English army. The Eastern division of the State was strongly Whig, and when war threatejied the destruction and dismember- ment of the Union this element took a strong and decided 14 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT stand ac;ainst secession. This division of the State was also full of brave and j^atriotic leaders, and no people were more true and devoted to them than the Union men of East Ten- nessee. Amonp: them we find such patriots as Rev. W. G. Brownlow, O. P. Temple, Horace Maynard, Andrew John- son, John M. Fleming. Samuel Pickens, T. A. R. Nelson, Rev. W. I'.. Carter, and a host of others who risked their lives and their property that the honor and reputation of "The Volunteer State" mi£2:ht not £:^o down in sliamc and dis- honor at this perilous moment. The followiny; is a ])ortion of a lonf^ series of resolu- tions passed by one of the many conventions held l)y the Unionists of Kast Tennessee : "That the Legislature of the State, without having first obtained the consent of the people, had no authority to enter into a 'military league" with the Confederate States against the general government, and by so doing to put the State of Tennessee in hostile array against the government of which it was, and still is, a member. Such legis- lation in advance of the expressed will of the people to change their governmental relation was an act of usurpation and should be visited with the severest condemnation of the people. Resolved, further : That the action of our State Legislature in passing the so-called 'Declaration of Independence,' and in forming the military league with the Confederate States, and in adopting other acts looking to a separation of the State of Tennessee from the government of the United States, is unconstitutional and illegal, and therefore not bind- ini> upon us as loyal citizens." * * * In the meantime, Isham G. Harris and other leaders tried to sell Tennessee "lock, stock and barrel" to Jeff Davis & Co. .Jhey attempted to make the Union people believe that the State had seceded because a partisan Legislature had secretly passed ordinances of secession. The loyal peo- ple of East Tennessee remained true to the Union, and Gov- ernor Harris, finding that he was unable to subdue these liberty-loving people, sent armed troops into East Teimessee, with orders to disarm the Union people. In the enforcement of this tyrannical order no Union man was allowed to escape search, and if arms were found in his possession they were taken. TKNNKSSF.r; N'OLUNTKKR C.-WALRY. 15 As the clouds of war "tcw darker, and the thunder from the battlefields pealed louder, these East Tennessee Unionists became more bitter and defiant. Twiggs had traitorously turned over all government property placed in his charge to the so-called Confederate government, consisting of arms, stores and ammunition. The loyal people of East Tennessee did not approve of such a course and determined never to submit to this attempt to take away their liberty, destroy the government and fasten the yoke of slavery upon them. There were numerous conflicts between the loyal sons of East Tennessee and the armed Confederates in the execu- tion of the order, and often a hearty reception would be given them and a variety of keepsakes and reminders in the nature of wounds, bullets and buckshot. Armed bands of the enemy roamed over the country, pilfering, robbing and murdering peaceful citizens. Martial law was declared in East Tennessee; provost-marshals and enrolling officers were appointed in every town and county, and these were composed usually of the bitterest and most oppressive men in the Confederacy. Colonel W. B. Wood, Sixteenth Alabama, commanding the post at Knoxville in the fall of 1861, wrote to Adjutant- General Cooper at Richmond as follows : "Five hundred Union men are now threatening Strawberry Plains, fifteen hundred are assembling in Hamilton county, and there is a general uprising in all the counties. The whole country is now in a state of rebellion and the mountaineers will whip ZoUicoffer as soon as they get ammunition." Then came the destruction of the bridges along the East Tennessee & Virginia railroad, one of the main lines con- necting Richmond and the Gulf States. This was followed by the execution of Henry Fry and J. M. Plensie at Greene- ville, C. A. Hawn, Jacob Harmon and his son Henry at Knoxville. The charge against these men was bridge-burn- ing, yet there was no positive proof that any of them had burned or attempted to burn a bridge. Hundreds of promi- nent citizens were arrested on some "trumped-up charge" 16 HISTORY ()!■ riRST REGIMENT and sent south to Tuskaloosa, Ala., a prison well known to the loyal people of East Tennessee, where, hy cruel and in- human treatment, scores died. Among^ those sent from East Tennessee were Hon. Montgomery Thornburgh, attorney-general of his judicial circuit ; Hon. Sanuicl Pickens, state senator, and Hon. Levi Trcwhitt, a very old man and a well-known lawyer. To add further insult to these loyal and patriotic citizens they were sent south in filthy stock-cars. Among those who died in this prison was Attorney-General Thornburgh. Dr. William Hunt and Hon. Levi Trewhitt died from cruel treatment. The jail at Knoxvillc was full to overflowing with Union men. Ministers who dared to pray for the success of the Union army, or for the preservation of the government, were arrested and thrown into prison. The loyalty of these mountain people to the old flag was a menace to the Confederates and the cause of much bitter- ness. Every able-bodied man under the age of forty-five . was required to go into the rebel army, and the Union men who had remained at home up to this time began to drop out of sight. Pilots or guides, as they were called, w^ere in great demand to take these loyal men be3'ond the lines. The secret means of escape to the L^nion lines was termed "The Underground Railroad," and the secret method of communi- cation, "The Grape-vine Telegraph." Jn the meantime the East Tennessee & \'irginia railroad was kept busy transporting troops from the South to Vir- ginia. This was witnessed by the loyal people with a strong feeling of dissatisfaction, and in order to put a stop to it they planned the destruction of the bridges. In the attempt to destroy the bridge at Strawberry Plains there was a consid- erable fight between the guard and th.e Union men, in which both sides had men wounded. These outbreaks created great excitement and alarm, and were committed, not in the spirit of wanton destruction, but of real war upon an enemy and for the sole purpose of interrupting the military communications of the Gulf States • h \ COLONEI. KOI'.KKT JOHNSON TKNNF.SSEE VOIA'NTF.KR CAVALRV. 17 with Richmond and of cnabhnj:^ the Union army to enter East Tennessee. Martial law was declared in Knoxville and Union peo- ple's houses were arbitrarily entered nij^ht and day by the soldiers, who demanded their arms and ammunition. This attempt to disarm the people was denounced, as they doub'xd the ri,qht to take away their arms, as they were looked upon as a household necessity. Shortly after the election on the 8th of June a mass- meetint:: of the l^nion people was called to meet at Straw- berry Plains, seventeen miles northeast of Knoxville, to con- demn the action of Governor Harris in declarin^^ the State out of the Union, contrary to the voice of its ciualified voters. The meeting was largely attended and was held in a grove a short distance east of the village, near the railroad. During the progress of the meeting a regiment of "Louisiana Tigers" passed by on the cars. They had been notified of the meet- ing before leaving the station, and under a full head of steam and with loaded muskets on they came. When opposite the place where these patriots were quietly discussing the action of Governor Harris they opened fire. This fire was promptly met with volleys from all kinds of firearms and a rush for the train. Several men who were near the track attempted to wreck the train by placing cross-ties on the rails. There were no casualties on the Union side, and as the train kept moving there was no means of knowing whether any of the "Tigers" were hurt or not, but the sides of the cars were per- forated with bullets. The nearest point to the Union camps was in the State of Kentucky, and to reach them the mountains and a hostile enemy must be passed. The vigilant foe kept every gap well guarded, and capture meant death or long confinement in some loathsome prison. Those who are familiar with the topography of the country between Tennessee and Kentucky will remember that Cumberland Mountain is well flanked with hills and ridges, all of which must be crossed in passing from one State to the other. But with all their watchfulness 18 HISTORY or FIRST RIvCIMKNT and the danglers incident to such an undertaking, thousands left their homes, made their way safely across the cold and cheerless mountains, reached the Union camps and enlisted in the army, shedding their blood in defense of the old flag. The most of these long and dangerous marches were made b)- night, to better escape the watchful eye of the enemy. These midnight tramps were made in companies of fifty to one hundred, and even larger numbers were safely taken through the lines. It was no uncommon thing for pitched battles to occur between these East Tennessee Union- ists and the Confederates. The majority of these expedi- tions were successful, but a few were disastrous. The Union people of East Tennessee believed that when their liberty was taken from them there was nothing left worth living for. and. in the language of Patrick Henry, it was "Give me lib- erty or give me death." The greatest secrecy was required in making these trips, and all loud and boisterous talking had to be repressed. But when the i^oint was reached where it was safe to give expression to pent-up feelings the men would break forth in loud huzzas, singing as they marched along. "We are com- ing. Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more." It is rather a remarkable fact that East Tennessee in i86i, with a male ])opulation of forty-five thousand between the ages of twenty and fifty, should furnish for the Union army thirty-five thousand volunteers — not a conscript among them — besides hundreds that enlisted in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois regiments, for which Tennessee received no credit. Tennessee was the last State to "seceed," or more truth- fully speaking, "forced out of the Union," and this act was not a voluntary one, but was accomplished by force of arms. This shameful act occurred on the 8th day of June, 1861, almost two months after Fort Sumter had been fired upon. Rev. N. G. Taylor, a Bell elector on the Presidential ticket in i860, made use of the following strong language in a speech delivered in Knoxville : "The people of East Tennes- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 19 see are determined to maintain the Union by force of arms against any movement from the South throughout their re- gion of country to assail the government at Washington with violence, and that the Secessionists of the cotton States, in attempting to carry out their nefarious designs to destroy the Republic, would have to march over my dead body and the dead bodies of thousands of East Tennessee mountaineers slain in battle." In August, 1861, Colonel R. K. Bird, of Roane county, organized the First Regiment of Tennessee Volunteers at Camp Dick Robinson, Kentucky. The following Septem- ber the Second Regiment Tennessee Volunteers was organ- ized at the same camp by Colonel J. P. T. Carter, of Carter county. In February, 1862, Colonel L. C. Houk, of Ander- son county, organized the Third Tennessee Volunteers at Flat Lick, Kentucky. In March, Colonel Robert Johnson, of Greeneville, organized the Fourth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers at Camp Garber, Kentucky. The following November the regiment was mounted and equipped for the cavalry service and was mustered as the First Tennessee Cavalry. Camp Garber is about one mile northwest of Flat Lick, on the main road leading from Barboursville to Cum- berland Gap. The men composing the regiment were principally from the counties of Bradley, Knox, Union, Grainger, Jefferson, Greene, Hawkins and Hancock. Colonel Johnson's paternal notoriety made him quite popular and influential. His father, Andrew Johnson, when the war broke out, bore the proud distinction of being the only Southern Senator who retained his seat in the Senate after his State had seceded. Colonel Johnson was authorized by E. M. Stanton, Secre- tary of War, to recruit a cavalry regiment, but from some cause the government did not arm and equip it for that branch of the service at the time of its organization. Being the fourth regiment organized from the State, "Number 4" was assigned to it and entered of record, and up to November was known as the Fourth Tennessee Volun- 20 HISTORY OF FIRST RI'XIMKXT tecrs. Recruits came in rapidly, it then lieinj^ understood that the regiment would soon be mounted, and with the Tennessee boys the idea of "ricUng instead of walking-" was quite a popular one. The first company organized for the regiment was Company A, yet the first seven companies were organized during March and April. The following is the original list of company officers and the order in which they were recruited : Company A. Captain, Charles L. Barton ; First Lieutenant, John H. Trent ; Second Lieutenant, Moses Wiley. C0MI'.\NY B. Captain, Richard M. Baldwin; First Lieutenant, Gideon Wolf: Second Lieutenant, George Odom. Company C. Captain, James P. Brownlow ; First Lieutenant, Morgan T. Burkhart ; Second Lieutenant, Elbert J. Cannon. Company D. Captain, Alfred J. Lane; First Lieutenant, W. R. Willoughby; Second Lieutenant, George W. Cox. Company E. Captain, Henry G. Flagg; First Lieutenant, Charles H. Burdick; Second Lieutenant, William Thurman. Company F. Captain, Thomas J. Capps; First Lieutenant, Robert A. Wooten ; Second Lieutenant, John A. Gray. Company H. Captain. John A. Gray (promoted from second lieutenant Com- pany F to captain Company H) ; First Lieutenant, Calvin M. Dyer; Second Lieutenant, Edward Simpson. The above companies were organized at Camp Garber and all sworn into the United States service for three years or during the war. The Fourth Tennessee was not mus- tered at its organization owing to the fact that no mustering officer was present to perform that duty. ]W this simple process these patriotic citizens who had made their way through the lines were converted into I'nited States soldiers, and were now subject to orders and discipline from all TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 21 superior officers. Colonel Johnson appointed the following commissioned and non-commissioned staff officers: Adju- tant, Lieutenant James O. Berry ; Quartermaster, Lieutenant Robert Howell ; Surgeon, Pleasant W. Logan ; Sergeant- Major, M. C. William^s. These were the first line and staff officers, and as va- cancies occurred they were filled by promotion. No more staff officers were elected or appointed for some time, be- cause the regiment was not filled up to a war standard. Uni- forms, blankets, knapsacks, haversacks, canteens and cook- ing utensils were issued to the men and active preparations commenced to fit up the regiment for the field. All will doubtless remember how strange and yet how proud most of us felt when dressed for the first time in our bright, new uniforms. But oh, the horrible misfits! The pants were either too long or too short, the hats too large or too small, the coat-collars so high and stiff that we could scarcely turn our heads at the command eyes right, or left, while the tips of the fingers of a short-armed fellow could hardly be seen on account of the length of the sleeves. If a long-armed fel- low drew a short-sleeved coat he never had to roll up his sleeves for a fight. Our first camp was on high ground and well laid out, with a wide street between each row of tents. The big white Sibley tents were well stretched and put up in parallel rows as straight as a "bee-line," which added greatly to the ap- pearance of the camp. About fifty Harper Ferry muskets were issued to the regiment for picket and guard dutv, and on discharging the piece there was almost as much danger in the rear as at the muzzle, so great was the recoil. Camp life was a new experience to the men and it took some little time for the boys who had been accustomed to pleasure and the comforts of pleasant homes to adapt themselves to the various changes, but before the end of their first year's ser- vice they had learned by hard experience that camp life, no matter how rigid the orders were, was one of ease and com- fort as compared with their exoerience at the front. Old 22 HISTORY OF riKST RKCIMKNT ]\[otlicr Earth was our bed. and l)ut little complaint was heard amonj:^ the men. IMilitary discipline was immediately commenced. There were but very few of the officers or men in the regiment who had any military knowledge, consequently the awkward squad was always very large and well attended. The drum- mers beat reveille in the morning. This was followed by roll-call, sick call, or "(|uinine-call," as the boys named it, guard-mounting and drilling six hours each clay. On every hand it was, "Right face, left face, about face, eyes right, eyes left, heads up, men, heads up, forward march, backward march, company right wheel, left wheel, halt, parade rest," day after day until the long, shuftling gait was changed to the quick, firm step of a solcUer. Our camp was a long distance from the railroad, consequently all of the supplies had to be transported in army wagons over bad roads. Large working details were made from the regi- ment and sent to London, where the men built miles of dirt and corduroy roads along Laurel river. All the worst places received our careful attention, so that by the middle of May the roads had sufficiently dried out so that our teams could draw a well-loaded wagon to camp. Here is where the government mule comes m for his share of honor in helping to put down the rebellion. A mule is a mule the world over, but none is equal to a government mule. It was hard to get along with him, but it seemed utterly imi)ossible to get along without him. He endured more abuse and insults than all of the army put together. He never talked back, Init would "kick back" in spite of kind treatment. The army mule has never had justice done him and it is doubtful if the war could have been carried on without ]iim. He fell in battle like other soldiers, and his remains make the Q. M. mile-posts. Often after a hard day's work in front of a U. S. wagon he made his supper from dry leaves or dead grass, with the feed-box or wagon- tongue for dessert. It is only after the last army mule has passed beyond TKNNESSKK VOT I o •^ en TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 29 CHAPTER II. CUMBERLAND GAP — MORGAN'S CAMPAIGN — THE STRONGHOLD EALLS — OPERATIONS AROUND THE GAP HARD SERVICE AND SHORT RATIONS — BIG CREEK GAP. This was a large army to be maintained in a mountain- ous country, the inhabitants producing scarcely enough for their own use, much less to feed an army, and to take from them seemed like robberv. It was about eighty miles to the nearest depot of supplies and the greater portion of that dis- tance was through a hilly country. The only means of trans- portation was army wagons and the roads were so bad that the teams could not make more than ten to twelve miles a day. This was an undertaking of more than ordinary magnitude, but General Morgan and his army were patient under the circumstances and by the first of June enough of supplies had been accumulated to warrant Morgan in entering upon his proposed campaign, the objective point being the capture of Cumberland Gap, one of^he most noted in the great Cumber- land range. From scouts and reconnoissances made toward this stronghold, Morgan learned that the Gap was well fortified and held by five or six thousand troops, under the command of General Stevenson. This information led Morgan to abandon his contemplated attack in front and force Steven- son to evacuate the Gap by a fiank movement. It is exceed- ingly doubtful if the place could have been carried by a direct assault, on account of the roughness of the approaches. The country over which Morgan's army marched in this great flank movement was exceedingly rough and mountain- ous, and to one who has never passed over the route it would be very hard to imagine the difficulties to be overcome in 30 HISTORY OF riRST RUGIMENT transporting: cannon and a heavy baggage train over it. It is a short day's march from Cumberland Ford to Cumberland Gap. but to reach the latter place by Big Creek Gap would require at least ten to twelve days of hard marching over almost impassable roads, a distance of one hundred miles. The only gaps that could be crossed by an army encum- bered with artillery and heavily loaded wagons were Big Crook and Rogers Gaps, and toward these ^lorgan marched his army in two columns of two brigades each. Big Creek Gap is thirty-eight miles nearly clue west from Cumberland Gap and thirty-six miles from Cumberland Ford. These gaps were all blockaded and a small force stationed at each one to watch the movements of the Union army. General E. K. Smith was in command of the Department of East Tennessee and had placed General Barton with his division near the mouth of Big Creek Gap on the south side to pre- vent ^Morgan's troops from crossing at this gap. All of Morgan's division was at Cumberland Ford ex- cept Spears' brigade, which at that time was encamped near Boston, Kentucky. A floating bridge was built across Cum- berland River and the army moved to the south side. Gen- eral Spears' brigade — except the Fourth Tennessee \"olun- teers — was ordered to the foot of Pine jNIountain, on the Big Creek Gap road, for the purpose of removing the blockade. In order to deceive the enemy at Cumberland Gap, a feint was made in that direction to cover the movements on Rogers and Big Creek Gaps. On the 9th day of June, the Fourth Tennessee broke camp at Cumberland Ford and marched with General Car- ter's brigade — to which it was at that time temporarily at- tached — to the old ]^loss house on the Cumberland Gap road, where the whole command bivouacked for the night. The next morning we were joined by Captain Lanphere's Sev- enth jNIichigan Battery, after which the entire brigade. and battery moved a short distance on the Clear Creek road and encamped for the night. Resuming the march the next dav the brigade marched TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 31 on to Boston by way of Lambdin's, where it bivouacked for the night. We experienced great trouble in getting our wagons and the artillery over the almost impassable roads. On" the morning of the 13th. General Carter was ordered to move his brigade through Big Creek Gap and join Morgan at Rogers Gap in Powell's Valley. The command w^as moved out early on the morning of the 14th, and as the day wore away the long drawn-out column of weary troops could be seen tramping along cheerfully toward Pine Mountain, believing when the summit was reached the road would be better. The march, however, was relieved of much of its tedi- ousness by the grandeur of the scenery. This was an exceed- ingly hard day on the men as well as the horses and mules, but by the united exertion of the troops the wagons and ar- tillery were safely taken across Pine ]\Iountain, though the men and horses were greatly fatigued. Early on the morning of he 15th, General Carter re- ceived a dispatch from General Spears at Big Creek Gap stating that his brigade was attacked, and requesting him to move immediately to his support. The troops were ordered into line and in a short time the column was under way, and so eager were the men to meet the enemy that they forgot the hard and tedious marches of the preceding days, pushed forward and reached General Spears' position, ten miles dis- tant, by noon. When Carter's troops reached Spears at Big Creek Gap all was quiet, his troops having repulsed the enemy, which proved to be a part of General Barton's com- mand. Heavy details were made to assist the teams in over- coming the ascents and descents of this mountainous coun- try. The road — as it was called — was rough and full of huge boulders, and at some places was very steep, narrow and winding, in fact at places it seemed utterly impossible to pass by safely. At places where the road was so crooked and full of boulders there was great danger of the artillery and wagons being precipitated down the almost perpendicular 3>2 lllSTdRV (ir I'lKST KKiUMKNT banks of jai^-.^tHl riK^ks at places almost a huiulrccl feet high, meaning- death to man or beast if they toppled over these vawning chasms. I hit by doubling the teams and the troops tugging at ropes, block and. tackle, this great task was ac- C(Mn])lished with, but slight loss. The heaviest siege guns weighed eight thousand pounds and the reader can form his own conclusio\is of the magnitude of the undertaking. C^n reaching Ihg Creek Gap. Colonel Johnson was or- dered to join Spears' brigade, the one to which the regiment belonged. On the following morning the line of march was taken u]) ami the Fourth Tennessee, with the remainder of the anny. moved up Powell's \'alley to Rogers' Gap. where it bixouacked for the night. As we marched up the valley the loyal people lined the road and gave us a warm greeting, and the frequent outbursts of joy at the sight of the old flag anil the marching soldiers led us to believe that the greet- ing was from true Unionists. At Rogers' Gap, Morgan again imited his army. The brigades of De Courcey and r.airil had movd from Cumberland Ford toward Cumber- lanil Gap. and after a slight demonstration in front of that stronghold, moved to Rogers' Gap, and after removing the blockade, crossed the mountain and marched out into Pow- ell's \'alley. On the approach of Morgan's troops at Big Creek and Rogers" Gaps, r)arton moved rapidly up the valley toward Cumberland Gap. General Morgan had quietly turned Stevenson's left Hank and his army was now all on the south side of the mountain and nineteen miles west of Cumberland Gap. Mor- gan was now between Stevenson and Smith, and decided to advance upon Cumberland Gap before Kirby Smith could concentrate his forces at that point or fight him in the field. Morgan issued orders for his division to move at i a. m. on the i8th for the purpose of attacking the enemy, who was then said to be encamped in force at or near the Thomas farm, about nine miles from Rogers' Gap. The army moved forward in two columns of two brigades each, on almost parallel roads running from near Rogers' ^1"* *!«' TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 33 Gap and intersecting at Thomas'. Carter's and Spears' bri- gades moved along the new valley road, De Courcey and Baird on the old valley road, but before the two columns reached the Thomas farm the enemy abandoned it and fled in great confusion toward Cumberland Gap. After a short rest the two columns were united and the army continued the march up the valley toward the Gap. Late in the afternoon the army came in sight of Cumberland Gap, and Morgan was about to begin deploying his troops for an attack when the scouts sent out by him returned and reported this great stronghold abandoned. This great military prize fell by Morgan's strategy after a brief campaign made under the most severe and trying dif- ficulties, and before the close of the day — i8th — the Seventh Division marched in and took possession. Everything indi- cated a hasty retreat. Stevenson threw five or six heavy cannon down the cliffs, besides several left in position. All of his tents were slitted and left standing. A large amount of stores and army supplies were destroyed, but quite a lot fell into our hands not injured. On taking possession of the Gap a national salute was fired in honor of its capture, by Foster's battery, from the summit, while from the pin- nacle the Stars and Stripes could be seen floating high above our heads, its silken folds being kissed by the mountain breeze. ■'Forever float that standard sheet, Where breathes the foe that falls before us, With freedom's soil beneath our feet, And freedom's banner streaming o'er us." In his report of the Cumberland Gap campaign, General Morgan says : "The result secured by strategy is less bril- liant than a victory gained amid the storm and hurricane of battle, but humanity has gained all that glory has lost, and 1 am satisfied." The following order from the Department Commander will give the reader an idea of his high appreciation of this bloodless victorv : 34 HISTORY OF riRST KKOIMENT llKAPi^CAKTIiKS ArMY Ol" THE OhIO. Huntsville, Ala., July ii, 1S62. Gknkrai. Orprrs No. 2g. The GciuTal commanding tlic Army of the Ohio takes pleasure in annoutu'ing the success of an arduous and hazardous campaign by the Sovet\th Division. Brigadier-General George \V. Morgan com- manding, by wh.ich the enemy's fortified position at Cumberland Gap was turned and his forces compelled to retreat as our troops ad- vanced to attack. The General commanding thanks General Morgan and the troops of the Seventh Division for the ability displayed in the operations against this important stronghold and for the energ>-. fortitude and cheerfulness which they exhibited in their struggle with difficulties of the most formidable magnitude for an army. r>y connnand of Ma.iok-Gknkrai. Bikl. / ' Jas. B. Fry. ' Coh-'ucl and Chief of Staff. General Morgan placoJ his troops in and aronnd the Gap and began the con.^trnction of such works as seemed necessary for the protection of his army from an attack from the south. Cumberland Gap. which has been by some one denominated the "Gibraltar of America," was famous long before the thunder of Confederate guns were heard at Fort Stimter. It was through this noted pass that Daniel Boone, the great hunter and explorer, crossed on his way to the "Pdue Grass State." and was also one of the first points garri- soned in this section by the Confederates in 1S61. It is situ- ated at the point of junction between three States. By the side oi the road oti the south side and near the summit stands a stone which marks the comer of three States — Tennessee, \irg-inia and Kentucky. Some of the boys declared that they could stand in three States at once by placing themseh-es on the top of this noted conier-stone. During the war it was held by both amiies. and was a position of great importance, it being a great natural gate- way and key to the States of Tennessee. Kentucky and \'ir- ginia. This note*.! mountain pass is one of the deepest clefts in the great Cumberland range, and is at least one thousand feet higher than the base, while on each side its lofty peaks Tennessee; volunteer cavalry. ^3 tower at least one thousand feet higher. Through this gap cannon and heavily laden army wagons could cross without difficulty, besides it was the main gateway to the center of the Confederacy, for only a short distance south was the main and most important railroad which connects Richmond with the Gulf States. This was the road on which the Unionists of East Tennessee burned so many bridges. It is also noted for its many springs of pure, sparkling water that leaps and jumps down its rugged sides. The one on the south side furnishes power for a busy mill that stood at the southern base, which did constant duty for the Con- federate as well as the Union army early in the war. It was burned by a detachment of the Second Tennessee Volunteers, led by ]\Iajor Dan Carpenter, in 1863. Morgan's division were the first Union troops to carry the old flag across these rugged mountains and to enter this great stronghold. The peak to the east is much the highest, and from this dizzy point a magnificent view of the States of Tennessee, Ken- tucky and Virginia may be had, while away in the blue, hazy distance the great Blue Ridge range and the beautiful Chil- howee may be seen. General Morgan established his headquarters on the south side of the Gap, at Dr. Morrison's residence, a short distance east of the Tazewell road. General Spears' brigade was encamped still east of Morgan's headquarters and near the A'irginia road. Drills and parades that had been given up during the campaign were revived, and some days the level space at the foot of the mountain was completely cov- ered with troops, all going through different movements. Early in July, General Morgan sent Spears' brigade four miles northeast of the Gap into Lee county, Virginia, to watch the enemy and collect forage. The camp was on the Virginia road, near Woodson's Creek, and was named "Camp Morgan," in honor of General Geo. W. Morgan, command- ig the Seventh Division, Army of the Ohio, This was the first time that the entire brigade had ever been in camp to- gether since its organization. 36 HISTORY or FIRST REGIMENT Camp life at this place was made up of picketing, scout- ing-, skirni'sliing. drills and parades. Some of the outposts were vuuler the rugged peaks of the mountain, and as the wearv sentinel stooil quietly on the lonely picket-post with his faithful musket hy his side the whispering pines were lonesome companions. As the enemy were in close prox- iiuitv to our camp, great care and diligence was required to prevent surprise, for we had no cavalry to do outpost duty. One of the picket posts v.as well up to the foot pf the mountain, ami one dark night the picket, who was wide- awake and with eagle eye was peering into the darkness to d.etect the form of a man or an animal that he heard in his front. He did not want to arouse the reserves, nor did he want to be captured, so at last, tired of further suspense, he fired into the darkness. This shot aroused the reserves, as well as the old government mule that was quietly approach- ing his supposed friend. W'nh lowered head and tail ex- tended he dashed madly by the picket, and the reserves, be- lieving him to be harmless, refused to fire. Soon all became quiet and no further alarm occurred during the night. The faithful sentinel, when asked why he fired upon tKe defence- less mule, remarked that it had no business outside the picket line without the countersign. In some way this mule had gone beyond the picket line luiobserveil. possibly in search of something to satisfy his craving appetite, and returning after dark was fired upon without being challenged. The whole camp was kept giiarded night and day. the beats were numbered and at intervals during the night each sentinel was required to call out the number of his beat or post in the following manner, beginning with post number one: "Four o'clock and post nuiuber one all right." The sentinel on beat number two would in like manner call out his number, this was followed by tlie next one and continued until the round was made, and if a sentinel failed to respond the corporal of the guard was sent to find out the trouble. This was a new experience to the men composing the Twenty-fifth Brigade, and this system of camp guard was TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 37 the work of the fertile brain of General Spears, our bricjade commander. It is doubtful if there was another brigade in the whole army that maintained such a system around its camp, yet it served his purpose well and kept many a sleepy- headed sentinel awake while on duty. The men and most of the officers were without military experience and as our camp was located in the enemy's country, vigilance was a necessity, and be it said to the credit of General Spears that his camp was never surprised, though hardly a day passed without a brush with the enemy somewhere on the picket line. Late in the afternoon of the 5th of August, General Spears' camp was thrown into great excitement by an order from General Morgan directing the Twenty-fifth Brigade to march at once to the relief of De Courcey's brigade at Taze- well, Tennessee. De Courcey had been sent by Morgan to Tazewell for the purpose of capturing a lot of supplies stored at that place by the enemy. The Fourth Tennessee left camp at dark and marched with the remainder of the brigade in light marching order toward Tazewell. Spears moved his troops rapidly along the dusty road and on reaching Powell's River, six miles from Cumberland Gap, met De Courcey fall- ing back. Part of De Courcey's brigade was pretty roughly hand- led. While the wagons were being loaded, Stevenson's di- vision made an attack on his brigade, but he held his position against great odds until the two hundred wagons he had taken with him were loaded and well on their way toward the Gap. In this engagement Colonel G. W. Gordon, Eleventh Tennessee Volunteers, C. S. A., was captured by the Six- teenth Ohio of De Courcey's brigade. After a short rest the two brigades returned to camp. It was while the Fourth Tennessee lay at Camp Morgan and during the sharp and almost continuous picket fighting that Captain Brownlow, of Company C, began to develop such fine soldierly qualities that later on made him famous as a "fighter." The daily picket fighting gave him splendid 38 HISTORY OF riRST RKCIMEXT opportunities and he soon won for himself a briUiant reputa- tion as a brave and determined leader. When the regiment was organized at Flat Lick the office of lieutenant-colonel was left vacant, and up to this position James P. Brownlow, captain of Company C, the youngest captain in the regiment, was promoted. He was the youngest son of Rev. W. G. Brownlow, of Knoxville, more familiarly known as Parson Brownlow, one of the leading Unionists of East Tennessee and editor and proprietor of Brozi'iilozv's Knoxville Whig. Captain Brownlow was just nineteen years old when he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth Tennessee Vol- unteers. He was tall and well proportioned, with keen, pene- trating, gray eyes. He was a soldier of fine ability, full of enterprise, energy and courage. He was never heard to say "Go. boys." but always. "Come on, boys!" Agreeable in his manners and accessible to all, he was strictly honorable in all oj his dealings with men and the government. First Lieutenant ]\I. T. Burkhart was promoted to cap- tain, and Second Lieutenant E. J. Cannon to first lieutenant. First Sergeant J. K. Lones was promoted to second lieu- tenant. About the middle of August. General Spears' brigade was ordered back to the Gap. The occupation of Cumber- land Ga]) by the T.'nion army shortened the distance and greatly retluced the chances of capture by the enemy of the East Tennessee L'nionists. who no\v came to the Gap by hun- dreds, leaving behind fathers, mothers, wives and sisters. These loyal men came to enlist, and soon the ranks of all the Tennessee regiments were full and the Second, Third and Fourth Cavalry were beginning to receive recruits. From the loyal citizens three more companies were recruited for the regiment, as follows : Company G. Captain, I. C. Leger; First Lieutenant, W. W. Mosier ; Second Lieutenant, H. K. Fields. Company L Captain, Abraham Hammond ; First Lieutenant, W. A. Kidwell ; Second Lieutenant, Jas. H. Elkins. TENNESSKE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 39 Company K. Captain, Burton Smith; First Lieutenant, Nelson Bowman; Second Lieutenant, Alexander M. Smith. This made the ten companies and brought the Fourth Tennessee up to the government standard for an infantry regiment, and each company retained the same letter and position during the service, with A on the right and then ' the other companies from right to left,, in the following order : F, D, I, C, H, E, K, G and B. The Fourth Tennessee had been without a chaplain up to this time, and no doubt it was a most fortunate thing, as the regiment now had an opportunity of procuring the service of an able Christian gentleman. Among those who made their escape and came through the lines to our camp was Rev. John P. Holtsinger, a Cuinberland Presbyterian min- ister of Greeneville, and at the request of Colonel Johnson the commissioned officers voted for and unanimously elected him chaplain of the regiment. He was a model Christian, intelli- gent, kind and brave, and the noble example that he set be- fore the men composing the regiment was worthy of emu- lation. The profound confidence that the men had in him in camp as well as upon the battlefield was such that he was called the "Father of the Regiment." He was always pres- ent on the field of battle, in the midst of danger and death, to speak words of comfort to the wounded and dying, and one of the best evidences of his popularity and worth is that he "stuck" to us to the end. Shortly after the occupation of Cumberland Gap by Gen- eral Morgan's forces. Lieutenant W. P. Craighill, of the En- gineer Corps, was sent to the Gap and commenced the con- struction of such defensive works as would assure the safety of the position with a small force. These works were built on the south side, and so situated that should this great stronghold fall into the hands of the enemy they could not be used in an attack from the north side. In the construction of these works large details were made from the diffierent 40 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMIvNT re.qinienls to build tlioni. General Smith did not withdraw his forces very far from the Gap after its fall. General Stev- enson's division remained in close proximity, and the re- mainder of Smith's troops were stationed at other points more or less remote. Al)out the 15th of Ang:ust. General Spears was ordered io Wallace's Cross Roads. eig:hteen miles north of Knoxville, lor the purpose of breaking; up a Confederate camp at that place. Spears nfDved his brigade through the Gap to the north side of the mountain and then turning west marched down tlie north side to Big Creek Gap. This camp was about Hfty to sixty miles from Cumberland Gap. direct route, and was considered a dangerous movement, as almost the whole distance lay within the enemy's line and was made without the aiil of cavalry. But in the ranks of Spears' bri- gade there were scores of men who were well acquainted with the country through which he was to march. From Big Creek Gap. Spears turned south and moved rapidly toward Robbins' Ford, on Clinch River. This ford is soiuothing near six miles below the junction of Powell's river with Clinch, and about live miles from Wallace's Cross Roads. This was before the day of pontoons in the Army of the Ohio, and to the men in the ranks there seemed but one way to cross. The troops pulled off their shoes and placed them and their cartridge-boxes and belts on the muz- zles of their guns so as to keep them dry, and while waiting for orders to cross some freak of memory suggested tliat graml old hymn : "On Jordan's stormy banks I stand. And cast a wishful eye." It was. however, a season of the year when the water was not cold and the boys rather enjoyed the bath, but were a little slow to enter the streatu at the start. From this point Spears pushed on and at noon reached the enemy's camp, which he completely surprised. The Confederates were quietly cooking their dinner, not TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 41 thinking: for a moment that there was a Yankee in fifty miles of them. They were routed and fled in all directions, leav- ing: their warm dinner for us, and sixty-five men killed. Avounded and captured, besides several horses and mules and a lot of guns and camp equipage. Spears' brigade was now within eighteen miles of Knox- ville. the home of many of his men. From loyal citizens we learned afterwards that this movement of Spears produced the wildest confusion in Knoxville and that the enemy ex- pected the "despised Yankees" at any moment. Spears' bri- gade was composed wholly of Tennessee troops, and many of the men were almost in sight of their homes, but were not permitted to leave the ranks for fear of being captured. General Spears returned by the same route without the loss of a man. Feed for the mules and artillery horses was scarce and frequent foraging expeditions were sent out under an infantry escort for the purpose of collecting feed, and often a lively skirmish would take place over a disputed corn- field. General ]\Iorgan endeavored to provoke Stevenson to give battle, but without success. His troops often adA'anced to his camp, surprised and captured his outposts, but was iinable to bring on an engagement. Toward the last of August, General E. K. Smith moved with the greater part of his army into Kentucky, by way of Big Creek Gap, and took lip a strong position near Big Hill and Richmond. This sud- den and unexpected movement of Smith completely cut Mor- gan ofif from his base of supplies, and anticipating the total exhaustion of his supplies on hand before communication could be restored, he was compelled to put his troops on half rations and made preparation to hold out to the last ex- tremity. The Third Tennessee, Third Kentucky and Mun- day's cavalry were sent to aid a column organized for the relief of his troops, but were attacked at London and Big Hill before being united with the other troops, and after a sharp engagement were routed and forced to return. In this engagement the Third Tennessee, of our brigade, met with considerable loss, especially at Big Hill. 42 HISTORY OV FIRST RF.GIMENT Karlv in September. W. S. Reynolds, the noted and dar- ing Tennessee scout and hero of three wars, reached General Morgan's headquarters and informed him that a well- equipped detachment of the enemy, said to be McAfee's Kentuckv cavalry, would leave Knoxville for Kentucky in a few days by way of T.is^ Creek Gap. General Spears was ordered to send a detachment of picked men, under a brave and resolute officer. Four hundred men were selected from the brigade and placed under tb.e command of Colonel Jos. A. Cooper, Sixth Tennessee \'olunteers. Colonel Cooper moved his command to the north side of the mountain early on the morning of September 7. in light marching order, and at once moved toward Rig Creek Gap as rapidly as the nature of the country would atlmit. In going this route, Cooper's little army had to cross Log Mountain, which was exceedingly rough, but by night over half of the distance had been covered. We were mov- ing over almost the same route taken by Spears' brigade a few weeks before in the move on Wallace's Cross Roads. Colonel Cooper's command bivouacked in the mountain, and early the next morning was pushed rapidly toward Big Creek Gap, which was not reached a moment too soon. Colonel Cooper had scarcely time to form his men in line of battle before the enemy was reported to be moving toward the Gap. They were marching along without an advance guard, chat- ting together unmindful of the fate that awaited them, and the first intimation they had of our presence was when their eyes caught sight of a line of blue coats in line of battle across the road they were moving upon. The troops in front opened fire, while the remainder of Cooper's men charged upon them from all sides, and after a short but spirited engagement the enemy surrendered. The Confederates were well mounted and splendidly equipped, each man being armed with a good double-bar- reled shotgun, revolver and saber. They were mounted on magnificent horses, while in their ranks were men from dif- ferent States. The day was exceedingly warm and most of GP:NERAL .lOSKPH A. C'OOl'KR TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 43 the men had taken off their coats to avoid the heat, their bright red shirts making good targets for the boys. Out of one hundred and nine men, only one made his escape, and he was said to have been wounded. In this engagement Colonel ]\lcAfee and ninety-five officers and men were captured, while ten of the enemy were left dead upon the field, among them an aide-de-camp of General Smith and two captains. Cooper's men also captured ninety- eight horses besides arms and equipments. There were no casualties in Colonel Cooper's command, and this was no doubt due to the admirable manner in which he placed his men. He returned to the Gap with the prisoners and cap- tured property, having marched eighty miles in four days, over mountains and hills and roads almost impassable. On our return. General Alorgan issued the following order, which was read to his troops at dress parade. HEADQUARTERS FoRCES OF THE UniTED STATES, Cumberland Gap, September 12, 1862. General Order No. 88. The commanding General has again the pleasure of announcing to his troops the achievements of a handful of their comrades at Big Creek Gap, on the 8th inst. After having blockaded the approaches to Big Creek Gap, Colonel Cooper, with a force consisting of four hundred men of the Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Regiments, Ten- nessee Volunteers, met and routed a force of the enemy's cavalry, killing several, and captured ninety-five prisoners, eighty-seven horses and mules, with a quantity of arms and equipments and a rebel mail, which was being taken to Kentucky on the same day. Colonel Cooper speaks in the highest terms of the gallantry of his officers and men. The commanding General congratulates the Tennessee troops on the laurels won by their comrades. By command of Generai, Morgan. Chas. O. Jolin, a. a. G. It is with pride and pleasure that the commanding General pub- lishes the above order. It is a source of pleasure to him to bestow his thanks and praise upon Colonel Cooper and the brave officers and men of his command, who so gallantly and conspicuously achieved the victory at Big Creek Gap. The commanding General gives them all praise and honor. By command of General Spears. D. C. Trewhitt, a. a. G. 44 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT In this expediiion Captain Lane, of Company D. com- manded the detaclinient from the Fourth Tennessee. One of his heutenants was E. J. Cannon, of Company C. Both fell in battle later on. The other the writer is unable to recall. All this time the rations were g^etting shorter, with no prospects of a fresh supply, not even from the country. Gen- eral Morgan kept his troops busy during the month they were shut up in the Gap in strengthening the fortifications and foraging. The Confederates were so close that the foraging was limited to the cornfields near the Gap. The subsistence consisted of half rations of rice and beans, but our short rations were pieced out by green corn, the government mule taking the stalks. The supply of grain for the horses and mules was getting shorter each day, and to hold out much longer they would be unable to haul oflP the artiller)- and wagons. To hold out and wait for star\-ation to force a sur- render would give the enemy twelve thousand prisoners, twenty-six cannon, besides thousands of small amis and a large quantity of ammunition. We were now realizing the stern realities of war. but the boys were patient under the circumstances and responded to duty cheerfully. Before leaving the Gap, and for want of suitable ammunition, the Fourth Tennessee exchanged their Austrian rifles for big. clumsy Belgian muskets, after which the boys decided that every man would need a pack-mule to carry his ammunition, so large was the calibre of this gim. On the 19th day of Augiist, Morgan telegraphed Hal- lick as follows : "This position shall not be yielded while we have a pound of meat or an ounce of powder." There were several false alarms while Morgan was shut up in the Gap. and when they occurred the Fourth Tennessee would g^rab their gims and jump into the rifie-pits just above the road. On several occasions the enemy moved up in sight of the Gap and made some show of attack, but never made the at- tempt during our stay. The artiller}- was well posted and being on such a high elevation the gunners were able to drop TKNNESSEE VOI M. C. WlJiMAMS, Fir-st Sergeant-Major of the Regiment, and Lient. Co. O tennesse;^ volunteer cavalry. 97 mount and place a wounded soldier in his stead, and in this way hundreds could have been brought from the red field of Chickamauga. When our commander found out that we were letting our wounded soldiers ride, he made all dis- mount and return to the hospital, giving as his reason that if we should be attacked the wounded would be greatly in the way, some scarcely being able to sit on the horses when quietly marching along, while our dismounted men would also be of little service. We fell back toward Chattanooga, bringing off two guns which had been abandoned by the troops of McCook's corps. Mitchell marched his command six miles toward Chattanooga and bivouacked for the night in line of battle. The next morning the whole command was placed in line of battle across the Chattanooga Valley road, and dur- ing the day the enemy's cavalry moved up and several light skirmishes occurred, but no severe attack was made. This valley was full of stragglers, all going at a "two-forty gait" toward Chattanooga. During the day the Second Brigade opened up communication with the right wing of the Union army and held Woods' Gap, in Missionary Ridge, through which a road enters, leading to Dry Valley. We again bivouacked in line of battle, and earl}^ the next morning it was discovered that we were almost surrounded. Orders were issued immediately for us to fall back with as little noise as possible. The artillery wheels were muffled by wrapping blankets around them, the cavalry, except the rear-guard, was dis- mounted, and each man was required to carry his saber in his hand to avoid noise, and in this way we moved some dis- tance along the foot of Lookout Mountain, leading our horses, not being allowed to speak above a whisper. As we passed the end of Lookout Mountain, we saw the Third, Fifth and Sixth Tennessee Volunteers of the old Twenty- fifth Brigade, standing in line of battle. This brigade had been thrown out as an advance-guard and to cover the re- treat of the Union army. 98 HISTORY or riRST REGIMENT Soon after wo passed them, the enemy made an attack, but were driven back after a brisk skirmish. We were halted in Chattanoo,2;a. near Fort Xe^lev. where we found the Union troops workint; Hke beavers, throwing up breast- works. The September returns of Rosecrans' army showed a total effective force of 67.584. yet when the troops that were guarding bridges, trains and other important places are taken out. it is exceedingly doubtful if Rosecrans had in the two days' battle over 56.000 men. As Bragg made no monthly report, it is difficult to get the exact tigures. but from the best information obtainable his total eflfective force during the battle was not far from 70,000 men. Here is the loss in the two days* fighting: Killed Wounded Missing Total Union, 1,700 9,394 5,255 16,349 Confederate. 2,673 16,274 2,003 20,950 As many of those on our side reported as missing were among the slain, the number of killed no doubt exceeded the loss given. The results of the battle were of no benefit to Bragg, as we still held Chattanooga, while on the other hand it was an immense drain on the resources of his army. The total loss in the cavalry for the two days was four hundred and sixty-eight.. General Rosecrans, in his report of the Chattanooga campaign and the battle of Chickamauga, says : "As to the cavalry, the accompanying reports are so full that I need only add that as an arm of the service it has been equal to its duty on all occasions, and on the i8th, 19th and 20th of September it behaved with conspicuous gallantry, covering our shattered right, and protected our trains in the valley of Chattanooga Creek on the 20th. It is greatly due to the behavior of the cavalry on that day that we lost none of our wagons, and that many of our ambulances and some of our artillery and caissons came safely into the place." Late in the afternoon of the 22nd. Mitchell was ordered TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 99 to move his cavalry to the north side of the Tennessee River. He began crossing at 6 o'clock, near the point of an island a short distance above Chattanooga. The river at this place was very wide, and at the north bank was quite deep, yet the crossing was made with only the loss of a few horses. As we were crossing, Bragg shelled us from Missionary Ridge, but did no harm except to keep us "a little uneasy." We lay in camp opposite Chattanooga for one day, and then moved to Severly Springs, six miles from Chattanooga. On the night of the 25th, our camp had hardly gotten quiet when "them confounded old buglers" began to blow "boots and saddles" — a call that the First Tennessee was exceed- ingly familiar with. It was a ground-hog case, and we had to go. We immediately crawled out of our tents, saddled our horses, and at 9 p. m. left camp, and marched rapidly toward Walden's Ridge, which we crossed during the night, reaching Jasper, in the Sequatchie Valley, early the next morning. If anyone thinks that we had a "picnic" in cross- ing Walden's Ridge that night, we will object and say that "wise heads will dilifer." After a short halt to feed and get breakfast, the com- mand was pushed forward to Bridgeport. On the 27th, Campbell's brigade was ordered to Stevenson, and from this place was pushed on to Pump Spring, where pickets and patrols were thrown out along the river. This hasty move was made for the purpose of watching Wheeler, who was reported to be moving toward the river and, if possible, to cross and break our communications. On the 28th, the First Tennessee and Ninth Pennsylvania were ordered to Belle- font to reinforce the third brigade of our division, who re- ported that Wheeler was trying to cross near that place. After marching hard for six miles, word reached us that the enemy had been driven back across the river, and we re- turned to our camp at Pump Springs, near Stevenson. L.oFC. 100 HISTORY 01' riRST REGIMENT CHAPTER VII. wheeler's great rail:) LARGE WAGON TRAIN BURNED — THE PURSUIT — WINCHESTER — EIGHTING BUSHWHACKERS — LIEUT. BOWMAN ATTACKED NEAR SPARTA — HIS SOLDIERS KILLED AFTER SURRENDERING — TAKE NO PRISONERS. BROWNLOW QUIETS THE "GUERRILLAS." When General Bragg evacuated Chattanooga, the un- finished works left by him were at once strengthened by Rosecrans. The Army of the Cumberland, it is true, had been driven from Chickamauga, and now lay behind the almost impregnable works, yet the confidence of "Old Rosy" was not shaken because of his failure to hold the field. Bragg moved up and threatened to attack Rosecrans in his works, but after a few days of maneuvering, he disposed of his forces and laid siege to the town, hoping in this way to accomplish what he had failed to do in battle. Bragg took possession of [Missionary Ridge and built a strong line of works on the crest, extending from the Tennessee River, above town, across the Chattanooga \'al- ley to the top of Lookout [Mountain. The latter place in November became historical, it being the place where Hooker fought the battle "above the clouds." The railroad from Nashville had been repaired, and the cars were running to Bridgeport, on the Tennessee River. From this point, the supplies for the Union army were hauled in army wagons over the mountains to Chattanooga. This route was up Sequatchie \'alley and across Walden's Ridge. Bragg had a large and well-equipped force of cav- alry, and decided to move it upon this "overland route" and destroy it. His cavalry was to cross the river at three different points and move in whatever direction that prom- ised the best results. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 101 On the 30th clay of September, Wheeler succeeded in crossing Tennessee River at Washington with at least six thousand men and moved toward Walden's Ridge. General Crook, with the Second Division, was guarding the river above Chattanooga, but owing to the scattered condition of his troops, Wheeler was able to drive back the small force at Washington and cross to the west side. Once across, Wheeler pushed rapidly toward the communications of the army. By the time Crook had collected his scattered troops, Wheeler had several hours the start. At the time Wheeler crossed" the river McCook's First Division was distributed along the south side from Bridge- port to Bellefont, but on receipt of orders he started in pur- suit with the Second Brigade. Colonel Campbell started with his brigade October 2, at i p. m., from Stevenson, by way of Bridgeport, to Anderson's Cross Roads, in Sequat- chie Valley. The First Tennessee moved with the brigade and reached McCook four miles north of Anderson's Cross Roads at to a. m. on the 3rd, having marched fifty miles, making only two short halts to feed the tired and almost worn-out horses. McCook, without waiting for his division to unite, pushed ahead with the Second Brigade, but was unable to prevent the destruction of a part of Rosecrans' train. Wheeler overtook the train near Anderson's Cross Roads, and succeeded in burning something over three hundred wagons and killed a large number of mules. LaGrange charged the eneni}- Vvith his brigade and drove him back, recapturing a lot of wagons and eight hundred mules. The enemy fell back about one mile south of Anderson's Cross Roads and there made a stand behind a rail barricade. McCook again charged with saber and routed Wheeler, killing cUid capturing one hundred and sixteen. Among the former was ]\Iajor Reed, of Wheeler's staff. A portion of the train was loaded with ammunition, and as we dashed by, the explosions resembled a battle. Along with the train were several sutlers, with their wagons well loaded with a 102 HISTORY OP FIRST RKGIMKNT miscellaneous stock, and in the stampede their ^s^oods were strewn about in tempting^ profusion. It was a grand treat for Wheeler's men, and yet "a little costly." jMcCook's division now being united, pushed on to Dun- lap, where it bivouacked for the night. The troops engaged were Martin's division, under the personal command of Wheeler, and it was reported that he came very near being captured. He divided his command before leaving the val- ley, sending Wharton with his division to Mc]\linnville. Early on the 4th, we left our camp at Dunlap and began the ascent of Cumberland Mountain at Kane's Gap, and moved rapidly on the direct road toward McMinnville, making only one short halt on the mountain to feed. The road was lined with empty boxes and cans, and dead mules. General Crook, in command of the Second Division, who was moving on a road north of us, entered McMinn- ville a short time before McCook, but neither command was able to prevent the capture of the garrison, consisting mainly of the Fourth Tennessee \'oIunteers, under the command of Major Patterson. After the capture of ]\lcMinnville and its garrison on the 3rd, Wheeler destroyed all government stores and in the most brutal manner robbed the officers and men of their clothing, blankets, watches and money. There were no ar- tillery or forts to defend the place, and the small force made the best defense they could against great odds, losing seven killed and thirty wounded. Wheeler left ]\Ic]\linnville for ]\Iurfresboro, closely pur- sued by the divisions of Crook and McCook, and a short dis- tance from ^IcMinnville he was overtaken and roughly handled by Crook's division. We moved through Woodbury and early on the morning of the 6th entered Alurfreesboro, all tired and worn out. A halt was made long enough to rest and feed our jaded horses. Wheeler, finding Murfrees- boro too strongly garrisoned, made no attempt to capture the place, but cut the wire and, turning south, moved toward Shelbyville. Four days' rations were issued to the men, and TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 103 at I o'clock the First Tennessee moved, with the remainder of the division, toward Shelbyville, bivouacking for the night near the latter place. At Shelbyville, Wheeler divided his troops into three columns. This caused some little delay in trying to find the route he had taken. Mitchell ordered McCook to move to Unionville by the nearest practicable route. On reaching X'nionville, we found the enemy had left and was moving toward Duck River. We pursued on, and at night crossed Duck River near Caney Springs, and camped for the night. General Crook moved his division through Shelbyville on the morning of the 7th and out along the road leading to Farmington, and when near the latter place he encountered Davidson's division and drove it back rapidly toward Farm- ington. Here Wheeler had taken up a position in a cedar thicket, but was driven out after some severe fighting in which both sides lost quite heavily. Among the slain on the Union side was the brave commander of the One Hundred and Twenty- third Illinois Volunteers — Colonel James Alonroe. On the 8th, we moved in pursuit through Lewisburg and Corners- ville. The First Tennessee, the leading regiment, charged into the latter place at dark and drove the enemy's rear- guard out. At the south edge of town we captured a courier with a dispatch from Wheeler to one of his division com- manders, urging him to move at once to Pulaski, where he was trying to unite his army. The command was halted long enough to feed, when the march was resumed and at 10 p. m. camped for the night seven miles from Pulaski. The next morning the whole command was pushed for- ward to Pulaski, where we learned that the daring raider had moved early in the night for Lamb's Ferry, where he ex- pected to cross the Tennessee River. All the weak and lame horses were thrown out, and now came an exciting race toward the river. The First Tennessee joined in the chase, which was continued throughout the day. There was abundant evidence of a hasty flight, the road being lined with broken-down horses, wagons, artillery, hats and guns. 104 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Wheeler moved through Rogcrsville. and on the 9th crossed Tennessee River at Lamb's Ferry. The Wheeler raid was not a very great success, as it cost him most all of his artillery, besides losing- heavily in prisoners and deserters. In this short but spirited campaign of eight days, we marched over three hundred miles with but little sleep, and the most of that distance was over rough mountain roads. On the loth we left Rogers ville and by slow and easy march moved through Athens to Huntsville. At this place IMitchell learned that Roddy was moving toward Winches- ter with a division of cavalry. IMcCook was ordered to pur- sue him with his division, and on the 12th left Huntsville and pushed forward toward New IMarket, with Campbell's brigade in the advance. We marched ahead at a rapid gait and toward night a heavy storm came' up, but no halt was made, the march being continued through rain and blinding flashes of lightning. The Ninth Pennsylvania was leading the brigade and just at dark encountered Roddy, who had halted for the storm in a heavy grove of timber. The Ninth Pennsylvania was dismounted and moved forward, with the First Tennessee close behind as a sup- port. Roddy's troops opened a brisk fire, wdiich was answered with volleys from the carbines of the Ninth Penn- sylvania at close range, and in a short time the enemy fell back and all became quiet. It was exceedingly dark and the clouds still continued to "weep" during the night, making our bivouac very unpleasant. The pursuit was continued at daylight the next morning m the direction of New Market. At the latter place we learned from citizens that Roddy had at least six hours the start of us, and owing I0 the thoroughly exhausted condi- tion of our horses it seemed impossible to overtake him. From New IMarket, Roddy turned southwest, and after pur- suing him "^ome time ^^■ith no hope of overtaking his fast retreating colunm the pursuit was abandoned. There were signs of great haste along the line of retreat in the way of abandoned wagons, broken-down horses and hats. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 105 This move of Roddy was no doubt intended to be made in connection with the raid made by Wheeler, and the direc- tion he was moving clearly indicated that he fully intended to strike our line of communication at or near Decherd, but the defeat of Wheeler and his hasty flight out of Tennessee greatly interfered with his arrangements. At 3 p. m. on the 13th, the pursuit ended, and Mitchell called for a detail of a lieutenant and ten men to take an order to Crook, notifying him to discontinue the pursuit. Lieutenant John Roberts, with ten picked men and horses from Company C, was detailed for this hard and dan- gerous trip. The writer was one of the number, and the lieutenant and his trusty men at once set out on their perilous journey, moving rapidly toward Huntsville, expecting to find Crook somewhere between Huntsville and Athens. We were moving along the main road, thinking that we must be nearing the end of our journey, when we suddenly ran into about an equal number of the enemy, who were just dismounting at a farm-house by the roadside. We imme- diately opened fire and then charged them, when they fled pell-mell in every direction. Lieutenant Roberts, thinking it unwise to pursue them, pushed ahead and shortly after dark found General Crook, and, after delivering the order, started on the return trip. When our little detachment reached the point where we left the division, we found it had moyed awa}\ Looking away to our left, we could see the bright light of a camp, but were unable to determine Vv'hether it was friend or foe. It had been raining for the past two days, and the marching cav- alry had converted the dust into mortar by the constant and steady tramp of thousands of hoofs. We dismounted and examined the tracks, and found that a large body of mounted troops had gone in th^ direction of the light. We moved cau- tiously along the road for some distance and again dis- mounted and made another examination. Matters were get- ting desperate by this time. Could it be that we were fol- lowing close on the rear of Roddv's division ? We moved 106 HISTORY OF FIRST RKGIMEXT a little distance from the road and held a short council to decide what was best to do under the circumstances. It was decided to wait for the return of daylioht and then move cautiously toward the lights that were still dimly burning. Lieutenant Roberts moved his little "squad"' some two to three hundred feet to the right of the road into a heavy body of timber and dismounted his men, and here occurred an interesting- "watch meeting," each one watching and wait- ing for the great luminary of the world to light up our hiding-place. There was no sleep for this little band of worn-out soldiers, and. drawing together, we discussed in low whispered tones our situation. When the first ray of light began to streak the eastern sky, we mounted and moved forward in the direction of the lights, and soon came in sight of the advance vedette, who on close examination proved to be a "Yankee" — just the kind we were looking for — and in a short time we rode into the camp of the First Tennessee, and were joyfully received by the boys, who thought that we were captured. On the 14th, the First Temiessee, with the remainder of the division, moved to Branchville and camped for the night. This march was made in a drenching rain, making the roads almost impassable for the artillery and wagons, to say nothing of the labor of our jaded horses in pulling through the muddy roads. On the 15th, we moved through Salem and went into camp near Winchester, where the men and horses enjoyed a short season of rest. The total loss in the First and Sec- ond Divisions in the \\'heeler raid was one hundred and twenty. \\'heeler's loss was estimated at one thousand killed, captured and deserted, and six pieces of artillery. His greatest loss was at Famiington, where he lost eighty-six killed and one hundred and thirty-seven wounded. General !Mitchell. in his report of the Wheeler raid, says : "I think the record of the cavalry service during the entire war cannot show a more severe campaign than the one m/ command has just closed. There was scarcely an hour dur- V<7j/ Z. S: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 107 ing- the whole pursuit that the horses were unsaddled; for days and nights together the men were in the saddle, almost constantly on the march, and some days making as high as fifty-three and fifty-seven miles. The greater part of the time the troops were out of rations, and our hasty movements gave them but little time to forage on the country ; that the nights were very cold and the men without overcoats, and I think the campaign challenges comparison with any service performed during the war. Yet with all the hard- ships and severe duty necessarily devolving upon the men they made not a murmur." During October, several important changes took place in the Army of the Cumberland. The Fourth Corps was formed by the consolidation of the Twentieth and Twenty- first, with General Gordon Granger commanding. The re- serves were attached to the Fourteenth Corps. General W. S. Rosecrans was relieved and General George H. Thomas placed in command of the Army of the Cumber- land. On the 1 8th of October, the military Division of the Mississippi was created, and Major-General U. S. Grant placed in command, and among his first orders to Thomas, "The Rock of Chickamauga," was : "Hold Chattanooga at all hazards. I will be there as soon as possible. Please in- form me how long your present supplies will last and the prospect for keeping them up." The ansv/er was : "Two hundred and four thousand and sixty-two rations in storehouse. Ninety-six thousand to arrive tomorrow, as all trains were loaded which had ar- rived at Bridgeport up to the i6th ; probably three hundred wagons. We will hold the town till we starve." The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps froin the East, under Hooker, were ordered to reinforce Thomas at Chattanooga. About the 21st, all the cavalry was ordered to Dechard to be reviewed by General Grant, who was on his way to Chat- tanooga. This important occasion required some little prep- aration and cleaning up, after which we returned to our camp. 108 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT On the 25th, the First Tennessee went on a scout to Estell Springs and Tullahoma. on the Nashville & Chatta- nooga railroad. From Tullahoma the regiment turned west and moved to Lynchburg, encamping there for the night. On the morning of the 27th, the First Tennessee returned to camp near Winchester. On the 30th, a detachment of the regiment, under Lieutenant Bowman, of Company K, was sent to Bellefont. Alabama, where he captured six men and returned to camp without loss. The number of miles trav- eled by the First Tennessee during the months of September and October reached the grand total of seven hundred and fifty. Now came a short rest spell, the first since leaving Tri- une in June, giving us an opportunity to clean up and remove the accumulated dust of the past month. Since the opening of this mid-summer campaign, the First Tennessee had marched almost day and night over rough mountain roads, through rain, nuid, heat and dust, and during a part of that time living on short rations. Men and horses were com- pletely worn out, consequently we all enjoyed this season of rest, ^^'e laid cait a regular camp and again enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in our little "dog-tents," and wearing blacked boots and '"boiled" shirts. During our stay at \\'in- chester, the duty was exceedingly light, consequently the men and horses were well rested and recruited by the time the next move was made. On the i6th of November, General D. S. Stanlev was relieved from duty as chief of cavalry. Army of the Cum- berland, and General ^^^ L. Elliott placed in command. While Bragg's army lay in front of Chattanooga, Long- street, one of his most trusted lieutenants, was detached and sent to operate against Burnside. who was holding East Tennessee with a small force, with his headquarters at Knox- ville. Loudon, thirty miles southwest of Knoxville, was held by Burnside as an outpost of his army. On the 3rd day of November, Longstreet left his position in front of Chatta- nooga and moved up the valley toward Knoxville, with a TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 109 force of at least twenty-five thousand men. His orders were to drive Burnside and his army out of East Tennessee. This bold move of Longstreet caused some little uneasi- ness about the safety of our army, as it was a long distance from its base of supplies, with bad roads and a mountainous country intervening. The country had been stripped of sup- plies necessary for the maintenance of an army by the enemy, which up to this time had been held by them. But the loyal and patriotic people of East Tennessee came to the rescue of the Union army, and by various methods succeeded in keeping Burnside's army from starving during that terrible winter of 1863-4, dividing the last pound of bacon and bushel of wheat and corn. On the i8th, McCook's division was ordered to Alexan- dria. The First Tennessee moved with the division through Shelbvville, Murfreesboro and Milton. From the latter place, Campbell's brigade moved to Liberty and went into camp at the junction of the Auburn and Liberty turnpikes. The remainder of the division was ordered to Alexandria. While the regiment lay encamped at Liberty, the paymaster visited our camp and made us happy, while we in turn made our sutler happy by paying up "old scores" and purchasing gloves, canned goods, cider and other bottled stuff the boys called "fightin' whiskey," paying the sutler his price, which was equal to the "dutchman's" one per cent. Zack Sanders was our sutler and Silas Fitzwater was his clerk, both good fellows and popular with the boys. Fresh horses and a new outfit of clothing were issued to the men, and from all "signs" we began to think that there was hard work before us. Nothing worthy of mention occurred while the regiment lay at Liberty. On the 25th, the First Tennessee and one battalion of the Ninth Pennsylvania, all under the command of Colonel Brownlow, were detached and sent to Sparta for the pur- pose of driving out Champ Ferguson, Colonels Hughes and Murray, who, with their bands of irregular soldiers, were making it exceedingly unpleasant and hot for the Union 110 HISTORY OF riRST RKCniKXt people in that locality and the small sqnads of Union soldiers that sconted through that country. This movement was unusually hazardous in its nature, hecause of the rough topography of the country and the dangerous practice Fer- guson's men had of shooting from behind trees. The day was cold and the march made through a drizzly rain, and when we reached a little hamlet called Yankeetown. our ad- vance encountered the enemy. After several hours spent in skirmishing and maneuvering, the enemy fell back, and we pushed on to Caney Fork, a tributary of Cumberland River, which we found past fording. Colonel Brownlow found one small tlatboat that woukl scarcelv carry fifteen men and horses at a trip. It looked dangerous, and at the same time it seemed like a slow process to attempt to take the men and horses of Brownlow's com- mand across in so frail a craft. But Brownlow was equal to the emergency. He set a detail to work taking the men and e([uipments across the swollen stream, while the re- mainder unsaddled the horses and forced them to swim the river. We experienced great trouble in getting our horses in the notion to swim the rivei . It was cold and chilly, and when we led them into the icy water their instinct caused them to "rebel,"" and many a poor and unruly horse was severely chastised before he could be induced to brave the current and swim to the opposite shore. The crossing was made, however, without the loss of a man and but few horses. Colonel Brownlow moved his little army on to Sparta and immediatel)' took possession of the town, placing his men in the public buildings for better protection in case of an attack. Sparta is located near the foot of Cumberland Mountain, and is surrounded by fertile tields and beautiful scenery. The inhabitants were hostile, antl we were given a very cold reception on account of the color of our uniforms and the flags we carried. Every road leading into Sparta was well picketed to prevent surprise, for near by a large force, under Champ Ferguson, lay ready to swoop down upon us if we were caught "napping." TCXXESSF.K VOLUXTEKR CAVALRY. Ill On the morning of the 30th, Lieutenant Bowman, of Company K, with a small detachment from the regiment, was sent out on a scout, and when a short distance from camp was attacked by a large force under Hughes and Ferguson. Lieutenant Bowman was routed and driven back, with a loss of four killed and three wounded. This guerrilla band showed them no mercy, but like savages killed all they cap- tured. When Lieutenant Bowman reached town and re- ported the fact, Colonel Brownlow ordered immediate pur- suit with his whole command, and his orders were, "Take no prisoners." A few miles from town they were overtaken and a running fight ensued, in which the enemy lost nine killed and twenty wounded. The loss in the First Tennessee in this day's work was as follows : Killed — Company E, Corporal F. j\L Carr; Company F, Sergeant Oscar D. Steele; Company K, Sergeant D. B. Phillips and Private W. A. Headrick. Wounded — Company A, Private W. L. Robinson ; Com- pany K, Corporal Jacob Smith and Private D. L. Stanley. Stanley died a few days later of his wounds. Hughes, in his report of the engagement, says : "On the 30th, a fight occurred between my command and a party of Colonel Brownlow's (Tennessee) regiment. For the numbers engaged the fighting was very severe." '•' '^- * After this we were not interrupted any more by this band of bushwhackers. By the end of the month the whole division reached Sparta, where it remained until the 7th of December. In this engagement the Ninth Pennsylvania lost Captain T. S. AlcCahan and one private wounded. 112 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT CHAPTER VIII. EAST TENNESSEE CA^[PATGN — CLIMBING THE CUMBERLAND. THE FIRST TENNESSEE AT HOME — A LIVELY SET-TO AT DANDRIDGE — A BRILLIANT CHARGE — THE SABER FREELY USED CHRISTMAS EVE IN CAMP. On the 2Sth, a sad accident occurred at the same ferry where the First Tennessee crossed Caney Fork. The Second Brigade was in charge of our division train, and in ferrying the wagons over, seven men of the Second Indiana Cavalry were drowned by the foundering of the boat. It now became apparent to all that a vigorous campaign was to be carried on all winter. \Yhile we were lying in camp at Sparta, an order was received from General Thomas, directing General Elliott, chief of cavalry. Army of the Cum- berland, to march at once with the First and Second Bri- gades, the Seventh Kentucky Cavalry, Third Brigade, and Lilly's Eighteenth Indiana Battery — all of the First Division — and report to General Burnside at Knoxville. No order ever created so much enthusiasm in the First Tennessee as this one did. This movement would give scores of the men an opportunity to visit home and see father, mother, w'ife, brother, sister and sweetheart, or "the girl we left behind." Early on the morning of December 7, camp was broken, and soon the long, dark lines of ^^IcCook's division could be seen slowly winding along the crooks and turns of the old State road toward Kingston. We "tackled" old Cumberland IMountain again on this road, and after a hard day's march over bad roads we camped for the night near Crossville. Reveille was sounded at 4 o'clock the next morning, and after a hasty breakfast the column was again set in motion, and, descending the mountain, we bivouacked near Post Oak J.IKUTENANT F. J!. SKI.F. Conimissarv of Suljsistence .lA.MKS HAY, Kt'Or-KK OK COMPANY K TENNESSKE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 113 Springs, The next day the whole division moved to King- ston, where it remained for two days, waiting for the wagons to close up, finding at this place plenty of forage for the horses. On the 14th, we were again in the saddle, and after a disagreeable march of twenty-five miles over bad roads and through a cold, drizzly rain, we camped in Hardin Val- ley, five miles from Ball Camp. We were now within fifteen miles of Knoxville, and at 7 a. m. on the 15th, the line of march was taken up and when the command reached Third Creek, five miles from Knox- ville, General McCook halted his division for a short time, to allow the line to close up and get ready for the grand entry into Knoxville. General McCook gave the First Tennessee the honor of leading his division through Knoxville, it being the home of Colonel Brownlovv and many of his men. The band of the Second Indiana Cavalry was ordered forward to the head of the column, and the march resumed. We entered Knoxville by the Middlebrook and Clinton roads, and on the range of hills just west of town we passed through Longstreet's main line of works. Shortly after passing this point, we caught sight of Fort Sanders and Benjamin's "dogs of war," which were still peeping through the embrasures, looking bold and defiant. This fort had been furiously assaulted by Longstreet's troops on the 29th of November, in which they were repulsed with severe loss. The huge forts and the long line of new-looking earthworks that crowned the crests of the hills and ridges that almost encircle the town bore the marks of battle and told in silent language that "past events had cast their shadows behind." We proudly entered our native town about 3 p. m., and marched down Gay street in platoons, with colors flying and bands playing, and were warmly greeted by the loyal people of Knoxville who lined the streets to witness the parade of McCook's veterans. Where Reservoir street crossed Gay, we passed through Burnside's main line of works, the yellow clay towering high above our heads. General Burnside made his headquarters during the siege in the old Crozier mansion 114 HISTORY OF 1-IRST REGIMEXT on Gay street, but was relieved a few days before we reached Knoxville. and we were reviewed by his successor. General John G. Foster. Turnins: east on Cumberland street, we passed the home of Rev. W. G. Brownlow. whose son Jim was colonel of the regiment. The "parson" — as he was familiarly called — and his family came out and witnessed witli a groat deal of interest the regfiment as it marched by. imdor the command of its youthful colonel. We gave the "parson" and his interesting family three rousing cheers as wo marched by. Possibly no family in all East Tennessee had been so cruelly and unmercifully treated by the dis- loyal people and bands of Confederate soldiers, who were urged to call and pass insults upon the Browidow family. But with all the cruel treatment, this loyal and patriotic family bore it all. resented insults, defended the "old Hag." and never for once did they cease their devotion to the Union and love for the glorious old flag that today tloats proudly over a free people, the sight of which every true American should respect and honor. John was also in the Union army, he being lieutonant-colont.1 of the Ninth Tennessee Cavalry. We had marched nearly three himdred miles, over bad roads, crossing mountains and fording rivers and swollen streams, bringing with us our artillery and wagons without loss, to find the siege of Knoxville raised and the Confed- erates under Long-street gone, he having left on the 5th of December and moved northeast, toward Rutledge. Long- street had learned of Bragg's defeat at Missionary Ridge on the 25th of November, and detennined to attack Burnside in his works before Grant could reinforce him. He selected Fort Sanders, one of the strongest and best built forts in Knoxville, as the point where the attack shoidd be made. It was named for the young and g-allant Ken- tuckian who was Burnside's chief of cavalry, who gfave up his life early in the siege a short distance south of the fort. This fort was laid out by Captain O. ]\L Poe. chief engineer Anny of the Ohio, and was on a hill just west of the TENNESSEE VOEUNTEER CAVALRY. 115 University of Tennessee. Captain Poe, in his report of the East Tennessee campaign, gives the following description of Fort Sanders : "It is a bastioned earthwork, built upon an irregular quadrilateral, the sides of which arc respectively one hun- dred and twenty-five yards southern front, ninety-five yards western front, one hundred and twenty-five yards northern front and eighty-five yards eastern front. The eastern front was entirely open, and is to be closed with a stockade ; the southern front was about haif done; the western front was finished, except cutting the embrasures, and the northern front was nearly finished. Each bastion was intended to have a pan coupe. The bastion attacked was the only one that was completely finished. The ditch in front of the fort was twelve feet in width and in many places as much as eight feet deep. The irregularity of the site was siich that the bastion angles were very heavy, the relief of the lightest one being twelve feet. The relief of the one attacked was about thirteen feet, which, together with the depth of the ditch, say seven feet, made a height of twenty feet from the bottom of the ditch to the interior crest." The garrison of Fort Sanders on the morning (Sunday) of the assault consisted of Lieutenant S. N. Benjamin's Battery E, Second United States Artillery, with four 20- pounder Parrott guns ; Captain W. W. Buckley's Battery D, First Rhode Island Artillery, four 12-pounder Napoleons and two three-inch steel guns ; and one section of Captain Jacob Roemer's Battery L, Second New York Light Artil- lery ; the Seventy-ninth New York Highlanders, and por- tions of the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts and Twentieth Michigan, one company from the One Hundredth Pennsyl- vania and Second Michigan — in all about three hundre'd men, commanded by First Lieutenant Benjamin, Second United States Artillery. In addition to the deep ditch in front of the fort, tele- graph wire was stretched from stump to stump, so that when the enemy moved forward on their wild charge they were 116 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT tripped by the wire, producing great confusion in their ranks as they tumbled and fell in confused heaps. This plan of ob- struction was the work of the fertile brain of Mr. J. B. Hoxie, a loyal and patriotic citizen of Knoxville, now de- ceased, who first suggested it to Burnside. The hero of the East Tennessee campaign saw it was a good suggestion, and ordered it put into execution. Fort Sanders was evidently the key to the defense, and against it Longstreet — Lee's "old war-horse" — hurled his trusted veterans. It is not generally known that General Leadbetter, chief engineer Army of the Tennessee, who reached Longstreet's headquarters on November 25th, sug- gested, after a hasty inspection and reconnoissance of the entire Union line, that in his opinion INIabry Hill was the weakest point and promised the best result in case of an assault. But after another inspection on the 27th, by Long- street, Leadbetter, Jenkins and Alexander, Longstreet's chief of artillery, all came to the conclusion that the ground over which the troops would have to pass wj^s too much exposed and the distance to be overcome under fire was too great, consequently it was abandoned. The assault was made by three brigades of IMcLaw's division, composed of Georgia, Mississippi and South Caro- lina troops. Longstreet ordered the assault to be made in two columns, thinking that the spirit of rivalry between the two brigades that were to lead the assault — one being from Georgia and the other from ]\lississippi — would be sufficient cause to urge them to their work with increased dash and courage. Woford's brigade, now commanded by Colonel S. Z Ruff. Eighteenth Georgia, was composed of the Six- teenth, Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth Georgia, Cobb's and Phillipps' Legion and the Third Georgia Battalion of Sharp- shooters. Humphries Brigade. Thirteenth. Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Twenty-first Mississippi. These two bri- gades were supported by portions of Anderson's and Bryan's brigades, composed of Georgians and South Carolinians, all well-seasoned veterans. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 117 The troops were formed for the assault at 4 o'clock Sunday morning-, November 29. Rain had fallen during- the week and on the 27th it turned cold. The water in the ditch was covered with ice and the steep sides of Fort Sanders were also frozen, making it almost impossible for the men to gain a foothold in their vain attempt to scale the slippery parapet. A dense fog hung lazily about the river, completely shutting out the movements of both armies on this part of the line. About daybreak on the 29th, the enemy suddenly opened a terrific artillery fire on Fort Sanders, which was immedi- ately responded to by the Union guns all along the lines. In a short time the enemy's fire slackened and then from the direction of the railroad the enemy moved up the gentle slope toward the fort, while the guns of Benjamin, Buckley and Roemer poured out "thunder and lightning." As they approached the fort, the well-known rebel yell was heard above the roar of battle, then the black-throated monsters from the fort, double and triple-shotted, pierced the advanc- ing column through and through, making wide gaps, which were quickly filled. On they came with a yell, tumbling and falling when the wires were reached, while only a few rods away the deadly volkn's from the muskets were cutting them down like grain before the reaper. At the ditch they paused for a moment only, but, forcing their way across the ditch, they attempted to gain the fort by climbing its icy sides. A few gained the crest, to be shot down and roll back into the ditch, which was full of men, some yelling, others groaning. Now the real destruction came, when the 20-pound shells, with fuse cut short, were lighted and tossed over the parapet into the crowded ditch. The enemy, being unable to cap- ture the fort, now broke and fled to the rear, leaving hun- dreds of killed and wounded around the fort and in the ditch. Others, finding it useless to keep up the fight and being unable to get away, surrendered. E. A. Pollard, the great Southern historian, makes the 118 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT followino^ mention of the battle of Fort Sanders : "There was a spatter of blood and brains. In this terrible ditch the dead were piled eight and ten deep. In comparatively an instant of time we lost seven hnndred in killed, wounded and prisoners. Never, excepting at Gettysburg, was there in the history of the war a disaster adorned with the glory of such devout courage as Longstreet's repulse at Knoxville." The official returns of Longstreet's assistant adjutant- general show the following loss in the assault on Fort San- ders : one hundred and twenty-nine killed, four hundred and fifty-eight wounded, and two hundred and twenty-six cap- tured, making a total of eight hundred and thirteen. Some- thing over one thousand stands of arms fell into our hands, and three battle-flags. The prisoners captured represented eleven different regiments. The Union loss was eight killed and five wounded. The loss in McLaw's division showed the splendid fighting qualities of his officers and men in their attempt to capture the fort. Among the officers of higher rank who fell in the as- sault and in the ditch were : Colonel Ruff, Eighteenth Geor- gia, commanding Woford's brigade ; Colonel McElroy, Thirteenth Mississippi : Colonel Thomas, Sixteenth Georgia, besides majors, captains and lieutenants. Lieutenant-Col- onel J. C. Fiser, of the Seventeenth ^Mississippi, lost an arm while attempting to scale the parapet of Fort Sanders. The assaulting column numbered about four thousand men and was formed for the assault near where the Knoxville Woolen Mills now stand. Longstreet had promised his men that they should dine in Knoxville on the 29th. but it turned out that not more than two hundred and twenty-six availed themselves of the opportunity, and among them was Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. O'Brien, of the Thirteenth Mississippi \'olunteers, a brother of ]\Irs. ^^^ G. Brownlow. He bravely forced his way up the steep wall of the fort and was captured inside. Burnside granted Longstreet a truce, in order that he might care for his wounded and burv the dead. Longstreet recalled his TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 119 broken and shattered columns, withdrew his army from Knoxville and moved into upper East Tennessee, where his army spent the remainder of the winter, subsisting wholly on the country. There were numerous eng-agements and skirmishes during the winter, and toward spring he left Ten- nessee and rejoined Lee in Virginia. Let us now return and follow the movements of the cavalry under McCook. On the 15th of December, the day of our arrival in Knoxville, General Elliott, commander-in- chief of the cavalry. Army of the Cumberland, who had ac- companied McCook's division to East Tennessee, reported to General Foster, who had succeeded General Ikirnside in the command of the Army of the Ohio, with headquarters at Knoxville. Foster ordered Elliott to immediately cross Holston River and attack the enemy's cavalry under Martin, at or near Morristown. In pursuance of the above orders, and without delay, the First Tennessee, with the remainder of the division, left Knoxville and moved northeast toward Strawberry Plains. We crossed the Holston on the 15th at Armstrong's Ford, which was barely fordable and rising, and went into camp a few miles beyond. Reveille called us at 4 o'clock the next morning, and at 8 o'clock we resumed the march, reaching Strawberry Plains, on the East Tennessee railroad and seven- teen miles from Knoxville, where we bivouacked for the night. At this point, Elliott reported to General S. D. Stur- giss, chief of cavalry, Army of the Ohio, who by virtue of his rank took command of all the cavalry then operating in East Tennessee. This was the beginning of the ever-memorable East Tennessee campaign, so well remembered by the survivors of the First Tennessee. After one day's rest at Strawberry Plains, the division moved on the 17th to McKinney's Ford, where it crossed the Holston, which was deep, and after a hard and disagreeable day's march went into camp near Blaine's Cross Roads. Here we found the most of our army 'n camp, with but little to eat, standing around their camp- 120 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT fires "thawing out" one side, while the other froze, the weather being cold and disagreeable, with now and then a light fall of snow. The farmers in their crippled condition had hardly produced enough to keep the "wolf" from their own doors, nuich less furnish supplies for two armies. The next day we moved forward to Richland Creek, and went into camp along the southwest side. Stone's Mill on Richland Creek was kept busy day and night, grinding up whatever amount of grain our foragers could find for the use of the army. Just a short distance north of us lay the Confederate army under Longstreet, hungry, shoeless and thinly clad, and very much discouraged, their future being dark and gloomy. The weather still continued to be cold, the mercury "tumbling" away below the freezing point and w^as rapidly approaching zero. This sudden freeze made the roads exceedingly rough, so that our movements were both difficult and dangerous, but with the elements around us and the enemy in front of us, we tried to make ourselves as com- fortable as possible under the circumstances. Early on the morning of the 23rd. we left camp at Richland Creek and, recrossing the Holtson at Nance's Ford, moved up the valley to New iMarket, a pleasant little village whose inhabitants were intensely loyal. This was the home of Russell Thornburgh. the senior major of the regiment. This was a hard and disagreeable day's march, being made over bad roads, and late at night we went into camp about two miles beyond town on the Dandridge road, cold, weary and hungry. On the morning of the 24th, Campbell's brigade and Lillv's battery were ordered to Dandridge to attack a C(?n- federate force at that place. Reveille was sounded at 3 a. m., and soon the whole camp was astir ; the camp-fires were re- kindled, and, after partaking of a hasty breakfast, we mounted and marched toward Dandridge. Colonel Gar- rard's brigade of cavalry, Army of the Ohio, moved on the Bull's Gap road and was to unite with Campbell's brigade near Dandridge. We crossed Bay's iNIountain at Flat Gap, TENNESSEE VOI.UNTEER CAVALRY. 121 and at 9 a. m. reached Dandridge and found the place un- occupied. Campbell halted his brigade at the far edge of town, to await the arrival of Garrard's brigade. After waiting about one hour, Campbell received a dis- patch from Garrard to advance at once on the Bull's Gap road to his support, as the enemy were advancing on his brigade. The First Tennessee, under Colonel Brownlow, was ordered to advance, which it did, and soon commenced skirmishing with Russell's brigade. Lilly's battery was placed in position and the Second Michigan ordered to sup- port it. After driving the enemy back a short distance, they opened on Brownlow with artillery, and at the same time advanced their whole line and were pressing his regiment so close that Campbell sent the Ninth Pennsylvania and one section of Lilly's battery forward on the gallop to the support of Colonel Brownlow. A detachment of the First Tennessee charged the enemy's dismounted skirmishers, killing three and capturing fifteen prisoners. The enemy ran forward three guns and opened a vigorous fire, but fortunately very few of our men were w^ounded. The two guns of Lilly's battery were placed on a hill near Hay's Ferry, about four miles from Dandridge, and after shelling them vigorously for a short time the enemy fell back and all became quiet on this part of the line. Camp- bell received an order from Garrard requesting him to move forward on the same road, .'^aying that his brigade would move on a parallel road to his left. Colonel Campbell im- mediately moved the Ninth Pennsylvania in column along the road and the First Tennessee in line of battle on the right of the road, the right of the regiment resting on French Broad River; the Second Michigan was dismounted and placed in line to support the battery. The First Tennessee and Ninth Pennsylvania had ad- vanced about half a mile when Campbell ordered them to halt, he having received an order from General Sturgis to return to New Market. At this moment, heavy firing was heard in his rear, where the remaining artillery, ambulances, 122 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT pack-train and cooks were stationed under an escort of the Second Michigan. This attack was made by Crew's Geor- g;ia brigade, who succeeded by overwhehning numbers in capturing two guns and scattering the pack-train and cooks in all directions. The remainder of the Second ^Michigan and the Ninth Pennsylvania were ordered to charge and recapture the guns. The order was executed with promptness and great gal- lantry, and after a fierce struggle in which the saber was freely used, the guns were recaptured and the enemy driven from the field, with severe loss in killed and wounded and fifteen prisoners. Among the former was Major Bales, com- manding the Sixth Georgia, who fell among the captured guns. Campbell's brigade was in a critical position — one brigade in front and one in the rear, and no tidings from Garrard. Colonel Campbell sent to Garrard for reinforce- ments, but the aide was unable to find him. Campbell's bri- gade was composed of well-seasoned veterans, and on that day did not exceed sixteen hundred men. The only way of escape was by falling back by a rough, hilly road to our left. We had for a commander an officer of undaunted courage, cool and self-possessed in action — a commander who did not lose his head when he got into a tight place. The artillery, ambulances and led horses were ordered into the woods and moved as rapidly as possible toward the New JMarket road, closely followed by the Ninth Pennsylvania and the First Tennessee. The Second [Michi- gan was dismounted and covered the rear. In this way Campbell moved his brigade back in good order for some distance, the enemy all the time pressing hard our rear and left t^ank. The Ninth Pennsylvania was ordered on this flank and soon relieved it. At the same time, Lilly's battery was placed in position some distance beyond, with the First Tennessee in line as a support. The enemy still continued to press our rear, and when the Second [Michigan and the Ninth Pennsylvania reached our position, Lilly opened a vigorous Tennessee: volunteer cavaery, 123 fire from his three-inch Rodmans, which checked the enemy for a short time only. The enemy again advanced, and with superior num- bers attempted to capture our battery and drive us from the field. The fighting became severe all along the line, and it seemed that Campbell's little brigade would be swept from the field. The enemy pressed on close up to our guns, amid a perfect tempest of bullets from the carbines of the First Tennessee, while grape and canister flew thick and fast from Lilly's "black-throated monsters." Campbell now ordered the First Tennessee, under Colonel Brownlow, to charge the enemy with saber, which he did, driving them back in great confusion, but not without serious loss in his own ranks. The severe fire of the other two regiments at close range and the skill with which Lilly's guns were hand- led, seemed to satisfy the enemy, as they made no further at- tempt to press our lines, but fell back, and at dark we returned to New Market. Colonel Campbell, in his report of the battle of Dan- dridge, says: "I then ordered the First Tennessee Cavalry to charge with sabers, which they executed most nobly, driving the enemy's line over a fence, wnth severe loss to their ranks." The loss of the First Tennessee in this engagament was eleven killed and wounded and seven missing, as follows : COMMISSIONED OFFICERS. Wounded — Major Russell Thornburgh, commanding First Battalion ; Captain Paul Sturm, Company H, ENLISTED MEN. Killed — Company D, Private William J. Robertson; Company E, Private Pleasant Anderson ; Company G. Pri- vate Jacob L Mallory. Mortally Wounded — Company A, Aaron Fields, died in hospital at Knoxville, Tcnn., February 20, 1864; Com- pany K, Private Allen Bennett, died of wounds, date un- known. 124 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Wounded — Company F, Private Samuel H. Humbard; Company I, Privates Jacob Rector and G. F. Johnson ; Com- pany L, Sergeant Isaac F. Cartwright. Company C was not in this engagement, it being ab- sent guarding Dyer's Ferry, on Holston River. The regi- ment lost thirty-two horses killed and wounded. The other two regiments lost about the same number of men, and the battery one. One of Lilly's guns was disabled by the break- ing of an axle. It was spiked and left on the field, but was recaptured by our division at Fair Garden, Tennessee, the 27th of January, 1864. This short but spirited engagement is known in history as the battle of Dandridge, and was fought on the 24th day of December, on the farm of ]\Ir. B. A. Blackburn, a true Unionist, who so kindly took care of our wounded. Though our little brigade had contended all day against superior numbers, yet the eneni}- seemed well satisfied with the pun- ishment inflicted upon them, by allowing us to withdraw from the field at dark and quietly march back to New Alar- ket. This was a hard day's work. We had been in the saddle since early in the morning without food ; had marched and counter-marched over thirty-five miles of road, fought one battle, and at night were again on the "old camp ground." This was a sad Christmas Eve to us, and as we gath- ered around the camp-fires to discuss the events of the day, many an unbidden tear could be seen trickling down the tanned faces of the men when reference was made to those who had fallen in battle during the day. Wliilc great prep- arations were being made in our far-oft" homes for a grand feast for the next day, the liien of the First Tennessee were thinking of the feast in store for them the following day, as the regiment was under orders to march at daylight and could not tell how "j\Ierry Christmas" would be spent. Late at night we lay down on the cold ground, without tents, and, wrapping our blankets around us to keep out winter's chilly blasts, were soon oft' into dreamland, while TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 125 visions of roast turkey, plum pudding and pumpkin pie flitted before us, the weary vedette on the lonely picket-post standing through the stillness of the night, guarding the army as it slept. 126 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT CHAPTER IX. HOW CPIRISTMAS WAS SPENT — BATTLE OE MOSSY CREEK — DEATH OF CAPTAIN CANNON AND LIEUT. COX — A GAL- LANT CHARGE INDIAN FIGHTING IN THE MOUNTAINS — CAPTURING A WAGON TRAIN. McCook's division moved at daylight on the morning of the 25th, along the Mossy Creek road, with LaGrange's Second Brigade in the adavnce, and when within two and a half miles of Mossy Creek, LaGrange encountered the ad- vance of Armstrong's division. After a brief skirmish the enemy fell back, Lilly's battery firing a few shots to hurry them along. On reaching Mossy Creek, McCook halted his division and formed it in line of battle across the valley a short distance below town. The First Tennessee was formed in line to the left of the railroad. A skirmishers' line was thrown out, and the men ordered to dismount, and in this position we remained during the day. It was a cold, raw day, with a keen, cut- ting wind sweeping up the valley like a Kansas cyclone, and as no fires were allowed we passed a very uncomfortable day. This was our second "Merry Christmas" spent in the field, and as we looked back we remembered that just one short year ago we were being transported down the Ohio River to Louisville. This was a day of merriment and rejoicing all over the land. Great feasts were to be served in cheerful homes around blazing fires, but soldiers in the field were differ- ently situated, for sometimes they would feast for several days in succession and then starve as many. But on this occasion the First Tennessee had a feast that they were not ashamed of, namely, raw bacon, hard tack and cold water. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 127 While our Christmas dinner was not sumptuous, yet it was healthful and easily prepared, and we were thankful to be permitted to take this simple meal in peace. We bivouacked on the field, and the next morning moved through Mossy Creek and went into camp about one mile beyond, and to the left of the railroad. Our camp was in a heavy grove of timber, \yhich afforded the troops some protection, as it was still very cold. The next two or three days were spent in picketing, scouting and skirmishing. The hard realities of active campign life were now upon us, in the midst of bitter cold weather, with bad roads, scanty rations and a hostile foe near by. Indeed, it was a "Valley Forge" to us, yet with all these hardships thrust upon us we loved the old flag and the cause we were fighting for, and responded to duty cheerfully. Longstreet's cavalry, which was greatly superior in numbers to ours, lay at that lime only a short distance above our camp and was commanded by General W. T. Martin, and was composed of the divisions of Morgan, Armstrong, Ransom and Wharton. The only troops that were con- fronting this large body of cavalry at that time were Mc- Cook's division and a small brigade under the command of Colonel Palmer, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, the re- mainder of the cavalry. Army of the Ohio, being stationed at other points. On the morning of the 29th, General Sturgis, who was in command of all the cavalry then operating in East Ten- nessee, learned that a brigade of the enemy's cavalry had moved to Dandridge, and decided to surprise and destroy it. He sent the most of the cavalry off on this "Tom Fool" trip, leaving only Campbell's brigade to hold Mossy Creek. The whole camp was astir early in the morning, and at 5 o'clock LaGrange's brigade left their camp above Mossy Creek, with one section of Lilly's battery, and moved toward Bay's Mountain to support a movement that was to be made on Dandridge by Wolford's cavalry. Army of the Ohio. This left only the small brigade of Colonel Campbell 128 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT to cover the entire front of our camp and hold the valley. Campbell's brigade was encamped near the ]\Iorristo\vn road and about two miles east of Mossy Creek. The First Ten- nessee and the Second Michig-an were formed in line of battle across the valley early in the morning, the First Ten- nessee on the right, between the railroad and the Morristown road, with the Second Michigan on our left. The wagons had been sent to the rear early in the morning. The Ninth Pennsylvania and the three remaining guns of Lilly's bat- tery were placed in position a short distance east of Mossy Creek. As soon as all the troops had reached their respective positions, Campbell moved up the valley with the First Ten- nessee and Second Michigan. About a mile beyond our camp, Campbell halted his brigade and threw out a line of skirmishers. He remained in this position until about lo a. m., when word was sent in by his pickets on the Morris- town road that the enemy was advancing in force, with eight or ten pieces of artillery. The enemy continued to advance, and after driving in the pickets encountered his skirmishers, which were some distance out. There was a sharp, rattling fire along the skirmish line, after which they fell back, closely followed by the enemy in line of battle, with flags waving and arms flashing in the sun- light. It was an exciting moment, and we began to think that it was another Dandridge scrape. But Campbell was equal to the occasion. Seeing that his little brigade was greatly out-numbered, he gave orders to fall back. The enemy pressed forward, showing several lines of battle, and with superior numbers attempted to out-flank him, at the same time using his artillery at close range. We fell back to the residence of Stokely Williams, a large, two-story, brick house, and during the engagement it was struck several times by flying shells. Here Camp- bell was compelled to halt his brigade and fight. The enemy w^as close upon us and at the same time opened a severe fire from a battery at close range, and soon the air about us was CAPTAIX E. .1. CANXOX, COMPANY C Killed at Mossy Creek, Teiin., December 29, 1X63 (liENEKAL S. P. CAHTEH TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 129 filled with missiles of all sizes, shapes and kinds, "whirling and whizzing," producing a most unearthly sound, a sound that would chill the blood of the bravest veteran. Some of our boys at the pack-train went so far as to investigate these strange-sounding missiles when they had, like "grandfather's clock," stopped short never to go again, and reported that Longstreet was shooting railroad iron at us. Colonel Campbell ordered the First Tennessee to charge the enemy on the right of the brick house, which it did with a yell, driving back their center and halting their whole line. At the same tirhe the Second Michigan, which was fighting dismounted, opened a destructive fire with their Colt's rifles at close range, which completely staggered their line. During this temporary check, Campbell ordered his brigade to fall back and take up a new position near where Lilly's battery and the Ninth Pennsylvania were stationed, hotly contesting every inch of ground as he fell back. "Lilly's battery was on a slight elevation between the railroad and the Morristown road. The First Tennessee was placed in line in front of the battery and in a slight depres- sion, with the right of the regiment resting on the railroad; the Second Michigan and the Ninth Pennsylvania were on our left. Our lines were hardly formed when the enemy opened on us with ten guns, and it began to look like the regiment and battery would be swept from the field. It was the most terrific artillery fire the regiment had ever been under, but we lay there and took it all, not firing a shot. It was exceedingly monotonous lying there taking all their old scrap-iron, giving nothing in return. Men and horses were going down at almost every discharge. Cor- poral W. W. Wells, Company D, was the first victim, his body being almost cut in two with a solid shot. It was three guns against ten, but all this time Captain Lilly's three-inch Rodmans were speaking in thunder tones, whose iron throats had carried death and destruction to the enemy on other fields, while his men and horses were being cut down — yet, strange to say, not one of his guns was silenced or dis- abled during this unequal contest. 130 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Once more the order came to fall back, and as we moved to the left, the solid shot and exploding shells went crashing through the trees, doing no harm except cutting off limbs and tearing up trees. The enemy now seemed more bold and defiant, and with superior numbers expected to win an easy victory. We moved only a short distance to the left, where a new line of battle was formed, with the First Tennessee in the center. Our lines were hardly formed when the enemy came charging upon us in such overwhelm- ing numbers that we were driven back and the day seemed lost. The enemy used every effort to confuse and break our retreating lines, but all their attempts were fruitless. Oh, how we longed for the old Second Brigade of our division ! The day was fast wearing away and the sun was almost lost behind the western hills, and whatever was to be done must be done quickly, or the day would be lost. The fighting was severe all along the line, and we were again compelled to yield ground, falling back a short distance to the edge of the woods. The enemy, seeing us falling back, now rushed on after us with their well-known "rebel yell," and when they reached the edge of the wood Colonel Brownlow ordered his troops to fire, but, disregarding the effects of so hot a fire, they continued to advance. Colonel Brownlow, seeing the boldness and courage that the enemy were displaying in still advancing upon him under so hot a fire, suggested to Campbell the propriety of making a spirited saber charge, believing this to be the only means of saving the day, as "desperate diseases require desperate remedies." Colonel Campbell remarked that such a line of battle could not be broken by a cavalry charge. Colonel Brownlow, realizing the danger of delay and the importance of immediate action, assumed the responsibility of ordering a charge. The order was given to draw sabers, and with a yell the First Tennessee, with its well-known gallantry, rushed upon the enemy in one of the most daring charges of the war. The spirit, courage, boldness and audacitv with which TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 131 the charge was made has scarcely ever been equaled in the war, and the important effect that it produced was a matter of astonishment to those who witnessed it. We drove the enemy back into the woods, retaking a part of the lost ground, but were forced back with some loss, bringing back as prisoners, however, one officer and twenty-five enlisted men. At this critical moment a portion of Mott's brigade. Second Division, Twenty-third Corps, came upon the field. Cavalry, infantry and dismounted men now charged upon the enemy, who began to show signs of wavering, pouring volley after volley into their ranks, driving them through the woods in great confusion. The Second Brigade, which had been recalled, now reached the field and entered heartily into the chase, which was continued for some distance, halt- ing only when it became too dark to distinguish friend from foe. This was one of the most spirited and hotly contested cavalry engagements that occurred during the East Tennes- see campaign, and considering the severe fire to which the regiment was exposed for so long, its escape from great loss was one of the many "lucky ones." The First Tennessee does not claim all the honor or to have done all the fighting on that day, yet it is true that the regiment bore an honor- able part and fully sustained the brilliant reputation of the old "Volunteer State." General Martin had in this engage- ment the divisions of Morgan and Armstrong, numbering at least six thousand men, and with this superior force no doubt expected to win an easy victory. The casualties of the First Tennessee in this engage- ment were as follows : Killed and Died of Wounds — Company D, First Lieu- tenant Geo. W. Cox, Corporal W. W. Wells and Private Henry Wampler ; Company T, Corporal Andrew J. Drake and B. F. Hansford (died in hospital at Knoxville, date un- known) ; Company C, Captain Elbert J. Cannon (mortally wounded, died December 31), and Thos. G. Farrow; Com- pany E, Robert A. Vaughn ; Company G, L. L. Cope. V 132 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Wounded — Company A, William Simpson ; Company F, Sergeant James Higgs and John Sweeney; Company C, Geo. W. Troutt and Henry O. Newman ; Company K, Ser- geant Alfred F. Rhea and Harvey Bales ; Company G, Ser- geant Frank Cunningham (severely) ; Company j\I, Elihu McNeece. Killed and died of wounds, two officers and seven en- listed men ; wounded, nine enlisted men ; total, eighteen. The First Tennessee lost some of its best and bravest men in this engagement. Captain Cannon and Lieutenant Cox were the tirst officers of the First Tennessee to fall in battle, and both fell leading their men in the moment of victory. They were officers of great promise, full of energy and thoroughly patriotic, were model soldiers, were men of unflinching courage and uncompromising integrity. They fell in the discharge of their duty, and their sudden removal at that moment was a loss we all keenly felt. Their vacant places cannot be filled, and the regiment mourned their loss. Captain Cannon and Lieutenant Cox were two of the original officers of the regiment. Captain Cannon was a Jefferson county man, and was killed almost in sight of his home. On the death of Captain Cannon, First Lieutenant Jacob K. Lones assumed command of Company C, and was shortly afterward promoted to captain. A. J. Gahagan was promoted from second to first lieutenant after the death of Lieutenant Cox. General jNIcCook, who commanded the divisoin at the battle of Mossy Creek, makes mention of the gallantry of the First Tennessee in his report, as follows: "The gallant First Tennessee Cavalry and their brave young commander, Colonel Brownlow, added new laurels to their brilliant repu- tation by the splendid saber charge they made. Among the other brave men whose loss we are called upon to mourn are Captain Cannon and Lieutenant Cox, First Tennessee Cav- alry, who fell at the head, leading a charge of their soldiers." Major H. C. Connelly, Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry, in a well-written article on "Campaigning with Burnside in East TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 133 Tennessee," makes honorable mention of the gallantry of the First Tennessee at Mossy Creek. He says: "General Elliott, commanding a fine division of cavalry from the Army of the Cumberland, reinforced us. * * * On the morning of December 29, Longstreet advanced with most of his cavalry, a division of infantry and two batteries of artil- lery. Our loss this day was about one hundred killed, wounded and missing. The enemy lost from two hundred to four hundred. We buried twenty of their dead. In this fight the First Tennessee Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Jim Brownlow, made a saber charge which did honor to this dashing officer and his soldiers." * * "' "The neighing troops, the flashing blade, The bugle's stirring blast, The charge, the dreadful cannonade, The din and shout are past." Soon after the battle of Mossy Creek, the Confederate cavalry fell back to Morristown and we spent the remaining days of the year quietly in camp. Drills and dress-parades were almost forgotten and were things of the past. Every- one doubtless remembers the first day of January, 1864 — Happy New Year — as the cold one. It is very forcibly fixed in the minds of the men composing the First Tennessee, for a heavy detail was made from the regiment for picket duty on the' first day of the year. The night was exceedingly cold, and many of the men were badly frost-bitten on the picket- line. The cold continued, with light falls of sleet and snow. The 30th dawned bright and clear, but by night the wind changed to the north, causing the mercury to fall from fifteen to twenty degrees below zero. It was so cold that the ponds from which we obtained our supply of water were frozen up, consequently it was no uncommon thing to see half a dozen men at a time cutting holes through the ice for water. Our rations were short, but we ate our parched corn and pork and, forgetting for the time being our own suffering and privations, thought of the loved ones at 134 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT home, who possibly knew nothing of our real wants, and, uncertain of our fate, would at this season of festivities find little cheer at the table and fireside. On the 14th day of January, the First Tennessee moved with the remainder of the cavalry to Dandridge. where forage was more plentiful. In a few days we were joined by Grainger's Fourth and portions of the Xinth and Twenty- third Corps, all imder the command of General Park, num- bering in all about 20.000 men. This move was made on account of the concentration of Longstreet's anny at Russell- ville and the pushing forward of Hood's and Buckner's di- visions to Dandridge to reinforce Martin's cavalry, which was in camp near the latter place. We remained in camp near Dandridge until the middle of January, when the First Tennessee was detached and sent to the mountains of Xorth Carolina to fight a body of Indians and irregular troops under \'ance and Thomas. We broke camp and forded French Broad River at Evans' Island, and marched to Atchley's mill, on Pigeon River, three miles below Sevierville. where we camped for the night, after a cold and disagreeable march of eighteen miles. At this place we were joined by the Fifteenth Pennsylvania and the Tenth Ohio Cavalry, under Colonel \\'. J. Palmer. Fifteenth Penn- sylvania. \\'ord reached our camp that a band of Indians and some white troops, under the command of General R. B. A'ance. had crossed the Smoky or Blue Ridge Mountains, and were encamped on the headwaters of Cosby 's Creek, in Cocke county. Colonels Brownlow and Palmer broke camp at daylight and marched rapidly toward the enemy's camp, which they expected to surprise and capture. ^^ e were the first Union soldiers to carry the "old flag" among these loyal and patriotic people, and were warmlv received and ablv assisted bv them, as thev knew the countrv well. The roads were exceedingly rough and hilly, and with the mercury down below zero our march was cold and cheer- TENNESSEE VOI.UNTEER CAVALRY. 135 less and at the same time dangerous, for on all sides of the narrow, winding roads the water was converted into ice by nature's own process, making it hard for our horses to keep their feet. We marched along the narrow, ice-covered road, admiring the beautiful scenery of these "sky-kissed hills," whose craggy peaks were whitened with snow, singing as we marched along: "I iove thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills, i\Iy Iieart with rapture thrills, Like that above." This meditation was interrupted and cut short by a scout who dashed up and reported that the Indians were advancing upon us. Our little army was formed in line of battle and skirmishers thrown out, and after waiting a short time for an attack we were ordered forward and soon came in sight of their camp, when the whole command was or- dered to charge. With a wild hurrah we made for their camp, when they broke and quickly fled into the hills and up the mountain, uttering as they ran the most hideous and warlike yells that we had ever heard. We pursued them to the top of the mountain, killing and capturing a few, but the greater portion made their escape by hiding in the thick growth of laurel that com- pletely covered the side of the mountain. Some of the Indians were killed for refusing to surrender, they having been taught that the "Yankees" would kill them on sight, and, not being familiar with Indian warfare, the boys kept up the fire as long as a redskin was in sight. From the pris- oners taken, we learned that they were made to believe that they were fighting for the old flag, but said the flags did not look alike. They seemed to admire the rich colors of our company guidons as they fluttered in the mountain breeze. After the Indians had been driven across the moim- tain, we returned to our camp below Sevierville. This expe- dition was quite successful and was made without loss to 136 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT our ranks. Our camp had hardly g^ot quiet when word was sent to our commanders that a wagon-train belonging to Long-street's army had crossed to the east side of French Broad River, a short distance above Dandridge, for the purpose of collecting forage and supplies for his army. The two resolute colonels determined to capture the train, and early on the morning of the 22nd the men were aroused by that old. familiar call, "boots and saddles," and in a short time Brownlow and Palmer were leading their troops rapidly toward the point where the train was reported to be. The wagons were overtaken some distance above Dand- ridge, near Muddy Creek, and the entire train, teamsters and train-guard, which consisted of a detachment of the Second South Carolina Infantry and some Tennessee troops, were captured. The train was some distance from the river when overtaken by us. and was moving along leisurely, not thinking for once that the "Yankees'' were so close by. and the first warning of our approach was the yell and the keen crack of our carbines. The brave wagon-guard refused to surrender the wagons without resistance, and in the brisk skirmish that ensued several were killed and wounded and the remainder captured. The First Tennessee had two men wounded. Pri- vate Thos. D. Brogden. of Company F, was severely wounded in the right shoulder and left thigh, making him a V cripple for life. The wagons were nearly all branded "U. S.," and were captured only a few months before from the Union army near Bean's Station, the whole bearing the marks of the axe made by the teamsters trying to cut them down before capture. They were well filled with all kinds of supplies. The teamsters v.ere ordered to turn the wagons around and for the time being drive for "Uncle Sam." Longstreet. in reporting the matter, says : "Twenty- eight of our wagons were captured on the south side of French Broad on the 22nd. They were foraging and had neglected to get the usual guard. We lost our teams with our wagons and got none to replace them." TKNNKSSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 137 On our way back we could hear the distant boom of cannon in the direction of New Market and Strawberry Plains, and learned from our scouts that the Union forces were falling back to Knoxville, pursued by Longstrect. We camped for the night a short distance from Fair Garden, and early the next morning moved back to our old camp at Atchlcy's mill, where we were joined in a few days by the remainder of our division and Wolford's cavalry, Army of the Ohio, who came up from Knoxville by way of Trundell's Cross Roads. McCook, in his report, says : "The First Tennessee and Colonel Palmer's force are out after a forage train, and I think will get them, unless the guard is too strong." A detachment of the First Tennessee captured on this trip Captain Bennett, commissary on General Benning's staff. Hood's division, and seven men who were out looking for forage. 138 HISTORY or FIRST REGIMENT V CHAPTER X. BATTLE OF FAIR CARDl-X — CAPTURE OF COLONEL BROW X LOW — HE r.Rir.ES THE ClAKn AXn makes HIS ESCAPE — THE REGIMENT RETURNS TO THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND — CAMP LIFE AT CLEVELAND — WHEELER'S ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE THE REGIMENT. Soon after the Union artny fell back from Dandridge to Knoxville. Longstreet immediately sent his cavalry, under General ]\lartin. to the east side of French Broad River, in order that he might operate more freely on the right wing of the Union army, which was held at that time by a small force of cavalry under Brownlow and Palmer, numbering about one thousand men and composed of the following regiments : First Tennessee, Fifteenth Pennsylvania and Tenth Ohio. This small brigade had been operating in this moun- tainous country for some time, watching a force tiiat was reported to be approaching from North Carolina. Martin marched his amiy across the country from Dandridge and went into camp near Fair Garden. This unexpected move- ment of Long-street's cavalry made it necessary to push for- ward the divisions of McCook and \\'olford from Knoxville to our support. Late in the afternoon of the 26th, the enemy under ^lartin was discovered advancing toward Sevierville, on the Fair Garden road. ?vIcCook"s division was at once ordered forward to meet this force. The division moved through Sevierville. and when four miles beyond. Campbell's brigade struck the enemy well posted behind the east fork of Pigeon River. Campbell formed his brigade in line of battle to the right of the road, and in a few minutes Martin opened lire on him with his TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVAERY. 139 artillery, which was posted on a hio;h ranj^c of hills north of Pigeon River. The second shell that was fired by this bat- tery exploded directly over the colors of the First Tennessee, doing no damage except wounding one horse. One section of Lilly's battery was sent to the front, and soon the natives heard for the first time the reverberating sound of the loud-mouthed monsters, while the swift messen- gers of death went flying through the air high above our heads into the ranks of the enemy beyond the river. Dark- ness soon ended this artillery duel. The First Tennessee was moved a short distance to the left, in the bend of the river, where it lay in line of battle during the night, which was ex- ceedingly cold. There seemed to be great activity in the enemy's camp during the night, indicating to us that reinforcements must be arriving. There was sharp firing on the picket-line dur- ing the night. On the morning of the 27th there was a heavy fog along the river, making it impossible to see but a short dis- tance, but as soon as the fog lifted, lively skirmishing began all along the line. Campbell's brigade was ordered forward and at the crossing at Dr. Hodsden's, the enemy was en- countered in force, and after a sharp skirmish with some Texas troo]:)s, we drove them back and crossed the river, capturing several prisoners on the opposite side. Among them was a major, with long, black hair, who was badly woimded. The enemy fell back about one mile and took up a new position at McNutt's bridge, a covered structure over the Little East Fork of Pigeon River, where we found them well posted behind a rail barricade along the north bank. Lilly's battery was sent to the front and after shelling them vigor- ously they fell back into the woods. Our whole line was ordered forward to the river, and a detachment of the Second Michigan was dismounted and ordered to cross a short distance above the bridge for the purpose of turning their left flank. The brave Michigan V 140 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT boys were overpowered, and after a sharp engagement were compelled to fall back, pursued by the enemy. On account of their superior number we were unable to hold them in check at the bridge, and after a gallant resistance our whole line was forced back a short distance. General McCook, finding the enemy's position too strong to be carried, sent the Second Brigade, under LaGrange, on a road to his left that intersected the Fair Garden road about two miles from the latter place. Here General Mar- tin had selected a strong position in the timber and was holding a part of his force in reserve. LaGrange soon en- countered the enemy under Morgan and drove them back along the road almost to the intersection of the two roads, and now waited for Campbell's brigade to come up on the main Fair Garden road. The enemy still occupied the bank of the river, with a strong line of skirmishers, but the main force had taken up a new position in the timber, about a half mile from the stream. Campbell's brigade was now ordered to advance and carry the bridge, which it did in gallant style, driving the enemy back from every position they attempted to hold. We continued to drive them back along the road leading to Fair Garden, and as we neared the junction of the two roads the column we were pursuing began to show signs of a panic. Both brigades had driven Martin's troops back on their position at the intersection of the two roads, where they made a bold and determined stand, opening on us a heavy artillery and musketry fire. A portion of the Second Brigade was dismounted and advanced across an open field, driving back the enemy's right. The dismounted men now wheeled to the left and opened a brisk flank fire upon the force that was confronting Campbell's brigade. The enemy, being hard pressed all along their line, be- gan to show signs of wavering, when Colonel LaGrange led a portion of the Second and Fourth Indiana Cavalry in a gallant saber charge, routing ]\Iorgan's division, capturing TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 141 his battle-flag and a part of his escort, two pieces of artillery and one hundred and twenty-five prisoners. While the Sec- ond Brigade was engaged in this "cutting and slashing" business, Campbell's brigade was driving a superior force on a parallel road just to the right of the Second Brigade, and as the two brigades'nvere approaching the junction of the two roads, the Second, being a little in advance, were in danger from the fire of the First Brigade. Campbell's brigade pushed Martin's troops back rapidly on the Fair Garden road, capturing scores of prisoners and throwing them into great confusion. Martin's troops being thoroughly routed, now fled m all directions, the road being lined with guns, accoutrements and hats. Colonel Brown- low was ordered to charge down the road with his regiment after the fleeing enemy, which he did with his usual gal- lantry, but in doing so he charged by two regiments, said to be the Eighth and Eleventh Texas, who were approaching the same road he was on, but to his left and rear. They came on the gallop and were either reinforce- ments or some of Martin's scattered troops. It was a critical moment, as the regiment was some distance beyond the sup- port of the brigade, and it was "fight or be captured." But Brownlow was equal to the emergency. He hurriedly formed his men in line to the right of the road, and as the enemy passed by he ordered the regiment to give them a volley, which emptied several saddles. Colonel Brownlow now led his regiment in a charge against this force, throw- ing it into rapid retreat. It was now growing dark, but the pursuit was continued until the First Tennessee was some distance in advance of the brigade, and at the same time was without support and within the enemy's lines. Colonel Brownlow, deeming it unwise to pursue further, halted his troops and started to re- turn to his command, and in the darkness became separated from his men and was captured by some Texas troops ; but by a little strategy and a gold watch, he succeeded in making his escape during the night and early the next morning re- turned to camp. 142 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIM«;NT There was a feeling of sorrow and uneasiness in camp during- the night, as we were unable to determine whether he was slain on the field or a prisoner. But imagine our sur- prise on the following morning when Brownlow came into camp safe and sound. The boys crowded around him and after congratulations on his fortunate. escape, cheer after cheer went up from the regiment, for he was the idol of his men and a general favorite of the entire brigade. If the troops making the capture had known who their prisoner was it would have taken several gold watches to win them over; in fact, no bribe or strategy would have saved him, but, supposing the "doughty" colonel was only a poor pri- vate who wanted to see his family, let him go. Campbell's brigade captured about one hundred and fifty prisoners during the day. The loss in the First Ten- nessee during the day was remarkably light. Company C lost two men wounded at McNutt's bridge, as follows: Cor- poral John A. Potter, wounded in right arm, and Private James Baysinger, mortally wounded and died in hospital at Knoxville, Te^nn., February i6. At Fair Garden, Private Andrew Edens, Company E, was severely wounded, and Colonel Brownlow captured. McCook's division were the only troops engaged at JMcNutt's bridge and Fair Garden, and for the length of the engagement and the loss inflicted the casualties were exceedingly light, being twenty-eight killed and wounded. Our division mourned the loss of the brave and gallant soldier, Lieutenant-Colonel John P. Leslie, Fourth Indiana Cavalry, Second Brigade, who fell at the head of his regi- ment in the moment of victory, leading a saber charge. His loss was keenly felt not only in his own regiment, but in all the command. The regimental flag of the Thirty-first Indi- ana X'olunteers, a silk American flag and a battery guidon in possession of the enemy, were captured. General Morgan narrowly escaped capture himself. General Martin left a large number of dead and wounded on the field and his loss was estimated at three hun- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 143 dred and fifty. While the battle of Fair Garden is not classed as one of the leading cavalry engagements as to loss, yet in many respects it was a severe blow, and resulted in serious loss to Longstreet's cavalry and artillery and the discomfiture of his men. We had been engaged in a running fight during the day of seven miles, beginning at Hodsden's, on the East Fork of Pigeon River, and ending at Fair Garden. General Longstreet makes the following report of the battle : MoRRiSTowN, Jan. 29, 1864. General S. Cooper, Adjutant-General: General Martin had a severe cavalry fight on the 27th. He was driven back four miles with the loss of 200 killed, wounded and miss- ing, and two pieces of artillery. The enemy's cavalry has been greatly increased by cavalry from Chattanooga. Most of the cavalry from that place is now here. The men, about half that should be in our regiments, are, 1 understand, in the camps about Dalton. I hope they may be sent here or these sent there. We can do but little while this superior cavalry force is here to operate on our flanks and rear. Do send me a chief of cavalry. J. Longstreet, Lieutenant General. General Sturgis makes the following report : Headquarters Cavalry Corps, Dickey's, Jan'y 27th, 1864 — 6 p. m. General : After driving the whole cavalry force of the enemy steadily all day long, our troops went in about 4 o'clock with the saber and a yell and routed them, horse, foot and dragoon, capturing over 100 prisoners and two pieces of artillery — 3-inch steel guns. Our troops are very much worn down with continuous fighting and little to eat, but they are a band of as patient and brave soldiers as I have ever seen thus far. Some fifty or sixty of the enemy were killed and wounded in this charge alone. In the whole day's fighting their loss must be very large. As Walford and Garrard were brought from a long distance, they fell in as a reserve, so that this glorious day's work was performed alone by the gallant men of LaGrange's and Campbell's brigades of McCook's divison. Respectfully yours, etc., S. D. Sturgis, Brigadier General Commanding. It will be seen from the above letter that Longstreet was V 144 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT of the impression that most all the cavalry from the Army of the Cumberland was then confronting him. The only cavalry from that army were the First and Second Brigades, The Seventh Kentucky Cavalry of the Third Brigade and Lilly's Eighteenth Indiana Battery, all of the First Division, and the Fifteenth Pennsylvania and Tenth Ohio Cavalry, two small regiments of the Third Brigade, Second Division — in all, nine regiments and one battery. After the battle of Fair Garden, all the Union troops fell back to Sevierville. On the 29th, the cavalry was or- dered to Maryville, sixteen miles south of Knoxville, and went into camp a short distance east of town. Maryville is well and favorably known throughout the land as an edu- cational center. Here it was that Rev. Isaac Anderson, a Presbyterian minister and pioneer in educational work, es- tablished a college in 1819 that has since become famous as an institution of learning. Several members of the First Tennessee were forced to leave school before completing their education to avoid conscription into the Confederate army. On the first day of February, the First Tennessee and Fourth Indiana, Second Brigade, all under the command of Colonel Brownlow, First Tennessee, were ordered to make a reconnoissance toward Sevierville. Reveille called us at 2 a. m., and with the stars for a light, we arose from our warm beds and soon hundreds of blazing camp-fires were seen all over the camp, as the men went about the prepara- tion of this early meal. Coflfee-pots and tin-cups with water and cofifee in them were suspended over the fires, and when the boiling point was reached the rich aroma whetted our appetites, while some of the boys, skilled in the business, manipulated the flapjack pans. Breakfast over, we mounted and marched along the main Sevierville road to Little River, where we were joined by two regiments of infantry and one section of artillery as a support. We forded Little River at McCamey's Ford and marched to Trundle's Cross Roads, sixteen miles from Mary- I'KIVA'IK ALLKN S. 'JA'li:, COMI-ANV H K TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 145 ville, where we bivouacked for the night. At 5 :30 the next morning we left camp and went as far as Boyd's Creek, and within eight miles of Sevierville, where we learned that the enemy were in force behind Pigeon River. The object of the reconnoissance having been accomplished, Colonel Brownlow returned to camp at Maryville. For the next eight or ten days our camp was very quiet, with nothing but the usual routine camp duty to perform, affording the boys a splendid opportunity to wash their clothing, rest and get ready for the next move. The last duty performed by the regiment in the Army of the Ohio was the reconnoissance toward Sevierville, as we were now under orders to return in a few days to the Army of the Cumberland. The First Tennessee had spent nearly three months in this East Tennessee campaign, during the cold- est and most disagreeable weather the regiment had ever experienced. Our ranks had been invaded by disease, while shot and shell and the much-dreaded "minie," with its dull thud, had laid low some of our best and bravest men. But the First Tennessee responded to duty with a will, and it mattered but little whether it was on the scout, or the march, or around a kettle of well-cooked beans or a pot of steaming coffee, it was always present. The men composing the regi- ment had many peculiarities. If the commissary had no hard-tack or flour for the men, they would do without either ; if they had no beef, they were content with fat pork ; if no rice, they would put up with beans ; if no coffee, they were satisfied with water; if none of the articles mentioned were to be had, they were willing to satisfy the "craving stom- ach" with parched corn. But with all the trials and hardships incident to a soldier's life, the men composing the First Termess.ee can point with pride to duty well performed, under the most try- ing and adverse circumstances, receiving from their com- manders the highest admiration for obedience and unmur- muring endurance on the march or the field of battle. 146 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT When it became known that the First Tennessee was to return to the Army of the Cumberland, all over our camp men could be seen taking from their saddle-bags their small stock of stationery, and, while sitting around a smoky camp- fire or beside a sturdy oak, were engaged in writing a hasty letter to the dear ones at home, and to some it was the last. On the loth day of February. McCook's division, to which the First Tennessee belonged, broke camp at Mary- ville and started by slow and easy march for Cleveland. The route we marched over presented to the observing cav- alrymen one of rare beauty and grandeur. Old "Mother Earth" was still wearing her winter dress, while the cold, biting frost had robbed the trees of their beauty, giving us an vmobstructed view of the grand old mountains, while on every hand the clear, rippling streams, that were rushing madly on to form and help to make up the mighty ocean, furnished us with plenty to drink. We marched through IMadisonville and crossed Little Tennessee River at Nile's Ferry, camping for a few days on Tellico River and near the celebrated Tellico Plains. A detachment of the Second Brigade was sent from this place on a scout to Cherokee county. North Carolina, where it succeeded in capturing thirty-eight prisoners, mostly Indians, and twenty-five horses and mules. This scout was accom- plished without any loss on our side. The Indians were very sullen and refused to talk much. Among them was a min- ister who preached on Sunday to a large audience of "Yan- kees." Forage being scarce at this place, we moved a few miles up the Little Tennessee River ajid went into camp near the foot of Smoky Mountain, where we found only a small amount of grain for our horses. While at this place a light snow fell, whitening up the earth and the mountain, adding grandeur to the scenery. February i8 found us again on the move. We marched through Athens and went into camp near Chestooa camp-ground, said to be one of the oldest churches and camp-grounds in all that country, the church TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, 147 deriving its name from a small, sluggish stream of the same name near by. At this camp pay-rolls were made out, but we were not paid until Cleveland was reached. About the last of the month the whole division was moved to Calhoun, on the Hiwassee River, where it went into camp some four miles below. Major Thornburgh, who was painfully wounded at Dandridge, December 24, 1863, rejoined the regiment at this place and was warmly received by the boys. On the nth day of March, we left camp and marched back to Calhoun, crossed Hiwassee River on a pontoon bridge, and marched a few miles beyond Charleston, where we camped for the night. The next morning, McCook received orders from Gen- eral Elliott to move his division to Cleveland, which place he reached late in the afternoon and camped for a few days west of town on the Cotton Port road. Good camping- grounds were selected and tents put up with great care, adding greatly to the appearance and beauty of the camp. This was the first regular cam.p that we had laid out during the East Tennessee campaign, and was the first time that our tents had been stretched in three months, and we again enjoyed the almost forgotten luxury of sleeping in tents. We now began to "play" soldier again. Company and battalion drills and dress-parades had been unknown to us during this mid-winter campaign, and while waiting for orders our time was occupied in reviewing the early lessons of the regiment. The First Tennessee was never accused of being a "band-box regiment," but its staying qualities were equal to its "style." After a short stay in this camp, the First Tennessee was moved about one mile east of town on the Spring Place road. Our new camp was near a large and famous spring, known about Cleveland as "Rhat's Spring," from which many a weary traveler had slaked his thirst in days gone by at this free, sparkling fountain. The First Tennessee remained in this camp until the general advance of the army in May. The duty imposed 148 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT upon the troops was light and consisted mainly in scouting and picketing. Our worthy and distinguished chaplain, the Rev. John P. Holtsinger, preached to us regularly every Sunday morning, and here the writer will venture the asser- tion that no regiment in the service had a higher regard or was more devoted to their chaplain than the First Tennessee. It never fell to the lot of the First Tennessee to be out of sight of the enemy long at a time, and therefore it ac- quired great fame as a fighting regiment. The dashing Jim Brownlow, than whom there was none braver, led his men constantly at the front, and they were always in at the finish. We were now enjoying the real sunny side of a soldier's life, and what a change it was from the active campaign just closed. "No rumor of the foe's advance Now swells upon the wind. No troubled thought at midnight haunts Of loved ones left behind ; No vision of the morrow's strife The warrior's dream alarms, No braying horn oi screaming fife At dawn shall call to arms." The greater part of the Confederate army, under the command of General Joseph E. Johnson, was encamped near Dalton, Georgia, about thirty miles from our camp, conse- quentlv the outposts of the Union army were kept some dis- V tance out. The enemy's cavalry under Wheeler lay en- camped near Spring Place, and occasionally their scouting parties would attack our outposts, and especially on the Spring Place road, and as this was considered to be the most important road leading to the enemy's camp, it was kept well picketed. Owing to the long distance of this outpost from camp, the men detailed for picket duty on this road would remain out from two to three days before being relieved. A detachment of the First Tennessee had been on picket on this road, but was relieved bv a detail from the First Wis- TENNESSEE VOH:NTEER CAVALRY. 149 consin, Second Brig-ade. General Wheeler, the able and dashing leader of Johnson's cavalry, learned that Jim Brownlow's rep^iment was on picket on this road, and de- termined to surprise and capture it. He moved with his accustomed boldness and succeeded in surrounding and cap- turing the most of the men, and when asked why he brought so large a force to capture a picket-post, remarked that he understood that Jim Brownlow's regiment was on picket and that it could not be captured with a handful of men, as he had met the regiment often and knew of its splendid staying qualities. During our stay at Cleveland and before starting upon the Georgia campaign, some changes were made in the First Brigade. The Ninth Pennsylvania, which had been in the brigade ever since its organization at Triune, was trans- ferred to the Third Division, and their place filled by the Eighth Jowa Cavalry, a new regiment commanded by Col- onel J. B. Dorr. We regretted very much to part with this gallant regiment, for we were close friends, and besides, the kindest feeling existed between the three regiments com- posing the brigade. It made no difference which regiment was in the advance or which one covered the retreat, each could be relied on when in a "tight place." The Iowa boys — nicknamed "Persimmon Knockers" — proved themselves to be good soldiers, and made a good record. ISO HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT CHAPTER XL THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN — FROM CLEVELAND TO PINE MOL^N- TAIN — DUG GAP AND TTLTON — ACROSS THE COOSAWATTEE AND ETOWAH — SOLDIERING UNDER DIFFICULTIES — BURNT HICKORY — BROWNLOW'S HILL. The spring- of 1864 found the Union commanders east and west making extensive preparations for a general ad- vance. Lieiitenant-General Grant, at the head of a large and well-equipped army, was ready to move on Richmond, the proud city and capital of the Confederacy. Blooming j\Iay found General A\'. T. Sherman at the head of a veteran army the equal of Wellington's, and ready to move when the Lieutenant-General issued the order. Lee. with the Army of Northern ^'irginia. was protecting Richmond, while Johnson, at the head of a large and well-equipped force, was in front of Dalton. ready to dispute the advance of Sherman's aniiy. These two armies were the largest that ever had assem- bled east or west, but were too far apart for co-operation, yet they could be helpful by a simultaneous movement. Gen- ^ eral Shemian was at the head of a large army, composed of well-seasoned veterans, and commanded by such able and distinguished fighters as Thomas, ]McPherson and Schofield. who commanded respectively the Armies of the Cumber- land, Tennessee and Ohio. Grant was to strike at the Jicaci and Sherman at the heart of the Confederacy. Sherman entered the campaign with an effective force of nearly one hundred thousand men and two hundred and fifty-four giuis. Of these, the Army of the Cumberland had sixty thousand men and one hundred and thirty guns ; the Army of the Tennessee, twenty-five thousand men and ninety-six gams, and the Army of the Ohio, fourteen thou- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 151 sand men and twenty-eight guns. General J. E. Johnson, the Confederate commander, who was reckoned by miUtary men as ahnost the equal of Lee, was at the head of an army num- bering, at the opening of the campaign, about fifty-three thousand men, but before the battle of Resaca was fought, remforcements increased it to seventy-one thousand, two hundred and thirty-five men and one hundred and twenty cannon. General Sherman had issued an order for a general advance of his army the first of May, consequently there was a great hurry and bustle in camp, getting ready for the ap- proaching campaign. The sound of the blacksmith's hammer was heard throughout camp, shoeing horses, repairing wagons and ambulances for the march "through Georgia." "Bring the good old bugle, boys, we'll sing another song, Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along, Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong, While we were marching through Georgia." Winter had become a thing of the past, the biting winds of March had also departed, and now May, with its warm sunshine, had aroused to action the dormant germs of the vegetable kingdom. All the beauties of springtime were ushered in. Beautiful flowers unfolded their petals to our view ; fragrant odors freighted the breezes, while upon every hand the birds were apparently trying to see which could sing their sweetest songs ; the bees were humming and buz- zing among the trees and clover for honey. As the army marched along, unmindful of the surroundings, nature was quietly getting in her work, covering old "Mother Earth" again with a rich, green carpet, and seemed to rebuke man, who was engaged in a business so much at variance with the beautiful world. Sherman's army was encamped at Cleveland and Chatta- nooga, and one of the most difficult problems to be solved was that of supplies. This large army was to be supplied bv a single line of road from Nashville to Chattanooga, and thence to Atlanta. This was a knotty problem, and its solution V 152 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT turned upon the capacity of this single track to do the work. Chattanooga again, as in 1863, became a place of great im- portance, and scenes of great activity were going on night and day. Large store-houses were built in which quartermaster and commissary supplies were stored. In addition to the supplies for the army this single line of road must also trans- port artillery and cavalry horses, mules, cattle and ammu- nition. Day and night the long, trembling trains were seen rolling into Chattanooga with their precious cargoes. Long- street's army had left East Tennessee and joined Lee in \'ir- ginia, while Martin, with his cavalry, was sent to Johnson. This left the L'nion troops that had wintered in East Ten- nessee free to join either Grant or Sherman. The Ninth Corps was sent east, and IMcCook's cavalry returned to the Army of the Cumberland, followed soon after by Schofield's Twenty-third Corps. The order to march was issued and soon myriads of tents disappeared like snow be- fore the sun. Knapsacks were packed, horses caparisoned, letters answered, and on the third day of ]^Iay the army be- gan to move. The First Tennessee broke camp at Cleveland and moved with the remainder of the division along the Dal- ton road. The march was continued to Red Clay, where it bivouacked for the night. This move placed ]\IcCook's di- vision in advance and to the left of Stanley and Schofield. Early on the morning of the 4th, we advanced toward Catoosa Springs, and during the day had several skirmishes. On the 7th, we moved to A'arnell's Station. At this place the First Brigade encountered Wheeler's cavalrv. and livelv skirmishing was kept up during the day. Late in the after- noon the enemy advanced in such numbers that LaGrange's brigade was sent to our support. The 8th was spent in maneuvering and skirmishing. On the 9th, the Second Brigade was ordered to advance on the Dalton road to develop the position and strength of the enemy. A short distance from X'arnell's Station, LaGrange struck the advance of the enemv and drove it back on their TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 153 main line. Here a brisk eng^agement ensued, in which the Second Bri^^ade was driven back with serious loss, the bri- gade losing one hundred and thirty-nine killed, wounded and missing. Among the latter was Colonel LaGrange, First Wisconsin, commanding Second Brigade, who was badly wounded and captured. General McCook, in his report of the Georgia campaign, says : "During these days the services called from and ren- dered by the division were of the most arduous kind. Potato Hill, a strong natural position, was assaulted and the first line of the enemy's breast-works taken by the First Tennessee regiment, under Colonel Brownlow." ''■' * ''' On the nth, the whole division moved through Tunnell Hill to Dug Gap, an important position on the left of the Union army, relieving General Geary's division, Twentieth Corps. On the morning of the 13th, we crossed Rocky Face Ridge, at Dug Gap, and jomed Howard's Fourth Corps, and during the afternoon engaged the enemy near Tilton. The next day we moved forward in the direction of Resaca, covering the advance of the Fourth Corps, and dur- ing the early part of the day met and drove back the enemy's outposts upon his main force. During the operations around Resaca a part of the division was dismounted and placed in the rifle-pits, while the remainder held the left of Hooker's line. After the battle of Resaca, the enemy retreated south through Calhoun to Adairsville. At this place Johnson ex- pected to make a stand and offer battle, but finding his army hard pressed and his Hanks threatened, continued to fall back to Cassville. We were still on the left flank of the army and on the 1 6th crossed Connasauga River and camped for the night near Field's Mill, on the Coosawattee. On the 17th, we took the advance again and moved toward Cassville, leaving Calhoun and Adairsville to our right. On the 19th, Mc- Cook's division was pushed rapidly forward toward Cass- ville, and a short distance north of town the enemy's cav- alry and a force of infantry were encountered, and after a 154 HISTORY OF I-IUST REOIMKNT brisk oiic;ap;oniont thcv were driven back "poll-nioU" into town, k^sinq- tbirty-oij^bt by capture. The First TeriUessee Cavaby was in tbe advance, atid near sundown drove Wlieek^r's advance back upon tbe in- fantry, wbo were bebind ritle-pits. Tbe reqinient captured several prisoners. Lilly's battery was sent to tbe front and sbelled tbe enemy viijorously until dark. Tbe regiment bad two men wounded and several borses sbot. Wo moved to King'ston on ibe joib. wbero we remained for a tew days, resting and waiting for tbe railroad to be repaired and tbe accumulation of supplies at Resaca. In our front were tbe rougb hills and gorges around Allatoona, with but few roads and these very inditTerent, penetrating tbe densely W(.x->ded country. On tbe 23rd. the First Ten- nessee, with tbe remainder of tbe division, crossed the Eto- wah River at Island Ford, and, taking tbe advance of tbe army, moved through Eubarlee to Stilesborongb. At this place we met and defeated Morgan's and Ross's brigades. The next two days we continued to advance, skir- mishing almost continuously with tbe rear of Johnson's army, and during tbe time crossed Raccoon and Pumpkin \ ine Creeks in advance of the Army of the Cumberland. On tbe JOth, we caught up with Wheeler's cavaby near Burnt Hickory, and after a sharp engagement be was driven back upon tbe intrencbmonts held by tlie infantry, with a loss of seventy-two prisoners. We captured a courier with a dispatch from Johnson to one of bis subordinate com- manders, in which be outlined his plan for tbe next move, which was of great value to Sherman. In this eng-agement tbe First Tennessee lost two men captureil. as follows : Sanuiel Carnes, Company C, and Cor- poral W'. D. A. Schrade, Company K. Samuel Carnes, after surviving all the horrors of ATulersonville. was exchanged, and on his reutrn was lost on tbe ill-fated Siiltana, April 27. Tbe heavy rains that liad fallen during the past few days bad almost put an end to tbe operations of the anuy, TENNICSSKK VOI.UNTKKU CAVAI.KV. 155 for ill thai p.'irt of (^'or^i.-i turnpikes were uiiknowti. For the next two or three days the hooni of cannon could be heard in the (Hrection of I'icketl's Mill, New liope Church and I )allas, wlu-re the Union troops were hainnieriufj;' away at Johnson's intrenched lines. In this en^aj^'einent Howard's Fourth Corps suffered heavily, losinjj^ about fifteen hundred men killed, wounded and captured. Johnson was holdinjj;' Allaloona T\ass, a very strong;; positir)!! on the Western & Atlantic railroad, with his left exteiidinj^' to New Mope Church and l)allas. krom now until the 4th of June there was almost continuous hj^htinj.^, nii^^ht and b HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT line of barricade;: on west side of mountain, but could get no further. Late in the evening, part of their lines were occupied by their in- fantry: so reported by ^[a.ior Helveti. I will try to get in the rear of their line to-morrow morning, while General Stoneman demon- strates in their front. Their position is strong and their force much larger than mine, and I do not ftel sanguine of accomplishing any material result, but think that I can annoy them excessively and attract their attention to this end of the line. E. M. McCooK. Lieut. D. F. How. Brigadicr-Gcncral Cotinnandiiig. Acting Assistimt .•idjutatii-Gi'ticral. General Sherman continued to press the enemy at all points, and on the 17th Johnson abandoned his position at Lost Mountain and fell back to a strong' position behind Mud Creek, which extended along the base of Kennesaw and across the \\'estern .S: Atlantic road. In addition to this line of works at the base of Keiniesaw. a still stronger line was built on the top. extending the entire length. Several forts were also erected on the summit and artillery placed in them. From the larger Kennesaw. Johnson could, as he did at Fine Mountain, witness the movenients of the Union troops. This was a position of gTcat strength and was thor- oughly entrenched and made strong by a liberal use of the pick and shovel. Johnson's line of retreat was along the AWsteni & Atlantic road, and as Shemian advanced the road was kept repaired close on the heels of the victorious anny. At times the train would be run almost up to the skinnish line. In the operations around Kennesaw Mountain, Mc- Cook's division remained on the right wing of the Union anny. and on the iSth moved around the left flank of Har- dee's coq^s and drove his cavalry across Mud Creek and pursued it along the Dallas and Marietta wagon-road. In this venturesome move. McCook's division succeeded in getting within five miles of Marietta, capturing on the way two hospitals, w hich contained some forty or fifty sick and wounded officers and men. together with their attend- ants and nurses. Xotwiihsianding the continuous down- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 167 pour of rain and tlic bad condition of the roads, Sherman kept his army moving, driving the enemy from one position to another. On the 19th, the Union army advanced and drove the enemy across Nose's Creek. During this time McCook's division went as far south as Powder Springs and Sweet Water Creek, driving in the enemv's pickets at the former place. These movements on Johnson's left alarmed him, and he sent Hood's corps from his right to strengthen this wing of his army. On the 22nd, Hood made a furious attack with his corps upon a jjortion of the Twentieth and Twenty-third Corps, but was repulsed with considerable loss. This was known as the battle of Kulp's Farm, and was fought on the right of the Union line, near Olley's Creek. General Sherman's skirmishers had worked their way close up to the foot of Kennesaw Mountain. This was a position of great strength, and was held by a veteran army. Sherman decided to make a direct assault on the 27th, and ordered Generals Thomas and AlcPherson to make prepara- tions for the attack. At the signal, the troops designated for this desperate work moved forward with that dash and courage that everywhere characterizes the American soldier, but no troops could stand the pelting storm of lead that was falling upon them. . The assault failed, the columns retired, broken and shattered, and the army mourned the loss of hundreds of its bravest and best men. Generals Harker and McCook being among the slain. During this assault in the center, Sher- man ordered his whole line forward and some sharp fighting was done at different places on the line. Sherman continued his demonstrations on the right to turn the position he had failed to carry by assault. On the 1st day of July, the divisions of McCook and Stoneman moved through Powder Springs and down toward Campbellton, as far as Sweet Water, skirmishing almost all the way, but finding no large bodies of the enemy. On the night of July 2, General Johnson withdrew his troops from 168 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT Kennesaw Mountain and fell back to a strong;- line of works at Ruff's Station, his line extending: across the track of the Western & Atlantic road. This new line of works was laid out by a competent and skilfid engineer and was one of great strength. On the 4th. we moved to Marietta. From this place Ave were ortlered to the left, and bivouacked for the night on Soap Creek, near Chattahoochee River. Sherman pursued the retreating enemy on to his works at Ruff's Station, and here the great national holiday, the Fourth of July, was quite extensively as well as expensively celebrated. The exercises were of a very lively nature, and thousands took part amid the boom of cannon and bursting of shells. In this engage- ment. General E. F. Noyes, of Ohio, lost a leg. and General Sherman says, ''I came very near being shot myself." Thus in this Strange and singular manner was our great Inde- pendence Day celebrated by both armies. Two months had passed since the opening of the At- lanta campaign, and during that time Johnson had been forced to give up position after position, had been driven back from strongholds of his own selection until 'the spires of the "Gate City" were almost visible to the boys in blue. Johnson, finding his flanks again threatened, fell back from RufT's Station to the Chattahoochee River, where he en- trenched himself in the bend of the river. The recent heavy rains had so swollen the Chattahoochee that the few fords were impassable. Johnson ordered all the ferry-boats to be destroyed for miles up and down the river, to prevent them from being used by the Union army. AlcCook's division remained near the mouth of Soap Creek for several days, guarding the ferries on this part of the Union line. During the time, lively and continued skir- mishing was kept up along our whole front, at times resem- bling a battle. The pickets would conceal themselves in the bushes along the bank of the river and tire upon the Con- federates, who were in trenches or behind rocks and trees on the opposite shore. CAPTAIN OHAS. H. Ill' Kl) ICK, (!()»! I'A N ^ 10 As lie apjieared aftur his ix-lease from prison, 1.S64 >; TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 169 It was while INIcCook's division was holding this part of the ITnion line that the First Tennessee, under Colonel Brownlow. performed one of the most daring and character- istic feats of the war. Colonel Brownlow was ordered to a point on the river supposed to be fordable, with orders to cross and develop the strength of the enemy on the opposite side. The place where he was ordered to cross was at Coch- ran's Ford, some little distance above the mouth of Soap Creek and near Powers' Ferry. \\'hether the order eman- ated from General Sherman, the corps, division or brigade commander was a subject that was "cussed and discussed" by the bo}'S. both during- and after the execution of the order, and the conclusion was reached that the "General" who is- sued it must have considered the men of the First Tennessee not onlv web-footed but thick-skinned fellows, capable of swimming a river which they or their horses could not ford, and of going into battle minus clothing or even wearing the proverbial undress uniform of a Georgia major — "a paper collar and a pair of spurs." They arrived at the designated point about 3 o'clock in the morning, while the rain was falling in torrents, and at daylight discovered a small force of the enemy on the other side, supposed to number twenty-five or thirty men, who had the advantage of being on higher ground and pro- tected by trees and rocks. As most of the regiment was deployed along the river and were busily engaged in sending their leaden compliments across, a few of the men charged into the stream without the slightest knowledge of its depth, the condition of its bed or the course of the ford. As they advanced under a brisk fire, the water getting deeper and deeper, the boulders on the bottom getting bigger, men and horses floundering and wallowing, the bullets ::ip, zipping and pattering in the water, it became evident that it was not a proper place for good cavalrymen to cross, and they came back out of that river tolerably fast — at least, much faster than thev went in. Though their spirits and ardor as well as their clothing and ammunition were some- 170 EISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT what dampened in their futile attempt to cross, they had no idea it would be the last ot it. or that they would permit such an insignificant force to hold them longer in check. A consultation of the officers was held, and it was de- cided to find a native who knew the ford and to show its course. Meanwhile their carbines were kept busy, and as the day wore on. Colonel Dorr, axnmanding the brigade, made his appearance and seemed as mad as a hornet because the bo>"S were not in possession of the opposite side. Dis- satisfied with explanations made, he gave Brownlow per- em.ptor}- orders to m.ove at once on the enemy, and uttering an imnecessar}- threat that would be executed in case his order was not promptly obeyed. The acting brigade general rode ott. lea\'ing Rev. Wil- liam G. Brownlow's gallant son in a truly "fighting-mad'* frame of mind. These were the facts as they came to the men in the ranks. Soon thereafter, a few of the bo>"s were called to the rear — ^there were just nine men in all — ^and Colonel Brownlow said. '"Boys, we are going to cross that river. It is plain we can't ford it here, and as we have no pontoons, and can't ver>- well make a swimming charge, we'll find another way or break the breeching." Then, gi^■ing directions for the men at the ford to ke^ up an incessant fire so as to divert the attention of the enemy from the move about to be made, the colonel led his little squad through the brush to a point about a mile up the river, behind a bend, where, lashing a couple of logs together and placing their carbines, cartridge-boxes and belts thereon, they stripped to the skin and, lea\Tng their hats, boots and clothing behind, swam the river, pushing the raft in front oi them. The appearance or nine naked men with belts on. as they stood in line, was somewhat ludicrous, and while Brownlow was giWng. in undertones, the directions and plan of attack, it was difficult to repress the humorous remarks interjected by the boys, witty expressions, some of them, that would make the gravest soldier laugh, but would not be appreciated TENNESSEE VOLIJNTEER CAVALRY. 171 by civilians unfamiliar with military terms. "I'll be durned if this ain't baring our breast? to the foe, for a fact," said one. "I reckon the rebs will climb them trees when they find out we're a lot of East Tennessee bear hunters," put in an- other. "Talk low, talk low !" said Brownlow, "for the suc- cess of this attack depends upon our quietness until we close in with the game, and then you may yell like ." Well, they started, with trailed carbines, into the cedar thicket, which concealed them from the enemy's view, leaving one man to guard the raft, and moved as rapidly as the nature of the ground would permit, but the funny expressions soon gave place to some that were in violation of the Third Com- mandment. They were all "tenderfoots," and as the sharp stones and dry twigs harrowed their soles, and their naked bodies w^ere scratched and punctured by the cedar brush and stung by insects, some vigorous profanity was naturally indulged in. "Curse low, men," ordered Brownlow as he turned his head, and in doing so he nearly stumbled to the ground, but as he recovered himself and went limping along he continued, in a very loud voice, "The occasion is worthy of considerable profanity, but cuss low, cuss low !" Coming to a road that led to the ford, about four hundred yards in the rear of the enemy, and reconnoitering the location and number of the rebel reserves, they formed for the charge, and moved quietly forward, unseen by the rebs, until they got within forty or fifty yards of them. Then, turning their carbines loose and rushing on them with a yell, in a very few minutes most of those Confederates were awaiting the orders of the Tennesseans. Some of them got away, but they bagged twelve. One of the last to give up was a freckled-faced fellow, half concealed behind a tree. When he was covered and surrendered, he threw down his gun and said : "I surrender, but dog-gone my skin, Yanks, 'taint fair to come at us in that way. If we'uns had been strong enough to take you'uns, the Confederate government 'ud hung you all for spies, as you hain't got no uniforms on," 172 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT The prisoners were hustled up the river to the raft, where they swam across in advance of their captors and were received by some of the boys, who had come up to cover the retreat, if necessary. Thus a simple little order was executed. The rebels said it was a "Yankee trick." We'll agree that it was. Now. you will notice, the colonel of the regiment went into that "scrimmage" just as naked as the other boys. He might have had his clothes carried across the river for him by one of the privates, or he might have detailed a lieutenant or a captain to lead the attack, while he, in some safe position, viewed the battle "from afar." But, like a true volunteer, standing not upon his dignity or rank, he was willing to bear the same hardships or share the same fate as the privates. General i\IcCook makes honorable mention of this dar- ing feat, said to be the only naked charge made during the war : Headquarters First Cavalry Division, Department of the Cumberland, July 9th, 1864. General: I have the honor to report that a detachment under Colonel Dorr crossed the pontoon this afternoon, and scouted the country in front of General Schofield. They found the enemy's cav- alry there in force. Brownlow performed one of his characteristic feats to-day. I had ordered a detachment to cross at Cochran's Ford. It was deep, and he took them over naked, nothing but guns, cartridge-boxes and V hats. They drove the enemy out of their rifle-pits, captured a non- commissioned officer and three men, and the two boats on the other side. They would have got more but the rebels had the advantage in running through the bushes with clothes on. It was certainly one of the funniest sights of the war, and a very successful raid for naked men to make. Everything is quiet along the line, and citizens on the other side say the enemy were totally unprepared for a crossing on this flank. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, E. M. McCooK, Brigadicr-Gcncral Commanding Division. General W. L. Elliott, Chief of Cavalry. The morning after this occurrence, notice was given of TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 173 the chang-ed situation by a reb, yelling out across the river : "Hello, Yank!" ''What do you want, Johnny?" "Can't talk to you'uns any more." "How is that?" "Orders to dry up." "What for, Johnny?" "Oh, Jim Brownlow with his d d Tennessee Yankees swam over upon the left last night and stormed our rifle-pits naked, captured sixty of our boys and made 'em swim back with him. We'uns have got to keep you'uns on your side of the river now." This expedition was quite succcessful, but it completely broke up the friendly relations that had existed the past two days between the boys in blue and gray along the banks of the Chattahoochee. On the afternoon of the 8th, Bird's Third Brigade, Third Division of the Twenty-third Corps, laid a pontoon near us at Phillips' F'erry and crossed over without much opposition, and intrenched. In this brigade there were two Tennessee regiments that had formerly belonged to Mor- gan's Seventh Division, Army of the Ohio, namely, the First and Fifth, the latter being in our old brigade when we were at Cumberland Gap, in 1862. The most of the crossings for eight or ten miles along the south side were kept guarded, the enemy being protected by detached fortifications and rifle-pits. On the night of the 9th, Johnson moved his army to the south side of the Chattahoochee, burned the railroad bridge and fell back to Peachtree Creek, where he again built a strong line of works along the south bank. The Army of the Tennessee, under McPherson, was transferred from the right to the left, near Roswell, above Powers' Ferry, where in a few days it crossed, the remainder of Sherman's army crossing at Pace's Ferry, below the mouth of Soap Creek. McCook's division was ordered to the right, below the Western & Atlantic road, where it rebuilt an old fort near where a bridge had been burned, Lilly's battery was placed in the fort, and on the 17th the enemy opened on our battery with nine guns from the forts on the south side of the river. 174 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT The fort being rudely constructed, the enemy's shells almost destroyed the works and compelled the battery to cease firing for a short time, but in the afternoon the enemy were discovered leaving, when Lilly's guns were run back and opened a rapid fire on the retreating columns. After crossing the river, we moved forward on the Sandtcnvn road, skirmishing heavily with the enemy during the afternoon, occupying their position at ^Mason's Church during the night. On the 17th day of July, General Joseph E. Johnson was relieved by the authorities at Richmond and General J. B. Hood placed in command. The greatest reason assigned for his removal was his failure to check Sherman and his victorious army, which was fast approaching the objective point. The thundering of the artillery and the rattle of mus- ketry had been heard from Tunnell Hill almost to the ven,' gates of Atlanta, and this city and its important railway con- nections were now in danger. One peculiar feature of the campaign so far was that Johnson had never assaulted the Union lines, but on the other hand had done the most of his fighting behind positions of his own selection and works that were almost impregnable. But the patience, skill and watchfulness which he displayed .on this memorable cam- paign entitled him to more praise than criticism. In the language of the immortal Lincoln m reference to a proposed change of commanders, said : '*It is a bad plan to swap horses in the middle of a stream." On the 23rd, ]McCook's' division was attacked near jMason's Church, but repulsed the enemy. After this, orders were given to build a line of works. In this engagement, vStephen Smith, of Company A. was wounded. There was constant skirmishing and heavy cannonading maintained along our whole front. ]\IcCook's division was thrown on Thomas's right, along Proctor's Creek, covering the INIason and Turner's Ferry roads, and while holding this position was attacked on the afternoon of the 25th. After TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. l7S a brisk skirmish, the enemy were driven back, and we con- tinued to hold this part of Thomas' hne until the 27th. On the 20th, just three days after Hood assumed the command of the Confederate army, he left his works and assaulted our lines furiously at Peachtree Creek, but was repulsed with severe loss. The desperate fighting on the 22nd, in which the gallant McPherson, commanding the Army of the Tennessee, was slain, on the Union side, and General Walker, on the Confederate side, and Ezra Church, the 28th, were all fought by the new Confederate com- mander, and the result of each has already passed into his- tory. In these severe engagements. Hood was the attacking party. He was brave and determined, but rash, and was now about to lose the reputation that he had miade in Virginia, under Longstreet, as a "stubborn fighter." In these assaults his loss was heavy, and he soon lost all taste for such reck- lessness and learned that it was much easier to defend rifle- pits than to capture them by assault, and subsequent events proved that his dash and eagerness to "rush" into battle cost him his command, and the Confederacy an army. 176 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT CHAPTER XIIT. RAID REI.O\V ATLANTA — GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY — DEATH OF LIEUT. ROBERTS — BROWNLOW REFUSES TO SUR- RENDER — CUTS THE LINES — HARDSHIPS OF THE MEN — SWIMMING THE CHATTAHOOCHEE. Division of the Mississippi, July 25th. 1S64. Special Field Order No. 42. General AlcCook and Colonel Harrison's cavalry will move rapidly on Fayetteville and the railroad beyond, breaking it if pos- sible. General McCook will command the joint cavalry command, his own and Colonel Harrison's, but will use Colonel Harrison's fatigued command as a reserve, and his own to reach the road and break it. The railroad when reached must be substantially destroyed for a space of two to five miles, telegraph wires pulled down as far as possible and hid in water or destroj'ed. The cavalry will, unless otherwise ordered, move out at daylight of Wednesday, the 27th instant, and aim to reach and break the railroad during the day or night of the 2Sth, and, having accomplished this work, will return to their proper flank of the army. It will bo seen from the above order that Sherman had resolved to break the two main roads running south from Atlanta. Stoneman. with five thousand men, was to move upon and destroy the Atlanta & ^lacon road, while AlcCook, with a force of about three thousand, five hundred men and one section of Lilly's Eighteenth Indiana Battery, was to break the Atlanta & West Point road. Before starting, Stoneman asked permission to make an attempt with his own division to release the two thousand Union prisoners at ]\Iacon and the twenty thousand at Andersonville. Before starting on this raid, the Fourth Kentucky I^Iounted Infantry was attached to the First Brigade, taking the place of the Second ^Michigan, which had previously been sent to ^Middle Tennessee, where the veteran portion A PONTOON BRIDt+E DKSTKIUTION OF A RAILROAD TRACK V TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVAERY. 177 of the regiment was doing guard duty along the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. General John T. Croxton, a young and gallant Kentuckian, and the former colonel of the Fourth Kentucky, was placed in command of the brigade and remained its commander until our muster-out. McCook's division was composed of three brigades, Croxton's brigade was composed of three regiments, and had an aggregate strength at that time of only nine hundred and forty officers and men. Everything was put in "trim" for the raid, and on the morning of the 27th, McCook moved his division back and crossed to the north side of the Chatta- hoochee River at Turner's Ferry. From this place the di- vision was moved south to Campbellton, reaching the latter place at 3 p. m. From this point we still moved south about six miles to Smith's Ferry, which is almost opposite Palmetto Station. Here a pontoon bridge was laid, and we again crossed to the south side early on the morning of the 28th with but slight opposition. After crossing, the whole command mounted and moved rapidly toward Palmetto Station, on the Atlanta & West Point road, with the Second Brigade in the advance. About two and one-half miles from the river the roads fork. Croxton's brigade took the right-hand road and, with the First Tennessee in the advance, pressed on rapidly, encoun- tering only small squads of the enemy, reaching Palmetto Station at sunset, simultaneously with the Second Brigade, which had moved on the left-hand road. At this place two hours were spent in destroying the railroad and telegraph line. We captured the mail, burned the depot, which contained a lot of cotton and a large quan- tity of salt, bacon and flour ; tore up and destroyed the rail- road track, cut and pulled down the telegraph wire, and at 9 p. m. mounted and moved toward Lovejoy's Station, on the Atlanta & Macon road, by way of Fayetteville, which was reached at daylight on the 29th, destroying at this place the mail and a lot of tobacco, whiskey and sacks. At 5 a. m. the First Tennessee was ordered forward. 178 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT supported by a battalion of the Eighth Iowa under Major Root, capturing on the way about five hundred loaded wagons, which we turned over to the rear guard to burn, and in this wa>- we were able to help many a distressed quartermaster to make settlement and "balance accounts." The most of the wagons belonged to Hood's army, and among them were several pa>masters, with chests well filled with Confederate money. The boys filled their pockets, and on meeting a comrade who had failed to "'suddenly become rich." would make him a present of a few thousand dollars bv way of a joke. We were soon overstocked with quartermasters, pay- masters, teamsters and camp-followers, and, to be truthful, we had all the good horses and mules that we needed. The sorrv ones were ordered to be killed. As we approached Flint River, the Confederates fired the bridge, but the First Tennessee, led by Colonel Brownlow, charged across the burning bridge, captured the guard, extinguished the fire and saved the bridge. We reached the railroad at I,ovejoy's Station at 7 a. m.. after an ail-night march, and immediately cut the wire, and then commenced the destruction of the track, depot and cars. Major Thomburgh. First Tennessee, and ■Major Root, Eighth Iowa, were ordered to the Station with their bat- talions to destroy the depot, cars and all other property, which they did most effectually. They destroyed three hun- dred thousand dollars' worth of cotton and salt, one hun- dred dollars' worth of tobacco — so estimated by our oflricers — besides a large quantity of bacon, lard and some miscel- laneous property. \Miile this was going on. the road was lined with men, who were busy tearing up the track and rendering the rails useless by heating and bending them around trees or over a pile of cross-ties. When an army was pressed for time, the usual method of rendering rails unfit for use was the bending process, which was both simple and quickly done. A dozen or so ties were piled together, and across this the rails were placed THE ADVANCE FIRST LIEUTENANT .lOHN ROBERTS, COM 1>ANY C, Killed at Lovejoy's Station, Ga., July 29, 1S64 >i TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 179 side by side until it was thoroughly covered ; on each end of the rails two heavy ties were placed, and when the rails got hot enough from the burning ties the weight on the ends would force them to the ground, while the raiders would be many miles away. General McCook expected to communicate with Stone- man from this place, as he was supposed to be at or near McDonough, and for that purpose kept his division waiting until 2 p. m. At times the troops had to cease the destruction of the road and take up their arms for battle. McCook, find- ing it impossible to communicate with Stoneman, decided that it was unwise and dangerous to wait longer and ordered his command to return to Moore's bridge, on the Chattahoo- chee River, by the way of Newnan, on the Atlanta & West Point road. The delay almost proved fatal, as his command was almost surrounded by Wheeler's cavalry before starting. McCook had not moved his division more than one mile when Croxton's brigade, which was in the rear, was cut oft" from the remainder of the division and attacked with great vigor from the front and right flank by Armstrong's division. The enemy rushed upon our little brigade with all the ferocity of savages, but after a severe hand-to-hand conflict they were handsomely repulsed, but not without severe loss to the brigade. Colonel Dorr, Eighth Iowa, was wounded, his adjutant and one lieutenant killed. The First Tennessee mourned the loss of Lieutenant John Roberts, Company C, who fell in this engagement, and like a true soldier died at his post of duty. He was brave, kind and courteous, beloved by all, and especially by the members of his company, who knew of his worth. His remains now rest in the beautiful National Cemetery at Marietta, Georgia. The writer visited the ceme- tery a few years ago and found his grave. The Fourth Kentucky lost two companies by capture, and several men killed and wounded. After this spirited en- gagement, Croxton was able to withdraw his brigade, and ISO HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT now moved rapidly forward and overtook the division. Mc- Cook now turned to the left and moved toward Xewnan, with the Second brigade in the rear, until Flint River was reached. Here the division commander again placed Crox- ton's brigade in the rear, and during that July night it cov- ered the rear. The command was kept moving as rapidly as possible, but the column was greatly impeded by the pack-train and prisoners, which at times completely blocked tlie road. The men and horses were quite exhausted, and it was no uncommon thing to find the men riding along sound asleep» regardless of tlie strict orders from the officers to keep awake and the column well closed up. All this time the rear guard was hard pressed and the keen crack of the carbine was heard ringing out on the midnight air, warning us that the enemy was close upon the rear, covered by the gallant Fourth Kentucky, under Colonel Kelly. The advance guard was fired upon several times during the night, and we momentarily expected to be attacked in flank, as there seemed to be a great many roads tapping the one over which we were marching. \Mien Croxton's bri- gade reached the bridge over \Miite ^^'ater Creek, the First Tennessee was halted and formed in line, covering the road where it crossed the stream, with orders to destroy the bridge and then cover the rear to Xe\\-nan. which was about y ten miles southwest. The rear now became the place of honor, as Avell as danger, but the First Tennessee never asked for an easy place. A small train of wagons was captured and destroyed during the night. About lo a. m. on the 30th, the advance guard reached the Atlanta & West Point road near Xewnan, and immediately cut the telegraph wire and destroyed the road in three places. This accomplished, McCook pushed on to Xewnan, where he encountered an infantry- force that had been stopped on its way to Atlanta by the break he had made in the road at Palmetto on the 28th. [McCook. find- ing the force at this place too strong and escape cut oflf by 1 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 181 this route, moved to the left and rear of the town, with Harrison's brigade in the rear. He had moved his division but a short distance, when he found a heavy force in his front. This temporary check gave the infantry time to move up to the support of Wheeler's cavalry, which greatly out- numbered the Union troops. Wheeler had with him the divisions of Armstrong, Jackson and Roddy. The pursuing cavalry now had him completely hemmed in and he was compelled to drop his captives and fight. McCook's small division, which had been greatly reduced by death and cap- ture, was in great danger of being captured. He ordered his command to prepare for action. Croxton was ordered to form his brigade in line of battle, covering a road to his right, with the Eighth Iowa on the left, the Fourth Kentucky in the center and the First Tennessee on the right. The troops were dismounted, and at the command charged forward under a hot fire, driving back the enemy on this part of the line and holding them in check. Just then a force was seen advancing in line of battle in McCook's front. Croxton was ordered to mount his bri- gade and move forward at once. This order was executed promptly and in gallant style by the Eighth Iowa, supported by the First Tennessee, in which Rose's brigade of Texas troops were driven back in great confusion, the general and a part of his staflf being captured. McCook's division was almost surrounded and all avenues of escape nearly cut ofif. The fighting was severe ; in fact, it was one series of brilliant charges and counter- charges. Lieutenant Miller, who was in command of the section of Lilly's batery, had in the two hours of hard fight- ing used up all the canister, and had only a few shells left. The enemy was fast closing in upon his guns when the First Tennessee was ordered to charge and save them if possible. The regiment raised the "y^^l/' ^^^ ^^ a- few minutes the enemy 'was sent flying to the rear. The regiment captured several prisoners in this charge, and after sending them to the rear, charged on after the flying enemy until their second 182 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT line was reached. Here the firing was very heavy, and all that saved lis was, they fired too high. The regiment was then ordered to fall back. The chances of escape now looked bad. and thoughts of a horrible prison life seemed close at hand, for only a short distance away were the well-known prison pens of Andersonville and Macon, where at that time twenty-two thousand Union soldiers were confined. ]\IcCook ordered Lieuteant Miller to destroy his two guns, which had been doing such deadly work, cut the harness to pieces and mount his men on the artillery horses. All this time the enemy was fast closing in on all sides and, so far as we could see, we were completely surrounded. McCook had put every man he had into the fight, even his escort, and then was unable to hold the advantage gained or even get through their line. IMcCook, finding his position completely enveloped by a vastly superior force, and when the day seemed lost and all hope of escape abandoned, called a council of his brigade and regimental commanders to de- cide what to do. JNIcCook spoke of their calamity and the prospect of being made prisoners, wdien Colonel Brownlow remarked that he would be d d if he would ever sur- render. "What," said McCook, "will you do? How can you help it?" "Why," said Brow^nlow, "I can and will cut my way out. I would about as soon be killed in the attempt as to be sent to Andersonville or Libby. They treat South- erners worse in those prisons than they do you Northern men, and I am going to cut my w^ay out if my men will follow me." \Mien Colonel Brownlow returned to his regiment and told the men what he proposed to do, they raised a shout and said, "You are right. Colonel : by G — d, we will follow you!" Then Brownlow went in one direction and McCook another both reaching ^Marietta about the same time. Brownlow was ordered to lead the brigade in this forlorn hope. The route selected was through a large open field, but upon ex- amination an impassable ditch was found, but, afer some TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 183 little delay Brownlow's eagle eye caught sight of a small bridge, across which he led his regiment. Croxton rode out with Colonel Brownlow, and after crossing the ravine or- dered Brownlow to form his regiment on the crest of a ridge, facing the enemy. Croxton ordered up the remainder of his brigade and sent McCook word that he was out and that the road was clear. McCook at once ordered Croxton to move south in the direction of LaGrange. but in a short time became sep- arated from his brigade. Colonel Brownlow, supposing that he was captured, assumed command and moved in the direc- tion of the Chattahoochee River. The command was badly scattered, and it seemed like the old-time adage was about to be fulfilled — "P>oys, take care of yourselves, and the devil take the hindmost man." McCook came through with detachments of the Second and Third brigades, while a portion of the Second remained with Brownlow. It was about 5 p. m., July 30, when the command left the field near Newnan, and now began a race for life. The men and horses were utterly exhausted and worn out. The men had been constantly in the saddle day and night ever since the 27th of June, with almost constant fighting and no sleep except the "forty winks" snatched while on the march. But the men were nerved up to the supreme effort by the surrounding circumstances. The Chattahoochee River, with its steep, rugged banks and swift-flowing current, with no means of crossing, was in our front and must be crossed before morning. All pris- oners and led horses were dropped before starting, and with a hostile army in our rear we made very good time during the night. Colonel Brownlow kept his weary column moving as rapidly as the circumstances would permit, and at i a. m. on the 31st reached the Chattahoochee River at Rotherwood. At this place Brownlow found two small canoes, and immediately commenced crossing his troops, which was necessarily a slow one on account of the limited means at hand. Colonel Brownlow displayed great energy and cour- v; 184 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT age on this occasion and set a noble example to his men by swimming the river time and again, helping his men to cross. Scores of the men, becoming impatient at the slow process, plunged their horses into the river and succeeded in gaining the opposite shore, while others would "grab" a horse's tail and make the poor animal perform double dut\-. ^^'hen from two to three hundred had succceeded in crossing, the enemy made an attack from both sides of the river and captured scores of men. who, from exhaustion and want of sleep, had laid down while the men in front were crossing, thinking they were in no danger. It was about seventy-nve miles from this place to Marietta, and as the greater part of the men had lost their horses at the river, the journey had to be made on foot. The route was through a hostile country, and as the news iiad gone forth that the countr}- was alive with '"Yankees" ever}- old Georgia farmer who had a gim was on the lookout for our men. The Confederate cavalry was di\-ided up into small squads and kept the country through which we traveled thoroughly guarded, making escape exceedingly doubtful. Some of the boys were captured almost in sight of the Union pickets. Others were pursued through thickets and swamps, but at last reached the Union line at [Marietta, -\mong the first to arrive was Colonel Bro\\Tilow and a small detacliment of men from different regiments. On the 2nd day of August, the boys began to come into camp, some barefooted, others without hats, but each one with a story that would fill a volume. The regiment was greatly reduced before starting on the raid, and the writer is sorry that he is unable to give the strength at that time. The First Tennessee sustained the following loss on the raid, which is very light considering the amount of sen-ice rendered : Killed — Company C. First Lieutenant John Roberts. Wounded and Captured — Company K, Bugler James Ray : Company M. Private B. F. Hously. Captured — Adjutant John 'M. Harris and Hospital MAP SH()\VIX(4 liOUTE TAKEN J5V Mct'OOK S DIVISION, In the rear of Atlanta, July, 1864. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, 185 Steward S. H. Hendrix ; Company A, Captain Moses Wiley, Privates Colby Payne and William Ward ; Company D, Pri- vates D. C. C. Brown and John Earls ; Company I, Privates William Gharst, Hug-li Davis, W. F. Williams and Jeremiah Rogers ; Company C, Corporal John A. Potter ; Company K, Lieutenant A. M. Smith and Private John Dunn; Company L, Private Jacob Collier; Company M, Farier S. R. Taylor, Privates S. J. Felknor and Jacob McNeese; Company B, Calvin Wolf. The officers were first taken to Macon and after a short stay at that place were sent to Charleston and from there to Columbia. The enlisted men were sent to Andersonville; where, after several months of suffering, some were ex- changed, while others answered to the last roll-call on earth and passed over the river and joined the vast army beyond. "Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead ! Dear as the blood ye gave; No impious footsteps here shall tread The herbage of your grave! Nor shall your glory be forgot While Fame her record keeps, Or Honor points the hallowed spot Where valor proudly sleeps." After a hasty review of the raid, no just criticism can be made of its management, for it was planned by an able gen- eral and promptly and faithfully executed by a skilful and brave general, backed and supported by gallant officers and men. It is exceedingly doubtful, however, if McCook had not waited so long at Lovejoy's Station to hear from Stoneman, that any misfortune would have overtaken his command. The valuable time lost was wisely improved by the enemy, who was rapidly concentrating his forces at Lovejoy, with Wheeler between our command and that of Stoneman. When McCook left Lovejoy for Newnan, a large force was in his rear, as well as on his flanks, so by the time his division reached Newnan it was almost sur- rounded, and nothing saved it from capture but stubborn fighting. 186 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT ArcCook, in his official report of the raid, says: "I re- gard the raid as a brilUant success, and had the forces of General Stoneman been able to unite with mine near Mc- Donough, as I understood was contemplated by the general commanding the military division, I think we might have successively carried our arms wherever we desired, and accomplished more magnificent results than any raid in the history of the war. My whole loss, killed, wounded and missing, will not exceed five hundred. It is not improper here to refer to the fact that the rebel papers acknowledge a loss of from eight to nine hundred, and severely censure their generals for not having, with their vastly superior force, entirely destroyed our whole command. In con- cluding my report, I desire to make special mention of Col- onel Brownlow, First Tennessee, and other officers of my command." '^ ''' * By the loth the most of the scattered troops had eluded their pursuers and made their way to our camp at Marietta. Stoneman's command did not fare so well. It seems that he moved direct to Macon for the purpose of releasing the Union prisoners confined there, but was unsuccessful. He went close enough to shell the town, but the place was too strongly fortified, and he withdrew a short distance, where he and several hundred of his men were captured. The remainder of his troops cut their way out and returned. Stoneman's troops, however, did considerable damage to the road. After the famous ]\IcCook raid in the rear of Atlanta, the First Tennessee lay quietly in camp at j\I arietta, enjoy- ing for a short time the first rest since the opening of the campaign. This was a very long and active campaign, last- ing for one hundred days. During a portion of the time there was almost a continuous downpour of rain, making the roads almost impassable, consequently all the movements of the army were slow and difficult. Magnificent forts and long lines of rifie-pits had been built by Johnson's army across our line of march to check TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 187 the jnvadir.s: army. These works had cost weeks of hard labor, but were all wrested from the prudent and sagacious Confederate commander, General Joseph E. Johnson. These were the fruits of months of hard, patient service and were obtained at a cost to us of hundreds of brave men. When Sherman found the works too formidable to be taken by as- sault, he resorted to his well-known "flanking business," which usually produced the desired result. The following report will give the reader an idea of the cost of war and what we were doing all this time. General J. M. Brannan, chief of artillery, Army of the Cumberland, reported the following expenditure of ammunition from May 3 to September 3 : Eighty-six thousand, six hundred and eleven rounds of artillery ammunition, and eleven mil- lion, eight hundred and fifteen thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine rounds of small-arms ammunition, used by the Army of the Cumberland alone. The official report of General W. L. Elliott, commander- in-chief of the cavalry, Army of the Cumberland, during the Atlanta campaign for the same period, shows a loss in McCook's division of eleven hundred and forty-eight officers and enlisted men, killed, wounded and missing. 188 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT CHAPTER XIV. ORDERED TO NASHVILLE — WHEELER's RAID — SHARP FIGHTING — COLONEL BRO\\NI.O\V WOUNDED — WHEELER DRIVEN ACROSS THE TENNESSEE — FORREST RETURNS BUT MEETS THE SAME FATE — THE DARING RAIDER FORCED TO FIGHT — FIGHTING BUSHWHACKERS — LIFE ALONG THE TENNES- SEE. In tlie recent raid south of Atlanta, the men composing IMcCook's division lost a great many of their horses, and as it was important that this splendid division should be fitted up and take the field with as little delay as possible, Croxton was ordered to turn over the horses belonging to his brigade for the purpose of furnishing re-mounts for the remainder of the division. This being done, he was ordered to take his brigade to Nashville for the purpose of being re-equipped and remounted. The First Tennessee moved by rail from ]\Iarietta to XasliA-ille by way of Chattanooga. The Western & Atlantic Railroad, the one over which the regiment was being trans- ported, runs through a country unsurpassed for scenery. Earthworks and new-made graves were also visible along this historic road. Nothing of special interest occurred on the way to Nashville. The regiment reached its destination without accident, and was immediately moved to Camp Smith, about three miles east of Nashville, on the Cumberland River. The First Tennessee pitched its tents at the east end of the camp. From this point we had a splendid view of the Cumberland River. This camp was in a beautiful grove of oak and poplar trees, whose wide-spreading branches made inviting places for the boys to pass away their idle moments as well as protect them from the hot ra\s of the sun. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 189 During the long summer campaign, the uniforms of the officers and men, that were once bright and new, were now faded and covered with dust. The faces of the men were bronzed by the blazing sun, and as the regiment marched through the streets of Nashville the appearance of the men indicated that they had been at the front. The Christian Commission, through its agents, visited our camp and furnished the men with many things that the government did not provide for its defenders. This grand organization did a great deal of good by furnishing the soldiers with many little useful articles, such as paper and envelopes, needles, buttons and thread. In addition to these articles, they furnished the soldiers with Bibles, Testaments and hymn-books. The duty imposed upon the regiment was very light, in fact, it was a "picnic" to us, and we began to put on style and "play soldier" again. Eighteen long months had passed by since the regiment had left Nashville and gone to the front, and during that time we were scarcely ever out of sight of the enemy's camp. With our bountiful supply of "greenbacks" we were able to purchase a great many things that our generous government did not furnish us with, such as watermelons, peaches, grapes and apples. While we were enjoying this delightful season of rest and "high living," General Joe Wheeler, our old antagonist, was on his way out from a raid through East Tennessee, and headed for Nashville. This raid furnished the opportunity for further display of gallantry on the part of Colonel Brownlow and his "fighting regiment." Croxton's brigade drew horses, and everything about our camp was put in order to meet this unexpected move- ment of Wheeler. Orders were issued to the First Tennes- see to be ready to move at a moment's notice, and to an "old soldier" that kind of an order usually meant business. Wheeler was moving toward Nashville with a large force of cavalry, and General L. H. Rousseau, who was in command 190 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT of the District of Middle Tennessee, with headquarters at Nashville, ordered Croxton to move his brigade from Camp Smith to Lavergne, a station on the Nashville & Chatta- nooga Railroad, and fifteen iniles southeast of Nashville. General Croxton moved his brigade at 6 p. m., August 31, closely followed by Rousseau, with a force of infantry. It was a beautiful night, and as we marched along the turn- pike leading to Murfreesboro, myriads of twinkling stars peeped out from a cloudless sky, furnishing sufficient light for the marching columns. The First Tennessee under Colonel Brownlow led the column, and after moving a short distance from camp, Com- pany C was ordered to the front for an advance guard. This was not the first time the First Tennessee had ever marched along the turnpikes of JMiddle Tennessee at night, neither was it a new experience to lead a marching army. As we were marching along we could see a very bright light in our front, and supposed that Wheeler was burning the depot at Lavergne. When we were within a few miles of Lavergne, Company A was sent forward to reinforce the advance guard. No singing or loud talking was allowed that night. Toward midnight, our advance struck Wheeler's pickets about two miles from Lavergne, and after a lively skirmish his pickets were driven in. Rousseau halted his command for the night, deeming it unwise to move any farther, as he knew nothing of the strength and location of the enemy. Colonel Brownlow was ordered to dismount his regiment, send his horses to the rear and build a rail barricade across the turnpike and hold his position until morning. In this midnight skirmish, Pri- vates W. A. Cannon and Zack Peay, of Company C, were W'ounded, and three horses shot. The regiments built a temporary line of works and remained in line of battle during the night, and early the next morning, September i, Colonel Brownlow was ordered to take the advance again. He led forward his regiment toward TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 191 Lavergne and in a short time engaged that portion of the enemy which he had fought during the night. The most of Wheeler's troops were in our front, and he was making a desperate attempt to hold us in check until his men could de- stroy the road. The First Tennessee continued to drive back Wheeler's troops tovv-ard Lavergne, and when near that place. Colonel Brownlow charged his advance and drove it back rapidly upon his main line, which was partly concealed by a heavy cedar grove, and after a hand-to-hand fight, in which the saber was freely used, the regiment was driven back by over- whelming numbers until the remainder of the brigade was met. Two companies of the Eighth Iowa and Company C, First Tennessee, were detached and sent on the gallop to the railroad to drive away a force that was tearing up the track. This little detachment drove in their pickets, charged upon and routed the troops that were engaged in the de- struction of the track. The enemy had fired a small bridge, but with a few canteens of water the fire was extinguished and the bridge saved. We killed one man, captured five and returned without loss to our ranks. Not until the most of Wheeler's forces were massed and hurled upon the regiment did it yield an inch, and then the enemy were not allowed to press it with impunity. Wheeler, finding himself hard pressed, left the Nashville & Chattanooga Road late in the afternoon, without doing much damage. He turned almost due west and struck the Nash- ville & Decatur Road, at Franklin. In this short but spirited engagement, the First Tennessee sustained the following loss: Killed — Company D, Sergeant Geo. W. Witt; Com- pany I, Private Samuel Broyles ; Company B, Sergeant John Hopson, Corporal Thos. L. Seal and Private Thomas Cook. Missing in Action — Company B, Claiborne Gibbs. Wounded — Company I, Private Elbert Smith; Com- pany E, Private Newton F. Smelser, severely ; Company K, Private E. S. Smith ; Company L, Privates Henry C. Fisher 192 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT and John Martin; Company B, Lieutenant Daniel S. Fox, Privates James G. Trent and Roily Maze. Corporal Robert Marsh was seriously hurt by his horse falling while making the charge. John Hopson was color sergeant of Company B, and was killed while carrying the guidon of his company. Rousseau pursued the retreating enemy rapidly from Lavcrgne, marching almost the entire night, reaching Frank- lin about daylight on the morning of the 2nd. At this place we were joined by the Second Michigan, of our brigade. This regiment had been doing guard duty for some time along the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. Wheeler had swung around Franklin and was approach- ing from the south just as Croxton's brigade was entering from the east. The two columns met on a high range of hills about one mile south of town on the turnpike leading from Franklin to Columbia. Our battery took up a position on the turnpike and opened a brisk fire on the enemy, who were just a short distance in our front. \\'heeler, seeing that we had won in the race for position, now made an attempt to turn our right flank and capture the battery that was dealing out shells, grape and canister in such great profusion. Colonel Brownlow was ordered to move his regiment at once and occupy the hill to the right of our battery and to hold it at all hazards. The regiment was moved to the foot of the hill on die gallop. Here Colonel Brownlow dis- mounted his regiment and, forming it in line of battle, moved rapidly up the steep and rocky hill. The day was exceed- ingly hot, so by the time the summit was reached we were almost exhausted. Wheeler moved his troops forward with equal promptness, so the contending forces met at the crest almost at the same moment. The firing was severe and began at close range, and in a few minutes the hill was completely enveloped in smoke. Almost at the first fire, Colonel Brownlow, while gallantly leading his men into the very ranks of the enemy, fell severely wounded, and was borne from the field amid feO^NDINW THE CHARGE A CAVALRY CAMP TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 193 a perfect tempest of bullets. A muskct-ball passed throug-h both of his legs, producing a very painful wound — a wound that almost proved fatal. He was immediately carried to the rear, where his wounds were dressed, but almost bled to death before the surgeons reached him. About the same time, Lieutenant I. B. Self, C. S., received a wound in the head, at first supposed to be mortal, but by good nursing he survived his wound and is now a prominent Cumberland Presbyterian minister. After the fall of Colonel Brownlow, Lieutenant-Colonel C. M. Dyer assumed command of the regiment, and filled the position to which he was so suddenly and unexpectedly called with that cool and conspicuous bravery that had char- acterized him on all occasions. He was a brave, true Chris- tion soldier, and the noble example he set before the brave men he was called at that trying moment to command, was worthy of emulation. The enemy made several attempts to drive the First Tennessee from its position, but the orders were, "Hold the hill, and don't give it up until ordered to do so." We fought from behind logs, trees, rocks or anything else that would afford us protection from the pelting storm of lead. The First Tennessee was not ashamed or the least bit back- ward on an occasion like this to seek the friendly protection of a stump, or a tree, in order that a valuable life might be saved. The regiment maintained its position until the left had been repulsed and driven back almost in its rear, when Croxton ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Dyer to fall back. The regiment fell back in splendid order, and it is a fact worthy of remark that the enemy in its front were so severely punished that they did not pursue as it withdrew. Croxton moved his brigade back a short distance and took up a new position, which he held until the arrival of Rous- seau and his infantry. Wheeler remained in our front until late in the afternoon, when he withdrew and 4noved south. The First Tennessee sustained the following loss : Killed and Mortally Wounded — Company A, James 194 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Martin, mortally wounded, died Nov. 5 ; Company D, Cor- poral Robert B. Cook. IVoundcd — Colonel James P. Brownlow, severely; Com- pany D, Lieutenant I. B. Self, C. S., and John W. Legg, severely; Company E, William Fletcher; Company M, C. M. Fellers. In this engagement the First Tennessee was confronted by the Fourth Tennessee, Eighth and Eleventh Texas Cav- alry, of Kelley's division. Among those who fell on the Con- federate side and in front of the First Tennessee, was Brig- adier-General J. H. Kelley, one of Wheeler's brave and trusted division commanders. While we were engaged at Franklin, Atlanta, one of the most important cities of the Confederacy, fell into our hands, together with its extensive mills and foundries. The First Tennessee had contributed three months of hard and dis- tinguished service toward its capture, but was ordered away before it fell. There was considerable sharp skirmishing during the afternoon, in fact, it continued until darkness enveloped both armies and shut out from view the contending forces. Rous- seau's troops camped on the field during the night, and early the next morning he pushed his column toward Columbia, in search of Wheeler, who had retreated south during the night, under cover of darkness. General Rousseau, not being detained by engagements or burnt bridges during the day, marched his army in the vicinity of Columbia and bivouacked for the night. At this place, Wheeler scattered his troops for the purpose of mis- leading the pursuing column, consequently the greater part of the 4th was spent in trying to ascertain the route his main force had taken. Late in the afternoon, Croxton was ordered to advance with his brigade toward Pulaski, halting for the night about six miles from Columbia. The pursuit was resumed early on the morning of the 5th, and when near a small hamlet called Campbellsville, Croxton overtook a portion of Wheeler's force, and a lively TENNESSEE VOI,UNTEER CAVALRY. 195 engagement ensued. Wheeler had taken up a strong position in an extensive beech forest, which afforded great protection to his men. The artillery was run up and opened a brisk fire on the enemy. At the same time, Croxton moved his bri- gade forward in line of battle and soon the whole line was warmly engaged. Rousseau's troops were too far in the rear to be of any benefit to Croxton, consequently his small brigade was alone, contending against the most of Wheeler's troops. Finding it impossible to dislodge Wheeler from the position he had taken, Croxton ordered the First Tennessee, under Lieu- tenant-Colonel Dyer, to charge him with the saber. In the execution of this order the First Tennessee was compelled to charge across an open field under a brisk fire. But the regiment never failed to execute an order, and on this occasion, with its accustomed gallantry, charged upon the enemy with the saber, cutting and slashing right and left, breaking his line and driving him from the woods. The remainder of Croxton's brigade advanced, and soon Wheeler's troops were routed and sent flying southward. The casualties in the First Tennessee were as follows : Killed and Mortally Wounded — Company F, John H. Shaver; Company C, Sergeant J. L. Geasland, mortally wounded, died in hospital at Nashville, Sept. 30; Company K, Harrison Key; Company L, John W. Pettitt and W. H. Osmit. IVounded — Company A, James Harris ; Company F, Geo. W. Black, Peter Henry and Nathaniel Spencer; Com- pany I, A. J. Kelly, severely wounded and captured ; Com- pany C, James R. Chambless ; Company M, Harvey Bales. In this charge, Sergeant J. B. Clapp, of Company C, had the misfortune of having his horse shot from under him. He was carrying the regimental flag, and in falling his right leg was caught under his horse. The plucky sergeant man- aged to extricate himself with the loss of one boot and a few bruises, but saved the colors. This was the last stand made by Wheeler. Finding him- 196 HISTORY OF F'IRST REGIMENT self closclv pursued, he withdrew and moved rapidly through Pulaski, and after an exciting chase he succeeded in cross- ing the Tennessee River near Rodgersville, Alabama. The loss inflicted to our railroads was very light, and so closely was Wheeler pursued that not a single place of any im- portance was captured, and on the whole his raid was not a very great success. After Wheeler had been driven across Tennessee River, General Croxton's brigade was ordered to Franklin, where a camp was laid out. This camp was southeast of town, near Harpeth River, and in a beautiful grove of oaks and elms. This was one of the prettiest camps that the regiment had ever laid out. The tents were put up in parallel rows, with wide streets between each company. Pretty arbors were put up in front to break the force of the sun. We were not permitted to enjoy this beautiful camp very long. It is said that Hood was very much disappointed at the light damage inflicted upon the railroads by Wheeler, and determined to send another raiding party to more fully destroy the roads that were supplying Sherman's army. For- rest at once set about organizing a force of at least ten thousand men for this purpose. He crossed the Tennessee River at Waterloo, Alabama, September 20, and moved upon the Nashville & Decatur Road, striking it first at Athens. Here, after considerable skirmishing and maneuvering, Forrest succeeded in capturing the place, with the garrison, a portion of it being a small detachment of the Third Ten- nessee Cavalry. The bold raider pushed north and on the 25th captured the garrison and burned the long trestle at Sulphur Branch. At this place, the remainder of the Third Tennessee Cavalry was surrounded and captured, after a brave defense of this important place. Forrest, elated with his success thus far, now moved on toward Pulaski, destroy- ing some small bridges and several miles of track. All this lime Rousseau was collecting and concentrat- ing his scattered forces at Pulaski to head ofif Forrest and stop his march north. General Croxton's brigade was TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 197 pushed forward from Franklin and by the time Forrest reached Pulaski he found Rousseau there with a force, awaiting his coming, so he turned to the right to avoid an engagement, but was met on the east side of town and com- pelled to fight. There was some sharp fighting during the 27th around Pulaski, and at night Forrest drew oflf. The loss in the regi- ment was : Killed — Company L, C. G. Montgomery. Wounded — Company L, Eli Cleveland. Forrest was very much astonished and perplexed to find such a large force in his front, for it was his intention to strike the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad with his whole force ; but, having learned that a much heavier force was in his front than he wished to meet, changed his direction and divided his forces. A portion of Forrest's command succeeded in reaching the Nashville & Chattanooga Road near Tullahoma, where the track for a short distance was destroyed and the wires cut. General Forrest, with the remainder of his command, moved to our rear in the direction of Columbia, but we were pushing him so close that he made no attack. He still moved north and at Spring Hill he destroyed the track by turning it down an embankment. Forrest was unable to move any further north, as there were four columns closing in upon him. The daring raider now turned southwest and passed through Lawrenceburg. On the 6th day of October, we overtook his rear guard at Cypress Creek, Alabama, and after a brisk skirmish he fled and made his escape by cross- ing the Tennessee River at Bainbridge. This was the second time inside of a month that we had assisted in driving the enemy out of our State and across the beautiful Tennessee. In this skirmish, L. C. H. Long, Company A, was wounded and captured. The chief object of these raids was for the purpose of destroying the railroads and burning bridges, but the damage 198 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT was so slight that it only took a short time to place the road again in running order. So, after long and weary marches and hard fighting, the State was once more rid of the raiders, and all eftorts to baffle Sherman in his preparations for his grand niarch to the sea were at an end. On the loth. the regiment and brigade took up the line of march for Pulaski, by way of Florence and Lexington. We remained only a few days, however, at Pulaski. From this place, Croxton moved his brigade to the Tennessee River, and during the remainder of the month it was en- gaged in guarding the ferries from Muscle Shoals to Flor- ence. In addition to this duty, we maintained a courier line between our camp and Pulaski. The First Tennessee camped for a short time at Center Star and Blue Water Creek. The citizens in this part of Alabama were very hostile toward the Union soldiers, and large numbers armed themselves and turned out to be regu- lar "bushwhackers." They would hide in some secluded spot and when the couriers came riding by these midnight murderers would fire upon them. During the remainder of October the regiment lost in killed and wounded as follows : Killed — Company L, W. G. B. Williams. IVoiDidcd — Company A, Nathaniel Robinson ; Com- pany K, Cornelius Smith ; Company L, Charles \'. Orton, ^severel}-. Shortly after the fall of Atlanta, Jefferson Davis, the Southern president, left Richmond and came south to confer with his generals in regard to the next campaign, and also to arouse his soldiers to greater activity, and, if possible, remove that despondent feeling that Hood's army had fallen into since the removal of Johnson. At this meeting, Hood outlined his proposed plan, which was to throw his whole force upon Sherman's long line of communication and de- stroy it, thereby forcing him to abandon his "march to the sea," and again transfer the seat of war to Tennessee. The plan was approved, and as Hood seemed to be full TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 199 of pluck and enterprise, all eyes were centered upon him. He at once set about putting his army "in trim" for — as it proved to be — his last campaign. It was some little time after Hood began his march north before Sherman was able to determine at what point he would strike his line first. When General Sherman became thoroughly convinced that Hood was going toward Tennessee, he sent General George H. Thomas, that grand old hero, the "Rock of Chickamauga," who never lost a battle, back to Nashville to organize a force sufficiently large to crush Hood at the proper time. Two divisions of the Sixteenth Corps, under General A. J. Smith, then in Missouri ; the Fourth Corps, under General D. S. Stanley ; the Twenty-third Corps, under General J. M. Schofield, and the two remaining brigades of McCook's division of cavalry of Sherman's army, were sent to Thomas. While Hood was busy getting ready for his northern campaign, Sherman was also making preparations for his grand march from Atlanta to the sea, and when he became fully satisfied that Hood was on his way into Tennessee, he cut the wires, burned the bridges in his rear, and on the 15th day of November he left Atlanta, and of him President Lincoln said : "W^e know where he went in, but no one can tell where he will come out." Hood began his march the first of October. He entered the campaign full of hope, and with his large army he ex- pected to move in the rear of Sherman's army and destroy his long line of communication, and as far as possible feed his army on captured supplies. Hood also entertained the hope that this move north would arouse the "old-time" war spirit in Tennessee and Kentucky, and that thousands would flock to his standard, and with this additional force he could sweep north to the Ohio River, if he desired to do so. Sherman followed Hood as far north as Dalton, but did not propose to give up his hold on Georgia or be led ofif upon a "wild goose chase" if he could prevent it. Toward the last of October, Hood moved his army westward to Summer- 200 HISTORY OF FfRST REGIMENT ville and Decatur. At the latter place he expected to cross the Tennessee River, but finding the place too strongly fortified, he now turned west and moved along the south side of the river to Tuscumbia, Ala. Croxton's small brigade was the only troops on this wing of the Union army, and at this time the total effective strength was about one thousand men, well officered, well equipped, and good "fighters." This veteran brigade was entrusted with the arduous duty of guarding the ferries and crossings for twelve or fifteen miles along the Tennessee River; and many weary days and nights were spent by the men of the First Tennessee in watching the movements of Hood's troops on the opposite shore, as they went "nosing" about, trying to find a good and suitable place to cross. By great activity and watchfulness on the part of this brigade, every movement of the enemy and every indication of his intention were promptly reported to General Thomas, the nearest telegraph station being at Pulaski. The mosqui- toes gave us almost as much trouble as Hood's men. They were very friendly and excellent foragers, but invariably wanted their "meals" free, and if they ever caught a fellow napping they went for him v»-ith all their might. The muscadine, a fruit resembling the grape, was found in great abundance along the Tennessee River, and the First Tennessee enjoyed many great feasts from this delicious f^uit. which grew spontaneously in the rich bottoms border- ing on the river. Though we were in the State of Alabama, yet we were guarding the crossings of our own beautiful Tennessee, whose waters were gathered from the hills and A*alleys of our own East Tennessee. Near Bridgeport, the Tennessee River leaves the State and. turning almost due south, enters Alabama and runs "away down" into the State, then, turning northwest, again re-enters Tennessee a short distance below Waterloo, Alabama. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 201 CHAPTER XV. HOOD CROSSES THE TENNESSEE — RACE WITH SCHOFIELD — HATCH FLOGS FORREST AT CAMPBELLSVILLE — WILSON AT DUCK RIVER — NIGHT MARCH TO FRANKLIN — PREPARA- TIONS FOR BATTLE. On the 29th of October, the advance of Hood's army drove back Croxton's cavalry at Florence, Alabama, and in the afternoon of the same day attempted to lay their pon- toon bridge, but as the fire of the Union cavalry was so hot, the further attempt was delayed until darkness set in. Dur- ing the night the bridge was completed and on the morning of the 30th, Johnson's division of Lee's corps crossed over and threw up a line of works. Croxton, finding that the whole of Hood's army was in his front at Florence, fell back behind Shoal Creek, picketing heavily on the road leading to Florence. Early on the morn- ing of November 5, the First Tennessee, under Lieutenant- Colonel Dyer, was sent out to reconnoiter the enemy's posi- tion on the road leading to Florence, and when about three miles from camp, the advance guard of the regiment was met and driven back by a column of rebel infantry. We learned afterwards that this was Johnson's division of Lee's corps. Lieutenant-Colonel Dyer retired slowly, disputing every foot of ground, and on reaching Shoal Creek the regiment moved to the north side and was formed in line of battle to the left of the road. General Croxton heard the sharp firing of the First Tennessee, and on reaching Shoal Creek we found the bri- gade and two 12-pound Howitzers in line of battle along the north bank of the creek. The name of the battery I can- not now recall, but think it was a United States batterv. 202 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT About 9:30 a. m., the enemy appeared on the opposite side of the creek, when our guns opened a rapid fire on them. The Confederates responded with six guns, and soon the air was full of flying missiles. The enemy's skirmishers repeatedly advanced to the bank of the creek, but our fire was so rapid and destructive that they were unable to cross, and were compelled to fall back and seek shelter in the woods. Hood's men, already feeling good over their success in crossing the Tennessee without serious opposition, now moved up in force, and attempted to cross, but our fire was so hot they fell back. But the artillery on both sides kept up the fire. Hood's men were so severely punished during the fore- noon that they made no further attempt to force a crossing in our front. The artillery on both sides kept up a rapid and vigorous fire from commanding positions, while shot and shell went flying thick and fast across the stream, the Union guns maintaining the unequal contest with great courage. Johnson, believing that there was a large force in his front, and being unable to efifect a crossing on the main road, sent two brigades to a ford on our left, near the mouth of Shoal Creek, where they crossed. This move forced Crox- ton to abandon his position and fall back. The enemy had almost gained our rear before he was discovered, conse- quently it was a hair-breadth escape all around. V When Croxton found that his left flank was turned, he ordered his brigade to fall back to the road. The First Ten- nessee was on the left of the brigade and in line along the north bank of the creek, with a thick growth of scrubby timber in its rear. The Fourth Kentucky was to our right, and Vv^as fighting dismounted. The Second Michigan and Eighth Iowa were still further to our right. When we began to fall back, the enemy immediately plunged into the stream and followed close upon our heels. On reaching the road, Croxton was compelled to halt the First Tennessee and Fourth Kentucky for the purpose of checking the enemy long enough to let the other two regi- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVAERY. 203 ments and battery get to the road. The enemy soon emerged from the woods we had just left and moved on the quick step toward our thin line of battle. As they approached, the First Tennessee and Fourth Kentucky gave them a vol- ley, which for the moment staggered their line, and during this temporary check Croxton ordered his brigade to retire. Just as we reached the road our battery went dashing by, under "whip and spur," the enemy not being over fifty yards away, but could do but little with empty muskets in their hands. Croxton fell back a short distance and took up a new position near Sugar Creek. In this engagement the First Tennessee sustained a very small loss, a loss that the writer is unable to account for, as the regiment was in the engage- ment from beginning to end. It was one of the many lucky escapes for the regiment. Company B lost one man, Ser- geant Robert A. Trent. He was reported as "missing in action," and supposed to have been killed. Robert Adair, Company C, was severely wounded. This brave and gallant soldier received his fourth wound in this engagement, besides being hit with a spent ball on the retreat from Cumberland Gap, in 1862. Just as the order was given to fall back, he was struck in the left breast with a musket ball, which passed through his body, producing, as we thought, a mortal wound. Almost at the same moment his horse was killed, and both went down together. The Confederates were advancing, and were not fifty yards away, when Sergeant James B. Clapp and the writer dismounted, picked up their wounded comrade, who seemed more dead than alive, and placed him on the horse behind his brother. We then hurriedly mounted our horses and all escaped without further injury, amid a shower of lead. But, strange to say, this iron soldier sur- vived his wound and is at this date an honored citizen of Knox county, but much shattered in health. During the night the enemy recrossed the stream, and Croxton's pickets re-occupied the line at Shoal Creek. During our stay at this place the Presidential election 204 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT of 1864 took place amid these stirring events, and the boys in blue were given an opportunity of expressing their choice between the opposing candidates. The Republicans had re- nominated Abraham Lincoln for President and Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, for Nice-President, while the Demo- crats selected as their candidate for President. General Geo. B. IMcClellan, and for \'ice-President, Geo. H. Pendleton. After the votes had been counted and the result announced, there was great rejoicing in camp over the result, as Abra- ham Lincoln had received almost the unanimous vote of Croxton's brigade. Hood was compelled to wait until sufficient supplies could be collected to warrant the opening of an active cam- paign. This delay was of the greatest importance to Thomas, as it gave him more time to collect his scattered forces, with which he was expected to drive Hood from Tennessee. Hood's field returns, dated November 16, 1864, show an aggregate force present of forty-four thousand, eight hun- dred and thirty-two. These returns do not include Forrest's cavalry, at least nine thousand strong, which at that time was absent on a raid along the Tennessee River, but rejoined Hood before he started on his campaign. Hood entered Tennessee with three corps of infantry and one of cavalry, commanded respectively by Cheatham, Stewart, Lee and Forrest, and it is safe to say that his arniy ^ numbered at least fifty thousand men, while Thomas did not have exceeding twenty-seven thousand men, of all arms, confronting Hood, until Nashville was reached. General Edward Hatch, with the Fifth Division of Cav- alry, was sent to Sugar Creek to reinforce Croxton's brigade, and, being the ranking officer present, assumed command of all the cavalry at that place. There was sharp picket fighting in our front. Our scouts having learned that Hood's entire army was now on the north side, all the roads leading toward the enemy's camp were blockaded with fallen timber, so as to delay hmi as much as possible. Rafts were sent down the river to break TENNESSEE VOT^UNTEER CAVALRY. 205 his bridges, but we never knew whether they were broken or not. On the 19th, Hatch moved the most of his division out toward Shoal Creek, where he met Forrest, with a large force, moving along the west side. Coon's brigade, of Hatch's division, crossed and attacked Forrest, but was forced to re-cross the stream after some sharp fighting. This move developed the fact that Hood's entire army was moving north. Hood believed that the most of Sherman's army was with him in Georgia, and all that he would have to contend with would be hundred-day men, convalescent troops and government employes. The great race began on the 20th, and after the little "set-to" at Franklin, Hood became con- vinced that he must have been mistaken and that if hundred- day men and convalescent troops could do such fighting, it would be impossible to whip Thomas's veterans. On the 20th, Hatch concentrated his troops at Lexing- ton, and the next day moved to Lawrenceburg, Croxton's brigade acting as rear guard. Early on the morning of the 23rd, the enemy drove in our pickets, but we held the town during the day, repulsing all charges made by his dis- mounted cavalry. Late in the afternoon they brought up their artillery and shelled us vigorously. General Thomas sent Schofield to Pulaski, with orders to take command of all the troops that were confronting Hood. The nearest in- fantry force to us was at Pulaski, but as Hood was pur- suing us on a road almost parallel to the one from Pulaski to Columbia, the place was evacuated and the troops ordered to Columbia. Hood, knowing the country well, did not confine his marching columns to one road. Lawrenceburg is sixteen miles west of Pulaski and thirty-three from Columbia, and as the greater part of Hood's army seemed to be advancing on the same road over which Hatch was moving, it was important that his army be delayed as much as possible, to allow Schofield's troops and wagon-train to reach Columbia first. 206 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT The weather, which up to this time had been warm and pleasant, now changed, and rain, sleet and snow fell, making our marches and bivouacs unpleasant. Hood was a "hard pusher" as well as a "bold fighter," and hoped by a rapid march to get in Schofield's rear before his troops could reach. Duck River, and this was only prevented by a hard night's march. If Hood had won in the race for Columbia, the Union amiv would have been entirely at his mercy, and the capture of Xashville assured. Hatch withdrew his troops from Lawrenceburg and moved back toward Colum- bia, with Croxton's brigade covering his rear. During the day there were several brisk encounters as the enemy kept pressing our rear guard, but at no time were they able to "produce a panic." Thus the day wore away — fighting and falling back. There is one thing that can be truthfully said about Hood. He was the only Confederate general who could make his infantry keep up with his cav- alry on the march. We almost invariably found Forrest well supported by infantry. On the 25th, as Hatch was approaching Campbellsville, Forrest forced a battle on him, and for his "impudence" he was thoroughly and soundly whipped, and without further molestation Hatch moved his troops to Columbia, where our little army once more faced about to confront the foe. Col- umbia is a beautiful place, surrounded by rich and fertile fields and situated upon the south bank of Duck River, which ^at this place flows almost west, with numerous fords above and below town. A heavy line of works was thrown up in front of Colum- bia, with a view of checking the enemy and to hold the place. It was Thomas's intention to meet Hood and offer battle at this place, but his force was so small that he aban- doned the idea and gave instructions to Schofield to delay Hood as long as possible without endangering his command. The cavalry was ordered to the north side of the river and distributed above and below Columbia for the purpose of guarding the fords and watching Schofield's flanks. Crox- TENNESSEE VOUTNTEER CAVALRY. 207 ton's brig-ade and a portion of Hatch's division held the fords above Coliiml)ia, the latter extcndinf,^ his line as far east as the crossing of the Lewisbursj and Franklin turnpike. When Hood approached Columbia and found Schofield in posses- sion, he deployed his troops and moved up toward the Union works, but made no attack. At this place, Croxton'r, brigade was assigned tempor- arily to the Sixth Division of Cavalry, commanded by Gen- eral R. W. Johnson, and remamed in his division until Nash- ville was reached. In Johnson's report for the month of November, we find the following: "Brigadier-General Croxton, with his fine brigade of the First Cavalry Division, was also placed under my command. Of the operations of General Croxton 's brigade during the short time he was under my command, I shall not attempt particularly to speak, though I desire to observe that upon all occasions both General Croxton and the officers and soldiers of his command conducted themselves in a manner becoming the high reputation which both he and they deservedly enjoy." On the 26th, there was heavy artillery firing and some very sharp skirmishing in front of Columbia, but no general attack was made. In the meantime, Schofield sent part of his troops to the north side, with orders to entrench, but as this side of the river is much lower, this position was com- pletely commanded by the hills on the south bank. The 27th was comparatively quiet at Columbia, and that quietness there meant great activity on some other part of our line. While we were holding the fords and crossings along Duck River, east of Columbia, General James H. Wilson, our new chief of cavalry, reached us. He was relieved from the command of the Third Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, for the purpose of taking command of Gen- eral Sherman's cavalry. The cavalry was too much scat- tered and entirely too busy to receive him in the manner that his rank demanded, but he set a noble example to his troops by remaining at the front and sharing the hardships and dangers with his men. 208 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT All the afternoon of the 27th we could see troops marchings east along the opposite side of the river. This information was immediately sent to Schofield at Columbia. Hood left two divisions of Lee's corps and all of his artil- lery in front of Columbia, and with the remainder of his army moved to his ri,<:;^lit, with a view of turning Schofield's position. On the morning of the 28th, Forrest made several attempts to cross at different fords between Columbia and the Lewisburg turnpike, but was unsuccessful. Later in the day he massed his troops at Huey's Mill, about seven miles east of Columbia, drove back the pickets and began crossing. General Wilson at once notified Schofield of the enemy's movement, and suggested the immediate evacuation of Columbia, as he believed that Hood, once across, could beat him to Franklin — and subsequent events proved that Scho- tield had delayed the withdrawal of his troops one day too long. Croxton's brigade was some distance below where Forrest crossed, and as it was in great danger of being out- ranked and captured, ^\'ilson ordered Croxton to fall back. Hood laid his pontoons at Davis' Ford, five miles east of Columbia, late in the afternoon of the 28th, and early the next morning his army began crossing. Wilson fell back to Rally Hill, where he held the enemy in check during the evening, but was tmable to concentrate his scattered troops until Hurt's Cross Roads was reached. From Rally HIill, a turnpike runs northwest to Spring Hill, and along this road Hood led his army in person the next day. With Schofield's small force at Columbia, it looked like he might as well try to dam up Duck River with a fish net as to check Hood's army. The road over which his army was to retreat was badly blockaded with wagons, but a greater obstacle than this was in his way just then. The most of Hood's army was across Duck River as soon as Schofield was, and stood ready to march toward Spring Hill on a shorter route. With all these obstacles in the way, it will be seen that Schofield's situation at Columbia was extremely perilous. n: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 209 and he was led to believe himself that he had delayed the evacuation of Columbia at least one day too long. All com- munication between Schofield and Wilson was cut off. Croxton's brigade reached the Lewisburg turnpike at Rally Hill about dark, and was immediately formed in line of battle across the road to check the enemy until all the scat- tered troops could close up. Wilson held his position at Rally Hill, on the Lewisburg turnpike, until after dark on the 28th, and then fell back and bivouacked near Hurt's Cross Roads. During the night, Buford joined Forrest, and early the next morning he moved against Wilson with all of his cav- alry. But Wilson made a brave and determined resistance, putting Croxton's brigade in the rear, with orders to contest every foot of ground. Wilson began to fall back along the Lewisburg turnpike, and just after passing Hurt's Cross Roads, Forrest made a fierce attack on our rear guard. Croxton dismounted the First Tennessee and Second Michi- gan, and ordered them to build a line of barricades across the turnpike, but before the last rail and log were laid on, Forrest drove in the skirmishers and charged upon our works. As his men approached our line, the two regiments opened such a rapid fire upon his troops that they broke and fled to the rear, leaving several dead and wounded in our front. We mounted and fell back, still pursued by Forrest, but after this he was very shy of barricades. The onlv cas- ualties in the First Tennessee were : Private Harvey San- didge, of Company L, wounded, and B. Taylor, of Company G, missing — supposed to be killed. As Wilson approached Mount Carmel, his leading bri- gade — Coon's — was attacked in front by a portion of For- rest's cavalry, who had gained his front by hard marching, but was repulsed and driven ofif with severe loss. About 10 a. m., Croxton's brigade reached Mount Carmel and passed inside our lines. At this place the turnpike leading from Spring Hill to Murfreesboro crosses the Lewisburg turn- pike. Croxton's veteran brigade had gallantly covered the 210 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT retreat to this place, and during that time there was hard and ahnost continued skirmishing-, as the enemy kept press- ing forward with great energy, and made several attempts to push around and strike our column in flank. Forrest left the most of his troops at jNIount Carmel. to hold Wilson, and with the remainder moved to the left toward Spring Hill, ten miles west on the Franklin and Columbia turnpike, where he attempted the destruction of our large wagon-train. Hood was moving rapidly along the Rally Hill turnpike, toward Spring Hill, with Cleburne's division of Cheatham's corps in advance. Wilson's cavalry had been driven back to Mount Carmel. Schofield was still at Columbia, but when he learned that Hood, with the n^.ost of his army, was moving toward his rear, he at once ordered Stanley, with the Fourth Corps, to Spring Hill. All the wagons had been sent back to Spring Hill, and Stanlev arrived there just in time to save them, as Forrest had moved with the remainder of his cavalry and driven in a small force of cavalry that was holding Spring Hill. Cheatham heard Stanley's cannon and hurried forward Cle- burne's division, followed by the remainder of his corps. Cleburne dashed upon Stanley's men like a mad man, but was repulsed with severe loss. There was desperate fighting all the afternoon, but Stanley held the place and saved our wagons. Toward night the fighting ceased, and Hood's army lay ^in line of battle near the turnpike. The day closed with the Union army badly scattered. Part of the Twenty-third Corps was still at Columbia, with a portion of the Fourth Corps in supporting distance ; the remainder of the two corps was at Spring Hill with Stanley ; the cavalry under Wilson was on Stanley's left, near Mount Carmel. All of Hood's army was with him at Spring Hill except his artillery and the two divisions of Lee's corps, which were still at Colum- bia. Hood was no doubt puzzled and hardly knew what to make of the heavy firing he heard at Columbia. General Cox, with his division, left Columbia at dark and by hard marching reached Spring Hill near midnight. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 211 As Cox's weary troops were marching along near Spring Hill, the camp-fires of Hood's army were dimly burning only a short distance away. As the Union troops were marching by, Hood was notified of the fact, and he sent one division to check the movement, but as the night was dark and the commander not being familiar with the ground over which he was to move, the enterprise failed. There was some light skirmishing during the night, but by daylight Schofield's army had passed the "danger line" and was now in front instead of the rear. It was evi- dent that someone had blundered, and the responsibility must be shifted upon some subordinate. General Pat Cleburne, one of Hood's bravest and most trusted division com- manders, was severely criticised, and even Cheatham, one of his corps commanders, did not escape censure. Cleburne, smarting under the reprimand of his commander, rushed into the battle the next day and laid down his life upon the bloody field of Franklin. Hood was present upon the field during the fighting around Spring Hill, and could see that all of his orders were properly and faithfully executed and that per- haps no one erred but himself. The heavy wagon-train was pushed out of Spring Hill during the night, followed by Schofield's troops, the last leaving at daylight on the 30th. Wilson's cavalry still held the Lewisburg turnpike, and during the night reached Franklin. The only works at Franklin at this time was Fort Grainger, a small fort built a year before, on a high elevation on the north bank of Harpeth River, for the purpose of protecting the railroad bridge and track, which runs almost parallel with the river some distance south. The guns of this fort completely commanded the town and the entire battlefield, and during the engagement on the afternoon of the 30th enfiladed Stewart's line and did fearful execution to his troops as they moved forward to the assault. It was about noon when the advance of Hood's army approached Franklin. Hood halted his weary troops some little distance out for a short rest and to allow his columns to close up. All morning there was great activity among 212 HISTORY OF FIRST RlXIMENT those who were in charge of our lar^e wagon-train. There were two bridges over which they were crossing, ami the shouts of the teamsters, the rattle and rumbling of the wagons, could be heard some distance, and occasionally some thoughtless fellow would get excited and let out a big word that was in direct violation of the Third Commandment. As the troops came up they were assigned positions in the line. Wilson's cavalry was placed on the left of the I'nion lino, with Croxton's brigade on the right. The Lewisburg turnpike, as it approaches Franklin, runs par- allel with the Franklin aiul Columbia turnpike until it reaches the llarpeth River, tlicn it turns almost duo west and runs almost parallel with the river to where it crosses the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. The grountl south of Franklin, between the Lewisburg turnpike and the railroad, was at the time of the battle covered with timber, which furnished some protection for Stewart's infantry and For- rest's cavalry. Hood evidently intended to move a portion of his army along this route for the purpose of turning Schofield's left, but in this attempt he "struck a snag." Stewart's corps and Forrest's cavalry, when foruKxl for the attack. heUl this part of Hood's line, and in the grand move met with stubborn resistance from the two advance regi- ments of Croxton's brigade. Schofield, with his advance, reached Franklin about daylight, and by noon his entire command had reached the tbwn. Schofield selected a position on a slight elevation a short distance in front of Franklin, and early in the morn- ing picks and shovels were distributed and his weary troops began throwing up a single line of works, which com- pletely encircled the town in front, with each end extending to the river. The Harpeth River at this place makes a big bend northward, while the Union line curved outward, and in this bend the little town of Franklin, which \\as about to become historic, and its people to witness one of the most desperate struggles of the war, is located. Franklin is on the south side of the river, and was entirely withm the Union lines. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 213 CHAPTER XVI. BATTLE or FRANKLIN — HOOD ASSAULTS THE UNION LINES REPULSED WITH GREAT SLAUGHTER — HIS LOSS IN OF- FICERS UNEQUALED IN THE WAR — DESPERATE FIGHTING — GENERAL STANLEY WOUNDED — SCHOFIELD WITHDRAWS IN THE NIGHT — HE REACHES NASHVILLE. The building' of earthworks was no new experience for Schofield's veterans, and when the picks and shovels were passed along the line the dirt "fairly flew," and soon a long line of rifle-pits was thrown up, and then the exhausted troops lay down and "snatched" a few hours of sleep. Where the line of works crossed the Franklin and Columbia turnpike the full width of the roadway was left open to allow the wagons and artillery to pass through in double lines, while a few rods in the rear a re-trenched line was built across the turnpike to command the opening and its approach. An old cotton-gin near the line of works was torn down and the timber used for head-logs. This hastily constructed line of works was held by the following troops from right to left : Kimball's division, Fourth Corps ; Rugers' and Reilly's division, Twenty-third Corps. Opdycke's brigade of Elliott's division. Fourth Corps, having covered the retreat from Spring Hill the previous night, was halted just in the rear of the Union works on the Franklin and Columbia turnpike. This splen- did brigade was composed of seven regiments, and was ordered to fight where its gallant commander thought it was needed the worst. Subsequent events proved that this bri- gade was halted at the right place, and its heroic fighting no doubt saved the day. Five batteries of artillery were also placed in the line. Wood's division, Fourth Corps, crossed 214 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT to the north side, and continued the hne on Reilly's left, and to act as a reserve to either Hank. Then came Wilson's cav- alry, with Croxton's brigade of ^NlcCook's division next to Wood. Hatch's and Johnson's divisions were still on the left of Croxton. But let us now follow the First Tennessee on the morn- ing- of the 30th. As stated in the preceding chapter. Crox- ton's brigade was ordered to the south side early in the morning, with orders to take an advanced position near Douglass Church, on the Lewisburg turnpike. The First Tennessee and Second Michigan were thrown well out to the front to watch the movements of the enemy. During the morning everything was quiet save an occasional shot on the skirmish line. Toward noon, the advance of Forrest's cav- alry moved up and made an attack on Croxton's two ad- vanced regiments. The position of the two regiments was well chosen, there being a small stream in front which the enemy must cross before reaching us. and on their first advance they met with so hot a fire that they were forced to fall back. They were quickly re-formed, and advanced again, but not a man crossed that stream. Once more Forrest re-fonned his broken lines, and. with a loud "rebel yell." rode straight for our line, but the fire from the revolving rifles of the Second Michigan and the breech-loading carbines of the l^irst Tennessee was so hot that Forrest made no further attempt to force us back, and all became quiet again. For- rest was severely punished, and his loss must have been heavy, for at each volley we could see men and horses go down — some never to rise again. At I p. m.. Croxton ordered his two advanced regi- ments to fall back to the line selected by him. This line was in the woods, and extended across the Lewisburg turnpike, with the left resting on Harpeth River. Major D. W. Sanders, Adjutant-General of French's division. Stewart's corps, in an article on the battle of Franklin, says: "Stewart's corps marched on a dirt road TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, 215 east of the Columbia pike to De Graffenreid's, on the Lewis- burg pike, and completely turned the flank of the enemy's force, which were seen in line from the Winstead Hills. As a consequence, the enemy withdrew his troops from that positioii. * * * Stewart formed his line of battle one and a quarter miles southeast of Franklin, with Buford's and Jackson's divisions of cavalry on his right, extending east from the Lewisburg pike, with Looring, Walthlall and French's division on the left, and moved from DeGrafifen- reid's to the woodland south of McGavock's residence. When Stewart's line was formed, Buford and Jackson drove Wilson's cavalry beyond McGavock's and east from the Lewisburg pike across the Harpeth River." '*' * * At 2 p. m., Croxton's brigade was attacked by both infantry and cavalry, and after a brave resistance was forced to retire to the north side of the river. Croxton had scarcely reached the north bank when the pickets higher up the river reported that the enemy's cavalry was crossing at different places. Forrest, with the divisions of Buford and Jackson, had made one of his bold moves in order that he might gain our rear and destroy the large train, which was already in motion foi; Nashville. Wilson immediately hurled Crox- ton's brigade and Hatch's division upon him, realizing the great importance of keeping him on the south side, and after some severe fighting he was driven across the river with heavy loss. This was a bold and daring move, and if he had suc- ceeded in gaining Schofield's rear, it would have caused the withdrawal of a portion of Schofield's troops to meet this movement of Forrest. But Wilson was equal to the emer- gency and, realizing the importance of holding this part of the Union line, threw his whole force along the north bank, and during the remainder of the day kept Forrest on the south side of Harpeth River. During the afternoon there was some sharp fighting along our front, but at no time was Forrest able to effect a crossing. Wilson felt confident that he could now hold his position if Schofield could only take care of himself against the combined attack of Hood's troops. 216 HISTORY OF JflRST REGIMENT While we were busy on this wing of our army, Hood was forming his troops in Hne of battle for the desperate struggle that was about to take place. The battle was fought in full view of each other, and at the same time each com- mander, from his position, could witness the battle and the movements of his men. Eighteen veteran brigades of in- fantry, with cavalry on the flanks, under Cheatham and Stewart, were formed in line and stood ready to move when the order came. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, not a cloud ob- scured the sun, which shone in full, rich splendor upon the plain with its gentle slopes, over which they must pass to engage in the deadly fray, in the desperate effort to carry a single line of works, by a most reckless and daring assault. Possibly no battlefield of the war was so free from obstruc- tions as the field of Franklin. It is almost level, and on that afternoon presented the most imposing martial display of the war. Behind the works lay Schofield's veterans, who had been pounding away all the summer on the same men who now confronted them, but differently situated. By a blun- der of someone, two brigades of Wagner's division — Lane and Conrad — of the Fourth Corps, were halted in an ex- posed position a short distance in front of the Union line, astride the Franklin and Columbia turnpike. So when flood's troops rushed forward on their wild charge, these exposed troops delivered a volley and then made for the works to avoid capture by Hood's men, who were close upon their heels. It was about 4 p. m. when Hood ordered his troops to the assault. They advanced with a quick step, with trailed arms, the bright barrels flashing in the sunlight, with Cheatham on the left and Stewart on the right, their right and left flanks composing the center. As Cheatham ap- proached Wagner's line, his men opened fire, which checked him for a few minutes onh-. As these two brigades came swarming over the works, word was quickly passed along ■f ,t Jy BATTLEFIELD FRANKLIN TENK Tfruon Forces iiridei Maj Gen Schofteli Contfdvvate Forces •ujuier Lieut Gen Hood Nov VIBM MAP OK THK I5ATTI-KKJKI.I> OF FKAiNKLIN i V TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 217 the line for the T.'nion troops to withhold their fire until they conkl pass the works. Already the black-throated monsters from Fort Grain- ger, on the north bank of the river, were raking Stewart's line with an enfilading fire, cutting down his troops like grain before the reaper. As the fleeing- troops came swarm- ing over the works at the center, the men in the trenches became confused, and were carried away by the excitement and confusion for at least three hundred yards. This was the key to the position, and Hood had gained it without serious fighting, and now held the main approach to the bridge, over which the Union troops must retreat if de-, feated. This breach was on both sides of the turnpike, and through it Hood's troops rushed, capturing two batteries, and with this arlvantage and his superior force, it promised an easy victory and inspired his troops to greater activity. The remainder of the Union line was held firmly, and the reserves, under C/eneral r)pdycke, and all the routed troops, were thrown into the breach at once, and then there began one of the most desperate struggles of the war. Here the fighting was hanrl to hand, and of the most desperate char- acter. The fighting at this point was for the possession of the works, anrl it was maintained with great fury and stub- bornness, in which men fought with clubbed muskets, and, with bayonets baptized in blood, they flrove Hood's veterans from the works anrl saved the rlay. The Union troops, in this short but desperate struggle, recaptured all the guns and soon changed the direction of their death-dealing missiles. They also captured ten battle- flags and several hundred prisoners, showing that Hood must have throv/n a large force into this gap. General Pat Cleburne, one of the most desperate fighters in Hood's army, fell a few rods in front of the works, near the center. During the fearful struggle at the center. Hood was as- saulting our line from end to end, and the terrible discharges cf the artillery and the rapidity and destructiveness of the 218 insTouv OK nust uko.imknt musketry tiro was hardly oiiualod in tlic history of modern warfare. The tirinj:: was si^ rapid that the smoke ahnost obscured the field and shut out from view the assault int;- columns as they rushed madly into the very "jaws of death." The battle raided with unabated fury from 4 to about 8 p. m.. and duriuii the desperate chari^es the tlai;s of the enemy could be seen near the works by the briiiht tlashes of the artillery and small arms. The shouts of the chariiiui;- columns, minj^^led with the groans of the wounded and dying-, will never be forgotten by those who sti.x-»d shoulder to shoul- der ii; the deadly struggle on that beautiful November after- noon in 1S04. Hood's troops assaulted the I'nion lines with a recklessness never displayed before, and the great loss of officers ami men attest the great gallantry and sacritice on the bUxHly tieUl of bVanklin, and after all was lost they sullenly retired. From Schotield's headquarters he could witness the tig;hting' of hts entire command, and at one time, when it seemed that Wilson's cavalry was about to be routed and his left turned, he sent part of Wood's division to his sup- port, but before reaching- him. Forrest was driven back, and he was unable to g:et in his rear or turn his flank. Schofield makes the following- mention of this engage- ment in his report : "A short time before the infantry at- tack commenced, the enemy's cavalry forced a crossing- about three miles above Franklin, and drove back our cavalry, for a time seriously threatening- our trains, which were accu- mulating: on the north bank and moving toward Nashville. I sent General Wilson orders, which he had. however, an- ticipated, to drive the enemy back at all hazards, and moved a brig:ade of General Wood's division to support him if necessary. At the moment of the tirst decisive repulse of the enemy's infantry. I received the most gratifying intelli- gence that General Wilson had driven the rebel cavalry back across the river. This rendered my immediate left and rear secure for the time beinir." I TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 210 Firing was keyA up all alon^ the line until about lo p. m., when all became quiet, except an occasional shot from the skirmish line. Schofield could not be driven, and Hood would not sound the retreat, and even after darkness had settled over the field, he ordered Johnson's division of Lee's corps from his reserves to assault the works held by Ruji^er's and Kimball's division. This division made a determined effort to carry the works, but failed. Walthall's division of Stewart's corps was confronted by Casement's brigade, which was armed with repeating rifles, and here the carnage was fearful. Hood's loss was frightful, and the next morning the battlefield presented a horrible picture. Officers and men lay in heaps in front of the works, cold in death, while wounded men, horses and broken guns attested the work of destruction by the unerring aim of the western men. Hood's loss in officers was exceedingly heavy, and from the best figures obtainable his loss was as follows : Major-General P. R. Cleburne, Brigadier-Generals O. F. Strahl, John Adams, S. R. Gist and H. B. Granberry. In addition to the five generals killed, who commanded divisions and brigades, he lost six colonels, two lieutenant-colonels, three majors and two captains, who commanded regiments. Line officers and enlisted men killed, seventeen hundred and fifty. Of- ficers wounded, one major-general, five brigadier-generals, fifteen colonels, nine lieutenant-colonels, five majors and two captains. Missing, two colonels, three majors and four cap- tains. Captured, one brigadier-general. Enlisted men wounded, thirty-eight hundred ; missing, seven hundred and two; making an agregate loss in Hood's army of six thou- sand, two hundred and fifty two. Thirty-three stands of colors were also captured. The loss in Schofield's army was as follows : Killed, one hundred and eighty-nine ; wounded, one thousand and thirty-three; missing, eleven hundred and four; making an aggregate loss of two thousand, three hundred and twenty- six. The most of the missing were from the two exposed 220 JIISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT brig;ades of Wagner's division. Fourth Corps. Among the Avonndod on the Union side was Major-General D. S. Stan- lev, commanding the Fourth Corps. He was helping to rally the men near where the breach was made, and during the fierce fighting at this point he received a severe wound in the neck. General Stanley was Rosecrans' chief of cavalry in 1863. and as such led us through the TuUahoma campaign and on to Chickamauga. but before the battle he was forced to relinquish the command of account of sickness. The battle of Franklin, for the numbers engagetl. was the grandest and hardest fought battle of the Civil War. The cannon of Fort Grainger continued to bellow out in tones not to be misunderstood, antl as the shells went whist- ling into the darkness beyond the Harpeth. they provoked no rei")ly from the enemy. The casualties in the First Tennessee were as follows: Killed and Mortal! y H'oiindi-d — Company E. Corporal Joseph A. Deal, mortally woundetl antl left on the field, date of death unknown; Company K. John T. Baxter; Company L, Jacob Bacon. JVoinidcd — Company A, Charles Dooley and Calloway Collins, severely wounded and left on the field ; Company D, John W. Legg; Company L, Corporal W. H. H. Bacon. Alexander H. Stephens, in his history of the United States, makes the following mention of the battle of Frank- lin : "In this battle Hood gained a signal victory, though at considerable loss." W'hen the last of Schofield's troops had been witlnlrawn from the south side, the bridges were fired by Wood's tli- vision. Fourth Corps, and as the flames arose from the burn- ing bridges the enemy opened a heavy fire from his artillery. From our position east of town we could see the light of the burning bridges and hear the roar of the cannon, as the sound floated out on the cold, frosty morning air. The First Tennessee moved from its position, with the remainder of \\'ilson's cavalry, at 4:30 a. m., December i, and covered the retreat of Schofield to Nashville. Forrest TliNNESSEE VOI.UNTEIiK CAVALRY. 221 followed and skirmished with the rear guard to Brentwood, Near this place, Stewart's brigade of Hatch's division had a sharp engagement with Buford's division. From Brent- wood, Johnson's division and Croxton's brigade were moved east to the Nolensville turnpike, and then, turning north, moved on toward Nashville. Late in the afternoon we were halted two miles from Nashville and ordered to build a temporary line of works across the turnpike. After completing the works, our horses were sent to the rear and a fresh supply of ammunition issued to the men. During the night the enemy moved up near our position, but made no attack, though there was considerable picket firing during the night in our front. Early the next morning we moved into Nashville, and were placed in rifle-pits on the left of Thomas's line, between the Murfreesboro turnpike and Cumberland River. On the 3rd, Wilson's cavalry was relieved by Steed- man's troops and ordered to the north side of the river, to continue the line on the left and to watch Thomas's long line of communication with Louisville. All the crossings for some distance above and below Nashville were kept guarded by the cavalry. Croxton's brigade went into camp nearly opposite the works on the south side, and remained in that position until the nth. During this time there was great activity going on in Wilson's camps, as every effort was being made to put this arm of the service in an efficient con- dition for the next move. All broken-down horses were turned in, and the govern- ment corrals and the adjacent country searched for horses. By these means, Wilson almost doubled the strength of his cavalry. Horses were newly shod and extra shoes fitted ready for an emergency. Clothing was issued to the men and the old ones and their inhabitants consigned to the flames. Thomas intended to move out and attack Hood as soon as his cavalry could be mounted and his troops con- centrated. When Schoficld's troops reached Nashville they were placed in the lines that were already built in the follow- 222 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT ing order: Twotity-tliird Corps on the left and adjoining: Steedman, the Fonrth Corps in the center, and the Sixteenth Corps, from the Army of the Tennessee, on the right. This splendid corps of hardy Western men muler General A. J. Smith was by Sherman's orders sent to Thomas from Mis- souri and reached Nashville on the ist day of December. Notwithstanding- Hood'-^ great defeat at Franklin on the 30th he moved his army on toward Nasiiville. and on the 3rd day of December drove in Thomas's outposts and placed his army in position in front of the city. The line selected by him was on the high ground on the southeast side of Brown's Creek, extending westwardly from the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad across the Nolensville, Franklin and Granny White turnpikes, crossing the spurs of Montgomery Hill; thence deflecting southwest along the high groud east from the llillsboro turnpike, and thence westwardly across this turnpike to a high hill immediately west of the Hillsboro turnpike to Sugar Tree Creek. In addition to this line, he built numerous detached works still southwest, extending across Richland Creek and the Nashville & Northwestern Railroad and west of the Harding turnpike. These were the works first struck by Wilson's cavalry on the morning of the 15th, as will be stated further on. This line was well chosen and was a position of great strength. Into this line of works Hood placed his troops in the following order : Cheatham on the right, ee in the center and Stewart on the left, with Forrest's cav- alry on his tianks. From the most reliable figures obtainable it is safe to say that Hood had at least forty-two thousand men in the trenches at Nashville. On the 5th. Hood detached Bate's division of Cheat- ham's corps and part of Forrest's cavalry and sent them to destroy the railroad and to capture Murfreesboro. Three block-houses were captured and the bridges burned, but no serious harm was inflicted upon the track. On the 6th. Bate was reinforced by two additional brigades of infantry and the next morning approached iSIurfreesboro. Rousseau was t TENNESSEE VOI^UNTEER CAVALRY. 223 holdinj^ the place with eif^ht thousand men and as Bate de- chned to make a direct attack, Milroy was ordered to move out and engage him. After some sharp fighting, Bate was routed and driven from the field with considerable loss. Bate's troops were recalled, but Forrest continued to oper- ate between Nashville and Murfreesboro. Governor Harris and R. L. Caruthers accompanied Hood's army on this "wild campaign," expecting that Nash- ville would be captured and Caruthers, who, it is said, had been elected Governor to succeed Harris, would be inducted into ofiice, amid the boom of cannon. This distinguished citizen was doomed to disappointment, as a loyal son of Ten- nessee was occupying that honorable position, and no doubt it was a sad disappointment to be "so near and yet so far" from this coveted prize and position of honor. General Thomas had hoped to be ready to attack Hood sooner than he did, but was delayed in procuring horses for his artillery and remounts for his cavalry. Grant was dissat- isfied at what seemed to him a useless delay, and urged him to attack at once, but "Old Pap," as the boys called him, knew more about the situation than he did. The weather, which previous to the arrival of the troops had been good, became, shortly after reaching Nashville, exceedingly cold for that latitude. About the 8th, a driving storm of rain and sleet set in. This continued for about twenty-four hours, freezing as it fell, making it utterly impossible for the cav- alry to move and exceedingly difficult for the infantry to move about in the performance of camp duty, so slippery was the surface. It was a war with the elements, as well as the enemy, and it is very doubtful if Thomas could have won a victory under the circumstances. But our grand "old hero," who had never lost a battle, had the entire confidence of his troops, and his true character seemed to shine brighter on this occasion than ever before. He won the first Union vic- tory in the West, at Mill Springs. At Murfreesboro, on that terrible December day when all seemed lost, he set a noble example, and was designated "the lion-hearted hero, calm 224 HISTORY OF FIRST RKGIMENT amid the fury of battle." At bloody Chiekaniauga. when the Union army was being- swept from the field, he turned at bay and was ever afterwards called "The Rock of Chieka- niauga." Later on. to the same commander, while at Chatta- nooga, he said. "We will holil the town till we starve." General Thomas was a Southern man, but the govern- ment did not have a more loyal or faithful soldier in its ranks than this grand old hero. To show that he was faith- ful and true to the L'nion and its flag, and free from all petty desires, he vielded a ready acquiescence in the selection of General Sherman to command the Military Division of the ^Mississippi, his iimior in years, experience and commission. and at no time his superior as a commander, lie executed all the orders of his superior faithfully and co-operated with him in all plans and movements of his army. He was no army pet. consequently was never on favored duty of any kind, and possibly no commander ever had so few leaves of absence. The fame of General Thomas is so well known that comment is vmnecessary. He was always at the front. Shennan having severed his connection with the forces in Tennessee, Thomas received all of his orders direct from Grant. Thomas was in command of all the troops operating in the Departments of the Cumberland and Ohio, and to him was committed the task of driving Hood's army from Ten- nessee. The same army that had confronted Sherman in Georgia was now before Thomas at Nashville. The audacity ahd boldness of Hood's movement was calculated to depress the spirits of his men. for if defeated, there was no army close enough to come to their rescue. Beside all of this, Thomas's army was badly scattered, and when once collected the ofificers and men were strangers to each other, save the uniform and the old flag. In Hood's ranks were thousands of Tennesseans who were glad to press their native soil once more, and when he marched south, hundreds continued to press the soil of their native State while his broken and shattered anny moved south. (■■ i'.\ Ki;.\ I, n directing him to remain and support Johnson's division, which was on his right, and who had not yet gotten into position owing to the roughness of the country and the long distance he had to move. During the time Hatch's division, which was just to our left, was driving the enemy along the Harding turnpike, and after crossing Richland Creek the Twelfth Tennessee Cavalry. Colonel Spaulding commanding, made a gallant saber charge, routing the enemy, capturing forty or fifty vprisoners and General Chalmers' headquarters train, con- sisting of fourteen wagons, which containetl his records, baggage and safe. In perhaps no battle of the war did cavalry and infantry move forward on the same line and join in the desperate work so eagerly and with so much vigor and mianimity. Often it was a race to see who would be the first to cross the "dreaded ditch," and if the ground was too rough to charge mounted, Wilson's troopers would dismount and with a yell charge the rifle-pits. This part of Hood's line was held by infantry and cavalry, and during the day some sharp fighting occurred on this part of the line. Wilson wheeled TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 229 Hatch's division to the left and re-estabHshed his connection with the infantry. In makinj? this move his right flank struck the enemy's line on the flank and rear, completely enveloping it. Stewart was in command of Hood's left, and during the morning he found that Thomas was working toward his left and beyond his works. He therefore set his troops to work early in the morning building works and extending his line farther to his left. Finding that his own troops could not man the lines, he called for reinforcements, and Hood sent him Johnson's division of Lee's corps. These works were west of the Hillsboro turnpike, and about i p. m. Hatch dismounted his men, assaulted and captured one of these advanced redoubts, containing four guns and some three hundred men. This was the first fort captured from Hood, and was accomplished with dismounted cavalry. Im.mediately after the capture of this fort, Hatch's division charged a second line and captured another four-gun battery, with its infantry support. The captured guns were wheeled around and used upon the retreating enemy. In the capture of this last fort, McMillan's brigade of AlcArthur's division, Sixteenth Corps, claimed a part of the honor, but as the guidons of Hatch's division were the first over the works, the honor and captured guns were credited to Hatch's brave men by McMillan's brigade. \\^hile these successful movements were going on, Wil- son's cavalry had not yet reached Hood's true flank on ac- count of the extension of Stewart's line to his left. Late in the afternoon Schofield's Twenty-third Corps was moved to the right of the Sixteenth Corps, so that Wilson could oper- ate more freely upon Hood's left and rear. Shortly after reaching this position. Cooper's brigade of Couch's division, Twenty-third Corps, assaulted and captured a line of works near the Hillsboro turnpike. In this brigade were the Third and Sixth Tennessee Volunteers, our former companions while in Morgan's Seventh Division, Army of the Ohio. Croxton was ordered to move his brigade from the 230 HISTORY OK FIRST REGIMENT Charlotte turnpike across the country to the Hillsboro turn- pike. In making this move Croxton's brigade skirmished most all the way, and shortly after crossing the Harding turnpike Croxton encountered a portion of Chalmers' di- vision, which had been in Johnson's front but was now try- ing to reach Hood's left. The First Tennessee was in the advance and was marching left in front, and shortly after dark was fired upon by the enemy, who, by the flash of their guns, seemed to be either behind a stone wall or in rifle- pits. General Croxton immediately ordered Lieutenant-Col- onel Dyer to dismount his regiment and dislodge the enemy. The order was promptly obeyed, and in a few minutes the regiment was over the fence and in line ready to move. At the command "forward," the men raised the yell and moved forward under a brisk fire, and in a few minutes reached the stone wall, and springing over succeeded in capturing a portion of the Fifth ^Mississippi Cavalry. The prisoners were sent to the rear, and moving to the opposite side, again the regiment opened a brisk fire on some troops that were posted in the woods a short distance in its front. In a short time the enemy's fire slackened and soon they fell back, and all became quiet again. The only casualties in the First Tennessee were two men wounded, as follows : Thomas Jones. Company G, and Wiley ^lilligan. Company I. ^ Darkness having closed the operations for the day and shut out from view the contending forces, Croxton's brigade was ordered to bivouac near the Hillsboro turnpike. This was a hard day on us. as we had been in the saddle since early morning. The operation of Tliomas's army on the first day of battle was a grand success and was rewarded by the capture of seventeen pieces of artillery and twelve hundred prisoners, besides large quantities of small arms and equipments. Wil- son's cavalry had fought during the day infantry and cav- alry, had cleared their front, covered the extreme right of Thomas's infantry, and not only enveloped Hood's flank, TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, 231 but had taken it in reverse. Hood's flanks were much stronger than his center, and during the day Wilson's cav- alry had completely turned his left and swept everything before them, and at night bivouacked near his line of retreat. During the night Hood withdrew his army and took up a new position south of the one he occupied on the morning of the 15th. This new line was much shorter, and extended from Overton's Hill on the Nashville & Decatur Railroad, west across the Franklin and Granny White turnpikes, thence almost due south along a range of hills almost paral- lel with the Granny White turnpike, and reaching nearly to the Brentwood Hills. Hood kept his weary troops working all night digging rifle-pits and building forts, so by morning he had constructed a much stronger line than the one just abandoned. The Union army bivouacked on the cold ground, feel- ing assured of a complete victory the next day. The early part of the morning of the i6th was spent in reconnoitering the enemy's position. The ground on Hood's left was very hilly, consequently Wilson moved his troops forward dis- mounted and by noon was east of the Granny White turn- pike and had completely turned Hood's left. During these early movements there was some sharp fighting, but no ground was lost. Wilson's cavalry forced back the enemy, completely turning his left flank, and was now in possession of the hills through which the Granny White turnpike runs, completely cutting off Hood's line of retreat by this route in case of disaster. Stewart made several attempts during the forenoon to drive back Wilson's dismounted cavalry and re- take the ground lost, but was unsuccessful and was repulsed without difficulty. Let us now turn to the Union left and see what was go- ing on there. Generals Steedman and Wood had moved for- ward early in the morning and discovered the enemy thor- oughly entrenched on Overton's Hill. At 3 p. m. the works were assaulted by Post's brigade, Beatty's division of Wood's Fourth Corps, supported by Streight's brigade, of the same 232 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT corps, and Grosvenor's brigade of white troops, and Thomp- son's brigade of colored troops, all of Steedman's command. The assault was made with great courage, but the fire was so destructive that the two assaulting columns were repulsed with severe loss. Colonel Post being among the severely wounded. The two assaulting columns were re-formed at the foot of the hill for another charge. Smith, Schofield and Wilson now assaulted Hood's center and left with great vigor, sweeping everything before them. The shout of the vic- torious troops on the right was caught up by those of Wood and Steedman, and again they pushed forward upon the enemy on Overton's Hill, this time driving everything be- fore them and capturing the works. The shout of victory was heard by Thomas's charging troops, which was taken up and responsive cheers heaid from one end of the Union line to the other. Hood's lines were broken, and there being no reserves to restore order or save the day, his troops from one end of his line to the other threw away knapsacks and guns and rushed for the rear, which at that time was a long way off. Hood's troops rushed toward the Franklin turnpike in great confusion, and soon lost all semblance of organization and retreated in the wildest confusion. General Wilson's command was delayed in the pursuit, caused by the troops being so far from the led hoises, as the men leading them made slow progress over the hills and dense forests. Crox- ton's brigade, which had been in reserve, was now moved to the right of Hammond's brigade of Knipe's division, and in making this move captured several prisoners. As soon as Wilson's men gained their horses the pur- suit was begun, with the commands of Hatch. Knipe and Croxton on the Granny White turnpike and Johnson on the Hillsboro turnpike. Everything indicated a rout, and after moving a short distance the leading division — Hatch's — encountered Chalmers' division about dark, well posted behind a rail barricade across the turnpike. Hatch dis- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 233 mounted his division and charged the enemy, driving hirtl from his position. General Rvicker was wounded and cap- tured, besides several prisoners and a Confederate flag. In this engagement the Twelfth Tennessee, Union, fought the Twelfth Tennessee, Confederate, and in the darkness and during the hand-to-hand fighting the Twelfth Tennessee, Union, succeeded in capturing General Rucker, who was in command of a Tennessee brigade, also his flag. The line of Hood's retreat revealed the fact that his army had retreated in great haste, as the turnpikes were thickly strewn with guns and accoutrements, while he made no effort to carry off his wounded or bury the dead. Hood's veteran army, which had been engaged in all the hard- fought battles in Tennessee and on the Georgia campaign — "one hundred days under fire" — was wrecked upon the field of Nashville. In perhaps no battle of the war was there such a small loss of life to the victors. The Union troops repeatedly assaulted the enemy's lines, and but one assault was unsuc- cessful, and that was made upon the strongest position held by Hood, on Overton's Hill on the Union left. And it is doubtful if that would have been a failure had not the gal- lant leader of the main column fallen at the critical moment, when the presence of a brave and determined leader is so important. The battle moved on vigorously from beginning to end, the cavalry and infantry vieing with each other in the effort to carry everything in their front, reflecting the highest type of generalship and the displaying of that true courage due Thomas and his brave soldiers. This was called the great cavalry battle of the west, and it is exceedingly doubtful if there was a single battle of the war where so much gallant and meritorious service was ren- dered by that arm of the service. The first fort captured at the opening of the battle was accomplished by Wilson's brave troops fighting as flat-footed infantry, and proving beyond a doubt that if General Hooker had been present at the battle of Nashville he could have seen the remains of 234 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT several dead cavalrymen. This brave old hero was credited with the remark, "Who ever saw the body of a dead cavalry- man?'' or that he would pay Iwenty-five dollars for the "dead body of a cavalryman." The fruits of this battle were four thousand, five hun- dred prisoners, among whom were Major-General Ed John- son and Brio^adier-Gcnerals H. R. Jackson, T. B. Smith aiid E. W. Rucker ; all of the wounded left upon the field, fifty- four pieces of artillery, together with thousands of small arms and accoutrements and twenty-live battle-flags. The loss in killed and wounded on each side was light when the numbers engaged are taken into consideration. General Thomas reported a loss in killed, wounded and missing of three thousand and sixty-one. The loss in Wilson's cavalry was three hundred and twenty-nine. It is said that Hood issued an order on the morning of the i6th for his army to retreat, but he could not withdraw under fire, so that afternoon his routed and disorganized army was seen flying southward from the battlefield. Let us now turn to the pursuit. After the defeat of Chalmers on the night of the i6th, Wilson deemed it unwise to con- tinue the pursuit, as the night was very dark and the men and horses completely exhausted from the hard day's work. The cavalry bivouacked for the night as follows : Hatch, Croxton and Knipe on the Granny White turnpike, and Johnson on the Hillsboro turnpike. Early the next morning the pursuit was continued by the cavalry, followed by the infantry. At Brentwood, Crox- ton's brigade was ordered to take the Wilson turnpike, John- son's division the Hillsboro turnpike, while Hatch and Knipe moved their divisions along the Franklin turnpike. Just a short distance beyond Brentwood, Knipe began skirmishing with Hood's rear guard, which was kept up until Hollow Tree Gap was reached. Here the rear guard of the routed army made a stand and offered battle. The position was handsomely carried by Knipe's division, supported by Hatch. The enemy was routed and fell back rapidly toward Frank- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 235 lin. In this spirited engagement the enemy lost by capture four hundred and thirteen officers and enHsted men and two flags. Croxton's brigade skirmished with the rear guard the most of the way to Franklin. Hood made a show of re- sistance at Franklin, but his flanks being turned he fell back toward Columbia. Croxton and Hatch moved to the left of Franklin, swimming Harpeth River at McGavock's Ford, and encamped for the night near Douglass Church, on the Lewisburg turnpike. In making this move the enemy was encountered only in small force, but we succeeded in cap- turing about one hundred and thirty prisoners. Johnson crossed below and Knipe in front of Franklin. Hood, finding his flanks turned, abandoned the place, which contained all of his wounded and a large quantity of rations. The little town of Franklin presented a sight that to be seen would never be forgotten. All public buildings, churches, school-houses, stores and even shops and private dwellings had been converted into hospitals, into which the wounded had been crowded after the desperate battle of November 30. A good many of our own wounded were among the sufferers in the crowded hospitals and no doubt many of the wounded of both armies died for want of proper attention. Wilson continued the pursuit south from Franklin with great energy, moving on all the roads, and continued to harass the flanks and rear of Hood's army. Johnson, who was moving on the Carter's Creek turnpike, turned Hood's right flank and dashed on in the direction of Spring Hill to strike the retreating army at that point. Croxton was mov- ing on the Lewisburg turnpike, driving the enemy rapidly along that thoroughfare, while Hatch and Knipe pushed him along the Columbia turnpike. The flanking columns were ordered to push forward and if possible to pass around the flanks of Hood's rear guard, while the center column kept pressing the rear. A short distance south of Franklin, General Lee, who at 236 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT that time was in command of Hood's rear guard, decided to make a stand in order that his exhausted troops might enjoy a night's rest. But Hatch and Knipe attacked Hood's rear with great energy, driving it back in confusion, cap- turing three guns. In this running fight General Lee was wounded, and under cover of darkness fled in disorder to Spritig Hill. General Lee, in his official report of the Hood cam- paign, makes the following mention of the pursuit : "Early on the morning of the 17th our cavalry was driven in. in con- fusion, by the enemy, who at once commenced a most vigor- ous pursuit, his cavalry charging at every opportunity and in the most daring manner. It was apparent that they were determined to make the retreat a rout if possible. * * * I was compelled to withdraw rapidly toward Franklin, as the enemy was throwing a force m my rear from both the right and left of the pike, on roads coming into the pike near Franklin and five miles in my rear." Early on the morning of the i8th the pursuit was con- tinued, although we were out of rations, with Croxton and Johnson on the flanks endeavoring to strike the enemy at or near Spring Hill, with Hatch and Knipe in the center. On reaching Spring Hill we found the enemy had left early in the morning for Columbia. This day's march was made through mud and slush and a cold, drizzling rain. This was a quiet day. and late in the afternoon the command was h^ted some four miles south of Spring Hill, where it bivouacked for the night. Before leaving camp on the morning of the 19th, rations were issued to the troops, after which the whole column resumed the pursuit through a storm of rain and snow. Hood fell back during the night and by morning was on the south side of Rutherford's Creek. After crossing the stream he destroyed the railroad bridge, and on reaching Rutherford's Creek we found his rear guard strongly posted behind works on the south bank, completely covering the crossings. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, 237 On approaching Rutherford's Creek we found this bold and rapid stream very much swollen by the heavy rains of the past twenty-four hours. This rise made it impossible for the cavalry to cross, and as we were without a pontoon bridge, a short halt was made. The deep, swift current of Rutherford's Creek formed almost as good a rear guard as Hood's discouraged troops. The rains had ruined the roads ; in fact, it was almost impossible for the troops to move except along the turnpikes, the dirt roads being nothing more than quagmires. During the day several attempts were made to cross the stream, but all of them failed. Wood's Fourth Corps reached us on the afternoon of the iQth. This was a very dreary and disagreeable day, as a cold and drizzling rain continued to fall during the day. Late in the afternoon Hatch made a floating bridge from material obtained from the partially destroyed railroad bridge, and taking his men over dismounted, succeeded in driving back the enemy from the south bank. During the night the pontoons arrived and on the morning of the 21st were thrown across Rutherford's Creek at or near where the Columbia turnpike crosses. Wilson's cavalry pushed on toward Columbia, but was able to capture but few pris- oners, as Hood had taken advantage of the swollen stream to slip out of the way of his pursuers. At Rutherford's Creek the divisions of Johnson and Knipe were turned back and sent to Nashville for the purpose of being remounted. On reaching Columbia the advance of Wilson's cavalry had a light skirmish at the crossing with the rear of Hood's army. There was considerable cannonading during the day by both armies^ but toward night the firing ceased and all became quiet. Duck River was very much swollen by the recent rains. For the next two days the cavalry remained in camp, awaiting the arrival of the pontoons. The weather, which had been exceedingly gloomy and wet for the past few days, now changed to bitter cold, greatly retarding the work of laying the bridge in front of Columbia. The sudden freeze caused the river to fall rapidly, necessitating frequent alterations and changes of the bridge. 238 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Hood from the very start manag^od to keep his wag:ons well toward his front, thereby saving them from capture. At this place Hood ran some of his g^^ms into Duck River to prevent capture. Not quite a month before. Hood's army was headed north and was full of hope, expecting- to brush away the little army that confronted them, capture Nash- ville and march on to Louisville. But after the reception given his army at Franklin and Nashville, he changed his mind, about-faced and, like the soldier who went to Lee for a furlough, continued the march. As the story may not be familiar to the reader, I will relate it. One day a soldier went to General R. E. Lee for a furlough. The general said to him, "Take the position of a soldier," which he promptly did. Lee then gave the command, "About-face, forward march !" And as the soldier was not halted he continued the march to his home. >^ TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY, 239 CHAPTER XVIII. THE PURSUIT CONTINUED — ENGAGEMENT AT LYNNVILLE — CHRISTMAS EVE — PURSUIT ENDS — ORDERED TO WATERLOO — WINTER QUARTERS — THE MOVE INTO MISSISSIPPI — RE- TURN TO THE OLD CAMP. Hood made some show of resistance at Columbia and hoped to maintain a defensive line on the south side of Duck River, but the deplorable condition of his army did not war- rant him in makinj^ the attempt, so he abandoned that idea and moved south. The weather was cold, and Hood's troops, who were thinly clad and poorly fed, suffered terribly as they toiled painfully on over the frozen ground with swollen and bruised feet and empty haversacks. In order to end this barefooted march in mid-winter, hundreds threw away their guns and surrendered, thinking this would be the quickest way to end their sufferings. But under all these great trials and misfortunes, Hood displayed great pluck, and now realized that the only way to avoid capture before reaching the Tennessee River was by placing a heavy force in the rear of his retreating army. He placed Walthall, of Stewart's corps, one of his youngest and bravest division commanders, in charge of eight bri- gades of infantry, whose effective strength was nineteen hun- dred men. This force was further stregthened by the divis- ions of Buford, Jackson and Chalmers, of Forrest's com- mand, numbering not far from six thousand men, the whole under that intrepid leader, General X. B. Forrest. With this large and well-selected body of men Hood expected Forrest to cover the retreat of his army and save it from rout and destruction if possible. On the 22nd, Wood's Fourth Corps crossed over, fol- 240 HTSnVRY or I'lRST RKCIMKNT lowoil Oil the nioniins; of the J^rd by Wilson's oavvilry. The two clays" delay of Thomas's army at Cohunhia waititic for the poiitoons to reach the front was wisely improved upon by Hood, who kept his anny moving- sonth. so that when the rear i;iiard was pressed it would have a clear road and could fall back rapidly. With the exception of his rear guard, his armv was badly demoralised, half of whom were unarmed and barefooted. (."•n the morning- of the J-ith. Wilson's cavalry coiuinned the pursuit toward Pidaski. with Wood's Fourth Corps fol- lowing. Croxton's brigade was in the advance, and after moving a short distance began skirmishing with the rear guard of Hood's armv. The enemy fell back as we ad- vanced and when Croxton's brigaile had reached Uynnville. a point about half way between Columbia and Tulaski. Crox- ton found the enemy in line and ready for a hght. Croxton formed his brigacle in line ami at once moved forward and boldlv attacked Chalmers' division. After some prett\ sharp tight ing Chalmers was routed and (.hiven in disorder from the field. The pursuit was contimied to Buford Station, near Richland Creek. Here Forrest made a desperate ettort to hold \\'ilson's troops iti check in order that Hood's weary soldiers nught get a little rest. His posi- tion was well chosen, and with the aid of six pieces of ar- tillery and all of his cavalry, he was able to otYer considerable \;esistance. Fc">rrest placed his artillery on the turnpike and opened tire on our advancing troops. The I'nion guns were seiU to the front and respoiule<1 with great vigor, dealing out shot and shell in great pro- fusion. After a severe artillery duel. Wilson sent the divis- ions of Hatch and Harrison to the support of Croxton. who was hotly engaged. The whole of Wilson's cavalry moved froward, striking Forrest in front and tlank. The rout was complete and the enemv tied in confusion across Richland Creek. This engagement for a while was quite severe. One flag and several prisoners fell into our haiuls and General s 1 Tennessee; volunteer cavalry. 241 Buforcl, one of Forrest's division commanders, was wounded. The army bivouacked on the field for the night. The casu- alties in the First Tennessee were as follows : Killed— Company C, James L. Smith ; Company H, Ser- geant James P. Churchman. Wounded — Company A, James IT. Smith ; Company C, Sergeant James E. Skeen, severely wounded in right arm ; Company L, William T. Hall. In this engagement Corporal Harrison Collins, Com- pany A, captured General Chalmers' headquarters flag. The brave corporal saw the flag, dashed into the enemy's ranks, and in a jjcrsonal encounter killed the color-bearer and secured the flag. After the engagement Corporal Collins, by order of Colonel Dyer, took the captured flag to General Croxton's headquarters, where he was highly complimented by his general for conspicuous bravery. He was ordered to Washington, where he was awarded a medal of honor for heroic conduct on the field. The writer was in Wash- ington a few years ago and made an efifort to find this trophy, but by an act of Congress all captured flags are stored away and no one is permitted to see them. The following com- plimentary notice was made at the time by our brigade com- mander: Hkadquarters First Brigade, First Cavalry Division, Near Richland Creek, December 25, 1864. Lieut. Col. A. J. Alexander, Chief of Staff, Cavalry Corps : Colonel : I have the honor to forward herewith a rebel battle- flag captured from Chalmers' division yesterday evening. The cap- ture was made by Corporal Harrison Collins, Company A, First Tennessee Cavalry. The corporal saw the rebel standard-bearer, under the direction of a rebel major, trying to rally his men. He determined to have the flag, led a charge, killed the major, routed his men, and secured the flag. I am, Colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, John T. Croxton, Brigadier-General Commanding. During the night the enemy retreated to Pulaski. Gen- 242 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT eral Forrest makes the following mention of this engage- ment in his official report of the Hood campaign : "On the morning of the 24th I ordered the infantry back toward Pulaski on the main pike and my cavalry on the right and left flanks. After advancing about three miles the enemy was met, where a severe engagement occurred and tlie enemy was lield in check for two hours. I retreated two miles, where I took position at Richland Creek. Brigadier-General Armstrong was thrown forward in front and General Ross on the right flank. Chalmers and Buford formed a junction, and were ordered on the left flank. Brigadier-General Arm- strong was ordered to the support of six pieces of my artil- lery, which were placed in position immediately on the main pike and on a line with BuforJ's and Chalmers' divisions and Ross' brigade of Jackson's division. After severe artillery firing on both sides, two pieces of the enemy's artillery w'ere dismounted. The enemy then flanked to the right and left and crossed Richland Creek on my right, with the view ot gaining my rear. I immediately ordered Armstrong and Ross, of Jackson's division, to" cross the bridge on the main pike and move arountl and engage the enemy, who were crossing the creek. Both Buford and Chalmers were heavily pressed on the left, and after an engagement of two hours I ordered them to fall back across Richland Creek. * * * Brigadier-General Buford was wounded in this engagement, and I ordered Brigadier-General Chalmers to assume com- "*** mand of Brigadier-General Buford's division, together with his own." W'e had n.o artillery dismounted, as reported by Forrest. This was our third Christmas eve spent around the lonely camp-fire, and which was made memorable by the day's struggle and the loss of dear comrades. The First Tennessee had marched thousands of miles during the year, and as we gathered around the camp-fire and talked over the year's work and the great loss of life during that time, many eyes were moistened and tears could be seen trickling down the bronzed faces of these hardy veterans. It seemed TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 243 that there was no rest for the First Tennessee, but we all knew that from the "rapid strides" made during the past 5'ear the end was near at hand; besides, we had almost de- stroyed the largest army in the southwest. About one month before, we were falling back toward Nashville before the same army we were pursuing. Hood's veterans, which one month before were marching north with a quick step, with "high hopes, good rations and big pay," were now fleeing south in great confusion, with ranks badly shattered and broken. On Christmas morning Wilson continued the pursuit toward Pulaski, pressing the enemy's rear guard with un- usual vigor and audacity, the line of retreat still showing signs of haste and confusion. Trains, wagons and ammuni- tion-were destroyed to prevent capture. Forrest was driven rapidly through Pulaski, closely followed by Harrison's and Hammond's brigades. The enemy were pursued so rapidly that the bridge over Richland Creek, a short distance south of Pulaski, was saved. This was a most fortunate thing, as it enabled Wilson to continue the pursuit without delay. Forrest was not permitted to rest, but was pushed south faster than he really wanted to go. In Forrest's hasty evacuation of Pulaski he was com- pelled to destroy a locomotive and several cars loaded with arms and ammunition. He threw four cannon into Richland Creek. Wilson pursued on, finding on the way abandoned artillery, ammunition and baggage-wagons, gims and equip- ments. Seven miles south of Pulaski, Forrest was compelled to make a stand in order that Hood's wagon train might be saved as Wilson had driven his rear guard close upon it. Forrest took up a position on Anthony's Hill, which he forti- fied and awaited the approach of Wilson's cavalry. This position was admirably selected, being hidden from view by heavy timber. The road at this point ran through a deep ravine and along the sides and at the head Forrest and Walthall threw up works. About 2 p. m. the brigades of Harrison and Hammond, 244 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT who were in the advance, began skirmishing. Harrison dis- mounted his brigade and forming it in hne of battle moved forward at once to the attack. The enemy opened with ar- tillery, but Hammond's men moved on toward the works. And here, for the first time since the battle of Nashville, Walthairs infantry sprang over the works and drove back Harrison's men and captured one gun of Smith's Battery I, Fourth l.^nited States Artillery. Wilson immediately or- dered up Croxton's brigade and Hatch's division to the sup- port of Harrison and Hammond. Croxton, Hatch and Ham- mond moved on the flanks, while Harrison renewed the struggle in front. This move caused Forrest to abandon his position in haste, leaving about fifty prisoners in our hands. Late in the afternoon P'orrest withdrew from his position and fell back to Sugar Creek, and during the night built a temporary line of works. Early on the morning of the 26th, the pursuit was con- tinued, with Hammond's brigade in the advance. The line of retreat still indicated haste, as the road was lined with abandoned wagons, muskets, equipments and stragglers who had fallen out, some from exhaustion, others for the purpose of being captured. To Hood's poor, hungry, half-clad and down-hearted soldiers the picture must have been a sad one, and the future dark, as they toiled on with bowed heads and decimated ranks. Wilson still pressed the enemy with in- creased determination and untiring energy, but the resistance ^during the morning was light. As Hammond approached Sugar Creek he encountered the advance of Ross' brigade, and after a sharp skirmish drove it back upon the main force. Hammond pursued the retreating enemy to his works, where he was attacked by infantry and cavalry and driven back some distance. Hammond rallied his brigade and drove the enemy back to his works, holding the position until the arrival of the remainder of Wilson's troops. In the after- noon the enemy's position was shelled vigorously, after which thev fell back to Shoal Creek. Here Walthall formed his- TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 245 infantry in line to guard the crossing while Forrest's cavalry moved on to the Tennessee River. In the engagement at Sugar Creek the Second and Fourth Tennessee Cavalry, of Hammond's brigade, sustained their already brilliant repu- tation. Here the pursuit practically ended. Hood, with the ad- vance of his army, reached Bainbridge on the 25th, and on the 26th laid his pontoon and began crossing his army. On the 28th, Walthall's infantry, which had covered Hood's re- treat so well, crossed to the south side and the pontoon was taken up. Hood moved the remnant of his army to Tupelo, Mississippi, by slow and easy march, and on the 23rd of January, 1865, at his own request, was relieved of his com- mand. A small force of cavalry under Colonel Palmer crossed Tennessee River and overtook and destroyed Hood's pontoon train, consisting of two hundred wagons and seventy-eight pontoon-boats. Thus ended one of the most successful campaigns of the war. Let us now turn and briefly read the account of this well-known retreat from the able pen of Major D. W. Sanders, assistant adjutant-general, French's division, Stew- art's corps : "General Hood, in a campaign of thirty-eight days on the north side of the Tennessee River, fought the battles of Franklin and Nashville and wrecked his army. No damage of any consequence had been inflicted upon the enemy. Thomas, at Nashville, confronted him with a power- ful and well-appointed army, fully equipped in all the arms of the service, and when he moved on him overwhelmed and routed him. At Columbia, it appeared as though Thomas would crush and capture the army. The pursuit of his mounted force under the command of General Wilson w^as fierce and relentless. The march of the rear guard from Columbia to Bainbridge, with the incessant assaults made upon it, is the most famous in the late war. The courage of this small body of troops was admirable; the hardships endured by them were terrible ; and their endurance a last- ing tribute to the devotion of the volunteer soldier. Their 246 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT brigade commanders were men of high and marked charac- ter, who had distinguished themselves on many fields in great battles. The escape of Hood's amiy was committed to their valor, and on them rested the hope of the army to reach the Tennessee River and to cross it in safety." On the 30th, General Thomas announced to his army the completion of the campaign and gave orders for the dis- position of his troops. A portion of Wilson's cavalry was sent to Huntsville, Alabama, and one division to Eastport, j\Iississippi. Croxton's brigade was ordered to Waterloo, Alabama. This was the last time the old "Volunteer State" was invaded by the enemy. In Hood's army were thousands of Tennesseans, a great many of whom never left the State on the retreat. In no battle of the war w^ere there so many Tennessee troops engaged on the Union side as at Nashville. The following organizations were present and took part in that memorable struggle : First, Second, Third. Fourth. Sixth. Tenth and Twelfth Cavalry ; Third, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Infantry ; Batteries C and D, First Tennessee Light Artillery. In this short campaign of only thirty-eight days. Hood lost by capture thirteen thousand, one hundred and eighty- nine men. besides hundreds who slipped away and never re- ported for duty again, and two thousand by desertion. He ^lost seventy-two pieces of artillery, besides large quantities of small arms, wagons and accoutrements and seventy stands of colors. If to the desertions and prisoners we add his loss in battle it is safe to say that not much more than one-half of his army recrossed the Tennessee River. General Thomas lost during the campaign, in all fonns of casualties, less tlian seven thousand men, and as the most of the wounds inflicted upon his troops were light, they soon returned to duty. General Wilson reported his loss during the campaign from all causes to be nine hundred and two, Wilson's loss is included in General Thomas's report. Hood's army was completely wrecked and demoralized TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 247 and no damage of any consequence had been inflicted upon the Union army. Thomas's army had been hastily gathered together from different points to meet Hood's invasion, but demonstrated the fact that the unyielding patriotism of the Western men, under such a leader as Thomas, could not be doubted, and probably no army was ever more skilfully handled. Thomas had manifested his military ability early in 1 861-2, and for the first time during the war was so large a Confederate army destroyed on the field of battle and on its retreat. The battles of Franklin and Nashville rank with those of Shiloh, Stone River and Chickamauga, and one remarkable feature is the small loss in killed, wounded and captured on the Union side. There seems to be but one way to account for it, and that is the skilful manner in which Thomas handled his troops. The following dispatches will show the estimation in which General Thomas and his brave soldiers were held by the ruler of a great nation : Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, Near Nashville, Tenn., December 16, 1864. General Orders No. 167. The Major-General commanding, with pride and pleasure, pub- lishes the following dispatches to the army, and adds thereto his own thanks to the troops for the unsurpassed gallantry and good conduct displayed by them in the battles of yesterday and to-day. A few more examples of devotion and courage like these, and the rebel army of the West, which you have been fighting for three years, will be no more, and you may rea.sonably expect an early and honorable peace : Washington, D. C, December 15, 1864 — 11:30 a. m. Major-General Thomas: Please accept for yourself, officers and men the Nation's thanks for your good work of yesterday. You made a magnificent begin- ning. A grand consummation is within your easy reach; do not let it slip. A. Lincoln. Washington, D. C, December 15, 1864 — Midnight. Major-General Thomas: I rejoice in tendering to you and the gallant officers and soldiers of your command the thanks of the Department for the brilliant achievements of this day, and hope that it is the harbinger of a 248 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT decisive victory, and will crown you and your army with honor and do much toward closing the war. We shall give you an hundred guns in the morning. Edwin M. Stantox, Secretary of JVar. Washington. D. C, Doccnihcr 15. 1864. — 11:45 p. m. I\I.\.TOR-G^NKRAi. Thomas: Your dispatch of this evening just received. I congratulate you and the army under your command for to-day's operations, and feel a conviction that to-morrow will add more fruits to your victory. U. S. Grant, Licutciia)it-Ci'ncral. War Department, Adjutant-Generals Office, Washington, March 11, 1865. General Orders No. 33. The following resolution is published for the information of all concerned : public resolution — NO. 24. Joint Resolution of Thanks to Major-General George H. Thomas and the army under his command. Be It Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress are due, and are hereby tendered, to Major- General George H. Thomas and the officers and soldiers under his command, for their skill and dauntless courage by which the rebel army under General Hood was signally defeated and driven from the State of Tennessee. Approved ]\Iarch 3, 1S65. By order of Secretary of War. -^ E. D. TOWNSEND. Assistant Adjutant-Goicral. Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, Pulaski, Tenn.. December 29, 1864. General Orders No. 169. Soldiers: The Major-General commanding announces to you that the rear guard of the flying and dispirited enemy was driven across the Tennessee River on the night of the 27th instant. The impas.sable state of the roads and consequent impossibility to supply the army compels a do.sing of the campaigii for the present. Al- though short, it has been brilliant in its achievements and unsur- passed in its results by any other of this war, and is one of which all who participated therein may be justly proud. That veteran rebel TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 249 army which, though driven from position to position, opposed a stub- born resistance to much superior numliers during the whole of the Atlanta campaign, taking advantage of the absence of the largest por- tion of the army which had been opposed to it in Georgia, invaded Tennessee, buoyant with hope, expecting Nashville, Murfreesboro, and the whole of Tennessee and Kentucky to fall into its power an easy prey, and scarcely fixing a limit to its conquests, after having received the most terrible check at Franklin on the 30th of Novem- ber that any army has received during this war, and later met with signal repulse from, the brave garrison of Murfreesboro in its at- tempt to capture that place, was finally attacked at Nashville, and although your forces were inferior to it in numbers, it was hurled back from the coveted prize upon which it had only been permitted to look from a distance, and finally sent flying, dismayed and dis- ordered, whence it came, impelled by the instinct of self-preservation, and thinking only how it could relieve itself for short intervals from your persistent and harrassing pursuit, by burning the bridges over the swollen streams as it passed them, until finally it had placed the broad waters of the Tennessee River between you and its shattered, diminished and discomfited columns, leaving its artillery and battle- flags in your victorious hands, lasting trophies of your noble daring and lasting mementoes of the enemy's disgrace and defeat. You have diminished the forces of the rebel army, since it crossed the Tennessee River to invade the State, at the least estimate, 15,000 men, among whom were killed, wounded or captured eighteen genera] officers Your captures from the enemy, as far as reported, amount to sixty-eight pieces ofv artillery, 10,000 prisoners, as many stands of small arms, several thousand of which have been gathered in and the remainder strew the route of the enemy's retreat, and between thirty and forty flags, besides compelling him to destroy much ammunition and abandon mony wagons, and unless he is mad, he must forever relinquish all hope of bringing Tennessee again within the lines of the accursed rebellion. A short time will now be given you to prepare to continue the work so nobly begun. By command of Major-General Thomas. Wm. D. Whipple, Assistant Adjutant-General. Blue Water, December 30, 1864. Special Fikld Orders No. 16. it gives the brevet major-general great pleasure to transmit the following complimentary notice of the operations of the cavalry corps, and to assure the officers and soldiers of his command that he fully endorses the declaration of Major-General Thomas: 250 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT HtAPQUARTFRS DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Pulaski, Tenn., December 29, 1864. Major-Gf.nerai. J. H. Wilson. Commanding Cavalry Corps, Military Diz'ision of the Mississippi: General: The maior-general commanding tenders his thanks to yourself, officers and men for the vigor, skill, bravery and endur- ance displayed by your corps in this long and toilsome pursuit of the retreating rebel army Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Wm. D. Whipple, Brigcdicr-Gcncral and Chief of Staff. By order of Brevet Major-General Wilson: E. B. Beaumont. Major and Assistant Adjutant-General. General Wilson's cavalry captured during the campaign eightv-six officers and three thousand, one hundred and fortv-nine enlisted men, twelve flags, seventeen pieces of ar- tillerv and eleven caissons, two thousand, three hundred and eightv-six small amis, three locomotives, one hundred and eightv-four wagons, eight ambulances, one hundred and twentv-five pontoon wagons and seventy-eight boats, and one thousand, three hundred and forty-eight mules and horses. When the pursuit ended. General Thomas gave orders for his army to build winter quarters. This was something new to the First Tennessee, and the boys went about the work with a will and soon had their "log cabins" ready for ttie plasterers. This was the only time during our service that such an opportimity had been given us to build com- fortable quarters. We were beginning to congratulate our- selves on the solid comfort that we expected to get out of our cabins and the great improvement over the "dog-tent" when orders came to move. General Grant issued an order for the renewal of the campaign against the enemy. After a rest of two weeks the First Tennessee left its splendid quarters at Waterloo and plunged into the swamps of I^lississippi with the remainder of the brigade. Croxton crossed the Tennessee River without opposition and moved TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 251 through Eastport, then, turning southwest, marched his bri- gade to luka, on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. From this place Croxton marched his command on through Burns- ville to Corinth, skirmishing lightly on the way and picking up a few prisoners. luka and Corinth had both been made historic by the desperate fighting between the forces of Grant, Van Dorn and Price in September and October, 1862. There was ample evidence that contending armies had struggled in and around these old Mississippi towns. The engagement at Corinth was exceedingly fierce and bloody. It was in this fierce and sanguinary struggle that the gallant and intrepid soldier, General A. P. Hackleman, was killed and General R. J. Oglesby severely wounded on the Union side, while the brave General Rogers, leading his Texas brigade, fell in front of Battery Robinette. At luka. General Little was killed and General Whitfield wounded on the enemy's side. From Corinth Croxton moved east to Farmington and after a short rest marched back to luka. This part of Mis- sissippi is exceedingly low and flat and during dry weather is very nice, but when thoroughly wet by protracted rains might very properly be denominated a swamp. But the soil is as easily affected by the drought as by rains. Corinth is built upon low land and is situated at the junction of the Memphis & Charleston and the Mobile & Ohio Railroads. After resting for one day at luka, Croxton moved his brigade back through Eastport to the old camp-ground at Waterloo, Alabama, where it remained for a month. "We're tenting to-night on the old camp-ground, Give us a song to cheer Our weary hearts — a song of home And friends we love so dear ! Many are the hearts that are weary to-night. Wishing for the war to cease; Many are the hearts looking for the right, To see the dawn of peace. Tenting to-night, tenting to-night, Tenting on the old camp-ground." 252 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT This movement of Crouton's brigade into Mississippi was for the purpose of watching the movements of Hood ' and finding out the route his retreating army had taken. From this place numerous scouts were made in all directions. The last man wounded in the First Tennessee was James H. Blakely, private Company A, who was shot by "bush- whackers" on one of these scouts, February, 1865. The last of January the Second and Third Brigades of McCook's division arrived at our camp at Waterloo. These brigades, by order of General Wilson, left Nashville on the nth day of December, 1864, for the purpose of checking General Lyon, who was reported to be moving on the Louis- ville & Nashville Railroad. After doing considerable dam- age, he was driven out of Kentucky with a loss of three- fourths of his command. By order of General Wilson, the Third Brigade, commanded by General Watkins, was broken up, the Sixth Kentucky Cavalry being assigned to Croxton's brigade and the Fourth and Seventh Kentucky to La Grancfe's brieade. n: TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 253- CHAPTER XIX. RELIEVED AT THE FRONT — ORDERED TO NASHVILLE — THE SUR- RENDER OF LEE GREAT REJOICING IN CAMP — THE WAR ENDED — PREPARING FOR MUSTER-OUT. While at this camp the First Tennessee was reHeved of duty at the front and ordered to Nashville to be mustered out. Here ended the military service of this gallant body of men, whose dead lie scattered over seven different States, in which they rendered distinguished service. The First Tennessee during its three years' service marched over four- teen thousand miles, which, together with its large death- roll and its "staying qualities" in battle, made it a noted regiment in the Army of the Cumberland, where it per- formed the greater part of its service. The battles, marches, picket and camp duty, the shouts of victory on fields of car- nage, were about to end ; we were soon to part from, and "bid adieu" to our comrades of the old First Brigade, com- posed of the Second Michigan, Eighth Iowa, Fourth Ken- tucky, who had stood shoulder to shoulder on a score of battlefields where shot and shell and the "ever zipping minie" had decimated their ranks. As a regiment it had never disgraced the flags it bore or the cause it loved and had battled for during three terrible years of carnage and bloodshed. We make a modest claim, and that, too, without being called egotistical, that we did our whole duty, and as menibers of a fighting regiment helped to sustain the already brilliant reputation of the old "Volun- teer State." The splendid record made by Tennessee's noble and patriotic sons in the early wars was hardly equalled in any age. We find these hardy pioneer riflemen fighting in the ranks of Sevier and Shelby at King's Mountain, under 254 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Jackson and Coffee at the battle of the Horseshoe, and at New Orleans, where Sir Edward Packenham was slain and his splendid and well-equipped army routed and driven from the field by the unerring aim of the Tennessee riflemen. Later on, we find the sons of the old "Volunteer State" springing to arms in numbers much greater than her quota and following the old flag across the burning sands of Mexico to lead the assaulting columns at Monterey and Cerro Gordo. In the late war we find these same loyal sons of East Tennessee marching forth to battle under the old flag, and by their valor have added lustre to the escutcheon of the "Volunteer State." Before leaving Waterloo the officers and enlisted men of the regiment presented General John T. Croxton, their brigade commander, with a handsome sword, properly en- graved, as a slight token of the confidence and estimation they placed upon him as their commander, whether it was upon the field of battle, on the march or in camp. Lieu- tenant-Colonel Dyer marched the regiment to General Crox- ton's headquarters and formed it in line in front of his tent. The General, mistrusting that something "unusual" was up, came forward and greeted us, after which the boys gave him three rousing cheers. Rev. John P. Holtsinger, chaplain of the First Tennessee, then stepped forward and on behalf of the officers and men of the regiment presented the sword to the General. His address was as follows : General : I have been selected and solicited by the officers and men of my regiment to perform the very honorable and agreeable duty of presenting to you this sword, which I hope you will receive as evidence of the favorable opinion which your meritorious military conduct has induced us to form of you since it has been our good fortune to be placed under your command. I have been appointed and urged to the performance of this duty from no other considera- tion than that I am an old man. When first you received us into your brigade and assumed command of us. our forms and features were strange to each other, bearing no marks of familiarity except the uniforms of the great Union army. Allow me to assure you that your fame as a warrior had reached us long before we met and stood shoulder to shoulder TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 255 in opposition to the enemies of our government. We had heard of your valuable service and meritorious management on various battle- fields, where the earth was made crimson with the blood of the slain ; and we were not only satisfied, but we were proud and felt honored to have you for our brigade commander, either in camp or on the field of conflict. Since we formed a part of your command, our lot has been almost constantly cast in the immediate front of a powerful foe, and I only represent and reiterate the honest expression of my regiment when I declare that you have at all times, even on occasions the most critical, given ample satisfaction both to officers and men. Our pro- tracted association and military relationships have been of that friendly character which imparts success and honor to comrades con- lending for the same and great glorious cause. It is with feelings of profound regret that we part from friends and army associates with whom we have mutually struggled on many battlefields for liberty — the richest boon on earth. We finally leave this sword with you, which, judging from the past, we have every reason to believe you will wield in a way that will do honor to yourself and the good and great government for which you are gallantly contending. To this General Croxton replied as follows : Soldiers and Friends of Freedom : I accept and receive this sword as a token of the satisfaction which I have been able to impart to the magnanimous soldiers whom it has given me pleasure, as well as reputation, to command. The scenes and sufferings, privations and perils, through which you passed in the early days of the rebellion are known to me, and my .sympathies have long since been enlisted in your favor, while I have truly sorrowed on account of your condi- tion and the condition of your friends at home. The oppression of the Union people of East Tennessee has been to me a source of sor- row. I am better prepared to understand your sufferings because in Kentucky, the place of my residence, the Union party encountered op- pression and abuse in common with their Union friends in East Tennessee. It was neither inclination nor ambition for military renown that induced me to enter the service, but principle, which should at all times control ambition and inclination, led me into the path of the warrior when the great struggle was brought about by rebels for the overthrow of our government. The regiment with which I first served, and which I had the honor to command, was the first to pitch tents and establish a Federal camp south of the Ohio River. Kentucky, like Tennessee, in the beginning of the war, was overrun and abused by rebels; and 256 HISTORY OF F]RST REGIMENT Kentuckians were compelled, at an early day of the war, to choose their principles and act accordingly. It is with deep regret that I witness your withdrawal and departure from my command. Under- standing as 1 do the honorable and upright course which you have taken since the beginning of the rebellion, I cannot hesitate to ex- press my conviction that you will continue to oppose the enemies of union and freedom until law and order are restored throughout our broad land. I am gratified to believe that you will not divest your- selves of the Federal uniform and the weapons of war until secession is not known in our land except in history. Soldiers, you will long be remembered and respected by me for your unhesitating obedience and unmurmuring endurance, both in camp and on the field of action. Long may you live to enjoy the liberty for which you have nobly fought and realize the fruits of the perilous labors which j'ou have performed. On the loth day of February, 1865, the First Tennessee embarked on government transports at Eastport, Mississippi, for Nashville. The most of the men took hurricane and boiler-deck passage on the transports. Company C — the writer's company — with others, was on the Westmoreland, a large side-wheel steamer. As the transports swung off and began moving down the beautiful Tennessee cheer after cheer went up in answer to those given by the boys of the old brigade. On our way to Nashville we met a great many heavily loaded transports, accompanied by gunboats, on their way to Eastport with supplies for the army, which was then being concentrated at that point. These transports and the dark- 'kjoking gunboats were puffing and plowing up the water, while great clouds of black smoke rose from their huge stacks. We passed on this trip Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, Forts Henry and Donelson, all of which have already passed into history, but were pleasant and interesting sights to us. In passing these historic places no sound of the hostile can- non or the shouts of the charging troops could be heard. After a short run we entered Tennessee and soon reached Shiloh. Here, on that bright Sabbath morning of Arpil 6, 1862, General Grant was aroused from his sleep by the boom TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 257 of cannon. Along the banks of the Tennessee the Union army under Grant and the Confederates under A. S. John- son met in deadly conflict. In the first day's battle John- son was slain and Grant's army driven back to the banks of the river, where during the night the gunboats Tyler and Lexington dropped 24-pound shells into the enemy's line. On the morning of the 7th, Beauregard, who succeeded Johnson, was routed and driven from the field toward Corinth. After passing Shiloh the Tennessee River turns almost due north and at Fort Henry leaves Tennessee and enters the State of Kentucky. On the 5th day of February, 1862, this fort was captured by Commodore Foote, who com- manded the small fleet of gunboats of Grant's army. The fort was commanded by General Tilgham, and after one hour's bombardment he was forced to surrender. We reached the mouth of the Tennessee river at Padu- cah without accident, and after a short stay the transports carrying the regiment turned up the Ohio River. At Smith- land the boats entered the Cumberland River and steamed away up the placid stream, while the black smoke floated lazily from the tops of the stacks. Just before reaching Fort Donelson we left Kentucky and again entered Tennessee. The mouths of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers are only twelve miles apart, and where they enter Tennessee at Fort Henry are only about eight miles apart. It is rather singular that two rivers so large should run such a long distance almost parallel and so close together. On rounding a bend in Cumberland River below Fort Donelson we caught sight of the "old flag" and the fort. This was the place where Grant won his first important victory in the west, compelling Buckner to surrender on the T6th day of February, 1862. The weather was good for that season of the year, and the scenery along the route was truly grand. In fact, it was beyond the power of pen to describe or painter to portray. At the mouth of Harpeth River the transports encountered 258 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT the famous Harpeth Shoals. The Cumberland River is very shallow at this point and during- extreme drouths it puzzles the most skillful pilot to take his vessel safely across the shoals. After several days were spent in this manner of travel- ing-, the First Tennessee reached the capital of its own State without accident and went nito camp at Edgefield, on the Gallatin turnpike. This was the fourth time the regiment had marched through the streets of Nashville. Two months before, the thunder of artillery and the rattle of musketry was heard in Nashville — now, all was quiet and the only real signs of war were the guards moving about in the dis- charge of duty and the various regiments passing through on their way home to be mustered out. The officers were kept busy closing up their accounts, making up muster-out rolls and getting ready for the final discharge. We were given a great deal of liberty while in Nash- ville; in fact, the "freedom of the city" was given us. The guard at the bridge would not look near so long at our passes or ask so many "foolish" questions as on former oc- casions. There was some little delay in the muster-out of the regiment, but in a few days that duty was performed by Captain P. W. Neil, Eighteenth United States Infantry. The regiment was still in Nashville when Lee sur- rendered. The 9th of April was a proud and memorable ^ay. The news of the surrender of Lee's army was flashed over the wires and a salute of two hundred gams was or- dered to be fired by E. Vi. Stanton. Secretary of War, at all posts, headquarters of the army, arsenals and at West Point. Everything in Nashville was in an uproar, and the soldiers were wild with excitement. Bands were playing, soldiers cheering and artillery booming. It was a regular Fourth of Julv celebration on a high order. Men who were never known to smile now laughed ; those who were always quiet in camp were heard to shout, and those who were never known to take a drink of commissary whiskey actually got drunk, and in the language of our own Davy Crockett said, "Let's take another drink." TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 259 The guns on Capitol Hill and in the forts at Nashville belched forth this glorious news, and we all felt that the war was almost at an end and soon peace would once more return and witness a united country again. The greater part of the men composing the regiment enlisted in March and April, 1862, and on the muster-out of those who en- listed first, the remainder were reorganized and remained on duty in Nashville until mustered out June 14, 1865. The reader will bear in mind that there was great irregularity in the enlistment of the Tennessee soldiers, owing to the fact that it was impossible for them to escape from rebel terri- tory only as opportunity and favorable circumstances pre- sented themselves ; therefore the expiration of their enlist- ment varied and differed accordingly. This reorganization afforded an opportunity for several worthy promotions. Major R. Thornburgh, of the First Battalion, being the senior officer left, was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel ; Captain E. J. Colville, Company L, was promoted to Major ; David Shaw, sergeant Company G, was promoted to First Lieutenant in the same company ; Newton T. Beal, private of Company E, was promoted to Second Lieutenant in Company G. Several worthy promotions were made among the non-commissioned officers and privates, but the writer has been unable to obtain a list and make honor- able mention of the same. The First Tennessee performed the greater part of its service in the Army of the Cumberland, and although this army was greatly scattered when the great struggle ended, yet its heroic achievements still live and its dead are honored by a loving people. The Army of the Cumberland was un- surpassed for bravery, and the gallant record made by it was one that was not excelled during the Civil War. It furnished a little more than half the troops for the Atlanta campaign. It was well represented in Sherman's grand march to the sea, and fought alone the battles of Mill Springs, Perryville, Stone River and Chickamauga. It gave aid to the Army of the Tennessee at Fort Don- 260 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT clson and Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh. We find it again dividing the glorv of Franklin with the Army of the Ohio and at Nashville with the Armies of the Ohio and the Ten- nessee. It also helped win Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. In Wilson's great "rush" through Mississippi. Alabama and Georgia, we find representatives of the Army of the Cumberland. Upon its banners were inscribed the names of scores of historic fields. The only field this army ever gave to the enemy in its unitv was bloody Chickamauga. and then the enemy was so severelv punished that the piu'suit was weak and made with- out energy. Notwithstanding the great loss of life in the Army of the Cumberland its ranks were kept filled, and at the close of the great struggle it is safe to say that it num- bered at least one hundred and sixty-five thousand men, who were now to return home arid resume the pursuits of civil life. The final report of the Adiutant-General's office from i86i to 1866 shows a total loss in the Union army, from all causes, to be three hundred ami thirteen thousand men. Tennessee lost in the same period and from all causes, six thousand, seven hundred and seventy-seven men. Of this number seven hundred and forty- four 'were killed or died of wounds. Five thousand, one hundred and ninety-two died of disease. In this list the twelve hundred and eighty- t^o that died in prison are included. Three hundred and seven were drowned. From other causes, such as murdered, killed after capture, suicide, etc., four hundred antl ninety. The Second Tennessee Infantry lost more men in prison than any regiment in the L^nited States service. This gal- lant regiment was captured at Rogersville, Tennessee, No- vember 6, 1863. The total enrollment of the First Tennessee during its term of service, from the best and most reliable source, was fourteen hundred and ninety-three men. The regiment lost in killed and died of wounds and disease, three hundred and thirty-three men. Those that died in prison are included TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 261 in this list. Three men from Tennessee committed suicide during the war and one of this number was from the First Tennessee. The most frequent causes for discharge from the army were gunshot wounds, consumption, diarrhea and typhoid fever. The largest number of deaths from disease in the army occurred from chronic diarrhea and fever. The First Tennessee lost more men from fever than any other disease. During the war there were two hundred and ninety- eight battles fought in Tennessee, — Virginia alone exceed- ing the "Volunteer State." The seven National Cemeteries located in Tennessee contain the remains of fifty-seven thousand and five of the Union dead who gave up their lives in order that this great and growing country might remain undivided. The largest cemetery in Tennessee is located at Nashville. The re- mainder are given in the order as to the number of inter- ments in each : Memphis, Chattanooga, vStone River, Pitts- burg Landing, Knoxville and Fort Donelson. Their graves are kept green at the expense of the government they helped to save, and their surviving comrades and friends on each 30th of May perform a loving and patriotic duty by re- counting what they did in song and story and the placing of flags and flowers upon their graves. The dead of the First Tennessee lie buried in all of the cemeteries of their native State, with the exceptions of Pittsburg Landing and Fort Donelson. The First Tennessee met the enemy at the following places: Cumberland Gap, June 18, 1862; Rigg's Cross Roads, Tenn., April 16, 1863; College Grove, Tenn., May 8, 1863 ; Rover, Tenn., June 23, 1863 ; Middletown, Tenn., June 24, 1863 ; Shelbyville, Tenn., June 27, 1863 ; Lafayette, Ga., Sept. 13, 1863; Chickamauga, Ga., Sept. 19 and 20, 1863; Sparta, Tenn., Nov. 30, 1863; Dandridge, Tenn., Dec. 24, 1863 ; Mossy Creek, Tenn., Dec. 29, 1863 ; Fairgarden, Tenn., Jan. 27, 1864; Varnell's Station, Ga., May 9, 1864; Resaca, Ga., May 14, 1864; Burnt Hickory, Ga., May 26, 1864; Brownlow's Hill, or Acworth, Ga., June 4, 1864; 262 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Lost Mountain, Ga., June i6. 1864; Mason's Church, Ga., July 23, 1864; Lovejoy's Station, Ga., July 29, 1864; New- nan, Ga., July 31, 1864; Lavergne, Tenn., Sept. i, 1864; Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 2, 1864; Campbellsville, Tenn., Sept. 5, 1864; Pulaski, Tenn., Sept. 2-], 1864; Shoal Creek, Ala., Nov. 5, 1864; Hurt's Cross Roads, Tenn., Nov. 29, 1864; Franklin, Tenn.. Nov. 30. 1864; Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 15 and 16, 1864; and Lynnville, Tenn.. Dec. 24, 1864. In addition to these engagements the regiment had scores of skirmishes, some of which were quite severe, and the writer is unable to recall a single instance in which the First Tennessee ever refused or failed to execute any order given to it. no matter how ditificult and dangerous the execu- tion appeared. Colonel Brownlow was never heard to say "go, boys,"' but always "come." Lieutenant-Colonel Dyer led the regiment with equal gallantry after Colonel Brown- low was wounded. Thirty-five years have passed away since the great struggle ended and we find the highest offices within the gift of the American people have been filled by soldiers. In all the vocations of life they have "paddled their own canoes" admirably. Sober, enterprising, wide-awake, clear- headed, the soldiers of the Civil War have made an honor- able record in peace as well as war, and to-day take high rank as good and useful citizens. The writer is more than Ngratified to be able to say that so far as his means of knowl- edge extend the surviving members of the First Tennessee are making just as good and useful citizens as they were soldiers. They are industrious and are fighting the battle of life as manfully as they fought the battles of their coun- try. Since the close of the war forts and rifle-pits have in many places disappeared and given place to beautiful homes and sweet-scented flowers. Yet in many places they still remain, and serve as reminders of the great struggle away back in the sixties. We no longer hear the roar of hostile guns from the ramparts or the shouts of the charging troops. TENNKSSEU VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 263 but instead the happy voices of playful children. Where the smoke of battle once hung low, shutting out from view the contending forces, we now see the smoke of the factory and furnace. Those who were once enemies and engaged in the deadly fray are now engaged in these peacful and industrial pursuits, each striving to build up the waste places and to reunite this great and growing country of ours over which today one flag alone waves triumphantly. 264 HISTORY OF first regiment CHAPTER XX. CI.OSIXO. SCENES — UNDER TUE TATTERED FLAG — MUSTERED OUT — FAREWELL GREETING — RECEPTION T.Y THE LOYAL PEOPLE. The First Toiinossoo \vas now about to leave the service, and the writer makes the modest claim that it made an honor- able and creditable record, one that their country and chil- dren mav well be proud of. The list of engagements and its death-roll tell part of the story, and during; its service won the name of "The Fighting First." and although not one of Fox's three hundred fighting regiments, yet it was a brave and g'allant body of men. and ^\herever it was engaged its losses bore evidence of its valor. It carried the Stars and Stripes and marched luider its waving folds when screaming shot and hissing shell were sweep'ug them away. The period when the regiment was organized was one when disaster seemed at hand and the fate of the nation hung trembling" in the balance. The inducements for enlisting were the very poorest. Xo magiiificent bounties or "big pay" were offered, or mild service to lure them into the ranks. All that was left "in that dark and trying hour" to give the volunteer impulse was: "Your country needs you: go!" Xever was there such a patriotic uprisir.g of the loyal people all over tlie land. The men composing the First Tennessee have already transmitted to posterity on the pages of history the evidence of its valor on the field of battle. Hundreds of its members will never again respond to any earthly roll-call or spring to amis at the nation's call. Their work is done, and their voices are silent. Captains Lane. Bowman and Cannon ; Lieutenants Whitehead. Stapleton. Cox. Roberts and Hull; KKGIMKNTAJ. II.Af; AS IT AIM'KAKH TO-JJA V >^ TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVAI.Ry. 265 the long list of scrj^cants, corporals and privates, sleep the unending sleep of death. Their forms have decomposed into dust, the origin and the end of man. They died in the moun- tains of Kentucky and Tennessee, by the banks of the Cum- berland, Tennessee and Chattahoochee Rivers, on the battle- field, in the hospital and in prison. No monuments mark their resting-places, but a deathless fame immortalizes their deeds. What a strange anrl happy change was now going on — the war over anrl the soldierr. being mustered out ! About a million of Union soldiers threw off their blue uniforms, laid down the weapons of war, and putting on citizens cloth- ing took up the arms of peace, soon to be lost sight of in a busy world. Never had the world witnesserl such a change. In 1861-2 the great Union army, which had sprung into existence from the loyal and patriotic people of the United State*:, were now as suddenly transformed back to the peace- ful pursuits of civil life. The writer has endeavored in this brief work to give the reader a correct account of the gallant record made by the P'irst Tennessee from 1862 to 1865. It has been a labor of love as well as a pleasant duty to record the many heroic deeds perfrmned by the regiment. The First Tennessee had brave, competent and faithful officers, while in the ranks the men v/ho carried the carbines and wielded the saber were also brave and patriotic and discharged their duty faithfully. The regiment was composed of good material — mostly farmers — and was organized and led by volunteer officers. The moral character was good and no regiment in the ser- vice was more religiously inclined. This was doubtless due in a great measure to its worthy chaplain, who was a most excellent Christian gentleman. He preached to the men every Sunday, when it was jiossible to do so, and his meet- ings were always largely attended and of the most devout character. It had as few camp fights as any regiment in the .service. There were several officers and enlisted men of the 266 HISTORY OF I'lRST REGIMENT First Tennessee commissioned in other reg^iments, while others were detailed to fill various positions of trust and re- sponsibility, and the writer is unable to recall a single in- stance where anyone betrayed the confidence or degraded the office he was called upon to fill. In the preparation of this work the writer has as times almost given up the enterprise for want of proper informa- tion and facts. Those who are familiar with the early or- ganization of the Tennessee regiments will remember that they were made up in the State of Kentucky, and the irregu- lar way in which the men composing these regiments made their escape in order to enlist will realize at once the great difficulty in collecting facts for such a work. The State was also a battleground most of the time. But after a year of hard and patient labor this brief history has been prepared, in which the many thrilling and heroic deeds are recorded, and the writer feels warranted in saying that a grateful peo- ple fully appreciate your untiring sacrifice and devotion to the "old flag" and that your blood was not spilled in vain. The recruits remained in the service until the 14th of June, when they were mustered out. Major Russell Thorn- burgh, being the senior officer left, commanded the recruits until they were discharged. The men were paid, the final discharge given, and after marching to their quarters we ex- changed farewell greetings \\ ith those of our comrades who were to remain in the service for a short time. It was a sad parting, one that all will remejnber. Many letters were sent home by the boys who remamed behind. The regiment as a unit assembled for the last time under the folds of its old flag, and as the grim warriors gazed at its tattered folds under which they had marched and fought for three long years, many tears could be seen trickling down the bronzed faces of the men. Our thoughts went out in loving memory for those of our comrades who had fallen in battle, died in the hospital or in prison — the last the saddest of all. It is true our efforts to help crush the rebellion were TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 267 successful, but the highways along which we marched and fought have also been made moist and crimson by the blood of our own dead. It is true the rebellion could have been put down without the aid of the First Tennessee, yet the small streams help to make up the ocean. On the nth day of April the Knox County boys and a large number of the men from the upper East Tennessee counties left camp and marched to the depot and embarked on the cars for home, leaving behind a record that has already passed into history. At Cleveland, Tennessee, we heard of the assassination of President Lincoln at Wash- ington. On reaching our respective homes we were warmly and cordially received by the loyal people, who greeted us with open arms. Grim war nor cruel treatment had damp- ened their love for the Union or sympathy for the boys in blue. All over East Tennessee the returning soldiers were greeted with outstretched arms, and banquets were given in their honor. What a relief from an almost unbroken strain, after three years of faithful service at the front ! We said goodbye, drill and dress-parade ; goodbye, saber, gun and tent ; adieu, faithful horse and much-beloved canteen ; fare- well, old hard-tack and army bean : An affectionate adieu To each of you. Each returning soldier recalled the fact that others had gone out with him, but would never return. They also re- called the days of battle and of death in hospital and in prison. But with these sad memories came peace — no more battles, no more prisons, no more hospitals. The boys were welcomed home, and the people were ready and willing to help the boys begin life again, and nothing was too good for a returning soldier. The recruits remained en duty in Nashville until the 14th of June, 1865, when they were all mustered out and returned home. 268 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Now, comrades of the First Tennessee, I have at- tempted to follow your movements for three years and to correctly record your deeds and the part you took in the great struggle, but will let you judge of their correctness. I have followed as best I could your movements in the States of Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and ]\Iississippi, the States in which you performed distin- Sfuished service. And now, having followed all of vour movements from enlistment to muster-out at Nashville, the capital of your own State, and being unable to follow you any further or to accompany each one of you home, I will! leave you and bid each one a long and affectionate farewell. Comrades, it has been one of the most pleasant duties of my life to write a history of your service. But remember, comrades, this has been no small undertaking, and if any errors have been made they are of the head and not the heart. Since the close of the war the surviving members of the regiment have organized an association known as "The First Tennessee Cavalry Association," which meets annually. These annual gatherings are well attended and are seasons of great enjoyment. Through the kindness of Mrs. W. G. Brownlow, the mother of our colonel, the old flag under which the regiment marched and fought was presented by her to the association and is an interesting memento at our meetings. ^ The whitening hair, the failing vision and the halting step all prefigure the inevitable hour when all must pass over and join the silent majority beyond. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 269 ROSTER AND RECORD First Tennessee Cavalry. Organized at Camp Garber, Ky., March and April, 1862. ^Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., April and June, 1865. The roster contains the name, military record and postofficc address of all the men whose names were borne upon the roll? of the regiment during its service, and is as complete and accurate as can be made from the facts and dates at hand. 1862— 1865. FIELD AND STAFF. COLONELS. Robert Johnson. Enrolled Feb. 28, 1862. Resigned on account of ill health May 31, 1863, at Triune, Tenn. After resigning he went to Nashville, where for a short time he assisted his father, who was then Governor of Tennessee. He was a kind officer and good to his men. Died at Greene- ville, Tenn., April 22, 1869. Brevet Brigadier-General James P. Brownlow. Enrolled April i, 1862. Elected Captain of Company C at its organization. Elected Lieutenant-Colonel Aug. i, 1862. Promoted to Colonel on the resignation of Colonel Johnson. Captured at Fairgarden, Tenn., Jan. 27, 1864; made his escape soon after and rejoined the regiment. Led the First Brigade from the disastrous field near Newnan, Ga., July 270 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT 30, 1864, after the separation of General Croxton from his command. Severely wonnded at Franklin, Tenn., Sept 2, 1864. Was appointed Brigadier-General by brevet by Presi- dent Lincoln March 13, 1865. This promotion was for gal- lantry and meritorious service during the war. Was present and nuistered out with the regiment, his time having ex- pired. Appointed Captain in the Eighth United States Cav- alry, July, 1866. Resigned in March, 1868. Died at Knox- ville, Tenn., April 27, 1878. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL. C. M. Dyer. Enrolled July 12, 1862. Elected Lieuten- ant Company H, July 12, 1862. Promoted to Major, Aug. 4, 1863; Lieutenant-Colonel, vSept. 19, 1864. Commanded the regiment after Colonel P]rownlow was wounded at Franklin, until it returned to Nashville to be mustered out. He was killed by a colored soldier in Knoxville, Tenn., Feb. 13, 1866. Colonel Dyer was attending a sale of government property and on entering the building was shot dead by the soldier who was on guard. His only excuse for the das- tardly act was that a white officer resembling Colonel Dyer, he claimed, had offended him. The culprit was captured by Colonel Dyer's friends shortly afterward and hung. MAJORS. James O. Berry. Enrolled April 15, 1862. Appointed .Vljutant of the regiment April, 1862. Promoted to Major May 15, 1862. Resigned Jan. 6, 1863. Address, Denton, Texas. M. T. Burkheart. Enrolled April i, 1862. Elected First Lieutenant Company C at its organization. Promoted to Captain August, i, 1862; to Major, Nov. i, 1862. Re- signed Aug. 4, 1863. Died April 11, 1902. W. R. Tracy. Enrolled Oct. 12, 1862. Elected ]\Iajor Nov., 1862. Resigned June 22, 1863. Abraham Hammond. Enrolled Aug. 6, 1862. Elected Captain Company I at its organization. Promoted to Major te;nnesse:e volitnteer cavalry. 271 May 21, 1863. Resigned June 22, 1863. Address, Indian- ola. Neb. Russell Tuornbltrgh. Enrolled Aug., 1862. Elected Lieutenant Company K. Promoted to Major Aug. 5, 1863. Wounded in right arm at Dandridge, Tenn., Dec. 24, 1863. Was the ranking officer left on the muster-out of the regi- ment, and commanded the recruits until the final muster-out in June, 1865. Died in 1899. H. C. Flagg. Enrolled April i, 1862. Elected Captain Company E at its organization. Promoted to Major Aug. 6, 1863. Address, Whitesburg, Tenn. Burton Smith. Enrolled Aug. i, 1862. Elected Cap- tain Company K at its organization. Promoted to Major Sept. 22, 1864. Died at Red Clay, Ga., June 29, 1888. Widow's address, Sherman Heights, Tenn. surgeons and assistant surgeons. P. W. Logan. Appointed Surgeon by Colonel Johnson April, 1862. Resigned Dec. 29, 1862. Address, Milledge- ville, Ky. First Assistant A. J. Taylor. Enrolled 1862. Re- signed, date unknown. Died in 1902. Second Assistant Jno. T. Jones. Enrolled Nov. i, 1862. Appointed First Assistant Surgeon on resignation of Taylor ; Surgeon, on resignation of Dr. Logan. Died at Nashville, Tenn., 1885. Second Assistant Jas. H. Jones. Enrolled Nov i, 1862. Appointed Second Assistant Surgeon on resignation of John S. Jones. Resigned June 22, 1863. Address, New Albany, Ind. W. F. Green. Enrolled Aug. 15, 1863. Elected Sur- geon in Sept., 1863. Business address, No. 3 Noel Block, Nashville, Tenn. First Assistant John L. Reed. Enrolled March 30, 1863. Appointed First Assistant Surgeon in 1863. Died at Content, Texas, date unknown. 2i2 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Second Assistant \\'. T. Rankin. Enrolled Xov. i, 1862. Appointed Second Assistant Surgeon Xov.. 1863. Resigned on account of ill health Feb. 18. 1865. Died at his home in Jefferson County, Tenn.. date luiknown. CHAPLAIN. John P. Holtsinger. Enrolled Aug., 1862. Elected by the officers of the regiment and mustered as Chaplain, with rank of Captain. He was the first Chaplain of the regi- ment and held that position until final muster-out. He was a Cumberland Presbvterian minister, and was from Greene- ville, Tenn. A\'as a brave man and a true Christian of the highest order — the idol of his men. Died at his home near Greeneville, Tenn., Oct. 26, 1875. The survivors of the re§;iment have erected a beautiful monument to his memory. ADJUTANTS. James O. Berry. Enrolled April 15. 1862. See Field and Staff. John Hall. Enrolled April, 1862. Appointed Adju- tant yiay, i8('2. Resigned on account of ill health, date un- known. Afterwards joined the navy and was lost at sea ; no record of date or place. James Bunch. Enrolled 1862. Appointed Adjutant. Resigned a sliort time after his appointment ; no record of date. Chas. H. Bentley. Enrolled Xov. i, 1862. Appointed Adjutant Xov. 4, 1862. Resigned July 18, 1863. Died since close of war ; date unknown. John ]\I. Harris. Enlisted Xov. i, 1862, as private in Company C. Appointed Adjutant on the resignation of Chas. H. Bentley. \\'as final adjuvant of the regiment, ^^'as severely wounded at Rigg's Cross Roads, Tenn., April 16, 1863. In this engagement he received three wounds. The one in the right lung was considered mortal, but with careful nursing and a strong constitution he recovered. Address, Fountain Citv. Tenn. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 273 QUARTERMASTERS. Ror.ERT Howell. Enrolled April i, 1862, Appointed Quartermaster by Colonel Johnson at Flat Lick, Ky., in April, 1862. Accidentally killed at Portland, O., by being thrown from a buggy as the regiment was on its way to Camp Dennison to be mounted ; date unknown. John H. James. Enlisted Nov. 6, 1862, as private in Company F. Promoted to First Lieutenant and regimental Quartermaster, Nov. 7, 1862. Discharged July 25, 1864, to accept promotion in the Quartermaster's Department at Nashville, Tenn. E. D. Fillmore. Enrolled July 26, 1864. Appointed Quartermaster to fill the vacancy caused by the discharge of Lieutenant James. Address, Au Sable Forks, N. Y. commissary. L' B. Self. Enlisted July 14, 1862, as private in Com- pany L Promoted to Lieutenant and Commissary of Sub- sistence Jan. 6, 1863. Severely wounded at Franklin, Tenn., Sept. 2, 1864. Address, Bakersfield, Cal. sergeant-majors. M. C. Williams. Appointed Sergeant-Major in 1862. Promoted to vSecond Lieutenant Company G in Nov., 1864. See roster of Company G. Frank Hybarger. Enlisted Aug. i, 1862, as private in Company L Appointed Sergeant-Major to fill place made vacant by the promotion of M. C. Williams. Died at his home in 1897. quartermaster-sergeants. Daniel S. Fox. Enlisted March i, 1862, as private in Company F. Appointed Quartermaster-Sergeant March, 1863. Promoted to Second Lieutenant Company B, 1863; to First Lieutenant Nov. i, 1864. See roster Company B. Geo. Armitage. Enlisted Dec. 8, 1862, as private in Company L Appointed Quartermaster-Sergeant to fill place 274 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT made vacant by the promotion of D. S. Fox. Address, Albany, Tenn. HOSPITAL STEWARDS. Oliver O'Neal. Enlisted April 15, 1862, as private in Company D. Appointed Hospital Steward Nov. i, i852. Address, Bybee, Tenn. S. H. Hendrix. Enlisted Nov. i, 1862, as private in Company L. Appointed Hospital Steward Aug. 4, i8'')3. Captured on the McCook raid, July 31, 1864. Confined in nearly all of the Southern prisons; exchanged the following spring. Address, Watauga, Tenn. ASSISTANT COMMISSARY SERGEANT. W. F. Self. Enlisted Dec. i, 1862, as private in Com- pany I. Appointed Assistant Commissary Sergeant; no record of date. Address, Greeneville, Tenn. CHIEF BUGLER. Julias E. Thomas. Enlisted March i, 1862, as private in Company F. Appointed Chief Bugler Nov. i, 1862. Address, Stratford, Conn. SADDLE SERGEANTS. W. P. LiFORD. Enlisted July 29, 1862, as private in Company G. Appointed Saddle Sergeant in 1863. Address, Stinesville, Ind. ^ Assistant Jno. S. Stevens. Address. Cleopatra, Ky. WAGON master. W. J. BiSE. Enlisted April i, 1862, as private in Com- pany C. Appointed Wagonmaster Nov. i, 1862. Died at Strawberry Plains, Tenn., Oct. 7, 1886. postmaster. D. A. Brooks. Enlisted April i, 1863, as private in Company C. Appointed regimental Postmaster in 1863. Address, Smithwood, Tenn. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 275 < o -= ^ '^^•^ ^^ o I- O " rt . C C ... C b . 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Mason's account vville T - aj' u- ■"^^ _3 ^^ ;on June McCool 1864. , 1864. c ■— \- t Cam rged. led at led at t Loui led at rged, led in ^-w _ c "S C . n i~* X-^ c ;c. 24 led a rged, t Kn _ c 5 c . --i n CI ^ ^ rt i: rt i: r- — <- C r" g > 3 3M Gi i; (L CJ'/^OCi/OSrO C io 0, .ii c Q2 Oi a; q£ PQ^^Q^Q^ ^QC 5 dec c c c i) li UJ tn F^H^ 1 3 d & (£ ci. rt ni rt 3J 3 ^• Q oT S H OOO >; g 3 d 3 < >>>.>. a.> E-i cfl J-. ■"? c' u u u U U. 1- "rt ^ ■a u ij- ^t/) rt o '^ = 33 OJ rt -a 3 k- c^ • <'■■■■ -SSS •J ;zuj ■ CO •^ 04 OJ o» 04 d 01 Ol 01O10401O1O101O104 01 01 0^ 01 1 1 1 01 04 0» \om: ^ VO \0 VQ vc oooDooooococoooooo \OvOVC VO VO vj vc oc oc oc VO \oo 55 00 o: ccoccc c^ cc 00 00 di c Rvo" d\ tx • u T .i-TintoiriaiiocSd cS of vc " . ^ in i-T i-i N ►- l-t HH HH HI hH h-l »-l i-i 1-1 OJ • ^ s x: J J= rC J J: 3 rt r o u SS < 3 a =■ a^ 02 1^ < 'c . rt : S ^ Q < < 2 > C a •^ d c >— . ) - c r o att, William . lliam, M. M. dnours, G. W : . <^ ■ ,t_ ^ O t/ u I- ibinson, S. E. ibinson, W. L ibinson, Nath .2 J- 5 I :'j: lith, Stephen ider, Robert . - >, i- : 5 r 3 1 c z 3 a ^ c : ^ ) % •a p: c -0 U a r-d k. C3 r s o u 3 cj .; iooooo^.irec : 33a J u. I- I. s •^ ^ '-i. '--^ II- a .CIh P- TF.NNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 279 ^ u P) N CM VOMDVO 00 00 00 -c.^.^ m O U ^^ O C o ,^ 0^ ^ TJ-2 • en .3^ rt T3 >.-o > ^ o -^ ^ c o t^|j<.i ^ IT) b/j -j- C i: rt rt - Z < a. o o ti. o o cc O O UJ cc o z < UK I- 0) O g vn 00 J= '"' c hT "^ ^"^ c So O O h4 WH •n O 05 rt rt C rt rt QQ QQ E^ » oQ?°2 = '^ 2 "O "O "O t3 5 " gj (U K 0 "O ^ "O \o ^ 00 00 00 00 00 TC C^ C^l <» CM CM > b i:;^ I- I- ^ Q, o. 37 o- < < < S i< ^ H^^H^S h^ >J 2 9c/i ^ -S OjC/i i/- E I- >^ Q OJ i« w ^ J3 tij j:; '^ " ^ C cu < ^tL^ g > ^ -' -- £ d •-^ ■-■ C 'Oh 1 ^ ^ K c := -^ <> S^ V- t- _r O CO t< 4; J^-S ^ 00 >iD r o^^ 00 4J ^ ^ C^^S c H c oT O ^ .rj hJ ^ = .9 c c c. O rt rt 0"^ >. G ►-I ^^^. •o rt rt ,- aJ 5 rt ,_ u O o-a > 5 s rt ^ o •" u c "^ •- vO J-. u rt ^■^ sing ed a Stan Tl " W W Q S S ^ Q >. ol w a h <]J o :; > tr. o o T3 h4 i> ;-i ,4_, OJ ffl T) C <1) OH (N^ rO QQ W P c j iz; Q Q U 5 5^ 0^ o o o ecpr^e:^ H £h O) P4 M M C^ 0) C'l \0 \0 >0 VO >0 VO 'O 00 CO 03 CO 00 00 CO >> u u- 1- I- 1- i: '^ Pi Pi CTi Oi CTJ ^ I— ><;-i04Oi-iOOOnCInO\ o O O 3 . < <; c j3 o.'g ^ o-^ a. a. a c. a. ^ <; h^ z < 0. O o u. o o cc O o UJ oc Q z < Uis h (0 o cc ^ \o 00 V) CO '^ i-T t-H ^ CO ^- 1^ t- " ^ 00 H o. o CO O . 1- 0) ; C-o T3 :: rt o a> O f-^Q Q^ ;:^ = J-H-o = ^*C , o > •^ C ^c£ ^2 v X " "J tJ'o o c -^ -^ r c o - c u.< rS rt .^ O C^ I— ^ . „ -OT3 -a •o-g^-o o a; u a. (u QQ 5o 5
  • , C c S O c c^ o i> g a> o ^^^^ rt r-' r-' r-' 5 O tj U cDDo c c aa CXJCOOOCOOCOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOCOCCOCCOOCCOOO Cj 0) 01 0) 00 00 00 CO l-^0^0^0^0^00l-'0^•-'►-" it o. & c CI. a D. «S o. /S ^ ^5 O i-H i-H H-. m ~ u o o rs t, U U t- v_ O. rt rt rt c. 1- 1- U tn o, c & a. <<<< Ji-^ <5 < C/2 uP p; c , > o g ra iri ^ h4 aj -o-o ^ ^ u (U oJ fo C3 .~ tata-g •a •r) o o — ZJ o CO COW ;^ Q aj 4-. O .-— o o\ >2 " >> w " 4-j (« a, I- C^ CJ ^ ■ CO u 00 c _, CL '^ O o ^ 5 00 rt be ii ^^O 2 c .E-- ■ H — 0.-M r " "' c - 2 ^ CO Q O -O r- ^' O C O — rt o "Ul - t« CJJ s- . rt .T' c o.i; o ^ c . , a, i^^- c j; ii_, OJ OS -n ■•" u*^ ^ H z ■ • -pi-' N f^i • z < Q. o o u. o Q oc O O UJ ir Q z < t CO o ro . VO VO f^ m ^^ '+ -- r^ o -Q ii • 'C >i ;i< w w c < G C C C C QJ ^ OJ o ^\d c o (U C So O (J J! rt c ^ o c o "-c o s D " C _S < rt ^--^ 5 o c « TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY 285 o C.5 . tj rtOO 1- t< b£ rt S HH be t^ bcc « o .E cf.'^ rt i^ O-C re Ec/^t-^tj o U o ^ E ci:< ^•^£^'^ §• (X[ ^- ^- c ;g vd 8 8m^^ •" c c ^ .- .-zr^R o rt o <, ra rt >:; O O O O Ch (5qqcj ^g -JO .i=i; Sid c 3 r; btCO fS - ^ rt w^ O o J 2 O 'occo ^-QQ 53 be ~ tH ' ' i;' a. O () rn -*-' — TO TO Ed^ (u ta . o •o i: c K >.-§ c c ^ _ V) ^ := rt - u. ooo en C •C O (U QJ t> OOO p^ O 286 HISTORY Olf FIRST REGIMENT <^ nS vp 1- H S? 00 2^ ? (—1 oi ^ ^ M ^ bO 1) SS r ^ .rn 0) 1 & ^« Q J= >; u E-H ;^ H -. (J -^J "TD - - ^» •^ u u: OJ ^■s ^ i f^ c f 1-4 O t 1- C •a « rt -^ " 0. « rt d tu Z 1- Z o O 1 O < 1 ) ; ) 1 3 at o . c :^§ •^ fee ^ 1- rtQ UOO 3 a; &d a: rt l_(l— I .£ T3 « "J >> >> • U u- '^^ i rt ^ ^ ° . ^" J a & ^ u -, c c ££^ _^ cg.gg ^-^ ^^ Qi "^ r _ _ ^ ^ vi f^ uy, - z tSj^iS CO QP ^ QC HHQ ^ S QQ < Q. S c C c 5 OJ C o £^ H H n xA C _^ S c c c IJ. o in w a _o C iT 47 c nj S g^^ Q cr 3 < cJ5 _aj' £ o ^ , ill O lij o > ■ ■ ^ S2;Ni Q CS CS O > > o o iit C "il C < a c u 4; aj ^ X >- I- 2> rt fiC ^ ^^ m-^K 1 — 1 < <^< c/ic/i'c c c "c 1- S C c x; o ' c o -v c "o 1— > 1 c c \-, > a, 3:e £ w c E a c X :x a E a! 1) c > 9, - c c 4J ui n Pi u 5 k!-( CO a; C h4 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 287 VOVO 00 00 ^ <^_ ^,^ V - ~ O 5 >? :z; H u u c 3 - w O O in -B "" h4 ^ -a s ^ § Ji Q Q QQ^ C-J (J n Q a. ' < c ^ - a; ? H H o OJ H _4J 4J I/) > ^ J H rt !/, rt •a •o-o _4f • H >.^ f-lr> O *- i- __- C M V, O-S u O H U^ o n uT 1^ O ^ 'U r-^ ^ H c^ «J w H u ., r; T3 O O oi &l^ & O i; CiiZ o ^ M«OOC»0000(X3 0CCXj5DCOGOOOC»CCCOOOa)OOTCOOOC(XcOOOCOCOOOCOODCOOOOO <|^|.c?| c; c J p O -SJ .cW uCQ c-t^-- c 0; (u o o V- a. t; -" o -7" ^ Oj 1^ 0; O 'p 'P 288 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT >- Z < a. o o u. o Q q: O O UJ oc Q z < h- o u ^ w . o c m r HO QQ 5G a; - O ra -o-o Q(5 lis o O "O -!-> a; ^- re -a (u o o >>•- o QQ J <-■ '" r-' ■ =^^ C ; ^^^' • 5''- o P~ QQ c O 00 CO 00 CO OO 00 00 00 00 00 00 OO CO >0 "O VD ^O VD 00 CO 00 OO 00 c n c ^ • n c u o. o. j2 s o. o, o G, P a, •S-S . !U iJ V , >- Z < CL o o u. O Q cc O O UJ cc Q z < cc UJ I- w o q: o Ji ■$. ua -.b rt (u -73 a> ■^Q W 00 CO a. o ti, o <^ O TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVAERY. 289 -t rO VOVD OOOO VO t 00 \o ^ 00 OS ^ t-4 ol •4-> ^ fe H u C -O be fH U 1^^ l3q W u rt S ? u h4 .^ 5t; rt c -: h4 C (L. a, > be (U S- ''^ pnScQ — , (L) o ^^ ^ re « u < W o . 6 ' < 0^ VO 00 i-i 0) 0) CO 0) CO 0) >- 0) 01 01 01 VOVOVCVDVOMD 00 CO CO 00 CO 00 010)01011-10)0101 01 VOVOVOVOVOMDVOVOVO OOOOCOCOCOCOOOTOOO 01 1-H 01 01 \ovovo 00 CO 00 0" 01 K! in in •— t 1— 1 in of 10 in 10 in tr^ Lo »n \n in in i-T i-T of in >n in 00" in 10 „ „_„„ ^„ __. _ -.— 1— > > a, < < c > n C C C c- c a a. 0. cccv.>>ibicnn o.ca, r ^ ef VO ^5 a (. -H Q OC 1- 00 t^ c u - 4J i 04 c c a ^ -< -cj •^ J OJ V3 0^ QS a (A ■s o'.s fc V3 < 1 — 1 s^ c: e'3 c .^ s ■^1 s- 1/ 1:1$ C rt K "O H a 111 o z 1 c ^ 00 ^ 00 > Z •-- d Q G CQC QU CP ■^ < Q. S o o ^ j£ „ C C u. O Q w « a < c J- C z c * C > &H C C C a. 1 n c K ^ S ^ ^"^ 0" O o t & ; o-| r" J3 n "o rt" > UJ oc Q Z ff PC c ri c 0. y. f5 c2 W ^ N — 1 H- ►— l-H »— 1 t-t t— f— h- t/> ^ ^ ^ (0 !j ,_ rr J '-1 rz ,_ , ^— .— i ^^ , __ _ — * T— t "7" ;5 1- t- - V- U ;- 1- 1- tC 1-, r' ■* I- ^ ;_ u > il'i. bi ) 'C w w c ^ r : r3 C >- 0. C i^ a := aj; ^ c 1- a. a. c a a. = c - vi3 QC < ' r^ l^< :<< <<<^ << «Z <<< < (< 2; < < C > 5 5c/ > ■ "c 3 1 ^ lac u SI il c c C C c i c C u X c c 1— ^ 1- c c 4- C 1- c c: > c- " rt r : c > 5. U t. •— t^ •- V. ;- ;- ^ ^ 2 S rt « -S C y- ; -fj '. - ■- ■y 'V i^ . '^' p^ — r-- fC PC P2 ^ i*.*^ A- c C TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 291 a 3 '<, li ^^ <>. lu O « (N ^ '5 Ji .if ;,^^ a Q QQ QQQ C 4> .in CO ISIS 5 t^ H^^ c^ E S o o > o rt fc-z: -s o 3 o !S S u u ei o ^ c/1 .-* J> c/) 'O CJO M C» (N 01 0) 04 C^ N N 0) P4 C^ r< CI ^< W 01 ri IN r-) 01 CM CI 04 r^ 01 O) D N W (N IN 01 00CX)0O0OCO00 0OO0 00 00 000O00CO00CO0000 00COCOCO00CO0C)CO00O0CO00CX)CO0O < P< o. & <<< rt o, O C< CI. c — wi^t^hHt-^ini-ii-i _>. b£ b£_>i be w > > >rr> > • o o |q3 T'hJ ■- SK cc; o ojjitQOIz;, •r ^-W o . _ c ^ I—* o O r/l (/) X ^ & o C3 rt uca ■>!X!;>tt.^ SK & . o ^- _- ' ■ !3 - Z < 0. O O u. O o cc O O 111 oc Q z < I- o o ^ ^ c u c rt is n c **^ D y !fl c Oid .St/3 U o fe > w "-■ fti S ^ Sti ( ; cc H C ^" 00 (U •c o < 1 — 1 ^ r^ _^ -w-b G rt !- H -a ■X) '> s \ I Cfi r^ C -'F, ^ 1-. ■ o r 3 3 -> . *-• c/T • OO ^5 ;^ Cci Ph J-i c/2 < G J=i ii !Xl U Ko VO VO VO VO vjD o 00 OO OO CO OO CO 00 \0 O MS VO VO VO VO 00 00 00 GO 00 00 CO lOOOOO N ^ 'C > > bD^J ca, o O 3 o <:^:zi<; >i >; > bo _-;• - rt rt ni O 1^ - §543 5o i- ^ . « „ (u QJ o a> o Jl ^ ifi en O) O O O O O piPiPiKPi TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 293 ■rl- •4- 1 \o VO 00 OD " " i \o" vd c; '-' ^ ■a CJ qj >'5 <>. ^ C r C c -."ti c o ^S = 03 >^r:^ dj O We- O w-s ^ pd S -^'■-s O a; ■^^ > o .^^ rttS tj >• CS ,_ C 'O rt ' — ^ oj rt rt ^ ^ ^ o "O CO •^-1 •O C -t- TD 'O - '-' "" cs CN • M l-l , * , , , , ■C b. obh> >T X be b ) _> -.^ c 1— » t-^ ^ (-^ ■, :<< r r a h- ^ c c > J. > 0. > 1— c -. c - en, 1 > (^ „ c. 1 n ' a. c o 'u a E .sl p^' -^ E , C c p c ^ 'f <^ > ■> r- c "^ ? r^ ^r; rt r 2 COO" Ic7 > c c c .V c r 1 O 1- 0.' c- n ^ 1 ^ '^ Cbf "o oc , rt CI o \c ^ "o en rt ond c rt !XlO 5 c c D Z h- Z O O I Ul >■ z < Q. o o u. O Q cc O O UJ cc Q Z < H (0 O cc u XT) nj 1^ 1/3 ^ » 00 " .„ 'tH C 3 00 od~ - «5 o ^ Ho to S ^ O >. W — ^ (U . > C C a; o o T3 bo = -«§& = ^ -t: 1;; o \n 30 o h-l ^ — . U r o. p; < (U H ^ rrt :-. c-" rt a. i :^ _ ,, OJ (U C .— C r-' tt ■^^: p^^^Ef^^dCfS cq^; a oph: o3 aj — >i cj r f_i 03 c •— ^> pany moti t. I, h4 J- <-j > ., ^ c 1-0 c^ H~ r of C ed by Cav., C 'Xi u^ « •U ^- r-" Uh4 p=; S ^ " -*-» -^ _^ Oi gH .-J c^ re ^ u • 4^ ,^ p ^ ^ lU , rt H li: > -c 1- > 0^ c 4_j « ri Xl 1 , •0 •n rt 4J I/-; w ^ c X H O O C O rt h4U O VOVO CO 00 COCOOCOOOOOOOOCCCO W M (M r>1 M ->- (J d'i^ o< c! rt ra _jiii»_jp[; s •« rt ^ rt t/"i E ^ C: r- rt O O O o '""' •ST^ u '-' o . 1- rt V- <^ eu < < < < PC cc cQ p- ec c Si IT. r- -US U N •r: J 5 re, -J^; -:: <^ G P i-:,'^ •> K-; ^ ^ TO ^•■ ^. ■/! r^ -^ ■^ -^ ^ l-i. .' O t£ tf.= - o o c p re •; ._''.ii-0:-i-;-!-rtrtre CC P3 fQ CO ffi CQ CO CJ O O CJ rt r-; '- u ^ •^ a D V. s •— > t— 1 O-D-O v^ 1- 1/-, t- V- fl; ^ re rt C-; hr c n PPC V- ^ a; .4 rt 1 'O VO UJ c CX) rt •a >- z o > Q 0. s O c o ^ C^ c c c ^ ,!L) ^- ^• ^ G C C G p; r- f-' 5 5 u. O Q a z OJ OJ cu (U E ^ ~ bt"^^ Q u tj O "cj "o 'o tj ;- c V- V. ;- i- cc < fi S c C .s.s.s.s O > '^ c c O --S'-S T. 13 IIJ "o Ij fc c rt 'S fr COtL|tL( O UJ a. U V. Ih t, O OJ OJ CJ C2, a. Ch a "oj C _bO p oc X C Q< a. o. c- a a. >. re • — ' C '> ■% x; >> >. Q tx. r^lD ^ II^^^DD W c S:^ t^ HWM z 0) V t— « hH HH 1— 1 )— 1 1— 1 hH »-l 1— K- 1^ >— " i>! y^ " i< . t^ r^ 1- I-, 1- » s "- •- " '" '"' "" w t/J ^ ^ ,-H f^ r- ,-1 o 1-J c u "(J c o ^'-^ rG ■'G .T^ rG rG rzi 7^ O ^^ c — ."z: £5 1- ;- V- V- V- C 'C 'C 'u. 'C 'u (j 'C 'u c o i^ u< c •■r- ;- b j:: •- >- cc W r rt rt r: a aoiaiacuc ci ■> 1- < z c I.I O c^ Of u ^ oc a: c c t E i- 1 cc 31 > J= 3 bbS^ jn 1— > D 03 ^.; ^ rtO '--' >. tlant and isabi <'C - — o u > 1-.Q O c« o c ^ c n-a o h4 > i-r t/) rt o < rnJ ^ rt c; H It oJ -o .;;^ o U > H > -^ ti -r ^ TT "C CI P Qoi O H o ^ P ? a; >i >^ sen c* c c J— I 1L> 0-1 5:^ > ^ qj 5 > 5i rt o e^ ^ P3 00 GO CO CO CO Kj GO 00 CO CO CO CO CO 00 CO CO CO CO OO CO 00 CO CO CO CO 00 -COCOCO 0000 1% t^ 1-1 t^ tN t^ rt rt o rt rt rt i-iMLHi-ii-ii-ii-ii-ii-ii-ii-crjr^t-sr^MOOi-ivn t^Uiuoi-t-ooci'- <-> o o .-72 r;^ ."t: 1- ^ ^ Uc (J ^ i- > ?:, • - o c o a o rt c o otLifi; V >; ^j. >- . ;:: c^ ^ ^ . - - - • -^ - iU - ci^ n - P ^rtr3CiCCrti^j:;.~CO be J£ o > o cT aJ ~ P C C ^ 2 ^ PC g a; o N p W5 O P en 0>-i £ 5 wen 298 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT f^ ■4 o S oo r'l •"* "^ 'T3 o O 1 Ui U7 — . 1< 0/ > z Q i5 Q S < Q. S o '" d p • o u. s s ^ C ! 0) (N 0) cq M M w CI z VOO^OVOVOVDVO'OVOVOVOOVO'O < ocoooooooooocooocooococooooo cc w" rC t-C r^ i-T i-T w' ^h" t-; « i-T r^ hT «' UJ, » H ►- K^ « w (N ifi ^ j;^ jr ^ 3 t-> (J o — r::; rs ." o r;:: .";; o . . O !5 u'-;bb^'-'^^b^^t«.'«-> w q^rtCJr3(li^CXC Q.rtjUprofUiL' CC q:^s^<<:<<:s<<:^qq < PS ". ! .' *-i Q <% o< i; • S 5 & .t:; . h^ 2; ^ . . o Ph 7^ ^ -c H- >-^ „ ^^.- . - o < !5 V ^ vh a.- b CC .H ^ > 00 U. I-H <1^ «5 -t- m j= bo : ■" 5 ^ •o < o 2cj^ S C rt - Vc^ii — o :=: -a igned Dec. 29, 1862 ; as Lieut.-Col. 8th T igned on account of i d since close of war, nsferred to V. R. C. Roster Company H. Field and Staff. t> ^, w r - fl) tij rt it IX ^ L> ■'/!. S ■N 1^ cs M ^) M N vc VD C VOVOVDVO VO cc 00 o: 00 00 00 00 00 >- l-H >- •" 1-1 1-1 i-< •^ hH odcc ' - vo" ►-■" - ^ J J2 ^ "C "c . . i- ^ ;- S-i > > \~ a c < en • c t/ c u. 'i < I 5: > o fcc _4J ^ o n U o. 5^ Wo s^^ : Q U o > o d "^ rt •^ r/) bU T) 3 , o. u f= H o o;.> u T3 cy o iz; 'n Q, o *-? -^ ■'' zi C- p Xi u C O u Pi u c c c S p > rt h4 o i> 5 Cl, Ci be ■■ih-'tn <: C oJ VOVO 00 oo M 01 (M (N C« VD ^ ^ \0 'O COCO CO CO 00 (M 0) M N (N 01 (N >0 ^O VO MTi MD VO VO Oj CC OO CC 00 00 CO M 01 VOMD OOOO 0^ ro 01 M 01 COCO COCOOO ji: ^ j=: j= j:: ^.-=5 U O tj O CJ 1-, U i- V- v^ rt r3 rt rt rt ;f>;c/2r^ <5r5; l/l g tn < • O 1- r- O rt , Cl. <^^o' ;m 66^^^^^ w. ;<«« ►J (LI ^ -.2 rt r^. § ^'^ 300 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT _c S" . ^ c '-' 1 of 0) 5 1 — . 00 oo' 1^ « ^^00" OO d t4 J3 -9, "2 4J < S n JJ . ►^ Q 6 III K ^' 1) -a c h4 o O c _£3 t3 oo o o y V- o •^ c S 2^ c Z O o s- a; U t Trii t Trii t Tri rged "3 OJ 1 CT c; C(J cc OJ ™ rt •J-H u. c a OJ 'C Q O CJ O t/: C ^ u V- o u z ^ J-i Q c/^ S Q Q Q c H < Q. 2 o c c c m o c QJ c (L. G S li. H t^ H &H c c o tj "E OJ b - tv 5 O . r ^■ 4. o o o UJ < c O 5! r < > c o Q r O ■ Q Z 01 c^ n (N (N (s cq 0) ^ , - ^ -. ^ fc ^ . - - CO in M HH KH t- " " " HH *~ O *-• HH ^ ^ JZ J 3 u c t- L o W o. c '^ l- > c > > o c d^ g-c > c ■g^ > > > > > ^ ^ O O O O O r: r; O. Q, (£ w tx S5 ^ ^z ^s ;z c/: ^:^^^;5^ 1—1 O O 3 w w fci p: : < K O < > J \a- U- c ^ *^ 5 l-r If .i: ^ t V- i- V- ^ rt rt rt rt cd c^ rt re rt oi ^ W 4 J ffi OUo n 1-. o o O C\ o "*^ "^ X) ,_; T) •fl -o 1^ re U ^l I'j 1.)^ \^ t^ ;-. • l-u i-i k-> 1^ o7 . »^ (U a; a; ■=^'0 Q U^ 15 ^4^4 h4 K d d o n -o oo U U -o i- o ^ c c c c !/5 C« G C ^^i H ^E-^^ Q h .a'>. • c.'^ o V- m >< 3 uT . o I- :| Pi 0) 01 (N 01 ^ *r! tri <:; <; r==5 P=; iS; ;• o 11 ,, *—, ;^ -¥' ii^i QP ^ ?^Q hJh-I in W ^J 6 d o o -C T) & 6 03 o o ^c3 c3 ►J •a n -•-> 1- 73 rt Cfi Cfi rt 'O 1 — 1 -otj G n lU -o 3 T. 0; y~- ; I <1> o O O " QQ ^H ^ Q ^ Q ^H > o to o HH 1-. r^ rt ^ t^<; ^ & o .fcH rt rt _ 5t: > > = ^OOCOOOOOOOOOCOCOS^OOOOOGCOOOOOCOOTCOOOOOOOOO j'gog-p.a.oooooo ^,^^ PL (1, p:5 fsi p:; i „ — :5 <«S c"^ on g-S ■o 2 !- "-3 C > t" C e rt rt Wilson . . Wiley . . . E. B H 1-" C C , c : ►£ S . . to bo w) -S c -^ ^ Wj^ ^ r; ti t; rt "S ■^'' „_......-_ P 1; — 1 >_, o ti IN 3 6 < < Q ^ a- ^ d UJ 3 « Co. rland Z O 0^ 1- Z -^ 5 o O 1 li. t/5 C T3 >- IX: O z 5^ (5 < Q. 2 o o u. Q o QC < O O UJ cc Q z (M 0) 01 VO VO MD < i^ 00 CO 00 'A t— 1 KH t— t cc W ^ U|N S HH HH 1- g (0 13 o !z; a, a ! cc w tnm ■ M ;z; < « cd a ^ . iz; c^ < ■>j:: OT < c o • z < Q. S 00- S O J= ^E-i g G J-) 'J^ 0) o rt o; ■^ ow^ r. C -tj o ^ — u "->-> - >^-a o ^ C w • -tJ t; (/) rt u (/, •-^ rt •"■ ^ *": 5-1 ^2 "^ S tfl 'T' o n '^ "i^ O ^ O o 0\ --a o rt UJ • ^ " rt oj n I— I ^3' O t/5 < fc < be >. >. >. O I— I _Z1 /I 1 ffl al >- n S"^—' tf u CO Li > Q yo ,>; $3 m > OJ = So S >. ttS I - i TENNESSEE VOUJNTEER CAVALRY. 305 .no — 00 ■2 bi ^CO Ks"< i-T -^ o <=^ y (U •^ rr, >-i (U e *^ 55 rt rt Ulz; 4J _j,_, rt -Ota OJ W O) 0< VO vo^o CXiOOOO VO VD MD VO VO VO VO VO MD \0 VO \0 VO 000000 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 CO 00 00 VOVOVOOMDVOVOVOVOVOVO OOXJOOOOOOCOOOOOOOODOO hH l-H M |-( 1-1 1-1 Tj-00 VOVOl-lf^Tj-WI-in l-l MI-iIn,I-I .VOi-HIHtI-WI-i rO CL— . "*-* _I^ 5 ^ s 3 '-' ;zi : e CO rj °^ o fc wEpi; (U aj p -J ^ rt N a M < 3 -Si P Td « ■ • x;_ ^ (Si tnrj g rt u b6 S . c ^'J S ~ < rt ^ c S J ocnUF^W OM-i .'l^^'Sm-^ « > > CO P 5' a. *- ui O tn rt (U OJ O E ;0 CO . a rt'O o'^:^ ■"u; T; c~ o-^ o.i! = i; pq c .ii c r^ >; J j= j: (UUOCl-UUU •— Crt- z < 0. :e o o u. o Q cr O O lU QC Q Z < UTsJ I- 0) O cc Q S to 4-. '^ ^ Q O O to < 1^ Q S ?: <" (u o b (U qj fS 1- •- ^ H «-"£ t-. I- >1 rt a! oj rt CJUCJ _n>-<> Upperc' Pulaski Ewing, t^ H a> S G jV u o X -/DOCXiCOOOCOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOCOOOCOOOOOOOCOOCOOOOOO "3 3 s's 3'3'53 D _rt.2 OWOh'P^ t- OJ P TO ?i (U TO ^ Z h- TO "O > g C O TO >^ > c — H-,c/2 1 l-H l-H M >-< hi l-H <^00 "-I 1-1 l-H M h-l "3 3 3 s's'B's 3'3 3 3 3 3 3'3 3 ,_; C 'a (A, c i_ (1 1 ^ < pq U iJ di en C . ." k ^ u^\C I' TO "^ PQ ■fti m' ^« TO tJ ^ tl I- i-T C -G O O JJ >< TO j=.-z; ^h;^ ^^ I 308 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT Q CC O O UJ cc Q z < cc HI I- co o cc ^ OJVO ■£^00 ID o. ^ ^ g C Pi O - d 'O Jo Pi Cti 3 Ua So 00 w J2 CJ < o s it: Ph 5) g > O t a, bo c C d 0:7: -c > K -a ."til a; 01 O) 0< \o vo vo CO 00 00 CI M M 01 --! ss 5-1 < I- w C W P I2 I- c s? -■ >• '^ -^ JJ O*^ a f^ u >% in , a u ^ cl E (/) x: 1_ C U5 iJ (/) SI •--, TO . . aj • o bj p. "o TD « "t; p^ oUo.-^O ^ s ^ tr. cu g ;> g m o o O TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 309 in , o M i/i C c c > p u. n:) s rt rt PQU ^ J ,!_» rt rt •Old c c c c E c c c c ^ ^_>,^ _>._>>_>. >"C ^^_>. >^ ^^^e^>—^ ■u o ti. •^P o . c o rt n ^ o J^Ch^> ^^5 2 mP 2 u t-r*~> uj^. Hn oj o CJ C 1- cu OJ . „ <;<- Z < Q. o o li. o o o o LU oc Q z < oc UJ I- 0) O cc <: _r c - C (u e gH ^-^ ■v H dJ •-< ;-i C ;i »■ v •t: o ^^ QQ Cti t^ IZO PQ ni n! ^m QQ n > >> o •'" " n 3 D ^ >> C G G C rt rt oj rt MCO000OCO00000000COCX)0O00O0O000CO00O00000CO0O0000O0O000000O -' 0) O 3 - r- ^<: "^ rt rt C <-■ ii* ^'§=" r > u > ;C I- oj X •a "o -a "O (LI O ii ^ u 1-1 i-H M O On [Q^ o| ^< •5^ t "- S £ coco ax: coc/i r-' O O tl -k^ O COCO iO-S i^< IT) m m lo i-i lo I <, > h£ ^ C bo bo o rt to O iJ -. (U w o 55 y^- 312 HISTORY OF riRST REGIMENT Z H Z O o > z < 0. o o il. o a cc o o u QC Q Z < cc 111 0) O cc m o U •^ ,^ ?^ D ^ rt TS c ■ .v 3 na 1— . CJ C C jK^ a> o H o ^ •oO H jT U ^^ c W O h4 H K S § H = ^ r-" jJJh ^ c - - o^ rt CO (U ^ rt aJ — -^ <-" 0i>O 01 0) eq 0) !N O) . < _, cfi bD tn " in ' < bfl C t« o lO ^2 g'^ SP w ^ 2 b-S w .^ ij 1> vu ' • ^1 >§.e" > .? -^ OJ ■" 43 "+-1 5 _tj 'L' VS jj o TO (^ 5 H 5 (L) (J O k4 tn S< o o & & ;u ° o ° c n u dZ -o. ^u5 •fcr^ H, OPh C E bi3 c c S" c "^ h40> (LI G OhS oooocooooooooococoooooco c^ r^ o \o ^o coco CO CX) (^ Cq oq 01 be > b£) be be G30G0G GD o be'^j-H rt - ErG .il - i •0 ^ < w > C3 (-1 - 1- X I- «4- bA IS Ui o "o ro C rt OJ 1^ 00 D u tn n, % V- to I- Vh Q Z •o ^ s ~ ^^ J - 1- Z O < o o 3 11 rt aj O •a O c 't/i n 'Z. o o tn di 3 •0 3 3 lU C^ U i. c i/i OJ - z (5 cd 5c ^ CC P dc ^ < Z Q. S o c o O o (A « Q Q < c c bo J- c a: CL 0, be ;-. 3 > E 0, c c 1. {- > % dec C 3 C 0. ^ g ^^- (lT ^ OJ > > O c u 5 >> o c ^ 3 3 c "O a. 1- rt • ^ • -coc • ^ N 0) N (N f^ 0) 0) N o w 01 0) 0) M 0) 0) CM N Ol CM N 0) CN CN N OVOVO \c ^ ^ VO^\OVC VO VO 'O VO V3 O \C VC VC VC \0\OMD ^ ^vo < w oooocc oc oc oocooooc 00 00 CO OO 00 00 CC OC CC cc CO 00 00 CO 00 oc UN ^ w - "^ "- "^~ " t< p ^^ " ►h" i-T t< i-T h- - -^- 10 t-T 1-" W ^«~ 1- co 3 -r; ^-, o oc !z; w bfi-K b < 3 be b 0^ >. bo c a. } n ) 11) -' -^ , 1 -' ^ b, < 3 bi'C bc-g_-g^ bo bo 3 C^ 3 {^ Qj 3 3 < Q < 1— ^ r E 0. E >— s .2 Si 0. C C c ""c c " ■>S ^ c E 1 V 5 c ■>i-% c ^ ►4 X < _c - P " p .^ ^ TO "bi) c n c ■>! > tL C C > c )C c ;c )C ;i ^ ^ ^ XJ. S: X X ^ 3: X rn K £ hi: ■>►— > TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 315 O 2 \o y) a H-t ol (J U-) jj (X t^ K < H g .r rt ; o -.C^>-HI-CMI-ll-ll-.l-Hl-ll-l tibi)>>>.bb-^-S_>^> >"'n bJb-g^-S.^^ > ^^'S.Mbi) bc'C'C bJo be bb be bia ti bb WW 5 o ■■ '-^ "'So 12;'^ CO E>> < to .-. pill-:, cfc S rt;z; ^oi.&^oi^ O tr' =: — > • "> rt -Kr j: -^ c/i ;> '.5 E^^ be bcji', C C 1- t- V- ? W W HH HH HH I— I h ^ . .> .- . •— >i-:>CJ ^ -^ -^ - h h h >-<' ■k-^ _- _- c3 rt -- i: •- ^ c C ^ '^ uT ?r ^ ^ • i^' ■ - SdFP ■+-» tj *"* •^ '~ ^ ^ ^ -a oj 03 o (J c Li 1-, -o -a 1 u W c-i ^ QQ^ Q o w o _Q TO CU C > G C ^ • QJ U " - _C *P o3 "^ O *=/• ^ ^ c/^ < ^ O VO VO O VO ^ ^ ^O ^ \0 vO O \0 ^O O O vo VO O O VO ^ vO VO ^ VO VO O O CO CO CO CO CO CO 00 00 00 00 00 CO 00 00 00 CC 00 CO CO 00 00 00 00 00 CO cc 00 00 i-T i-T i-T oT i-T "-T i-T rf . i-T i-T tF i-T lo lo i-T hT «" i-T ^.T i-T i-T i-T . i-T cT of in C^C^) . „„r-cO< 0<0)Cq(N .wwM S5-S,a5/^5P5?-g^ ^bb bb_>, J^hJa^^bh^,^ "S.'S^a?; •^'^>^5: • •« • • ^< • • • . . -^ • • ti . s -^ E^ . JJC/ii-l'— I C <^b^-'~J^'r-----^ r- r- '^ n c« c/2 en tJO '.T,-,--^i;r:^j:'T3 nirt.-oooooci3i]^^^^^E 52ii'x:rt--^-cx: ^OPnP-if^PipHPiPil^PiWC/iC/iOOC/lCOCGCO COCOCOCOj-iJ-Hi-ic-Ht-« TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 317 >> '^ ttH C :ii C cfi ^""'^^ •— • (I> 0^ Q-* OOwQ c i^O C^ o oocococooocooooo c/2 ai< < h-.< ;2; ^^1 fc p^ ^ C bJ: c E E . . bii ^<: 00 rt ^O^ - E-- O O <^ a O rt "= ixi Q o Qtn • O^ o.cv -ir! PQ 6 _-p ; OJ C l-H ol ua >, < m m O & § l^; t, gp o Pi c c n c u — :2 aj t; >c^; 0) 0) c^ OOOOOO 00 00 IM (N M 0),3 00 00 OO 00 00 <^E (^ c^ o ^^ ?} en tn H ^ z c ^ -^ ■ ■ H Ji n D < w o H s >- « P3 t/) tn :? C rt PS ^ "^ w h-5 OJ W,-t 'S CI--; c3 tn slews' pa h4PH-;c/io 318 o o: O O UJ cc o z < DC r^ (0 o QC HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT o . :z; ^ «*5 c VO 00 o CJ ir* O > o a ^ ^ i bto S o u rt o c i2 cj W o >." c c P Q C c ■" -? ^ O in O ^ — ? 5 g rt rt rt o Mvo' H-l u 00 ■4^ ,_ rt •- TJ •n o o is rr y C o u CM OJ 00 00 C) M C^ C^ 01 n C^ (N M 01 r^ (M f^) 04 P) M OJ N OOOOOCOO OOCOOJOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOCOO 00 lornoio) o)o»oioo ^ ^c >— ^^— > h.«v^— vH— ^ k— . .2; ^^, rt-a o. o o ^ - o< r: • ^ h^ r/^ en . 1 -^ _r- J 1- es J= -^- -t ^ fV — 1 D >, (J cfi a: ^ CJ ^ . • * N i-_l ■_! >^ Q.> ^ K a ^ '^ , c o . . ^ t; r= o < >> OJ _^ O fc •n t4 >> = ^ o h4 o O •3 ^ O Q Q Q o 00 O) GG C G c c <3| h4^ pi; > > o o C4 (N IN C^ O VO >0 'O "O \o 00 CO 00 00^ oooooooooocooooocooowoocooooo cocoyocooocococooo'X) WOICSN"^ rqvor>4CM\O, bp be be &/)_>._>._>. > _>>_>.^ -b^ > >>>> > ^^^^ 5 "^ _ S ri rt tX) ui ^ U U iL> o'bi'bc'bi fci? i i rt 320 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT >- Z < Q. o o u. o Q cc O O ui cc Q Z < CC Hi (0 o QC >-r > o 1^ ^ 1 — . >> > in M ;w •r. aj •r & tn O g o flj OI • c . c c ; . o » WW n c c O (J rt c3 > > O O WW OOOJOO^TOCOOCOCOOOOOOCCOOOOCOOOOCOO COOOOOCOOOCOCX) ci in" n of of of of IT) of lo of r^ lo of of of of of of of lo in u^ i-T in l_l|-ll-HMfgO<0|l-lt-ll-ll-ll-ll-l>-ll-ll-ll-ll-l h-lMl-ll-ll-l l-H •7; — o o o o o ■cm w ^ c/: c/5 „->;>.^t- p^- t/^ •— • r- rt rt ^^ ^ rt ^ 1^ >:.£.'-^OUOUW^ ,«^wss^^s;^ re re rt . re . . C iT (lT.^ In I- V- 1- n i^ 00 s«" o ^ o •a Z « o ^ tj J' ^ rt a! O O E-i. ^ rt rt D C1.T3 O m ^ ^ V- a; M-( rt M-( o lU C rt •O-^ 00 u " rt •^Q «.' <^ ^- 1 c • ■ o ifr C § 'C 5 ^ c^^. o .-s ^ i! m (u 3 > Jco C)04(^(NN0)r>i'Nrqr>)fq(N0) VO \0 \0 \0 VO vo VO VO VO ^ VO ^D \0 0000 00 M CO OD 00 00 00 00 CO OO 00 '-' Si i" c/i o . I5 fii p:; p< DrJ CO CO c/i CO t Iq . . . >. : jn .c ji: ^ "-* : .t; .t; .-t: .t; "c i H H c E -3 icococo coco CO c E p E c - ^n ^ c ^ E^-«-iiii cocococo^^^^^^ 322 HISTORY OF I'IRST REGIMENT >- Z < Q. o o li. o o a. O O 111 a. Q z < I- O cti (N C^ 04 O) • >, 'fc TENNESSEE VOt^UNTEER CAVALRY. 323 CO o c f^ ^ c; r> O.^ ^ c — ' ^ o ^ o qj rt H a. ^ . *. c rn 12 ^ S5 ^. r^ 0-3 ^r^ 1^-0 . a ^ c 10 o J^ rnZ-^X cnn., of wo , June rison, ure. , June r-''^ J-H c c aa n r c rt c , c/) oj a> ided at Pulaski ischarged by rea at Nashville, T in Andersonvill record of his at Cleveland, T •CT3 5'^-o^ =-c (U (U 1^ , W « QJ o > > > V. >, • u > 1- OOOrt-T^go-OC cl' ;:S W > < 1-^,^ -d !/J^ . ^ f- I- n /^ rtrt— i-t-v. re — ;:2 fic p2 iT =: 3: O • - rt
  • — » .^'-'^ c— u::a.X!<^s=:Srt'2Ct:rtrt-5^rt .5f = — 324 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT >■ Z < Q. o o u. O Q oc O O UJ cc Q z < h a) O tfcl pq E o CO O Q 4J r/1 •^ (^ c ,Q c (U tlH , >v c W W > ;__; rt T^ hJ (/I 4-> ^ CS o •a H-I CIJ •o .^ n TD ^5 r-- G S o -i; o r; rt i/j W c c Tt: en • ii o «h4 n 5 c o V N r<: rn rri ^ 0» ro OOQOOOOOCOOOOOMOOOO lOvO MVOCStxt^i-Hi-iO >■;:: >';ii'n ^ i- > >'ii! o ex o o. o. j5 ^ o o o. C^ rO0» CM 01 Cq TtrOf^^r^eq (M rn rr) rri nj H r ^ y-^ S^ oT C/2 So ; 1 rt ? 'Z^ rt 55 -a '^^^ &-0 ~ ^ o ir rt o -t- ,o ^ ^ f^' 03 lO o ^cx) -a . _^ >> " >> QJ f^O -*-• rt -o^ ^ o c/2 ^Q CO :^ Jvj . O o 3 c £? CQ 5^ PiP^ ^H 1^ i! Q O o 1) >>— ^ 0< CM M r>i c-l VOVO MD ^O O 00 00 00 CO OG O, hH I-. (-1 _ > > > > > o o o o o 0) oq cc CO o. o f^. (M fO CM CM COCO oo oc CO ! oooSocoo I f^rCCMCMM'f^'^'^'^c*^ OCCOCCOOCOCOCOOOCOOOOG rt "O O O^"^ (y O 0/ 4J u u, - '^ rn QSH^O ^ O^CMjX^ -.-' :^ C C O G r; o o o ti t! ^^Soo O !ffi V rt (U O KCc:; ■■<;. ■ ■c o «Pi b P. ■ S^ w ^^, coc/ic/ic/icoc/ic/jE-if-J-'H 326 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT D Z H Z O O I _i >- z < Q. o o o a: O O UJ a. Q z < a: UJS H CO O cr 00 Ch4 o «j I— I «^— , y o o C :=: o CO " - « HH O O Q.O g 50 00 00 OOOT 00 c/i z < o o U. O Q QC O O LU cc Q z < cc ai I- co o cc •Oh CJ H ;?; H fc bo > >, > o "^ •a "i2 r^5 ^'— ' S at Jeffe at Stev at Trii at Lexi ided at o -OT3T3-0 3 -*-* i; a; d oj O 5(555^ o := o U ^ u J c f-t CI " yi 1-1 ^' r- SH <: "C \o QQ D > r^ fv, o) '^1 01 ri \0 vo "O \0 VO vo ^00 CO OC COCO ■F^ S s <^ <" '- 1> ^ ^ ^ ? H - z;— o. X ;:= cc ;? o J S OO 2Ql cq PI > > -O t3 "O (U O) - C^f 1-" 'O moo 00 00 3--= £ o o o o ni C o "t: O 1/ O H^cn Jr o S t" t« c c >- re rt ffi<' o E .t: ■ - rt 5 re 'p 1-^1 C ™ *-■ -f-T ~rtCrtOOOCC.'t;v- rewdji-^t.t-rtrt— re re .:<: ^ o o o o 328 HISTORY OF FIRST RFCGIMENT I ^ ^ -t ' M3 ^ O lO 't/3 OC t— • 00 ^c in ro ^-* OC X) i ' 1-^ C 05 o ^ bcco ^ ,/ 1 OC -+ 6 u < w i do '•5 J^oo c o s o O o O rt c c a. 5"^ z H z o O 1- < C o t3 u C a: 2^ 2 '5. -H 1 15< _c li.Bt 03 K -^ ■*- be 3^^ S c 'J- Q, ■ Z rt V- '^ O ^ QJ5 p u Q Q C PC HP < p < ^ 0. P o 5 o be ^ ^• r-: r^ u. en C c c s s 3 5 Q ^C ^ ^ c H HHH Q cc O O UJ a. a z < a; » SS c ■ c o d o (J 3 •— > QJ O C > > > tU (U 0/ 3J lU OJ OVOVO \o ^^^ ? )9)9 ^ )9. S < w H3 oooooooooooc CO 30 hH 1— t X oooooc CO XJOOCC cooo oc 00 UJ 1- " t-T in vo in to 1/ T in o" o in li 1 in . "■ T in in 1- - I_l " in i-<" T ■odoo''oo'' " H-T in « i-< f< (N » >, > o > c > o dj o > c ^ ^ "" o o c J3 ■§.S-| ^^ > c 1— » 6 < <.^v4Z "^ ^ _^Q Q 2;_^ ►— . ^'^2^^ tH c/ c c c 0. c rt 1 > O 1- u s 2 3 C rt c 1- a "a : c ■ en' .S.£ "o'o (A (A o u 75 L )UC )L JU G c Qtotofcu h[X .tt *tx . a o re ■<-> re ZJS CO tn "O -o H<-. .^ C r-' o o 11 ■^^ 'XH ^ ^ o c 'a? O t o o V- )-< -o y -a-c -o-o " TJ ii 5-^ O 1^ a; (U o t) o ^Q QQ ^ Q U "^ C O O^ 1^"3 o ■u u ^ C^( c -p 'C fl^ s ^ o 2i rt ^- pa H 0; t_, ^' o P 2 be "^ I- T ^ O. ''^ ^ '" — re P c c rt c c n C (U X) oj re ^ ^ ;> y OJ " " OO 00 00 CO 00 CO CO ( <.5 !-; •— 1 i-H u r >^ >. >, >. i« >. !i2 '/" — re^ Cfi ^ >, >. re C j^ C n c — a ^ re re re 1> It a; oj o o O KI T^ 3::r:ffi pH K K Ph ffi bfi (u cy i- -i £ cH o S 03 rt cs H ^^ rt - O 3 Q Q GQ ■ ^ • . o •£^ c t/l d orn, 1 enn. ock. N. C. ranch. Ten u^ cJ « o Q < -H <_, C_, " <— 5 a. a.— . f f ock. N. one Spri rt. Tenn 1, Texas 4. : c o o o o O > O ^ -= 1- _3 i- ^ O :=: •t; r .ti.t; *c! :cS y > Q. a. u ^ ^^ *' i ^'3^ rt 1- U '^ ^ COCOOOOOlXCCOOCOCOOOOC'OOTOOOOOOOCOCOOOOCOOoiDOOOOOOCOTCCCOO OOOOOOOOOOoOOJ ^ ^ r^ j-^ --' ^ .^ ^ t_j -^ i^ '^ ^ ^ t^ oi^'iJ'iJOOOa^wOCrtoOO Sfe: O P o rt W K~: i: en rt J- ; t/i c ■ ,v"^0 'rt .JS-O-;^ ■>:> ^^ • ;o I- o.±; (/] u TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 331 go y r- -7- cF.^ << rt TO c-i o ^ "O "O CO 00 00 00 00 00 00 w "?! in l/^ i-H in o "-1 >-i {-■ w M CM « in J o o-S o o&g :z^2;u,;z;:z;(y:(y2 ■J) O Q 03 V O *© (/) (U V •r-< £ 03 <+-l CS 'S c C Ui a; c; ^ ^ w ^ ^ w' < TJ >^ 1 c3 a s o « o u CJ >> o p <+H n) • ^ O o e 03 1— » rt o bX) "o o 1-1 o 1) o oi a 1 "p. bc 332 HISTORY OF FIRST REGIMENT ROLL OF HONOR. NAMES OF ENLISTED MEN WHO DIED IN PRISON. The very imperfect manner in which the Southern prison records were kept makes it almost impossible to ob- tain a correct list of the men belonging to the First Tennes- see who were captured and died while m captivity during its term of service. The writer has endeavored to secure a cor- rect list, and after a careful search believes the following to be as complete a list as it is possible to obtain : COMPANY A. vSamiiel Dudley Andersonville April John Tyflc Andersonville June COMPANY E. Isaac Weir Andersonville July John Vansel Belle Isle Nov. C. G. Gipson Andersonville July COMPANY E. E. Smidney Andersonville Aug. J. D. Winchester .Andersonville April COMPANY F. Franklin Parker Danville, Va Dec. COMPANY H. David Sutton Andersonville Aug. 23. 1864 6,643 COMPANY I. Joshua Coggins Feb. 8, 1865 591 COMPANY K. G. W. Gill Andersonville Sept. 16, 1864 8,946 COMPANY I,. C. G. Montgomery Andersonville Sept. 21, 1864 9>559 Jacob Colier Andersonville Sept. 23, 1864 COMP.\NY M. J. A. Dodd Andersonville Nov. 22. 1864 12,119 John Firestone Andersonville Aug. 1 1 , 1864 5,320 NO. OF GR.'WK. 8, 1864 435 28, 1864 4,122 14. 1864 3,297 12, 1863 24. 1864 3,887 30, 1864 7,314 21, 4. 1864 1863 12,902 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 333 RECAPITULATION. Commissioned officers 82 Enlisted men 1,370 CASUALTIES IN THE SERVICE. Killed and died of wounds received in battle: Commissioned officers 5 Enlisted men 60 Died of disease : Commissioned officers 3 Enlisted men 235 Died in captivity : Enlisted men 15 Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps : Commissioned officers i Enlisted men 12 Transferred to other organizations by promotion 16 Deserted : Enlisted men '. 56 Discharged for disability and wounds : Commissioned officers i Enlisted men 41 Discharged by special order of General Thomas : Enlisted men i Resigned : Commissioned officers 26 Killed accidentally : Commissioned officers T Enlisted men i Re-entered the service after resigning : Commissioned officers 6 Committed suicide . Enlisted men I Lost on the Sultana : Enlisted men i -334 HISTORY OF riUST REGIMENT A word from some of our commanders : t.r.TTER OP GKNKRAL D. S. STANLEY. Washington, D. C, Sept. 27. 1894. A Ik. W. R. Carter: My recollections of Colonel James Brovvnlow and his regiment. First Tennessee Cavalry, are still very vivid. I first met the regi- ment when I took command of the cavalry of the Army of the Cum- berland, in November, 1862. The regiment was still somewhat young in the service, and perhaps lacking in drill, but I remember their fine appearance and the anxiety of men and officers to learn, and their eagerness to be always at the front. The regiment soon came to be esteemed one of the most reliable and best fighting regiments in the cavalry corps. I could cover a great deal of paper recounting the gallant fights made by this regi- ment, but this you must do. I remember now distinctly the gallant fight made by Campbell's brigade, to which the First Tennessee Cavalry then belonged, at Shelb^'ville, Tenn., the 27th of June. 1863, which resulted in the most overwhelming defeat that General Wheeler's cavalry ever suffered during the war, and which completely established the superiority of our cavalry over the Confederates. As to the brave Colonel Brownlow, no one who knew him failed to admire him. Expelled by the war from his home and country, he was always cheerful, gay and buoyant, always ready to move, always ready to charge. As I have indicated before, the officers and men of the regiment were worthy of their colonel, and no regiment from any State which took a part in that great struggle for the existence of the United States deserves a higher tribute in History's temple of fame than the First Tennessee Cavalry. ^ Yours very truly, D. S. Stanley. Brooklyn, N. Y., Sept. 30, 1894. W. R Carter, Knoxville, Tenn.: Dear Sir: I have just received your letter of the 25th. Nothing could give me more pleasure than to say truthfully of your First Tennessee Regiment that it never was whipped. One of your regiments captured John Morgan, and your colonel, Jim Brownlow, on the bank of the Chattahoochee, performed the most remarkable feat in either ancient or modern warfare, by swim- ming that river at the head of a naked host, and capturing all the rebels in their rifie-pits. He brought them in, too ! TENNRSSKli: VOLUNTEER CAVALRY. 335 Wh}', God bless your old East Tennessee souls, don't you know j'our loyalty and devotion gave us of the North courage to fight, when everything looked like the darkness of despair? I had two Southern brigades, one of Tennessee and one from Kentucky. 1 can't say that their discipline was perfect, but their fighting was. Yours very truly, Edward M. McCook. Gen. J. M. Schofield wrote a letter to Andrew Johnson, Governor of Tennessee, in 1864, and asked him to put Col- onel Brownlow in command of a brigade. General Schofield said: "Colonel Brownlow is energetic, daring and skillful. Success with him and his gallant command is the invariable rule." A friend of the regiment writes as follows : "Colonel James P. Brownlow and his regiment, the First Tennessee Cavalry, participated in more than fifty battles and skir- mishes, and he gained honorable distinction as a cavalry commander. He had four horses shot from under him, and was severely wounded at Franklin, Tenn., September 2, 1864." >c fclk X 133 ^^ ■ s .-o