^ BY DR. W. J, WORSHAM. •i '^^.^ '4-V aart of the moun- tain. One day in July these cavalrymen brought into camp some twenty men as prisoners, whom they had captured, who were making their way across the mountain into Kentucky. Among them was Thos. A. R. Nelson, of Jonesboro, Tenn. Col. Walker sent them on to Knoxville. Frequently men would come into camp and remain until late at night and go home. Here we had sentinels all around our encampment, as the ground was so rough. One post was within ten steps of my tent, which was twenty feet above the road leading up the mountain. The sentinel was posted in the road. One evening a Virgin- ian came into camp riding a fine horse, hitched him and entered, remaining late. The night was dark and the overhanging trees whei'e the sentinel stood rendered the darkness more intense. About nine o'clock the sentry heard steps approaching in the road on the inside of the camp, as if some one was trying to slip by him, or upon him. Whatever it was, it would make one or two steps cautiously and halt, then two or three more, then halt agahi. Being so dark the sentry could not see any- thing. Close and closer came the steps, when we heard the sentinel challenge the approaching footsteps : "Halt, halt ! Who comes there!" But no response. A step or two more, and "halt," cried the sentinel, yet the steps came closer. Click, click, we heard the sentinel's gun, as he made ready to fire. "Halt," once more he cried, and bang went his gun. A horse wheeled and ran back some twenty steps and fell dead. It was the fine horse the Virginian rode in the evening before. It had gotten loose and was ti-ying to get by the sentinel. Col. Walker was carelessly handling or shaking a box of caps in his hand when they exploded, blowing open the box, and pieces of the caps cut his hand in several places. July the 4tli Col. Cummings came up to the Gap with the four companies he had with him, and the third day after Maj. Fulkerson came up with the two he had. All the regiment was here now, and drill was the order of the day. We had to go down into the valley on the Tennessee side to find ground on FOG. 13 which to drill. We fortified the Gap by throwing up works across the Gap. Building the breastworks and drill gave us something to do. The Rev. David Sullins was our Chaplain with whom we all were in love. He preached for as regularly every Sunday morning, and in the evening we had Sunday-school— our chap- lain, our superintendent. Now and then false-alarms would be given, and such a hustling of the men on the mountain side to get into line. When the alarm would be given at night, the men in their hurry to form line, would fall down and sometimes roll down the mountain side several feet before getting a foothold. In the Gap our camps were up in the clouds. And fre- quently we would be in the center of a storm cloud and the lightning would seem to leap out of the clouds and fall in round balls to the ground. A DENSE FOG. One clear, bright morning •about nine o'clock, the sun seemed to shine with unusual brightness. A dense fog came drifting down the mountain hunting a place to cross. It was so heavy it could not rise above the mountain top and sought an opening in the Gap. On reaching the Gap it began pouring itself through, and so dense was it, for an hour the sun could not be seen, and part of the time we could not see an object ten feet ahead of us. Our short stay in the Gap will long be remembered. About the last of August Col. Branners' battalion of cavalry came up to the Gap, and they were closely followed by the Fifteenth Mis- sissippi, (Col. W. S. Statham),the Eleventh Tennessee, (Rains), Seventeenth Tennessee, (Col. Newman), Twentieth Tennessee, (Col. Battle) , Twenty-ninth Tennessee, (Col. Powell) , and Capt. Rutledge's Artillery. The next day Brig. General F. K. Zollicoifer with his staff came and took command of the entire force at the Gap. On the fourth of September General Zollicoffer moved the command out to Cumberland Ford on the Cumberlaind river and established CAMP ZOLLICOFFEE. Here the cavalry were kept at the front all the time on picket duty. While here our regiment received ten instruments for the brass band and music complete. We formed a band and THE OLD XIXETEEXTH TEXXESSEE. after a little practice Ijegan playing on duty. AVe liked our nZaHon O "' "'"' "'" ""* "''''' "'^'•■»-Fly," was Lor 111 duiation Onr encanipnieiit looked quite military. We had cor^noL^J '"'*•""' " ''•'t'-^hnient under Col. Battle, loTof cnll T^r"?""™' ''■°'" '«'='> '■^^""^■^t and ouebattal- L force OH "^ '°Barboursv,lle, Kentucky where it wa-s reported atoiceof the enemy was encamped. Companies B and K were detailed from the Nineteenth Tennessee regiment. Early mthe^niorning of the thirteenth they ran upon the enemy in I eenth t1'" ^'' ''^^"^ *'" *""•"• ^'""'P""y K- «f «>« Nine teenth Tennessee was thrown out as a skirmish line, and it ad- vanced on the enemy and began firing. While ,t was but a eelfr «',■'"• "'? *'"^ '"'"^ "'-■• fi-t "-ler fire it seemed like hghtmg and sounded of battle. In this little battle Lieutenant Robert Powell, of Co. K was killed, and a few oth- ers were woun, led. This made tlie Nineteenth T^messee lose the first man killed outs.de of Virsinia. The detachment returned ( We .'! f °""'°'ff f "t "">• '■^Sim.ui accompanied l,y Colonel Caiter s regiment of cavalry on an expedition to GOOSE CREEK SALT WOEKS, about forty miles north in the Kentucky mountains. It had been i-ainmg for several days, an.l the morning of September 4h we started out,,, oneof tl,el.a.destra...sthat had fallen for s"o.,,e s t.i^'n.sV'"™""^'''"' "'"^'' '"""'tainons ,-oads and swollen st,edms. So,ne places on ou,- journey we could not see a hun- tious and they were up on the side of the mountain. The ,-ai„ gr ss'lMcdr v"f '" •"■■•""^ "H the day, ,.e„de,-i„g on,. :;> ^eZ^^'J^WT- ^''*' "'""""g of tl>e tl.i,-d dav " «e a.,ned at Goose C,-eek about two miles above the salt wo,-k's the ob3ect,ve po,nt of our jou.-ney. We found the c.-eek n , , d swollen f,.o,n the ,.ece„t ,-ains. The road and the creek .i ■low,, between the ,-i,Iges together. They took it ti.ne abo„ c.-oss„.g each othe,-, a.,d always we.it th,-o„gl, each ot e, I the two „„ es we had to go ,low,. this c.vek, we had to wade i seventeen tunes. At each crossing we lost o„,e ,nud we <^ul HIl!d Iln „ ; '"?■ ,"'"' '''•■"*-^' "*■ ''™""J- "'«-^'- '"Hi the boys fill.d thenisehes w„h ho„..y until i, became too sweet to be REV. DAVID SULLINS. HrdtluT Sulliiis \v;is Ixirn in McMiiiii County. Tt-nn., lu-ar Atlu'n>. in 1827. He joint'd the Nineteenth Tennessee ("ont'ederate regriinent in June, 1861. and was made ('haphiin of the regrinient. wliich phu-e he tilled until the re-orsranization of the army in ISCrJ. At that time was made division ("hajdain and division Quarter-Master of (n-n. Breckenrid^'e's division, where he remained for two years or lonsrer. GOOSE CEEEK SALT WORKS. 15 good. So sick were many of the boys that they cared for neither honey nor salt. For some time after, just to speak of honey the boys would gag. We returned to camji, after being gone five days, tired and almost fagged out ; having fulfilled our mission for which we were sent, we sat down in camp and rested. Mr. White who had charge of the salt works, had a fine lot of ducks and geese. The boys had killed several of them, and Mr. White was com plaining to John Webster, of Company K, about it. Webster told him it was a shame and he would see that the men were punished, and that no more would be killed. Just then a duck he had concealed under his coat began to quack and he at once had business with the regiment, and the old man returned to the house none the less pacified. CHAPTER III. ROCK CASTLE. TE had now been out nearly four months playing the roll of soldier. The exhilarating life in the beginning had now somewhat worn away, and camp life had become a mo- notonous routine of military duties. We had done but little as yet, but from indications we would soon enter the arena of war in truth. After the wire edge of our martial chivalry shall have been worn away, we may and will be more able to stand the storm of battle. While we lay idle in Camp Zollicotfer, the Federals concentrated a considerable force under Gen. Sehoeff at Rock Castle, or Wild Cat, in Kentucky. The Federal Col. Garrard had three regiments there, and on the fifteenth of Octo- ber had been reinforced by Gen. Sehoeff with three more, and one battery of artillery and one Ijattalion of cavalry. The morn- ing of the sixteenth of October Gen. Zollicoffer with his entire force moved out to attack this force at Wild Cat. The route through the mountains was rough and heavily timbered, the greater part of the way was between precipitous ridges which rendered our march hazardous. To retard our advance the en- emy had fallen trees across the road and in other ways had o))- structed our way. We did not reach the enemy until early in the morning of the twentieth, and having marched and worked all the night Ix^'ore, did not feel like attacking the enemy in his den that morning. Gov. A. S. Marks, who was with us and who commanded a company in the Seventeenth Tennessee regiment says, "The hill on which the enemy had fortified was at the liead of a gorge about a quarter of a mile wide. This fortified hill commanded the road over Rock Castle hills. The day before the enemy was reached, we found the road approaching the hills, and miles away from it, obstructed by fallen trees. Men were put to work to clear away the obstruction. We were not allowed to eat or sleep until the enemy was reached next morning. We moved a hundred yards at a time as the fallen trees were gotten ROCK CASTLE. 17 out of the way. When the hill was reached the road was found impassable from the fallen trees. The advance was through the woods. We found the face of the hill a precipitous bluff, with but a small place accessible. My company only could find ground to ascend which we did, and found the entrenchments of the enemy but sixty yards from the crest, with abatis in front. We opened fire, which was briskly returned. My com- pany filled all the available space, so we could not be reinforced and we were recalled. I lost in my company six killed, and twenty wounded. Some were killed and wounded in the other companies. No other attempt was made to assault anywhere else." Col. Newman's regiment was the only one engaged, and his loss in all was eleven killed, and tweuty-seven wounded. The loss of the enemy was but five killed and eleven wounded. Zol- licoffer returned to camp at Cumberland Ford, and after a few days' rest he began an evacuation of this part of Kentucky. October the thirtieth we bid adieu to Camp Zollicoffer. Mov- ing out early in the morning we headed for the Gap, through which we passed and turned down the mountain toward Jacks- boro, Tennessee. Two regiments. Col. Rains' (Eleventh Ten- nessee), and Col. Newman's (Seventeenth Tennessee), were left at the Gap to hold it against occupation by the enemy. We reached Jacksboro November the fourth where we re- mained a few days blockading the passes along the mountain. At this place unfavorable indications began to show regarding the future usefulness of our young brass band. Col. Cummings ordered all the men belonging to the band, (except the old field band), to carry their guns; this, the men did not feel like doing, carry their guns and horns. So, on the morning of our leaving Jacksboro, we stacked our horns and left them. This was the demise of our brass band. The regiment fell back on the old field band, which she never abandoned, nor did the little faithful band ever prove truant to its trust, and on the morning of the regiment's last roll-call, this same faithful field band called them into line. Leaving Jacksboro we passed through Wartburg and Mont- gomery, and crossing Little Emory river, we ascended the Cum- berland Mountains again, on whose top we traveled for thirty miles, through as lonely and desolate a country as could be found. We passed a residence about every six miles, till we 18 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. reached Jamestown, the county site of Fentress County, a small cluster of houses in a rocky, barren country, almost destitute of aiiy sign of life, where the winds' only song is a sad requium of starvation. Leaving the mountain just beyond Jamestown we turned our course northward, and the second day we entered the valley of Monticello, Kentucky, beautiful and fertile. We passed through the town of Monticello, December the 2nd, with colors flying and jubilant in spirits, moving on for Mill Springs on the Cuml)erland, where we pitched our tents the evening of the second day. After reaching Mill Springs, Gen. Zollicoffer wrote to Gen. A. S. Johnson of his intention to cross the river and fortify on the opposite side. To accomplish this he built two flat boats and with these he crossed the Cumberland with five regiments of infantry, seven companies of cavalry and four pieces of artillery. Moving out from the river about one mile on an elevation, he fortified his position, pitching our tent in a l)eautiful beech grove. After Zollicoft'er had settled down in his uew quarters he received two dispatches from Gen. A. S. Johnson, and in one of them he says, "Mills Springs would seem to answer best all the demands of the service, and from this point you may be able to observe the river without crossing." But before these i-eaehed Gen. Zollicoft'er, he had crossed the river, and to these dispatches he replied as follows : Camp Beech Grove, Ky., December 10th, 18()1. Gen. Johnson— Your two dispatches reached me late last night. 1 infer from yours that 1 should not have crossed the river. But it is now too late. My means of recrossing the river are so limited I could hardly accomplish it in the face of the enemy, besides winter is now on us. Yours, F. K. ZoLLicoFFEK, Brig. Gen. It was said. Gen. Crittenden sent word to Gen. Zollicoft'er to speedily recross the river; but be that as it may, when Gen. Crittenden came he found Gen. Zollicoft'er still on the north side of the river, behind breast works and comfortably fixed in log cabins for the winter, which now had set in, in earnest. Our regiment occupied a position on the line of works on the extreme right, on a high bluft' overlooking the river above. We were in a bond of the river, and our line of work extended ROCK CASTLE. 19 from the river above nearly to the river below. We had not had any kind of drill since we left Cumberland Clap, and as for brigade drill, such a thing had not been done. Here we were too busy building breastworks and quarters to think of drilling. Just now a peep into our inner life as soldiers, shows that in our short outing as such, the morals of the men had degen- erated. Strange, how quickly men from under the influence of home and mother, loose sight of the good and with what tenac- ity they take hold of the bad, and, too, right in the face of dan- ger. Our army tactics, like that of the mariner's when off sounding, knew no Sunday, only as a day of extra duty. Since our crossing the Cum])erland river, the Federals had concen- trated under Gen. Schoeft' at Summerset several regiments of infantry, some cavalry and artillery. And under Gen. Thomas at Lebanon sixteen regiments of infantry, cavalry and artillery. Our cavalry were now at the front all the time, and every now and then would have a spat with the enemy. On the eighth of January our cavalry brought into camp fifteen or sixteen priso- ners, among whom were Maj. Helveti, and Capt. Prime, both of the engineering corps. It was reported that a regiment of infantry was encamped on the creek not far from the river, nor very far from our encampment. So, the morning of the tenth the Nineteenth Tennessee was sent out to see after them. We left camp aV)Out three o'clock in the morning. It was very dark, and a cold, drizzling rain falling and very muddy. As we drew near the supposed camp of the enemy our movements were at a snail's gait, so slow we could not keep up sutficient circulation to keep warm, and freeze we thought we would. We moved on so cautiously, we were not allowed to step so as to make a noise. Our feet were so numbed with cold we could not stand on one foot, and to move was painful. They felt as if a thousand needles were sticking them. At daylight we reached the creek, but found no trace of the enemy. We must cross the creek and the only way was to wade. How could we, this bitter cold morning and almost frozen, but there was no alternative. So, after disrobing partly, in we went and the cold water, as it crept up our legs, seemed full of needles pricking them. This cold wade proved to be the very thing for us, after getting out, reaction set in and soon we were wfirm and comfortable. We returned to camp with only a fisherman's hick.: ' - . ..,.-.;.,; 20 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. January the fifteenth Maj. Gen. Geo. B. Crittenden with Brig. Gen. Carroll's brigade composed of the following regi- ments, viz: Col. Newman's 17th Tennessee, Col. Stanton's 25th Tennessee, Col. Murray's 28th Tennessee, Col. Powell's 29th Tennessee, Col. White's 27th Tennessee, Col. Wood's 16th Ala- bama, McClung's battery of two guns, and Col. Branner's and Col. McClelland's battalions of cavalry arrived. Col. Mose White with his regiment remained at Mill Springs and did not cross the river. Gen. Thomas at this time had joined Gen. Schoeff at Somerset, with his eight thousand infantry, cavalry and artillery. The combined force of the enemy now was twelve regiments of infantry, two regiments of cavalry and four bat- teries. He began an advanced movement on our forces on the 17th of January. For several days previous the rains had been heavy land incessant and the streams were all swollen. Such was the condition of Fishing Creek when Thomas reached it, compelling him to remain on his side of the creek until the evening of the 18th when he crossed a part of his men. Fri- day night of the 17th Gen. Crittenden called a council of war, composed of the brigades and regimental commanders and cap- tains of batteries, to consider the best thing to do; whether to attack Thomas before he could cross all his forces over the now swollen creek, or wait for him to attack us in our entrench- ments. The result of the council was to move on the enemy at the earliest moment possible. It was said in camp, the next morning, Gen. Zollicoffer and Col, Cummings opposed the advance and the attack. All day Saturday the men were busy inspecting their arms and getting everything ready for the attack. Fishing Creek runs nearly south and empties into the Cumberland river about six miles above Mill Springs. The crossing was on the road leading from Somerset to Mill Springs, and about ten miles from our encamp- ment. On our side of the creek is a low bottom land for some distance. For two or three hundred yards out from the creek was heavily timbered, and from this to the top of the ridge was cleared and under cultivation, and was about three hundred yards wide, the public road dividing it into two large fields. On the west side and near the foot of the ridge stood a log cabin which was used as a field hospital. Saturday at mid- night the army was put in motion. The night was dark and cold, and the bitter winds drove the sleet and rain in our faces, yet ROCK CASTLE. 21 on we went, plodding in the gloom and mud to the front and to battle. The order of the march was as follows: FIEST BRIGADE — BRIG. GEN. ZOLLICOFFEE. Fifteenth Mississippi, Colonel W. S. Statham. Nineteenth Tennesse, Colonel Cummings. Twentieth Tennessee, Colonel Battle. Twenty-fifth Tennessee, Colonel Stanton. Rutledge's Artillery. SECOND BRIGADE — BRIG. GEN. CARROLL. Seventeenth Tennessee, Colonel Newman. Twenty-eighth Tennessee, Colonel Murray. Twenty-ninth Tennessee, Colonel Powell. Sixteenth Alabama, Colonel Wood. McClung's Battery. Of cavalry there were Bledsaw's, Sander's, Branner's and McClelland's. Bledsaw's and Sander's battalions were in front of Zollicoffer, the other two battalions were behind Carroll's brigade. Sunday morning at daylight the cavalry ran upon the ene- my's pickets one and a half miles out in their front. A few shots were exchanged and the enemy slowly fell back to his main line. Our cavalry did not push them. The 15th Missis- sippi took the front, closely followed by the 19th Tennessee. Soon we encountered their main picket line at the foot of the ridge, which as we approached fell back to the top of the hill. We formed line of battle at the foot of the ridge. The balls began passing over our heads pretty fast with a zip, zip, but they did not seem to be doing any harm for they were two hun- dred yards away on the hill above us. The 15th Mississippi formed on the right of the road, with the 20th Tennessee, Col. Battle joining them also on the right. These two regiments formed the right wing of our line of battle. The 19th Tennessee fell into line facing the front just on the left and touching the road, while the 25th Tennessee formed to our left and just a little in our rear. Gen. Carroll had not yet come up and had not formed line of battle. For our regi- ment to get into position we had to file through an old persim- mon thicket, and as we entered it Col. Cummings said to me, *'We will hang our overcoat, blanket and haversacks on this bush" (a large persimmon we were just passing,) "and we will 22 THE OLD XIXETEEXTH TENNESSEE. get them on our retiiru." AVe did so, but neither of us ever saw them again. Getting into line we moved up the hill to the left of the road, and firing on the enemy who retired over and beyond the top of the ridge. By the time we reached the sum- mit, the firing was getting pretty brisk. The 15th Mississippi first opened the battle, engaging the 12th Kentucky, then Battle opened on the enemy. The 19th Tennessee encountered first the 10th Indiana, aljout half way between the top of the ridge and the woods and the bottom. We charged at a double quick, closely followed by the 25th Ten- nessee, and drove the enemy under shelter of the woods. The 15th Mississippi and the 20th Tennessee by this time had also driven the enemy from the top of the ridge into the woods below, thus forcing the whole Federal line fr(^m the clearing into the woods on the creek. The rain continued falling, some- times in heavy showers. Many of the men had the old flintlock guns which were, in this rain, utterly useless. The writer saw two or three of the boys break their guns over the fence, after several attempts to fire them. Kutledge's l)attery was planted on the hill just to the right of the road, and opened with two or three shots only. Our own men being in danger of his shots he fired no more. AMiile in this position Cai)t. Rutledge had his horse killed under him by a cannon shot from the enemy's gun. Gen. Carroll formed his Ijrigade just under cover of the ridge and awaited orders. The morning was dark, the smoke from the guns was beaten l>ack by the rain, and settling on the ground increased the gloom. By this time time the 19th Tennessee was in the edge of the woods to which point we had driven the 10th Indiana. The 4th Kentucky regimeut connnanded by Col. Fry, came to the assist- ance of the 10th Indiana and was not more than thirty or forty yards in our front. Unfortunately, Gen. Zollicoft'er, owing to tlie darkness of the morning, mistook the 4th Kentucky regi- ment for one of his own, and passing through our regiment he rode up to that of tlu^ enemy and said to Col. Fry, "We nuist not fire on our friends," to which Col. Fry replied, "I will not if I know it." Just then Maj. Fo^^g, of Gen. Zollicoft'er's staff, discovered they were Federals an He ZolUeotfer was killed in the battle of Fishing Creek, January 19th, 1862. He was a brave soldier, generous and kind, and loved by all his command. ROCK CASTLE. 23 Col. Cuiiiiiiiiig'S had Ijeeii ordered by Gen. Zollieoft'er as he passed by our reginieiit to cease filing, which they did, and all this time onr regiment was receiving a galling fire from the 4th Kentncky regiment without returning it, and in this confusion the regiment fell back a short distance in some disorder. The enemy pressed forward, capturing the body of Gren. Zollieoft'er and also that of Lieut. Baily Peyton, who was killed at the same time. Lieut. Peyton was one of Zollicoffer's staff. The 25th Ten- nessee came to our relief and we checked for the time any fur- ther advance of the enemy. Here Col. Cummings took charge of the Ijrigade and Lieut. Col. Walker took command of the regiment. The 9th Ohio reinforced the 10th Indiana and the 4th Kentucky and drove our two regiments out of the woods, back some distance, where Col. Stanton, of the 25th Tennessee, fell severely wounded. The 28th Tennessee, came to our help, and we charg-ed the enemy driving them back but a short dis- tance, where we took shelter behind an old fence and kept up a heavy fire for some time. The roar of musketry and cannon seemed to us a considerable battle. The enemy again rein- forced their right and began a flank movement, and forced our entire left wing to the top of the ridge. Wood's 16th Alabama and Powell's 29th Tennessee coming in were unable to check the now" advancing foe. The wdiole line now gave w^ay and left the field in wild confusion and disorder. As we went into the battle, and after having driven the Federals from the open field the writer picked up a Yankee overcoat and put it on for the rain was cold and falling fast. When nearly to the woods, we came upon one of our boys so badly w^ounded, who even with our help, could go no farther, w^e spread our Yankee overcoat on the wet ground and our w^ounded comrade lay down upon it to die. The wounded were taken from the field as fast as could be done, some left at the field hospital, others were taken on to camp and from there to Monticello. The last one we helped on this sad morning w^as Charlie Clemenson, of Company E, ]9th Tennessee, who fell mortally wounded about half way up the ridge after w^e had been driven from the woods. Pink Hen- derson, Clabe Perry and the writer carried Charlie from the field on a blanket. We had just reached the yard of the log cabin on the hill side where our hospital was located. Our men were now hurrying by as rapidly as they could, the road and 24 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. woods were full, all in hot haste to be gone. Wood's Alaljaiua vegiiiieiit was trying to make some show of resistance but was as powerless as straw in the wind. As the Federals began descending the hill, and before reaching the field hospital, we having done all we could, retired in as good order and as quickly as we could. Poor Charley was dying when we laid him down. We can nevei" forget the sad anxious expression of liis face, as we left him in the last sad trial of the battle of life, dying alone, deserted by all, whom he thought were friends, left on the cold ground with naught l)ut the cold rain to w^asli the sweat of death from his Ijrow. Charley, we hope "Tlie blood that flowed from your noble heart On the spot where you nobly perished, Was drank by the earth as a sacrament In the holy cause j'ou cherished.'" The battle fought and lost, we made our way to cami» in the l)end of the river closely pursued by the enemy, and by 3 p. m. they l)egan shelling our encampment. They planted a battery just above us, on a hill in full command of the river and of our works. Our guns replied from one or two batteries and at short intervals the two armies kei)t shelling dui-ing the entire evening. We are sorry we cannot give the names of all who were wounded in (wr regiment. We give the names of all who were killed, but cannot of th<^ wounded and missing. John L. Klx^a, had two or three balls ]>ass through his clothing, but escapeany K. KILLED. Co. A. Sergt. Middleton, Co. H. " B. Isaac Carmack, " I. t i D. Leander Welch, "• ( ( E. Josiah Woodall, 1 1 11 " (t. Carroll Carmack, " K. 26 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. CAPTURED. Lafayette Baker, John Baker, Aljiier Vernon, of Company C; John Wliite, R. C. Crozier, of Company E. DIED. Lieut. G. W. Hull, John Jordan, W. H. Barger, George Graham, Martin Harr, James Wel)l), of Company C, and Da\id Roller, of Company D. Dr. J. E. Delaney, our surgeon, remained with our wounded on the field and was captured. Our loss in the aggregate in the engagement was : EEGIMENT. KILLED. WOUNDED. CAPTURED. 15th Mississippi, 44 153 29 16th Alal)ama, 9 5 12 ITtli Tennessee, 11 25 2 li)tli 11 22 3 20th 33 59 18 'J5th 10 28 17 28th 3 4 5 2i)th 5 12 10 Total, 126 .m8 96 Martin Harr, Lafayette Baker and James Wehh died in the hospital at Monticello from wounds received in hattle. Lieut. G. W. Hull, John Jordan and W. H. Barger died in camp before the liattle came off. This was our first engagement with the enemy that amounted to anything, while they were no V)etter off in i»()iiit of experience tliaii wc, tln^y wciv decidedly so, as to arms and numbers. They were no doubt licttcr drilled than we were. Oui- bi-igade was never drilled or i»Ht in line of battle by any one until the mornuig of the memorable battle of Fishing Creek. To these causes i)artly may ])e attributed our defeat. For we know thai no moic patriotic and courageous blood ever coursed through the veins of any men than flowed through those of Zollicoffer's brigade. They were willing and ready, liut not preparetl to meet more than tlieir eciual. (leneral Zollicott'er was loved by his entire (M^nunand, offi- cers and men. (lenerous and kind, was always looking to the welfare and interest of his men. Military in appearance, he connnanded attention and res]tect wherever he went. Prior to KOCK CASTLE. 27 the war, his life and work, trend of thong-ht were opposed to that of war, while peace and quiet were a more genial atmos- phere for his heart and soul. Bnt a few days before the battle of Fishing Creek, the steamer, "Nol)le Ellis," came up from Nashville with provis- ions and clothing for the men, and had not yet returned. Her l)reseiice was our salvation. During the evening all the men were in the ditches, and remained until dark, when a detail was left to be on the lookout and the rest of the men returned to their cabins to prepare meals, for we had not eaten anything since the evening before; we had plenty to cook. My mess had supper ready, hot coffee, hot biscuit, meat, &c., all spread upon a rudely constructed table, in our comfortable quarters. We were hungry, and were just preparing to satisfy our appetites, when orders came ringing down the line of cabins, "Fall in line quickly and quietly as possible, leave everything but guns and accoutrements, clothing, knapsacks, haversacks, canteens, blankets, leave all in camps." We came pouring out of our huts, those who had eaten feeling well, but many had not, of which number was our mess. How we did hate to leave that hot steaming coffee and bis- cuit. We could not refrain from casting one long bi^grudging look at the table as we filed out into the dark to go whither we knew not. After we had left camp and had gotten to the river, the realization of our misfortune came crashing upon the heart like an avalanche. We were retreating. While on the river bank, waiting in the cold and dark, we could but think of our straw beds in the cabin, and the warm fire we left burning. We are on the river bank in one compact mass of excited and confused humanity. Thousands were crowded there w^ait- ing, each his turn to get on the Noble Ellis as she crossed and recrossed the river. The enemy just a little over a mile behind, who, from their battery above us on the hill, kept constantly shelling the boat as she crossed back and forth with her excited fugitive loads. The cavalrymen were whooping and hallowing to drive their horses into the river to swim them over. But very few of the horses ever crossed, many of them, perhaps, were drowned, but the greater part of them remained and were captured. Here were artillerymen without artillery, teamsters without their teams and cavalrymen afoot. What a racket and confusion reigned here, and right in the face of the enemy. A *28 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. liuiidi-ed men eoiild liave captured General Crittenden's whole army. If one ^nn had ]>een fireut to the test. The next morning we moved out again feeling weary and worn, for this journey through the wilderness was a rough and a tiresome one. We reached (xainesboro, on the Cumberland, January 27tli, where we were met by a steamer from Nashville loaded with clothing, provisions and tents. We remained hei'e aljout ten days resting. We needed rest for our bodies and rest for our minds. After crossing the river at Mill Springs many of the men whose homes were in East Tennessee left us and went directly to them, but returned to theii- respec- tive regiments after a few days' stay at home. This made our army small when we reached Gainesljoro, from which place we moved down the river to opposite Carthage, where we camped for a while. Here we had inspection and drill. We who remained with the army felt anxious to hear from home, and to let them know we were yet in the land of the living. The same feeling now was filling each breast that swelled the heai't (^f him who wrote, "Away from home, liow wek'ome then Ghid tidiiifj^s from afar, That tells of friends forever dear. No matter where we are." Our dishearten«'d and drooping si»irits were now V»eginning to revive. The runaways, as we called them, were beginning to return, and we sang: "He who fights and runs away. Lives to tijifht another day." We picked up courage and our tents, and leaving Carthage we headed for Lebanon, Tennessee. As we drew near Leba- non we could see plainly the difference in the responsive sym- pathy of the people. We began to receive encouragement and COLUMBUS C. ETTER. 1 r C Fttev was bovu at Mooresbiirgr, Tenn., Octol)er 2'2iKi, Was killed in the battle ot fehiloh, April, ISb^. THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. 31 greetiug- by the wayside, for they were in full kuowhMlge of our retreat from Fishing Creek. Grandmothers, mothers and sis- ters came out and greeted us, giving us their l)lessings to cheer us on our way. No doubt they had sons, husbands and broth- ers somewhere in the Confederate army, perhaps some were with us. AVe passed through Lebanon February IGth, and there we learned of the fall of Fort Donelson, and that Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson was then in Nashville, on his way south with his army, and with whom we would unite at Murfreesboro. Our political firmament began to look dark and dreary, Ijut we took hold of this consolation, "There is no day but ba.s its sliare of lig^ht And some where in the dark, there shines a star at iiigrht. And tliere's no cloud, however black and grim, ■ That does not touch the sun light with its outer. rim.'" We were told the darkest hour of night is just before the daw^n of day, and soon — Tlie sun would shine the brighter When the clouds had rolled away. With this stimulant of hope we received new courage and looked forward for a better and brighter day coming. Leaving Lebanon we turned our course tow^ard MURFREESBORO, where we met Gen. A. S. Johnson, from Bowling, Ky., with his ow^n men, and with what troops escaped from Fort Donelson. While we were here all the men who had left us after the Fish- ing Creek fight, came back to their respective commands, and of all who came tons here, none surprised us more than Billie Ves- tal, whom we left in Monticello, Ky., as we supposed mortally wounded. He was shot through the bowels, the ball entering an inch to the right of the umbelicus, and coming out just to the right of and missing the spine. He was so very weak he could hardly walk. He had slipped away from the Federal hos- pital and made for his command. All the sick of Zollicoffer's and Carroll's brigades had reported for duty. W. tS. Statham, colonel of the 15th Mississippi, who had been absent for some time, returned and took command of Zollicoffer's brigade, which was known after this as Statham's brigade. The union of Johnson's and Crittenden's forces, now made one of the largest armies that had yet been brought together in Tennessee. The large number of troops now together seemed 32 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. to infuse new life and vig-or into all, and made them feel like trying their hand with the enemy again. Here Gen. Johnson organized the army into Ijrigades and divisions. He made three divisions and seven brigades, with thirty-five regiments of in- fantry, besides the artillery and cavalry. The organization was as follows: Albert Sidney Johnson, General. first division. maj. gen. j. w. hardee. brigades. Brig. Gen. Hindman— Five regiments. Brig. Gen. Pat Cleburne— Five regiments. SECOND DIVISION. MAJ. GEN. GEO. B. CRITTENDEN. Brig. Gen. Carroll. 17th Tenn,, Col, Newman. 25th " " Stanton, VMi " " Powell. :!7tli " " White. BRIGADES. Col. W. S. Statham 15th Miss., Lieut, Col. - 22nd " 19th Tenn 20th " 2Sth " 45th " THIRD DIVISION. BRIG. GEN. PILLOW. Col. Scheller. Cummings. " Battle, " Murray. " Lvtle. BRIGADES. Brig. Gen. Woods — Five regiments. Brig. Gen, Bo wen — Five regiments. Brig, Gen, Breckenridge— Five regiments. Artillery— Twelve batteries. Cavalry — Seven regiments, five battalions. The sad news of the disaster at Fishing Creek, and the fall of Fort Donelson, the evacuation of Bowling Green, Ky spread like wildfire over all the South. A great many of the newsi)apers were full of epithets and denunciations of the direst kind against Gen. Johnson. The situation did look gloomy at this time, and the newspaper men thought perhaps if they had been at the front things would have gone differently. They had forgotten that enduring the hardships of camp MURFKEESBORO. 33 life, and fighting- the battles at the front were much more diffi- cult than sitting around the comfortable fiireside and fighting them on paper. Notwithstanding the tirade of abuse heaped upon Gen. Johnson by the press, the soldiers who were at the front and who knew Johnson, loved him. They did not cen- sure him, nor blame any one for the sad changes in affairs, l)ut had the utmost confidence in him as their leader. Often those who censure most are the ones who do noth- ing to bring about that, for which they condemn others for not doing. CHAPTER V. HISTORIC GEOUND. (^ EXERAL JOHNSON having completed his organizatioii J of the army, and all of the absentees having retm-ned, began preparation for a grand move south. He issued the following order: *'Headquakteks, Westekn Dept. MuEFREESBORO, Tenn., Feb. 28th, 1862. The column will resume the march to-morrow morning, and continue from day to day, by Shelbyville, Fayetteville and Decatur, Alabama. The march so arranged as to make about fifteen miles a day, so long as the roads permit. W. W. Mackall, By order of Gen. Johnson. Asst. Adj. Gen." So on the morning of the 29th, we moved out for Murfrees- boro, passed on through Sliel])yville and reached Fayetteville March the 4th, and crossing Elk river we pitched our tents on HISTORIC GEOI'ND. Gen. Jackson's old encampment in the years long gone l)y where we remained for several days. After leaving Fayette- ville, we had gone but a short distance when we ascended a high ridge on which we traveled as far as Athens, Ala. This ridge was almost barren and destitute of water. The evening of our first encampment on this ridge we encountered a regular little cyclone with a heavy rain. We had halted in a strip of woods and had just gotten up all our tents, when the storm came. The wind was very heavy — trees were broken off and blow^n down, and limbs were strewed here and there in our camp. Not a single tent stood the storm. They were all blown down, and we took the rain holding on to our tents to keep them from blowing away. On reaching Athens all our tents and camp eciuiimge were sent on ahead of us, for what purpose we knew not, leaving us to take the rains which were falling heavily and HISTORIC GROUXD. 35 had been for two or three days past, just eomiug down in tor- rents. Where we were the country was so low and flat that it was mostly covered with water, so that at night we had to sit down and lean against trees and bushes to sleep, there being not suf- ficient ground to lie down on. We crossed the river at Decatur, Ala., and passed on through, camping one mile beyond. Here we remained two or three days. Push now became the order of the day, everything and everybody seemed to be in a hni-ry. On the 15th of March we moved out for Corinth, Mississipi.i, where we pitched our tents on the 20th. While Johnson was pushing his men westward to Corinth, Beauregard was hurrying from Jackson, Tenn., and Bragg, to meet Johnson, with his excellently drilled and disciplined men, was on his way from the south. Gen. Yandorn had l^een ordered from the trans-Mississippi with his seventeen thou- sand (17,000) men, also to Corinth. When these three generals met at Corinth, they had an army without organization. Gen. Johnson was the senior officer and proceeded as quickly as possible to organize, forming corps, which, up to this time had not existed in our army. There were made three corps. First Corps, under Gen. L. B. Polk 9,130 Second Corps, under Gen. B. Bragg 13,589 Third Corps, under Gen. W. J. Hardee 6,789 With brigades as a reserve under Gen. Brecken- ridge, composed of Traljue's, Bowen's and Statham's 6,439 statham's brigade. 15th Miss., Col. W. S. Statham. 20th Tenn., Col. Battle. 22nd Miss., Col. Scheller. 28th Tenn., Col. Murray. 19th Term., Col. Cummings. 45th Tenn., Col. Lyttle. It was said upon the arrival of Beauregard at Corinth, Gen. Johnson tendered him the connnand of the army, but Gen. Beauregard, the brave and good soldier as he was, refused it, partly, perhaps, on account of ill health, and prol)aV)ly prefer- ring to serve his country as a suljordinate and follow the great leader, Gen. Johnson. He was physically unable to assume so trying and responsible a position. The Federals, under Gen. Grant, had concentrated a large force at Pittsl)urg Land- ing on the Tennessee river, about twenty miles from Corinth. ;]6 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. Gen. Buel, with another force of twenty-five thousand, was on his way to join Grant. Grant had ah*eady fifty thou- sand men while Johnson had only about forty thousand. Johnson was very anxious to attack Grant before Buel arrived, and therefore could not await the arrival of Gen. Vandorn, who could not reach him for three or four days. So the morning of April the 4th, '62, Gen. Johnson moved out for the front, taking two parallel roads leading to Pittsburg Landing, which roads came together about one and a half miles south- west of Shiloh Church. Hardee moved out first and camped on the road near Mackey's. Bragg moved on the road leading to Monterey, followed by Polk and Breckenridge. During Sat- urday we moved cautiously all day, and at night we halted and rested, in close proximity to the enemy. THE TUTTLEFIELD. The battlefield formed a parallelogram of about equal sides. The rivei- and our line of battle formed two opposite sides, and Owl creek below and Lick creek above the other two opposite sides. The two creeks entered about three miles apart, and our line was formed about three miles out from the river. The ground within this boundary was uneven, being interspersed with ridges, ravines and marshy places, with a few clearings in the wooded land. There were several small l)ranches, some ninning into the creeks and some into the river. Shiloh church is on the road leading from Corinth to Pittsburg Landing, at the crossing of the road from Purdy to Hamburg. The Church stood about two and a half miles out from the river. There were several roads passing through here. Gen. Grant had formed his lines with Gen. Sherman on his right wing with five divisions; the riglit of which extended from near Owl creek down the Purdy road and by Shiloh Church, and commanding all these crossings. (tCu. Prentiss and Gen. Stuart fornnMl the (HMittT, while (Tens, Hurlbut ;nid Wallace formed the left wing and exteiidecl on to Lick cret^k. .Johnson on Saturday evening had bla/ed out his lines through the woods riglit in the face of the enemy, and after dark formed his lines so silently that the (Miemy, though in cannon shot range, y the thousands and gloating over the triumph of every hissing missile. It is true that upon no other portion of the field did death gather in such a harvest as in this charge in which Johnson fell, the last one ever led by him. We nmst pause, shed a tear, and go on. Immediately after the death of Johnson, General Beaure- gard assumed the command of the army and continued the battle. Up to this hour (two o'clock iu tlie evening) there had been scarcely an intermission or a lull in the battle, but now an occasional pause was observed in the roar of l)attle. The right and the left of the enemy's lines had been driven back, while the center seemed to hold its own. Here General K'nggle hant(M' of the enemy's liiu^s. Hardee haosed captured forty-five. While there are always some anuising incidents that occur on a battlefield, there are many sad and pathetic scenes during the strife of battle. During the first day's fighting John Easterling, of Company C, poor fellow, was weai'ing a l)lue shade of home-made clothing. A piece of shell tore away a greater part of his lower jaw, he cound not speak, and wanting help he went up to Lieut. B. F. Moore, of Company I. The Lietenant did not recognize him and think- ing he was a wounded Federal, spoke sharply to him, told him to go to the rear where help could be had, where he died very soon. Our two brigades, Statham's and the Kentucky In'igade, after finishing the work assigned them, moved on to Corinth Friday noon and went into camp. We are sorry we could not obtain a correct list of the casualties of our regiment, but give as far as we are a))le the names of the killed and wounded. Lieut. J. M. Sims, of Company F, was wounded and left on the field and was cai)tured. After we had returned to Corinth, Mr. B. ]\L Sims, a l)rother, cami' to the regiment and learning that the Lieutenant was wounded and left on the field, set out at once to find him. Pie was found altout midnight in the Federal hos- pital unable to walk and sutt'ering. Mr. Sims slipped his brother out of Ihc tent and carried him on his back that night out through the picket line and live miles before he stoi>ped to rest. Thev lav there the rest of the night. The next moiiiing CASUALTIES. 45 they were picked up by Forrest's cavalry and tak(-ii into Corinth and to the hospital. C. Powers. James,. . . Godby, John '• " Kowe, Lewis " " Willette. Capt. Jeb. T, Co. B Bains, John " " O'Conner, John Vance, Sergt. Sam E Easterling-, John .... Roberts, Isaac Lyons, Dan Cooper, Geo. A Bradford, M Keniion, M Boofer, Wm. R Bradley, Sam THE KILLED. .Co. A D. E Cunningham, S. H.. Curren, Conley , Leath, T. J Allen, Geo. W Earner, Isaac Chase, J. T York, Charles Cheek, E. W Montague, J. R. . . . Walker, Capt. T. H Courtney, N Keeling, Frank Wolfenburg, K. 8. . . Etter, C. C. Webster. E Co. E. a it a i I, " F. H .i " G. .i a . " H. . " I. WOUNDED. 'S. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Col. D. H. Cummings. Wright, Thomas.. Co. A. Gaby, Sam " B. King, E. R " " White, John "• C. Roberts, Jake " " Johnson, B. J. 8.. " " Harr, Robt " " Erps, Adrin " " Pile, John " D. Webb, Lieut. Ben. " C. Roberts, Sam " " Johns, B. J " " Gray, Al " " Pactol, Sam " " Wallace, Lieut. J. A " D. Maj. Abe Fulkerson. 16. Lincoln, John " 17. Newport, J. F " 18. Shaver, J. A " 19. Ward, Wm " 20. Craig, Al " 21. Sims, Lieut. J. M. " 22. Rhea, J. A " 23. Potterfield, Wm... " 24. Duncan, Sam " 25. Wilhorn,Jno. (died) " 26. Buckner, J. M " 27. Wilkins, Lieut. Doc " 28. Brewer Clark " 29. Carmack, John.... " D. E. F. G. H. I. K. 30. Speck, Lawrence P " " 31. Massengill, Felix, Company G, (died, luka. Miss.) 32. Moore, John, Company G, (died, Brownsville, Miss.) 33. Bruce, Wm., Company G. (died. Mobile, Ala.) CHAPTER VI. AROUND CORINTH. TWELVE long eventful months had now gone by sinee the Confederate States began battlhig for a position in the gal- axy of nations, and these months had not passed without results. They had sealed the destinies of thousands of her noble sons. They had brought blight to once happy homes and loving hearts. Grim monster death had been busy hanging crape on the door knobs of those who had gone out in defense of their homes, thus reminding the loved ones there that the vacant chair around the fireside would never be filled by them again. None but God knew the thoughts of the dying as the last light of earth was receding from vision. Could they have been registered, they would have been, no doubt: ■'I have for my country fallen, Who will care for mother now?" All the men in the army had enlisted for only one year, and that year had now ended and the war but begun. Now comes the true test of patriotism. At the l)eginning we oats. We expected to find water in all of the cisterns but were disappointed, and kept on in search of it. But finding none we i-eturned to the front, and succeeded in ol)taining a scanty supply from a few cisterns. All this time the boats were shelling us, but liei-e on this line we remained until nearly night. Having no picks and shovels, and not l)eing able to pro- cure any in the city, we gave up the field with its dead to be buried by the Federals, The Ram never showed ui), the Captain reported that the machinery gave out and could not be worked— he abandoned her, then blew her up. The battle of Baton Rouge was a bloody little fight, we moved all our wounded t(^ comfortable (|uarters, sending to Jackson, Miss., all who could beai- moving, leaving the dead on BATON ROUGE. (H the field. Breekeiiridge bad l)ut a small force. He lost one division and two brigade conunanders and a great many kdled and wounded. Of tbe Old Nineteenth, Thomas White was wounded through the hips; Lieut. J. M. Sims was wounded in the leg, the same leg in which be was wounded at Shiloh ; Emmett White was killed in this battle; Elbert Roberts, of Knox county, Tenn., was also killed; he belonged to Ruggles' command, and was a kinsman of the writer. The Old Nineteenth Tennessee, while she could not boast of her numbers engaged, could boast of grit and nerve, for many of our regiment were barely able to walk. Lieutenant Etter fought through this battle with a chill on him, shaking so he could hardly go, and following this ague was a high fever and intense thirst, yet through the heat of the day and the torture of this chill and fever he never left the ranks. All of the sick of the regiment who remained in camp atVicks- burg had the nerve and would have gone into this fight, but did not have the physical strength. Many who did go, ought to have remained in camp. Immediately after the battle of Baton Rouge, Breckenridge ordered all the troops who remained in Vicksburg to report at Jackson, save just sufiicient force to garrison and hold the forts. So when we returned to Jackson we found the remainder of the army there. While here at Jack- son, Colonel Cummings, our old colonel, visited us and we were right glad to see him again and shake his hand. General Breck- enridge ordered inscribed on the flag of the Old Nineteenth Ten- nessee regiment the names of all the battles we were in, viz : Fishing Creek, Shiloh, Vicksburg and Baton Rouge. Verily, of the Old Nineteenth Tennessee regiment, none wei-e ashamed, but all were proud of her record. We were, and had been encamped around Jackson for sev eraldays. Since we started out, had gone through many rough scenes, and many had been pleasant. We would have enjoyed our stay in Vicksburg much more had it not been for the cliills, yet as it was, our soldiering there was romantic and exciting. G-en. Breckenridge made some changes in our brigade which the following order shows : General Order, ) Jackson, Miss., Palmer House, No. 23. J September, /th, Ibbi. The 4th, 5th and 6th Kentucky regiments, and Coljb's bat tery will for the present, constitute a brigade under the com mand of Col. R. P. Trabue and be called the first brigade. 62 THE OLD NINETEENTH TENNESSEE. The lOtli, 20th and 45th Tennessee regiments and MeClung's battery, will form another l)rigade mider the command of Col. F. M. Walker, and be called the second l)rigade. By command of Maj. Gen. Breckenridge. Jno. a. Buckner, Maj. and Asst. Adj't. Gen. In this reorganization of the brigades, the Fifteenth Missis- sippi, which had been with us so long, ever since our encamp- ment at Cumberland Ford, Ky., sharing our joys and hardshii>s on all our long marches, standing side by side with us in all battles, journeying with us over mountains and through val- leys, now left us, and we bid good-bye to our old, true and tried friends. Also the Twenty-second Mississippi, that fell in with us at the organization under Gen. A. S. Johnson at Murfrees- boro, Tenn. We had been encamped within the city limits for some days, but on the ied the left and extended down the river. Bragg formed his line with McCown's and Cleburn's divis- ions of Hardee's corps on our left, with Polk's corps forming the center and extending to the river. Breckenridge crossed the river and form