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TERRY'S 
 TEXAS RANGERS 
 
 BY 
 
 L. B. GILES 
 
Copyright, 1911, by L. B. Giles 
 
 C- CI.A'<!I)22(;5 
 
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CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I, Assembly and Organization of the Regi- 
 ment 12 
 
 II. Woodsonville 20 
 
 III. Eetreat 27 
 
 IV. Shiloh 29 
 
 V. Forrest at Murfreesboro 35 
 
 VI. Many Marches and Skirmishes — The 
 
 Kentucky Campaign 40 
 
 VII. Murfreesboro . 49 
 
 VIII. The Donelson Trip and Retreat to 
 
 Chattanooga 53 
 
 IX. Chickaniauga 58 
 
 X. Wheeler's Great Raid 65 
 
 XL East Tennessee Campaign 69 
 
 XII. Sherman's Wagon Train and the 
 
 Affairs with McCook and Stoneman.81 
 XIII. Wheeler's Second Raid into Tennessee. . 86 
 
 XIV. "The Rome Races" 90 
 
 XV. The Last Campaign 94 
 
 XVI. Conclusion 98 
 
INTEODUCTION. 
 
 It is but natural that man should desire to 
 leave some record of his achievements for the 
 information of succeeding generations. This de- 
 sire was manifested in the infancy of the race, 
 and is shown in monuments and chiseled stone, 
 and in writings on skins and reeds. 
 
 Here in the South, when the great war of the 
 '60s had terminated and the various actors in the 
 great drama had time to look about them, the 
 desire was universal that the record made by 
 Southern manhood should be perpetuated. The 
 regiment of Texas cavalry Imown as the "Terry 
 Eangers'' shared that feeling; and when the sur- 
 vivors began to meet in annual reunion this de- 
 sire became manifest. Two propositions appealed 
 to them : one for a history which should tell of 
 their campaigns, their marches, battles, hardships, 
 sufferings ; one for a monument which should con- 
 tain the name of every man who served in the 
 regiment. For reasons which I need not discuss 
 here the plan for the history failed. All funds 
 raised for either purpose wxre combined into one 
 and placed in control of the monmnent committee. 
 The equestrian statue which now stands in the 
 
6 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 grounds of the State Capitol in Austin is the 
 result. 
 
 The desire for a narrative still survived, how- 
 ever, discoverable in many personal sketches of 
 events, some taking the form of memoirs^ written 
 by various members of the command. I have 
 long contemplated such a work but have felt the 
 lack of ability. It is now perhaps too late to 
 attempt anything like a complete history of the 
 regiment, as the necessary data can hardly be 
 procured. Yet, when my former comrade, D. S. 
 Combs, appealed to me to write something that 
 would supply his children and grandchildren with 
 some knowledge, however imperfect, of the part 
 borne by the Eangers in the great war, I unhesi- 
 tatingly promised to try it and do the best I 
 could. I wish with all my heart I could make 
 my story as complete as it ought to be, for I 
 firmly believe that a well written narrative of 
 the regiment's wonderful career would be the 
 most entertaining book in the literature of war. 
 
 As a first step toward the accomplishment of 
 the task T had undertaken, I wrote to Comrade 
 Combs asking him for such data as he might 
 have or such as his personal recollections might 
 supply; also as to the scope and form of the work 
 as he wished it to appear. His answer is so kind 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 7 
 
 and trusting that I here insert it and, as the law- 
 yers say, make it a part of the record. His letter, 
 written from his home in San Antonio, is dated 
 January 5th: 
 
 "My Dear Lee: 
 
 "Yours of the 26th of December came duly to 
 hand, and I should have replied sooner but I have 
 been strictly on the go for the last ten days, and 
 I have neglected many things that should have 
 had attention. 
 
 "Now, Lee, I wish to state with all the sincer- 
 ity of my heart, that all I want is plain state- 
 ments of facts; and while I give you a brief out- 
 line of my movements, from the day I was sworn 
 into the service of the Confederate States to the 
 close of the war, I simply do this that you may 
 know where D. S. Combs was, and it is a matter 
 of indifference to me whether my name is men- 
 tioned a single time in your story of the doings 
 of the regiment, and, more especially, of the part 
 old Company D played in that drama. 
 
 "I was very fearful that the war would be over 
 before I saw a live Yankee. So Charley McGehee 
 and I went fifty miles from home to join a com- 
 pany, and joined Ferrell's company between Bas- 
 trop and La Grange. According to my recollec- 
 tion thi^ was in the latter part of August, '61. 
 
8 Terry's Texas Kangers 
 
 "From that da}^ to the day I left the regiment, 
 I was not avray from Company D more than ten 
 or twelve days, and then on account of sickness; 
 once at Shelby ville for five or six days; at an- 
 other time near Nolensville for about the same 
 length of time. 
 
 "My initiation was at Woodsonville, and the 
 last of the chapter was at Mossy Creek, Dand- 
 ridge, and the brick house where N. J. Allen was 
 killed and the artillery duel where Captain Little- 
 field was wounded. This, I think, was early in 
 January, '64. Here I drew a furlough, and in 
 company with Ike Jones, Bill Fisher and Jeff 
 Burleson, I struck out for home. On my arrival 
 at home my parents and sisters insisted that I 
 ask for assignment to duty on this side of the 
 Mississippi. I had lost one brother by sickness 
 at Searcy, Arkansas, one had been killed at the 
 battle of Chickamauga, one badly wounded at Port 
 Hudson, and another desperately wounded at 
 Mansfield, Louisiana. 
 
 "Accordingly, I applied to General E. Kirby 
 Smith for such assignment, and he gave me orders 
 to report to General Magruder at Galveston for 
 assignment to duty in any cavalry command I 
 might select. I chose Colonel J. S. Ford's com- 
 mand on the Eio Grande. I was attached to Cap- 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 9 
 
 tain Carrington's company in Major eater's bat- 
 talion^ and was with that command in the last 
 fight of the war. This was between Browns- 
 ville and the mouth of the Rio Grande^ and was 
 about two weeks after General Smith had sur- 
 rendered the Trans-^Iississippi department^ but 
 the word had not reached us. I am glad to say 
 that in this last fight of the war the Confederate 
 arms were victorious. A few days after this we 
 got word that the war was over. So we folded 
 our tents and quietly and sadly turned our faces 
 homeward. As a company or battalion we never 
 surrendered. We simply laid down our arms and 
 tried to forget the past and all its disappoint- 
 ments. 
 
 "N'ow to go back and come over the story as 
 it actually occurred, I will simply say that I was 
 never wounded during the war, but particularly 
 unfortunate with my mounts. I had three noble 
 animals killed under me, two at Murfreesboro, 
 one at College Hill, opposite Knoxville, also one 
 wounded at Mt. Washington, near Louisville, Ken- 
 tucky. 
 
 "I was with you at Farmington and at Nolens- 
 ville, where Ferg Kyle led his line of dismounted 
 men, deployed as skirmishers, up against a solid 
 line of blue, a regiment of infantry, who poured a 
 
10 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 galling fire into our ranks and caused us to reel 
 and stagger like a drunken man. 
 
 "I was with you at Woodsonville, Shiloh, Mur- 
 freesboro, Bardstown, Perryville and Chickamauga. 
 Also at Murfreesboro when Forrest with his little 
 band swooped dowm on the two camps and took 
 them in out of the damp. 
 
 ^^Again, liCe, 1 will say that I wish you to 
 handle the story in your own way, and 1 will be 
 perfectly satisfied. What we want is the doings 
 of the company and regiment. I care not for 
 individual mention. If you and I are satisfied 
 I care not whether others are or not. 
 
 ^'I wish to emphasize this statement. I appre- 
 ciate more than you know your willingness to 
 undertake this for me, and will gladly remuner- 
 ate you as far as it is in my power to do for the 
 time you put in on the work. 
 
 "Mrs. Combs and I wish to thank you and your 
 daughter for the kind hospitality to us during the 
 reunion, and hope you may both find it conve- 
 nient to visit us in the near future. Wishing you 
 both a pleasant and prosperous New Year, I am, 
 "Always yours, 
 
 "D. S. Combs." 
 
 If I had regretted my promise or had wavered 
 in the slightest from my intention, this letter 
 
Terry's Texas E angers 11 
 
 would have renewed in me the purpose to do my 
 best. Yet I do not see why anyone who writes 
 as well as Comrade Combs should desire another 
 to write for him. I would not^ with intention, 
 do injustice to anyone; I know I can not do jus- 
 tice to many deserving the highest praise; but I 
 must say that the regiment had no better soldier 
 than D. S. Combs. 
 
 Since this work was well under way Comrade 
 A. B. Briscoe of Company K has kindly placed at 
 my service a large lot of MS. of his personal me- 
 moirs. I have used this in several instances, of 
 which due credit is given in the proper places. 
 
 Austin, May, 1911. 
 
CHAPTEE 1. 
 
 ASSEMBLY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT. 
 
 When in 1861 it became evident that war be- 
 tween the sections was inevitable and imminent, 
 B. F. Terry, a sugar planter of Fort Bend county, 
 and Thomas S. Lubbock, of Houston, determined 
 to be in the fight from the start, hurried to Vir- 
 ginia, at their own expense^ where they partici- 
 pated in the first battle of Manassas, rendering 
 distinguished services as scouts before the action 
 and in pursuit of the routed enemy afterward. 
 Later the War Department gave them authority 
 to recruit a regiment of Texans for mounted serv- 
 ice in Virginia. Returning to Texas they at once 
 issued a call for volunteers. 
 
 The conditions were exacting. Each man must 
 furnish liis own arms and equipment — a gun of 
 some sort, Colt's repeating pistol, a saddle, bridle 
 and blanket. NotwitJistanding these require- 
 ments, the response was so prompt that in less 
 than thirty days the ten companies were on their 
 way to the rendezvous at Houston. Some of the 
 companies had the full complement of one hun- 
 dred men, rank and file, and in a few more days 
 all would have been full. Probably two or more 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 13 
 
 regiments could have been raised at that time if 
 the call had been made. 
 
 The personnel was of the very highest. Sons 
 of leading families, many of them college grad- 
 uates, professional men^ merchants, stockmen, and 
 farmers, served in the ranks as privates, all young, 
 in their teens and early twenties. Rank was 
 scarcely considered. The supreme desire was to 
 get into the war in a crack cavalry regiment. 
 
 Since I write without data and from memory- 
 only, I must necessarily deal more particularly 
 with the company of which I was a member, 
 known as Company D in the regimental organiza- 
 tion. It was recruited largely from Bastrop, with 
 contingents from Hays, Travis and Burleson 
 counties. This organization, full at the begin- 
 ning, always one of the largest for duty, sustained 
 the greatest loss in killed of all the companies of 
 the regiment. The first officers elected were: 
 
 Captain, Stephen C. Ferrell. 
 First Lieutenant, Charles L. Morgan. 
 Second Lieutenant, Jesse W. Burdett. 
 Second Lieutenant, William R. Doak. 
 
 The assembly for the company was to be in the 
 town of Bastrop, and notice was given that on a 
 certain morning the march would begin. The 
 
14 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 men from the adjoining counties reached Bastrop 
 the night before. 
 
 It was a bright, sunny August morning. The 
 people, en masse, turned out to bid us good-by. 
 Men, women^ children, with tears in their eyes, 
 said, "God bless you !" when they clasped our 
 hands as we stood in line. This painful ordeal 
 over, we mounted and rode away on what we be- 
 lieved was a few months' adventure. 
 
 Alleyton, sixty miles away, then the terminus of 
 the railroad, was reached without any very excit- 
 ing adventures. We sent our horses back home 
 and took the train for Houston. The trains were 
 then run to Harrisburg, but we were dumped off 
 in the prairie at Pierce Junction to await a train 
 from Columbia. The hours passed, and the night. 
 We slept little on account of the mosquitoes, which 
 \YQTQ more numerous and voracious than any I 
 ever met elsewhere. Next morning, as there was 
 still no train, we walked into Houston, a distance 
 of nine miles, pushing by hand the freight car 
 with our saddles and baggage. Here we went 
 into camp in an old warehouse and met some of 
 the other companies. . 
 
 From McLennan and adjoining counties Cap- 
 tain Thos. Harrison led a company wTiich became 
 Company A. Captain John A. Wharton had a 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 15 
 
 full company raised chiefl}^ in Brazoria and Mata"'"-^ 
 gorda counties. It became Company B in the 
 organization and continued the largest in enlist- 
 ment. Companies C, commanded by Mark Evans ; 
 E, by L. N". Rayburn; and I, led by J. G. Jones, 
 were recruited in Gonzales and surrounding coun- 
 ties. Many of these were stockmen and expert 
 horsemen. Company F was from Fayette and 
 commanded by Louis M. Strobel. Company G 
 was from Bexar and Goliad counties. Its first 
 captain was W. Y. Houston. Company H was 
 from Fort Bend county chiefly, and commanded 
 by John T. Holt. Company K, Captain John G. 
 Walker, was from Harris and Montgomery coun- 
 ties, and was full. The word "chiefly" ought to 
 be used in telling where the companies were re- 
 cruited, for all of them had men from several 
 counties. Here, too, on the 9th of September we 
 were "mustered in," swearing to serve "so long as 
 this war shall last." 
 
 From Houston to Beaumont, over a newly con- 
 structed railroad, it took nearly all day to make 
 eighty miles. From Beaumont, by steamboat, 
 down the Neches and up the Sabine to Nibletf s 
 Blufl; thence a hundred miles on foot, through 
 water much of the w^ay; thence forty miles in 
 
16 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 carts. It is easy to remember this cart ride. The 
 wheels were six or seven feet high. Motive power, 
 oxen, two pairs to each cart. Engineers, little 
 bow-legged Creoles, each armed with a long, sharp- 
 pointed pole. The vehicles had no springs. As 
 there were no seats, the six or eight passengers 
 in each conveyance had to stand on their feet. At 
 N'ew Iberia, on Bayou Teche, we were transferred 
 to boats, and went down between the beautiful 
 banks of that stream to Bra shear, now Morgan 
 City. From there we went through an almost 
 continuous sugar farm to New Orleans. The trip 
 from Houston to New Orleans took over a week. 
 It is now made in less than twelve hours, in a 
 palace car. 
 
 In New Orleans we learned that our destination 
 was not Virginia, but Bowling Green, Kentucky, 
 where General A. Sidney Johnston was trying to 
 assemble an army for the defense of that frontier. 
 This was pleasing to us, as General Johnston was 
 a Texan, and personally known to many of us. 
 
 The box cars in which we left New Orleans had 
 been used for shipping cattle, and were not overly 
 clean. Our seats were rough planks without 
 backs. In this luxurious fashion we rode for 
 twenty hours until we reached Nashville. There 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 17 
 
 we encamped in the fair grounds. Ladies in great 
 numbers visited us, and for their entertainment 
 our most expert horsemen gave the first really- 
 truly ^"'wild-west" entertainment ever seen east of 
 the Mississippi. 
 
 At N'ashville our first death occurred, Thomas 
 PTart, whose loss saddened us greatly. He was a 
 promising 3^oung man, not personally well known 
 to me. 
 
 We had expected to receive our horses here 
 and go on horseback to Bowling Green, but one 
 night Colonel Terry received orders to bring on 
 his regiment ^'at once." At 1 o'clock in the morn- 
 ing we marched to the station and waited till 2 
 p. m. for our train. That same afternoon we 
 reached Bowling Green. Our horses were driven 
 through from Nashville by a detail sent back after 
 them. We now received tents, camp utensils and 
 wagons. Here, too, the companies were formally 
 organized into a regiment by the election of the 
 following field officers: 
 
 Colonel, B. F. Terry. 
 
 Lieutenant Colonel, Thomas S. Lubbock. 
 
 Major, Thomas Harrison. 
 
 The following staff officers were appointed : 
 
 Adjutant, M. H. Eoyston. 
 
18 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 Quartermaster, B. H. Botts. 
 Commissary, Eobert D. Simmons. 
 Chaplain^ R. F. Bunting. 
 Surgeon, Dr. John M. Weston. 
 Assistant Surgeon, Dr. Eobert E. Hill. 
 Sergeant Major, W. B. Sayers. 
 
 Terry was a native of Kentucky, about 40 years 
 old, of great force of character, firm and self- 
 reliant. His appearance was commanding, and 
 in all ways he was fitted for high rank. 
 
 Lubbock was some years older than Terry. He 
 was a native of South Carolina. He was small 
 of stature, pleasant and affable, and made a favor- 
 able impression on us. At that time he was in 
 poor health, soon had to go to Nashville for treat- 
 ment, and we never saw him more. 
 
 Harrison was a native of Mississippi. He was 
 a lawyer by profession. A small, nervous, iras- 
 cible man, who proved to be a fine soldier, be- 
 came a brigadier general of cavalry, and distin- 
 guished himself on many fields. 
 
 Winter was now at hand, and the climate was 
 trying on young men raised, as we had been, in 
 the far South. Many fell ill of measles, mumps, 
 pneumonia, and other diseases peculiar to raw 
 levees. Scores went to the hospital, and not a 
 
Terry^s Texas Rangers 19 
 
 few under the sod. Still the spirits of all, from 
 the youngest private to the resolute colonel^ were 
 of the highest, and all were anxious to meet the 
 foe. Such as were able drilled daily, mounted 
 guard, and performed other duties incident to 
 camp life in time of war. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 WOODSONVILLE. 
 
 Terry, anxious to be doing something, was or- 
 dered to lead the regiment to the front on picket 
 and scouting duty. On the 17th of December, 
 Brigadier General Hindman led an expedition to 
 Greene river. When he reached that stream he 
 found the north bank in possession of the enemy^s 
 outposts. He deployed some infantry skirmish- 
 ers, who engaged the enemy at long range but 
 with little effect. Called himself from the imme- 
 diate front, he left Colonel I'erry in change with 
 instructions to decoy the enemy up the hill and 
 away from support to a point where our infantry 
 and artillery could be used to better advantage. 
 
 The enemy allowed themselves to be decoyed, 
 and came across in large numbers. Terry, how- 
 ever, was not the man to invite visitors and then 
 leave someone else to entertain them. Sending 
 Ferrell with about seventy-five men against their 
 left, he led the rest against their right. We 
 charged, yelling, each man riding as fast as his 
 horse could go. Terry fell, dying almost in- 
 stantly. 
 
 Ferrell led his force into an open field against 
 
Terry^s Texas Rangers 21 
 
 a body of the enemy, who rallied behind a straw 
 stack and such fences as they could find, pouring 
 a galling fire into us. On our part it was a furi- 
 ous but disorderly charge of comparatively un- 
 drilled men into one of the best drilled regiments 
 of the Federal army. This was the Thirty-second 
 Indiana Infantry. The officers and men were 
 Germans, who had probably learned their tactics 
 in the old country. They were ignorant of the 
 English language. They were brave fellows, and 
 stood like veterans till shot down. 
 
 In view of the great disparity of the forces en- 
 gaged and the losses sustained, this was one of 
 the most remarkable of all the conflicts of this 
 very remarkable war. One of the very few ac- 
 tions where mounted men engaged infantry on 
 their own ground. It also shows of what stuff 
 the Southern volunteer was made. In support of 
 these statements I invite attention to the official 
 reports. The first is by Colonel Willich. Omit- 
 ting some unimportant details, it is as follows: 
 
 "But now ensued the most earnest and bloody 
 part of the struggle. With lightning speed, under 
 infernal yelling, great numbers of Texas Rangers 
 rushed upon our whole force. They advanced to 
 fifteen or twenty yards of our lines, some of them 
 even between them, and opened fire with rifles and 
 
22 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 revolvers. Our skirmishers took the tiling very 
 coolly^ and permitted them to approach very close, 
 when they opened a destructive fire on them. 
 They were repulsed with severe loss, but only after 
 Lieutenant Sachs, who left his covered position 
 with one platoon, was surrounded by about fifty 
 Eangers, several of them demanding of him three 
 times to give up his sword, and let his men lay 
 down their arms. He firmly refused, and de- 
 fended himself till he fell, with three of his men, 
 before the attack was repulsed. 
 
 "Lieutenant Colonel Von Trebra now led on 
 another advance of the center and left flank, when 
 he drew down upon his forces a second attack of 
 the Eangers in large numbers, charging into the 
 very ranks, some dashing through to the rear, 
 which might have proved disastrous. 
 
 "In the fight participated three field officers, 
 one stafl! and sixteen officers of the line, twenty- 
 three sergeants and 375 men. Our loss is one 
 officer and ten men dead, twenty-two wounded 
 and five missing. According to reports of our 
 surgeons several of the wounded are beyond hope 
 of recovery." 
 
 I have omitted from the foregoing interesting 
 and more or less instructive details of the parts 
 played by Lieutenant Colonel Von Trebra, Major 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 23 
 
 Snaclienberg, Captain Wilchbilling, Adjutant 
 Schmidt, Lieutenant Mank and other heroes 
 whose names are hard to spell and harder to pro- 
 nounce. Valiant men all, and all doubtless rec- 
 ommended for promotion. As will be seen here- 
 after, to fight with the Rangers was to be in line 
 of advancement in this world or the next. 
 
 I now give General Hindman's report from the 
 Confederate side: 
 
 "The hring ceased for about half an hour, and 
 I went in person to select a suitable place for 
 camp, leaving Colonel Terry in command, with 
 instructions to decoy the enemy up the hill, where 
 I could use my infantry and artillery with effect, 
 and be out of the range of the enemy's batteries. 
 
 "Before returning to the column the fire from 
 the skirmishers recommenced. The enemy ap- 
 peared in force on my right and center. Colonel 
 Terry, at the head of seventy- five Rangers, charged 
 about 300 of the enemy, routed and drove them 
 back, but fell mortally wounded. A body of the 
 enemy about the same size attacked the Rangers 
 under Captain Ferrell on the right of the turn- 
 pike, and were repulsed with heavy loss.* 
 
 *Attack was really made by Ferrell on the enemy, 
 advancing under command of Von Trebra, as Colonel 
 Willich reports. — G. 
 
24 TERRY^s Texas Rangers 
 
 "My loss in this affair was as follows: Killed, 
 Colonel Terry and three men of his regiment; 
 dangerously wounded. Lieutenant Morris and 
 three men of the Texas Rangers; slightly wound- 
 ed, Captain Walker and three men of the Texas 
 Rangers and two men of the First Arkansas bat- 
 talion." 
 
 From General Hindman's report it will be seen 
 that the Rangers had 150 men in the fight, sev- 
 enty-five with Terr}^, seventy-five with Ferrell; 
 there being, in fact, two charges. Our loss was 
 twelve altogether. Colonel Willich reported that 
 he had, officers and men, 418 engaged. He had 
 eleven killed, twenty-two wounded and reported 
 five missing, a total of thirty- eight ; his missing 
 being prisoners in our hands. Thus 150 men 
 charged 418, inflicting a loss of thirty-eight, sus- 
 taining a loss of twelve. Of this number Com- 
 pany D lost five: W. W. Beal and Frank Loftin 
 killed, L. L. Giles mortally wounded, L. B. Giles 
 and John R. Henry slightly wounded. . 
 
 If a complete record could be obtained I believe 
 a similar disparity of losses would appear in 
 nearly all the engagements in which we bore a 
 part. The splendid ' horsemanship of our men, 
 and their skill with firearms, made them easily 
 superior to any foe they went against. In this 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 25 
 
 fight our loss was irreparable in the death of our 
 gallant leader. Had he lived he would, without 
 doubt, have reached the highest rank and would 
 have achieved a fame second to none. We had 
 other brave leaders, but none like the matchless 
 Terry. 
 
 In the election of officers which followed the 
 death of Terry, Lieutenant Colonel Lubbock 
 was advanced to the command of the regiment, 
 and Captain John G. Walker became lieutenant 
 colonel. Lubbock, who was at that time in bad 
 health, died a few days later. Captain John A. 
 "^^Hiarton was chosen to fill his place. 
 
 Wharton was a man of ability, of a distin- 
 guished family, liberally educated, a lavsryer and 
 a captivating public speaker. Enterprising and 
 ambitious, he never forgot during a wakeful mo- 
 ment that the soldier who survived the war would 
 be a voter. He distinguished himself on many 
 fields and became, successively, brigadier general 
 and major general. 
 
 About this time Lieutenant Morgan of Com- 
 pany D resigned and Fergus Kyle was elected 
 first lieutenant. Kyle was subsequently promoted 
 to captain, and made a very efficient officer, dis- 
 tinguishing himself on many fields. 
 
 The regiment now resumed its duty of guaxd- 
 
26 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 ing the front. The weather was cold, varied with 
 rain, sleet and snow. The men suffered greatly. 
 Some suffering, as to the weather, I escaped, hav- 
 ing received a slight wound. I was sent to the 
 hospital at Nashville, Tennessee, where I stayed 
 tw-o days, going from there to the home of a rela- 
 tive, where I spent nearly seven weeks. In the 
 care of my kindred I had all the comforts and 
 some of the luxuries of life. I reported for duty 
 just before the retreat from Bowling Green. 
 
 The burial squad informed me that my poor 
 horse, who received some of the lead intended for 
 his master, and yet had no personal interest in 
 the row, had five bullet wounds. He fell under 
 me near the straw stacks. I rode off the field 
 behind John B. Eector, who halted in a shower of 
 bullets and kindly assisted me to mount. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 RETREAT. 
 
 The word is not reassuring to seasoned soldiers. 
 To new troops it is very depressing. Johnston^s 
 line was broken on the right at Fishing Creek, 
 and was threatened on the left at Donelson. Bowl- 
 ing Green was, therefore, untenable, and now we 
 must fall back behind the Cumberland. 
 
 The Rangers must cover the retreat. It was 
 snowing the morning we left^ and the enemy 
 were throwing shells into the place. Our march 
 to Nashville was without incident. We crossed 
 the Cumberland in the night and camped just 
 outside the city. We now learned that Donelson 
 had fallen, and the retreat must be continued. 
 We were ordered down toward Donelson to guard 
 in that direction, and to afford succor to such as 
 had escaped the surrender and might be making 
 their way south. 
 
 Returning, we found the army at Murfreesboro, 
 but it moved on by Shelbyville, Huntsville and 
 Decatur to Corinth, Mississippi, the Rangers 
 guarding the rear. The weather was bad and the 
 progress slow, but the enemy did not press us. 
 We crossed the Tennessee river on the railroad 
 
28 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 bridge, which had been floored for the purpose. 
 When we went into camp rations of bacon and 
 flour wore issued to us. Our wagons and camp 
 equipment being somewhere else, we were con- 
 fronted with the problem of preparing this flour 
 for the immediate consumption of the chronically 
 hungry soldier. If necessity is the mother of in- 
 vention, hunger is a most capable handmaid of 
 the good dame. An oilcloth is spread on the 
 ground, and on this the flour is kneaded, but how 
 to bake it was the question. Some rolled the 
 dough around a stake or ramrod, which they stuck 
 in the ground by the fire, but the stuff would slip 
 down. Some of us tried a flat rail, and that 
 answered very well. First heating the rail thor- 
 oughl}^, we stuck our biscuits on it, set them be- 
 fore the fire, and watched them brown, our appe- 
 tites growing keener all the while. The treatment 
 of the bacon was easy. We broiled it on a stick 
 held before the fire or above the coals, and that 
 is the best way it was ever cooked. 
 
 At Corinth we had a few days' rest. Absentees 
 came in, and the morale improved. 
 
 Biiell did not follow our line of march, but 
 moved by the more direct route through Franklin, 
 Columbus and Pulaski, intending to unite with 
 Grant at Pittsburg Landing. 
 
CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 SHILOH, 
 
 Johnston planned to attack Grant before the 
 arrival of Buell, and had brought together the 
 largest army ever before assembled in the Confed- 
 eracy. He had the force under General Hardee 
 from Bowling Green^ the remnant of Zollicoffer's 
 army, Bragg from Pensacola with a fine corps of 
 well drilled and well equipped troops, and Polk 
 from Columbus with a light force, altogether 
 nearly 40,000 men. They were to attack an army 
 of veterans flushed Avith the victory at Donelson. 
 
 Johnston ordered the army to move on the 
 morning of April 3, but some of the troops did 
 not get away until that afternoon. It was said 
 that this delay was due to the inexperience of 
 both staff and men. Johnston had intended to 
 attack on the 5th, but the arm}^, delayed by the 
 bad roads, did not arrive in time. Thus we lost 
 twenty-four fateful hours — twenty-four hours of 
 as precious time as was ever lost in war. 
 
 Our regiment reached the front on the 4th and 
 was ordered to guard the left wing of tlie army. 
 In detachments we guarded every road, trail and 
 opening around the whole left front and flank. 
 
30 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 with strict orders that none of ns be allowed to 
 sleep at all. Soon after nightfall it began to rain. 
 It poured down in torrents, and the night was 
 pitch dark. Whether in the saddle, on post or in 
 camp, we could hardly have slept in that down- 
 pour. It was a long, dreary night, but morning, 
 a bright spring morning, came at last. 
 
 The regiment assembled once more, very wet 
 and uncomfortable. Our arms, too, were wet and, 
 fearing they would fail us in action, we implored 
 Colonel Wharton to let us fire them off. With 
 no thought of possible consequences he consented. 
 Pointing to a wooded hillside^ he said : 
 
 "Go off there and shoot." 
 
 We discharged all the firearms we had. , It 
 sounded like a brisk skirmish. The colonel was 
 immediately summoned to headquarters. Camp 
 rumor said that his interview with his superiors 
 was rather stormy^ that he was severely repri- 
 manded. It is a fact that on his return he made 
 us a speech, telling us that by yielding to our im- 
 portunities he had committed a serious blunder 
 which ])ad subjected him to unfavorable criticism 
 by persons in the higher military circles. He 
 seemed to be much perturbed mentally. He asked 
 us to wipe out the stain by our gallant behavior 
 in the coming engagement; asked us to ride fur- 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 31 
 
 ther into the enemy's ranks than any other regi- 
 ment. I think most of ns audibly promised to do 
 what he asked; and we kept the promise as far 
 as circumstances would permit^ as will be seen. 
 
 The whole army had arrived by Saturday after- 
 noon. Early Sunday morning, April 6th, the for- 
 ward movement began. The enemy were either 
 in bed or preparing breakfast, and were taken by 
 surprise. I know the surprise has been denied 
 by so eminent a person as General Grant, but as 
 he was sleeping at Savannah, nine miles away, 
 he is hardly a competent witness. Thousands of 
 us saw camp kettles and coffeepots on the fires, 
 beds just as the occupants had left them, blankets 
 spread and clothing strewn about. 
 
 It is not my purpose to describe the battle of 
 Shiloh. I wish merely to speak of some principal 
 incidents. It was a continuous advance of the 
 Confederates nearly all of the day, Sunday. The 
 roar of big guns and the rattle of musketry was 
 unceasing. 
 
 The Rangers were kept in column just in the 
 rear of the left wing, and had no part in the con- 
 flict till late in the day, when our eagerness to 
 take part in the fight was gratified by an order 
 to clear our extreme left, and assail the enemy, 
 who was then retiring through thick woods. 
 
32 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 We had to cross a muddy branch. At first two 
 abreast could get over, but it soon became so bad 
 that only one at a time could cross, and then it 
 was a good long jump for a horse. Not half of 
 the regiment was over when the leading files 
 rushed up the hill through a small open field. 
 Turning to the right they came to a high rail 
 fence behind which was a line of blue. From 
 this line came a most destructive fire which 
 emptied many saddles. John Crane of Company 
 D was killed. Clint Terry, a new arrival, brother 
 of our former colonel, fell mortally wounded. 
 
 We were too few to make any impression, al- 
 though some of our men dismounted and began 
 throwing down the fence. A few even crossed 
 into the wood. The firing was so hot that we 
 beat a hasty retreat in spite of the appeals of 
 Colonel Wharton and other officers, who did all 
 they could to stop our flight. We didn't stop 
 until we were out of range, when we re-formed at 
 once. Thus our second encounter with the enemy 
 met with a repulse. I may say, however, that this 
 charge, if it be proiX!r to call it a charge, was not 
 without good results to our cause. Several years 
 since I received a letter from Colonel Chisholm, 
 who was then on the staffs of General Beauregard. 
 He wrote that it was he who led the regiment in 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 33 
 
 that advance; that the object of it was to detain 
 the enemy until other troops could be brought up ; 
 that for this purpose the movement was meas- 
 urably successful. 
 
 That afternoon we learned with sorrow of the 
 death of General Johnston. This we then re- 
 garded as a great calamity, and time has not 
 changed our opinion. 
 
 We were not engaged again that day. We 
 spent the night on the battlefield, amid the dead 
 of the enemy, subsisting ourselves and our horses 
 from the abundant supplies on every hand. 
 Though it rained another downpour, and though 
 w^e had no shelter, we slept as only tired soldiers 
 can. 
 
 Keinforced by Buell's 40,000, the enemy as- 
 sumed the offensive next day. The Confederates 
 only resisted, as best they could, to get off their 
 wounded, their trains and artillery, over muddy 
 roads. The Eangers were dismounted to aid in 
 resisting the forward movement, losing several 
 men. John H. Washington of Company D was 
 shot through the hips and left on the field for 
 dead; but under the care of Federal surgeons he 
 recovered, and is living today. 
 
 Tuesday, the 8tli, two companies of the Eang- 
 ers, under Major Harrison^ with part of Forrest's 
 
34 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 men^ all under the command of Forrest, made a 
 brilliant charge on a mounted force of the enemy, 
 believed to be a large escort of a general officer, 
 and ran them back to the main force of infantry. 
 
 The pursuit now ceased and, Avithout further 
 molestation, we returned to Corinth. Here we 
 remained two or three weeks, and received some 
 recruits, the first since leaving Texas. Company 
 D got six, T. A. W. Hill, William and A. J. Kyle, 
 George T. McGehee, T. M. Rector and S. M. 
 Watkins. They were quite an addition to our 
 force. All were fine soldiers and continued to 
 the end. There was much sickness, caused by bad 
 water. Everybody was anxious for more active 
 service. 
 
 The regiment was now ordered into Tennessee. 
 Crossing the river at Lamb's Ferry, we captured 
 a detachment of the enemy, guarding a railroad 
 bridge, after a hot fight, in which we lost several 
 men. Captain Harris of Company I was killed; 
 also William DeWoody of Company D. There 
 is one incident of this affair which I shall never 
 forget. Among our prisoners was a captain of 
 an Ohio regiment. He had six bullet wounds in 
 his body. He sat up in the beat as we crossed the 
 river, and walked unassisted up the hill on the 
 other side. 
 
CHAPTEE V. 
 
 FOREEST AT MIIRFREESBORO. 
 
 We were now ordered to Chattanooga. Here 
 we were placed in a brigade under the command 
 of Colonel N. B. Forrest. At this time but little 
 was known of this great soldier. He had not 
 then become famous, and there were not wanting 
 officers of high rank who predicted disaster as the 
 result of his operations. Without the advantages 
 of education, he possessed strong common sense, 
 unfaltering courage, energy that never flagged, 
 and unbounded confidence in himself. Under his 
 leadership our metal was not to grow rusty for 
 lack of employment. 
 
 Setting out from C-hattanooga on the 8th of 
 July, we crossed the Tennessee river and the Cum- 
 berland mountains into middle Tennessee. On 
 the 11th we reached McMinnville and remained 
 until the afternoon of the 12th. Here Forrest 
 made his regimental commanders acquainted with 
 his plans. His objective was Murfreesboro, over 
 forty miles away, garrisoned by a force of the 
 enemy estimated at 2000 men, under the com- 
 mand of Brigadier General Crittenden. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we started for an all nia:ht 
 
36 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 ride. At Woodbury we halted and fed our horses, 
 resuming the march at midnight. We reached 
 the vicinity of Murfreesboro at daylight on 
 the 13th. 
 
 ]^row occurred one of those unfortunate blun- 
 ders which often mar the best laid plans ; probably 
 made by Forrest himself. Colonel Wharton with 
 tlie Eangers was to attack a camp of the enemy on 
 the Liberty pike north of town. Forrest, who had 
 been riding at the head of the column, turned 
 aside to allow us to pass. A¥hen six companies 
 had gone by he fell in with his staff and escort. 
 Thus it happened that nearly half of the regi- 
 ment followed Forrest into the town and out to 
 the westward. The courthouse was gaiTisoned 
 by a company of the N"inth Michigan Infantry, 
 who poured a hot fire into our ranks from the 
 windows. Forrest and the Rangers rode on, but 
 the sou7id of firing had aroused the good ladies 
 from their beds; looking out they saw the dear 
 defenders of their cause. Without taking time 
 for very elaborate toilets, they rushed into the 
 streets just as the Georgians came up. Pointing 
 to the courthouse, they begged them to attack the 
 hated foe. With a "Hurrah for the women !" 
 Iliese perfectly green troops dismounted, broke 
 
Tekry's Texas Eangers 37 
 
 down the doors, and captured the garrison, but 
 with severe loss. 
 
 When Forrest discovered that he had with him 
 only a handful of Eangers, he turned back to look 
 after the rest of his command. Captain Ferrell, 
 now the ranking officer, led us through the sub- 
 urbs of the town towards the right, or north 
 where he thought to find the regiment. While 
 we were passing through a field of standing corn, 
 the artillery of the enemy opened on us at short 
 range. The first shot struck William Slmll of 
 Company G, taking off both legs and passing 
 through his horse, killing both instantly. 
 
 We found the main part of the regiment about 
 half a mile east of the town, on the road by which 
 we had come. They had made a spirited attack 
 on the enemy, but were too weak to get any favor- 
 able results, and had retired, Wharton being 
 wounded. As soon as the regiment was united 
 Wharton sent the adjutant, M. H. Eoyston, and 
 ten men to report to Forrest for orders. I was 
 of this party. We found Forrest in the town. He 
 spoke with some show of irritation: 
 
 "Tell him to bring his men up here." 
 
 During all this time he had been attacking the 
 enemy with the forces at hand, but there was 
 little result of a decisive nature. 
 
38 Terey's Texas Eangers 
 
 Some of his chief officers had advised him to 
 be content with what he had already accomplished 
 and withdraw; but he was not of the withdrawing 
 kind. Preparing for a final assault, when the 
 Eangers came up, he delayed the attack long 
 enough to send a demand for surrender to the 
 camp of the Michigan regiment. This was 
 promptly agreed to. He now sent a like demand 
 to the Third Minnesota. Colonel Lester of that 
 regiment asked for an hour's time and an oppor- 
 tunity to consult with Colonel Duffield. This 
 officer was seriously wounded. Forrest allowed 
 half an hour and the privilege of the interview. 
 As Lester was going to the room of Colonel Duf- 
 field opportunity was given .him to see our 
 strengtli. When the half hour was up he sur- 
 rendered his entire force. 
 
 The troops surrendered consisted of fifteen com- 
 panies of infantry, six of the Ninth Michigan and 
 nine of the Third Minnesota; seven companies of 
 cavalry^ four of the Fourth Kentucky and three 
 of the Seventh Pennsylvania; and two sections 
 (four guns) of Hewett's battery: in all 1765 
 men. 
 
 The brigade commander, General Crittenden, 
 was found hiding in a room at a tavern. 
 
 The spoil was immense; a large number of 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 39 
 
 wagons, with military stores and equipment of 
 all sorts. 
 
 The merits of this enterprise are very great, but 
 it must be admitted that had the enemy all been 
 together, under a resolute commander, they could 
 have beaten us. They had nearly 1800 men of 
 all arms, infantry, cavalry and artillery — a min- 
 iature army — while Forrest had a little over 1300 
 men, some of them absolutely green troops. 
 
 In regard to this affair^ General Buell, com- 
 manding the department, published a very caus- 
 tic order, of which a short extract is here given: 
 
 '^Take it in all its features, few more disgrace- 
 ful examples of neglect of duty and lack of good 
 conduct can be found in the history of wars. It 
 fully merits the extreme penalty which the law 
 provides for such conduct. The force was more 
 than sufficient to repel the attack effectually." 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 MANY MARCHES AND SKIRMISHES THE KEN- 
 TUCKY CAMPAIGN. 
 
 We rested at McMinnville three or four days, 
 and then started a hard ride with little rest for 
 Lebanon, a distance of fifty miles, intending to 
 surprise and capture a force of 500 cavalry sta- 
 tioned there. On the morning of the 20th we 
 dashed into the place, but the enemy had been 
 warned and had left in a hurry for Nashville. 
 
 We remained one day and night in this beauti- 
 ful little city, recipients of the unbounded hospi- 
 tality of its splendid people. They fed us on poul- 
 try, roast pig^ ham, cakes and pies like "mother 
 used to make/' and filled our haversacks for the 
 march. 
 
 From Lebanon our route was by "The Hermi- 
 tage," so long the home of Andrew Jackson. Here 
 a short halt was made, and many of the men visited 
 the house and grounds. Mounting, we moved on to 
 Stone river, seven miles from Nashville, where a 
 small picket force was captured. Thence we crossed 
 over to the Murfreesboro turnpike, only four miles 
 from the city, and destroyed four railroad bridges, 
 capturing the guards — in all about 120 men. 
 
Terry^s Texas Ran^gers 41 
 
 We then turned off in the direction of Lebanon, 
 and camped for the night after riding for a few 
 miles; here we paroled our prisoners. Passing 
 around Murfreesboro we marched to McMinnville, 
 where we rested till the 10th of August. 
 
 We then advanced to the line of railroad, cap- 
 tured the pickets and burned a few bridges. The 
 enemy had now begun to erect stockades for their 
 guards at the bridges. There was one not yet 
 finished, and Forrest tried to capture it but failed. 
 Captain Houston of Company G was killed in 
 this attack. 
 
 Moving in the direction of Altamont we camped 
 in a cove near the mountain. The enemy ad- 
 vanced in force on all the roads. We had to take 
 the dry bed of a creek which ran parallel to one 
 of the roads on which the enemy was advancing. 
 We traveled in this creek a mile or two, and then 
 emerged into the open. A battery of the enemy, 
 on the McMinnville road, not more than 600 
 yards away, opened fire upon us. The very best 
 of troops, who will charge anything, are often 
 thrown into a panic by an attack from an unex- 
 pected quarter. We broke into a run and were 
 soon out of range, though in considerable dis- 
 order. 
 
 Marching leisurely to Sparta, we joined forces 
 
42 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 with Bragg's army, tlien on the move into Ken- 
 tucky. Forrest was ordered to guard the left 
 flank and harass the rear of the enemy in his re- 
 treat to Nashville. We came up to their rear 
 guard at Woodbury, and chased them clear Tip 
 to Murfreesboro, but could only run them through 
 the place. 
 
 Bragg soon moved by Glasgow and on to Mum- 
 fordsville, getting in ahead of Buell and on his 
 line of march. He had a strong position^ but for 
 some unaccountable reason turned off and let the 
 Federal army pass on to Louisville. Forrest kept 
 on the left and in close touch with the enemy till 
 the army turned aside, when we went on to the 
 vicinity of Louisville. Forrest was now relieved 
 and ordered to Tennessee, and Colonel John A. 
 Wharton was placed in command of the brigade. 
 We kept close up to Louisville, in observation of 
 the enemy's movements. Had a small but spirited 
 skirmish at Mt. Washington, as related in the in- 
 ti'oduction. 
 
 Early in October Buell began to move with 
 some vigor. An enterprising brigade of cavalry 
 got between us and our main army. They took 
 position at Bardstownand thus we were "cut off." 
 When intelligence of this move reached Wharton 
 he called in his outposts, threw his command into 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 43 
 
 column, Eangers in front, Company D leading. 
 At a gallop we started for the seat of trouble. 
 The enemy had chosen a strong position at the 
 mouth of the lane in which we were traveling, 
 and had their courage been equal to their enter- 
 prise the}^ could have given us a warm entertain- 
 ment. When we came in sight of them our bugle 
 sounded the charge and we Went at them as fast 
 as our horses could carry us. They broke almost 
 at once, firing only a few shots. It was now a 
 chase for miles. We caught over 200 of them, 
 and strewed the woods with" their dead and 
 wounded. General George H. Thomas, of the 
 Federal army^ says they lost about "twenty killed 
 and wounded, and a great many missing"; these 
 "missing" were our prisoners. Our loss was small 
 — I can not recall the casualties. It was one of 
 the softest snaps in the way of a fight that we 
 had during the war. 
 
 Some amusing incidents nearly always occur, 
 but the laughter rarely takes place till all danger 
 is past. After the long chase we, as well as the 
 enemy, were very much scattered. John B. Eector 
 seeing a lone Federal, rushed up and demanded 
 his surrender. "Surrender yourself," replied the 
 man, leveling his pistol. Now Hector had dis- 
 charged every chamber of his pistol and promptly 
 
44 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 complied. Just then Bill Davis dashed up. He 
 was a large, fierce looking man, on a powerful 
 horse not less than sixteen and a half hands high. 
 
 He broke out, "John, why the don't you 
 
 disarm that Yankee?" "I am a pris- 
 oner myself. Bill." Quick as a flash Davis was 
 at the fellow's side and bringing his pistol against 
 his head broke out, "Give up them pistols, you 
 blue-bellied ." The shoot- 
 ing irons were promptly handed over and the 
 prisoner escorted to the rear. 
 
 In the language of the great American game it 
 was pure "bluff" all around for all the firearms 
 were empty, but Bill Davis was always loaded to 
 the muzzle with quick firing profanity which he 
 could discharge in rattling volleys on the slight- 
 est provocation. I am glad to say, however, that 
 he no longer goes loaded thus, for he has been 
 a strict churchman for several years. 
 
 General Bragg published a general order highly 
 laudatory of the Rangers for this affair, but I 
 have foimd no record of it. It was read to the 
 regiment and complimented us in high terms. 
 
 Bragg's army was widely dispersed, gathering 
 supplies in that fertile' section. Buell was press- 
 ing him, and to get time for concentration, and 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 45 
 
 to get his train out of the way, we made a stand 
 at Perryville, where, on the 8th of October, was 
 fought one of the fiercest combats of the war. 
 Fourteen thousand Confederates kept at bay for 
 nearly two days the immense army of the enemy, 
 but with heavy loss to both sides. Wharton's 
 brigade held the extreme right and did a full 
 share of the fighting. Among our killed was 
 Major Mark Evans of the Eangers. Captain Fer- 
 rell of Company D succeeded him, and Lieuten- 
 ant Kyle of Company D became captain. 
 
 I was in the battle of Perryville, not with 
 the regiment, but in a small detachment on the 
 left while the Eangers were on the right. Hence 
 I avail myself of the description of "Perryville" 
 given by A. B. Briscoe, who kindly placed his 
 "Personal Memoirs" at my service. 
 
 "The enemy was on the west side of the creek 
 and our army on the east. The valley between 
 was open field and the tops of the hills covered in 
 places with timber. It was an ideal battlefield; 
 there were no breastworks, but the hills on both 
 sides were crowned with artillery. Polk was in 
 command of the Confederate forces and expected 
 the enemy to attack and waited for them until 
 about 2 p. m. In the meantime the artillery was 
 
4-6 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 making the very earth tremble with a duel of 
 nearly 100 guns. We lay in a little valley a few 
 hundred yards to the rear, partially sheltered from 
 this storm of shells. At 2 p. m. we were moved 
 in column through the lines of infantry and the 
 smoking batteries to the front. The open valley 
 was before us with a deep creek spanned by a 
 wooden bridsre. Down we charo:ed in column of 
 fours across the bridge. After crossing, each 
 squadron formed left front into line, which made 
 us present five lines, one behind the other, and in 
 this order we charged up the hill, into the woods 
 and among the Yankees. This whole movement 
 was m.ade in a sweeping gallop and as if on 
 parade. How different from the way we were 
 handled at Shiloh ! The Yankees were brushed 
 back from the hill and woods and when the bugle 
 sounded the recall and we returned, our own in- 
 fantry and artillery had crossed the creek and 
 were taking position on the hills from which we 
 had driven the enemy. But again Ave had lost 
 our commander, the gallant Lieutenant Colonel 
 Mark Evans, who fell mortally wounded at the 
 head of the regiment." 
 
 I have copied this literally, but I am of the 
 opinion that Evans was only major. 
 
Terry's Texas Bangers 47 
 
 Bragg had secured the needed tirae. He now 
 started for Cnmberland Gap, leaving the cavalry 
 to protect his rear and retard, as best they conld, 
 the onward march of the enemy. Colonel Joseph 
 Wheeler was made chief of cavalry and had com- 
 mand of all in the rear. The country was tim- 
 bered, broken, not very fertile, affording little in 
 the way of food for man or beast. We had to 
 form line and skirmish several times a day. The 
 service was very trying. For more than a week 
 there was no order to unsaddle. 
 
 At last Buell gave up the pursuit and started 
 to Nashville. We went on through Cumberland 
 Gap to Knoxville, where we had a snowstorm. 
 From Knoxville, by Kingston and over the moun- 
 tains^ we went to Sparta, Murfreesboro and No- 
 lensville. At N"olensville we had a position on 
 the left of the army. Here some promotions were 
 announced. Colonel Wharton became a brigadier 
 general, his commission dating from tiie Bards- 
 town fight, the 4th of October. Harrison became 
 colonel, Ferrell, lieutenant colonel, and Gustave 
 Cook, major. Ferrell was soon compelled to re- 
 sign on account of bad health. Cook then became 
 lieutenant colonel and S. Pat Christian, major. 
 In Company D, Dechard became first lieutenant 
 and W. R. Black, second lieutenant. 
 
48 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 We remained at Nolensville nearly two months, 
 picketing and scouting. We passed our second 
 Christmas^ a serious and sober set, thinking of 
 the homes and loved ones far away, and wonder- 
 ing if we should ever see them again. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 MURFREESBORO. 
 
 The enemy did not allow us much time for 
 repining. Promptly on the 26th they moved out 
 in force. We were sent forward to develop their 
 strength. The regiment, under the command of 
 Captain Kyle, was drawn up in a field and dis- 
 mounted. Our leader conducted us over a high 
 rail fence into an open wood of cedar trees. We 
 went along listening to his encouraging words 
 until we reached the top of a slight rise. Just 
 over the crest was a solid line of infantry lying 
 down. Kyle at once ordered a retreat. At least 
 that's what he meant, though the words he actu- 
 ally used are not in the manual. He- said: 
 
 '^Get out of here, men ! There's a whole bri- 
 gade !" 
 
 We understood him and so did the Yankees, 
 who sprang to their feet and delivered a volley, 
 doing little damage. The high fence had not 
 seemed a serious obstacle as we went in, but when 
 I got back to it on the return, with bullets striking 
 it like hail on a roof, it looked very formidable. 
 I sprang up on it and just fell off on the other 
 side. When I got up the command was moving 
 
50 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 olf rapidly. I had started to the rear as soon as 
 the others, but they outran me, and I didn't 
 "throw" tlie race either. I turned to the left, 
 down the line of fence^ climbed another, and was 
 now reasonably safe but nearly exhausted. I had 
 still to go half a mile before I reached the com- 
 mand. My saddle felt mighty good and restful. 
 
 It was now plain that it w^as a general advance 
 of the enemy, and Bragg prepared for the battle 
 of Murfreesboro, whither we now marched 
 promptly. In the line Wharton's brigade occu- 
 pied the left. When the ball opened in earnest 
 he led this command around the right of the 
 enem3^'s line, and within 600 yards of Eosecrans' 
 headquarters attacked and captured a wagon train 
 going to the rear. We could not hold it long; 
 but we captured a four-gun battery and held on 
 to that; moved down toward Nashville and ran 
 into the train again. 
 
 In these operations Company D lost two killed, 
 Sam Friedberger and Wayne Hamilton. Kenner 
 Eector was wounded. John W. Hill and P. J. 
 Watkins were made prisoners. Hill's horse was 
 killed as we were retiring before superior numbers. 
 He was away three or four months, and greatly 
 missed, for he was a good one. 
 
 After a strenuous day of it, with a good many 
 
Terry's Te5L4s E angers 51 
 
 prisoners and the four gims^ we returned to the 
 army and were sent to the right, taking position 
 on the right of Breckenridge's line. We saw that 
 gallant officer and his splendid division move for- 
 ward through an open field with the precision of 
 parade, under a furious cannonading from the 
 Federal batteries strongly posted in a cedar wood. 
 The shells plowed great gaps through their ranks. 
 When the colors fell other hands seized them and 
 bore them onward. When they reached the posi- 
 tion of the enemy they wavered and began to give 
 way, in order at first, but as they retreated under 
 a distressing fire of artillery and musketry, they 
 broke into a run. We stood there and could not 
 help them, although every man of us would have 
 gone to their aid with a whoop. 
 
 This charge deserves to rank with Malvern 
 Hill, Franklin, and other useless sacrifices of life. 
 Like the charge of the light brigade, "it was mag- 
 nificent, but it was not war." 
 
 This w^as Bragg's final effort, and he withdrew 
 from the contest. The only tactics he seems to 
 have learned was to wait till the enemy came up 
 to his lines and fortified himself; then attack and 
 lose more men than the enemy, then sneak away. 
 ITe had heard somewhere that "he who fights and 
 runs away may live to fight another day." 
 
52 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 Bragg stopped at Shelbyville. Rosecrans was 
 content to stay at Murfreesboro, begging his gov- 
 ernment for more cavalry; nor did he feel safe 
 in advancing till lie had a large addition to his 
 mounted force. 
 
 We took position on the left of the army, pick- 
 eting and scouting the front, with occasional skir- 
 mishes and reconnoissances. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE DON^ELSON TRIP AND RETREAT TO CHAT- 
 TANOOGA. 
 
 Just who conceived this wild-goose chase, I am 
 not informed. For suffering, hardships, and bar- 
 renness of results, it is only exceeded by Napo- 
 leon's Russian campaign. On the 25th of Jan- 
 uar}^, General Wheeler, in command of the bri- 
 gades of Wharton and Forrest, took up the line 
 of march for Dover, or Fort Donelson. I do not 
 know how to describe the weather, except in the 
 language of the gTammar on the comparison of 
 adjectives : cold, colder^ coldest. We crossed one 
 little stream fifteen or twenty times in one day. 
 The water froze on the legs of our horses until 
 they were encased in ice above the knees; their 
 tails were solid chunks of ice, while we had to 
 walk to keep warm. Men and horses suffered 
 intensely. 
 
 When we reached the vicinity of Dover, For- 
 rest reported to Wheeler that he had but a scant 
 supply of ammunition; and investigation disclosed 
 the fact that Wliarton's brigade was little better 
 off in this regard. Forrest did not hesitate to 
 advise withdrawail of our forces without attempt 
 at action, but Wheeler determined to proceed. 
 
54 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 Forrest attacked from the north and east, car- 
 ried the enemy's outer works, and drove them into 
 the redoubts, but with great loss of life. His am- 
 munition was now exhausted, and he was com- 
 pelled to fall back. Wharton attacked from the 
 Donelson side, and captured one brass field gun, 
 but he, too, was compelled to retire because his 
 ammunition was running low. The Eangers had 
 been sent out on the Fort Henry road before these 
 operations were begun and so had no part in the 
 assault. 
 
 Jordan, in his "Life of Forrest," says: 
 
 "The Confederate losses were heavy- Forrest 
 liad one-fourth of his force, or 200 of his officers 
 and men killed, wounded and captured, and Whar- 
 ton's casualties did not fall short of sixty killed 
 and wounded." 
 
 'Now the retreat began. All the command, ex- 
 cept the Rangers, practically out of ammunition. 
 The weather did not moderate. The second or 
 third night a report reached Wheeler that a heavy 
 column of the enemy, cavalry and infantry, under 
 General Jeff C. Davis, had left Nashville to head 
 him off. About midnight we were ordered to sad- 
 dle up. It was so cold that if we touched a gun- 
 barrel or bridle bit our hands stuck to the metal, 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 55 
 
 and we had to put those bits into the mouths of 
 our poor horses. 
 
 AYe reached Duck river about daylight, and 
 found it bank full, the surface covered with float- 
 ing ice. After some search a ford was found and 
 we crossed to the south side. As Davis' comnumd 
 did not show up, we went into camp and warmed 
 ourselves a little. After a rest of a day or two 
 we moved leisurely back to our old position. 
 
 I do not know what could have been accom- 
 plished by this expedition beyond the capture of 
 a small garrison. Certainly the suffering and the 
 losses of men and horses were very great. For a 
 long time when the men wanted to reach the 
 superlative of suffering they spoke of the Donel- 
 son trip. 
 
 In April we moved over to the right and 
 camped a few days at Sparta. The regiment cap- 
 tured a mail train between Murfreesboro and 
 Nashville, getting about a dozen officers. Tlie 
 men rifled the mail sacks and amused themselves 
 reading the letters of the Yankees. They ob- 
 tained also a considerable amount of greenbacks; 
 also a silver-mounted pistol, said to belong to 
 General Rosecrans. My horse was lame and so 
 I missed this expedition — and my share of the 
 greenbacks. 
 
56 Terry^s Texas Rangers 
 
 Toward the last of June the Federal army, hav- 
 ing received reinforcements, including heavy ad- 
 ditions to its cavalry force, began another for- 
 ward movement. The Rangers were dismounted 
 to skirmish with the advance. During this action 
 a heavy rainstorm came up; we thought this 
 would suspend the affair, but when the rain ceased 
 we found the Yankees had advanced their lines 
 considerably. Regarding this as a violation of 
 the rules of the game, we mounted and rode off. 
 
 Their cavalry now showed unusual spirit and 
 audacity^ pressing us pretty close. On the 4th 
 of July, at the site of the present University of 
 the South, the Rangers had to charge and drive 
 them back. The retreat was continued across the 
 mountains and the Tennessee river to Chatta- 
 nooga. 
 
 The Rangers took position at Rome, Georgia. 
 There we had a few weeks' needed rest and re- 
 cruited our jaded horses. Roasting ears were in 
 season, fruit was beginning to ripen, and so we 
 feasted on good things. The runabouts — "pie 
 rooters" we called them — made the best of their 
 opportunities. Bill Arp said they found every 
 road in the county, and then some. 
 
 Dr. Bunting, our chaplain, started a series of 
 meetings, and many embraced the opportunity to 
 
Terry^s Texas Eangers 
 
 57 
 
 pledge themselves to the better life. The boys, 
 from their scant pay, contributed money to buy 
 a. horse for General John A. Wharton. The pres- 
 entation speech was made by John B. Eector, 
 Wharton replying. Both speakers pledged the 
 last drop of their blood, etc. Same old story, but 
 a trifle stale by this time. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CHICKAMAUGA. 
 
 Boseorans maneuvered Bragg out of Chatta- 
 nooga. He now seemed to have a contempt for 
 his adversary, and divided his army into three 
 columns in an effon to bring ours to bay. One 
 crossed the mountains and took position it 
 Alpine, forty miles south of the center, eviden:ly 
 to gain the rear of the Confederates. 
 
 We were sent to look after this column. Lieu- 
 tenant Baylor of the Rangers reported to Whar- 
 ton that a heavy force of infantry was at Alpine. 
 ^Vha^ton reported this to Bragg with a note 
 vouching for Baylors reliability. Bragg broke 
 out: 
 
 •*XJeutenant Baylor lies: there is no iafantry 
 souxh of tisl*'* 
 
 In a day or two. however, he became cmvinced 
 that the rep«3rt was true, and made sone feeble 
 ^ort to attack them in detail Xothinf came of 
 it exc-ept tiiat Boeecrans, who now discovered that 
 his enemy was not retreating so precipitately, 
 took the alarm and began to concentrate his 
 widdy separated eoltimns. The force at Alpine 
 had to cross the mountains. It took Uiem two 
 
Terry's Texas Eaxgees 59 
 
 days to get to the center, now menaced bv the 
 Confederates. Imagine Stonewall Jackson in 
 Bragg's place I 
 
 Of the larger events of the battle of Chicka- 
 maiiga I shall treat very briefly. It has been 
 Truthfully called the soldiers' battle. Whatsoever 
 of strategy or generalship there had been had mis- 
 carried and the two armies stood face to face for 
 a trial of strength : a test of manhood. The num- 
 bers were about equal, not far from TO^OOO on a 
 side. The Feilerals had the advantage of posi- 
 tion, which they had fortified. The Confederates 
 had to attack. Xever was fiercer attack and de- 
 fense. Never was shown greater courage. 
 
 The enemy were driven from their works, but 
 with frightful loss to the Confederates. Their 
 killed numbered ?3S9. The wounded 13,412; 
 while the Federals' loss in killed was 1656, 
 wounded, 9"^ {^9. It was such dearly bought and 
 fruitless victories as this which finally defeated 
 the South. 
 
 The Terr}' K angers were on the extreme left of 
 the line and were ordered to drive the enemy from 
 their front. This order was executed in handsome 
 style. The enemy proved to be our old antag'.m- 
 ists, the Third Ohio Cavalry. After the charge 
 a messaire was broujjh to Lieutenant Dechard. of 
 
60 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 the Rangers, that a wounded Federal officer wished 
 to see him. He rode to the spot and dismounted. 
 When he saw the wounded man, he said: 
 
 '^^^Tiy, it's my old friend. Major Cupp. I am 
 sorry to see you thus." 
 
 "Lieutenant Colonel Cupp," replied the other, 
 "but I've had my last promotion. You people 
 have got me this time." 
 
 More than a year before, these officers, each a 
 lieutenant in command of an escort for a flag of 
 truce, had met. They met again, a few weeks 
 later, under the same circumstances, but Cupp 
 was now a captain. After the fight in Bardstown 
 Dechard was in command of the guard for the 
 prisoners, and recognized his former acquaintance. 
 "Captain Cupp, I am glad to see you," said he. 
 
 "Major Cupp," corrected the prisoner, "but I 
 can not say that I am glad to see you under the 
 circumstances." 
 
 As the cartel was still in force, he was soon ex- 
 changed, and as we have seen when he fell, Dech- 
 ard was near. These facts were related to me by 
 Dechard himself, and he was known to be per- 
 fectly reliable. These incidents confirm the old 
 adage, "Truth is straiiger than fiction." 
 
 The dying officer desired Dechard to take his 
 watch and other belongings and send them to his 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 61 
 
 relatives in Ohio, which was done a few days 
 later by flag of truce. 
 
 Wheeler and Forrest followed the discomfited 
 Federals up to Chattanooga. Here it was remem- 
 bered that two detachments under Lieutenants 
 Friend and Batchelor had been left on picket in 
 gaps of the mountain away to the left of the bat- 
 tlefield, and I was ordered to go to them at once 
 and direct them to join the command, which 
 would be found on the Athens road. 
 
 There was about an hour of daylight, and I 
 hoped to pass the ground of the terrible struggle 
 before night, knowing that there was nothing for 
 me or my horse until I did so. In this I was dis- 
 appointed. Darkness came on shortly after I 
 reached the scene of that awful carnage. Many 
 of the Federal dead and wounded still lay where 
 they had fallen. The air was freighted with a 
 horrible odor, the battlefield's commentary on 
 war. The wounded hearing my horse's footfalls, 
 began calling me to give some assistance. Dis- 
 mounting I picked my way to the first one. He 
 desired to be turned over. Another wanted his 
 canteen. The poor fellow had struggled while 
 there was strength, and now unable to move fur- 
 ther, was out of reach of his canteen. These were 
 relieved and others not specially remembered here. 
 
62 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 It seemed that himdreds were calling. I was ever 
 a coward in the presence of sullering, besides duty 
 required that I should proceed on my journey. 
 So I asked : 
 
 "Are you aware that your own surgeons with 
 their details and ambulances are here uncon- 
 trolled on the field?'' 
 
 "Oh, yes," was the answer, "they come around 
 every day and leave us water, a little food and 
 medicine, but it is awful to lie here this way." 
 
 I mounted and rode ofl', feeling sad at the fate 
 of these men dying unattended hundreds of miles 
 from home and loved ones, but I steeled my heart 
 by the thought that if they had stayed at home 
 with their loved ones they would not be thus 
 dying. 
 
 I was now lost. It was dark and my horse 
 could not follow any road, for roads were every- 
 wliere. Artillery wheels make many roads on a 
 battlefield. After a while I sew a light and went 
 to it. It was the camp fire of the details for the 
 care of the wounded. These men sat around. 
 The ambulances and mules were near. There 
 was a little house, too. On the porch I saw some 
 officers in uniform. Surgeons they were. I in- 
 quired for some resident. A slender girl came to 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 63 
 
 the door and in reply to my request directed me 
 to Lee and Gordon's mill. 
 
 The moon was now rising. I was on that part 
 of the field from which the dead and wounded 
 had been removed, but there was wreck and ruin 
 everywhere. Maimed and groaning horses, and 
 no one to waste a load of ammunition to end their 
 suffering; broken gun carriages, the debris of a 
 battlefield. 
 
 I crossed and watered my horse in the stream 
 at the mill. As I rode up the hill I met two of 
 my own company, who had been at the wagon 
 camp cooking for the company. When they 
 learned how far it was to the command and the 
 horrors of the battlefield, they readily agreed to 
 camp, for it was now late. So I had supper, for 
 my comrades had sacks of bread and bacon, but 
 my poor horse had nothing. We lay down and 
 slept under the shining moon, although but a 
 few miles away hundreds of human beings lay 
 dying. 
 
 On the morrow I proceeded on my journey. 
 When 1 reached the first detachment under Lieu- 
 tenant Friend and delivered my message, he 
 kindly sent one of his men on to tell Batchelor: 
 gave me some forage for my horse, and all gath- 
 ered around anxious for news of the battle. Here 
 
64 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 they had been in sound of the mighty struggle, 
 the boom of the great guns, even the rattle of 
 small arms, while their comrades were in dire 
 peril, but denied the privilege of sharing in their 
 danger or triumph. They had heard that the 
 enemy had been driven from the field, but had 
 heard nothing from their own command. They 
 were hungry for news from the Rangers. What 
 part they took, and who were killed or wounded? 
 For they knew if the Rangers had been engaged 
 somebody was hurt. 
 
 These occurrences took place nearly forty-eight 
 years ago, and yet their memor}^ is clear in my 
 mind, and when I think of my lonely ride in 
 Cliickamauga's gloomy woods, of the dead and 
 dying, the wreck and min of that awful night, 
 [ am convinced that there is no more expressive 
 definition of war than General Sherman has given. 
 
 When Batchelor^s squad came up we started to 
 overtake the command, joining it on the follow- 
 ing day, as well as I remember. It was then well 
 on its way to the Federal nnir in middle Ten- 
 nessee. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 wheeler's great raid. 
 
 Our march was up the Holston river to find 
 an unguarded ford^ but the pickets were every- 
 where. We lialted in a field at night, and Com- 
 pany D, armed with picks and spades, was 
 directed to go to the river bank and there make 
 a way for the artillery. A guide from the vicin- 
 ity showed us a way across, by a ford unknown 
 to the Yankees. We captured a few pickets. 
 
 Wheeler now divided his forces, himself leading 
 a column into Sequatcliie valley, where he cap- 
 tured and burned 2000 wagons. He then over- 
 took the remainder of the command as we de- 
 scended the mountains. Our route was by Mc- 
 Minnville and Murfreesboro, and the way was suf- 
 ficiently familiar to us, since we had traveled it 
 so often under Forrest the year before. 
 
 When we reached the vicinity of Murfreesboro, 
 Captain Kyle with his squadron, consisting of 
 Companies D and F^ was ordered to ride around 
 the place, reach the railroad leading to Nashville, 
 and try to capture a train. We came to the rail- 
 road a little before daylight, but there were no 
 trains running; the enemy had learned that the 
 
66 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 "rebels" were in the country. Captain Kyle heard 
 of a lot of wagons down toward Nashville and 
 decided to take them in. This he did without 
 resistance. The teams had been engaged in haul- 
 ing wood to the garrison at Nashville, and the 
 wagons were drawn by oxen, the only instance of 
 this kind that we saw during the war. The oxen 
 being fat, and also too slow of foot to go with us 
 in any other form, were converted into beef. 
 
 We crossed over to Shelbyville pike, the scene 
 of some of our operations in the spring. Learn- 
 ing that a small force of cavalry held Shelbyville, 
 General Wharton ordered the Eangers to attempt 
 their capture. We saddled up early, and rode 
 briskly, reaching there about daylight^ but the 
 enemy had left. There were several stores in this 
 place, established by some enterprising Yankees, 
 and stocked with clothing and dry goods. Rather 
 than have their doors broken down, the owners 
 opened them. Winter was coming on, we were a 
 long way from home and nearly naked, and here 
 was our chance for winter supplies. Some of the 
 boys got a black "Prince Albert" coat. This was 
 presented to the chaplain, who wore it a long time. 
 
 The line of march 'led by Farmington. Here 
 the enemy had taken a strong position in a cedar 
 thicket. Over the ground were scattered large 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 67 
 
 boulders. The enemy, arnied with Spencer 
 rifles, were lying behind these stones. The 
 Eangers Avere ordered to charge this position. 
 We got np pretty close; in fact, into the 
 edge of the thicket; but they poured such 
 a destructive fire into us that it did not take us 
 long to discover that we had more than we could 
 handle. We took some prisoners. We also got 
 some of these rifles, the first of the kind I had 
 ever seen; they would shoot seven times without 
 reloading. The casualties are not remembered, ex- 
 cept that Major Christian and Lieutenant Black- 
 burn were wounded. Love, of Company C, was 
 killed. 
 
 That night at headquarters they were discuss- 
 ing the incidents of the day. Wharton said the 
 Rangers had done all that any soldiers could do; 
 that it was impossible for mounted troops to drive 
 brave men, armed as were the enemy, from such 
 a position. General Wheeler said they had done 
 all that he expected ; had held the enemy engaged 
 while our artillery and wagons ran by through a 
 field, thus saving the command from a bad sit- 
 uation. Then Colonel Harrison spoke: 
 
 ^'It was no fight at all ! I'm ashamed of them ! 
 If they can not do better than that I'll disown 
 them !" 
 
68 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 A staff officer put in: 
 
 "1 always thought that regiment somewhat 
 overrated anyhow." 
 
 This aroused '^old Tom/' who got up, shook 
 his finger in the fellow's face and broke out furi- 
 ously : 
 
 '^Who tlie are you? There is not a man 
 
 in that regiment who can not kick you all over 
 this yard, sir !" 
 
 As he strode off to his horse, he was heard to 
 say: 
 
 "By — I'll curse them all I want to; but I'll 
 be if anj^body else shall do it in my pres- 
 ence !" 
 
 Moving on to the Tennessee river, we crossed 
 that stream at one of the fords along the Mussel 
 Shoals. From there, in a more leisurely manner, 
 we went back to the army, still besieging the Fed- 
 erals at Chattanooga. 
 
CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 EAST TENNESSEE CAMPAIGN. 
 
 Bragg felt so sure that Eosecrans would be 
 starved into surrender that he dispatched Long- 
 street to Knoxville to take in the garrison sta- 
 tioned there. Our division, commanded by Gen- 
 eral Martin, was sent along with him. Longstreet 
 laid siege to the place. We were transferred from 
 one side of the river to the other, fording the 
 freezing water at night. We had a little skirmish 
 on College hill; details not remembered, except 
 that Lieutenant Black was wounded. 
 
 It was reported that the "loyal" people up the 
 river were in the habit of loading small boats 
 with provisions, setting them adrift to float down 
 the river for the use of the garrison in Knox- 
 ville, the boats being caught by a boom across the 
 stream. Someone conceived the brilliant idea 
 that if trees were cut down and rolled into the 
 river above, they would float down and break the 
 boom. Our regiment, placed temporarily under 
 the command of somebody's staff officer anxious 
 to distinguish himself, was detailed for this 
 service. A worse selection could hardly have been 
 made for the performance of such work. Prob- 
 
70 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 ably not one man in twenty was possessed with 
 any skill with the ax. Young men raised on the 
 prairies, professional men, boys from the stores, 
 sons of planters, w^io had slaves to do their chop- 
 ping, composed this force of axmen. Nighty a 
 very dark night at that, was the time selected for 
 the exploit. A light drizzle was falling. Imagine 
 anybody trying to cut clow^n trees under such cir- 
 cumstances I The staff colonel in command 
 stopped at a house where there was a blazing fire, 
 dismounted, and took a comfortable seat. The 
 regiment went up on the hillside and hacked away 
 for hours. I believe some trees were actually 
 felled, chopped into convenient lengths, and rolled 
 into the stream and appeared to sink in the water. 
 All suffered from the cold. It was such foolish 
 services as this that tended to demoralize the Con- 
 federate soldier and sap a man's courage and 
 patriotism as nothing else will. There is some- 
 thing inspiring in a charge, albeit there is danger, 
 too, with comrades falling all around ; but spirited 
 troops would choose a charge every time rather 
 than such imbecile business as that midnight tree- 
 cutting exploit. 
 
 When the Confederate army was driven from 
 Missionary Ridge, Longstreet was compelled to 
 raise the siege of Knoxville. He retired to the 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 71 
 
 eastward, taking position on the East Tennessee 
 and Virginia railroad, near Morristown, if I re- 
 member correctly, the cavalry guarding his front. 
 
 The cold was intense. The people, in sympathy 
 with the enemy, furnished them with excellent 
 guides to any exposed position of ours. Hence 
 we had to be exceedingly vigilant. Imagine going 
 on picket at 2 a. m. with temperature at zero or 
 below; but the army must sleep, and the cavalry 
 must guard the outposts. We had also numerous 
 skirmishes, but I can not remember the details 
 of them. 
 
 A letter written by me to my parents dated 
 January 4, 1864, enumerates six fights during 
 November and December in which the regiment 
 lost twenty-seven killed and wounded; one on the 
 road to Cumberland Gap. This was early in 
 November. We chased some cavalry several miles, 
 taking a dozen or more prisoners and wounding 
 a few without a single casualty on our side, unless 
 someone's ears were frost bitten, for it was a very 
 cold morning and a biting wind raged. 
 
 We had three or four skirmishes near Mossy 
 creek. In one of these, on December 26^ 1863, 
 Captain G. W. Littlefield was badly wounded by 
 a large fragment of a shell which lacerated his 
 left hip for a space five or six inches by twelve 
 
72 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 or thirteen. It looked like a mortal hurt. A 
 strong constitution pulled him through, yet he 
 was compelled to retire from the service, and even 
 now (1911) suii'ers from the wound. 
 
 On the 29th of December we were ordered to 
 drive a force of the enemy who were dismounted 
 and lying behind a large brick residence and the 
 outbuildings. We had to break down the garden 
 fence, wliich we did by forcing our horses against 
 it. We drove them all right, took a few prisoners, 
 but sustained serious losses ourselves. In Com- 
 pany I), X. J. Allen was killed outright. Ei ch- 
 ard Berger was shot through the face, losing the 
 sight of one eye, and William Nicholson had a 
 slight scalp woimd. There was another on the 
 24th, near the same place, and one near Dan- 
 dridge^ but I am unable to recall the incidents, 
 although the letter referred to says that I par- 
 ticipated in all of them. In all we sustained 
 serious loss, and so far as I can see without any 
 appreciable eifect on the campaign; but as For- 
 rest said, "War means fight, and fight means kill." 
 Besides our blood was up and life held cheaply. 
 
 One little engagement, all one-sided, and as far 
 as we were concerned, was more amusing than 
 serious. Our brigade under Colonel Harrison, 
 and an Alabama brigade commanded by General 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 73 
 
 John T. Morgan, so long a Senator from Ala- 
 bama after the war, were out on separate roads 
 which, however, came together some distance in 
 the rear of our position. The Alabama brigade, 
 attacked by the enemy, gave way. We were called 
 back, and when we reached the junction of the 
 roads the enemy was passing in hot pursuit. In 
 columns of fours we took them in flank, killed a 
 few, took several prisoners and scattered the re- 
 mainder, for they were so completely surprised 
 that they made no resistance. They were Brown- 
 low's brigade of East Tennessee Cavalry and 
 rather shabby soldiers. AVe had no casualties. 
 
 The service was very arduous; besides the pick- 
 eting alluded to above, foraging became very 
 laborious. The country along the streams is 
 quite fertile and produced abundantly of food 
 for man and beast, but cavalry troops consume 
 rapidly, and the valleys were soon exhausted. 
 So we had to go away out into the mountains for 
 supplies. Often wagons could not go the roads 
 and we had to bring supplies on our horses over 
 mountain trails for ten or fifteen miles. These 
 expeditions were not without danger, for these 
 rude mountaineers wer^ good shots, and lying in 
 the woods, did not see their bread and meat taken 
 with kind feelings. They sometimes fired on 
 
74 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 these foraging parties, but at long range from 
 mountain crag or other secure position, and I 
 believe injured no one. 
 
 As I am not relating these things in chronolog- 
 ical order^ this will be a good place to set down 
 the facts concerning the night alarm on the banks 
 of Pigeon river. We were in camp for several 
 days on the banks of this stream which, though 
 small to be called a river, was yet rather deep at 
 that place; though it could be forded, as will be 
 seen. 
 
 Across from our encampment, some two or 
 three hundred yards from the banks, was a stately 
 mansion, the home of a wealthy and refined fam- 
 ily. I think the people's name was Smith, but I 
 am not sure. The name will do anyhow. The 
 head of the family, a general or colonel, was away 
 from home, with the army no doubt. The family 
 at the house consisted of the mother and three or 
 four daughters, all charming ladies. They had 
 secured a house guard to protect them from insult. 
 Joe Eogers, being a little indisposed, was duly in- 
 stalled as guard. This meant good times for Joe ; 
 a bed to sleep in, three meals a day with plate, 
 knife and fork, a stable for his black horse Nig, 
 of which, by the way, he was very fond. 
 
 It was not long before the society men of the 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 75 
 
 regiment acquired the habit of slipping out after 
 evening roll call to enjoy a game of cards at Gen- 
 eral Smith's. One night several of them, a lieu- 
 tenant, a clerk of the quartermaster's department, 
 and one or two others, crossed the river in a small 
 skiff and were soon pleasantly engaged in the 
 fascinating game of euchre with the young ladies. 
 Suddenly there was a cry of "Halt ! Halt !" and 
 pistol shots rang out on the night air. Out went 
 the lights, and the visitors rushed for doors and 
 windows J knocking over chairs, tables, and even 
 the young women. They rushed to the river, 
 plunged in and across, and made for their com- 
 panies. The first alarm was plainly heard in the 
 camp. Sharp orders to "saddle up" were given 
 and repeated from company to compan}-, and the 
 brigade was soon in line. Colonel Harrison sent 
 Tom Gill and a small party to ascertain the cause 
 of the row. Tom passed General Smith's, where 
 all was dark, and went on to the picket stand. 
 Pickets reported all quiet; no enemy had passed 
 their post. Tom returned to the house, where he 
 met Joe Rogers. It appeared that Joe had not 
 run with the others at the first alarm. He had 
 gone out the back way to look after Nig and his 
 equipment. While getting these he heard voices, 
 accompanied with laughter, and the voices seemed 
 
76 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 somewhat familiar. Peeping around the house 
 he soon ascertained that the alarm had been 
 caused by three or four Rangers. He reported the 
 cause of the disturbance to Gill and his scouting 
 party, and Gill reported it to Colonel Harrison. 
 
 "The old man" was furious at first^ for a false 
 alarm in war is a serious matter and a grave 
 offense. However, after some reflection, he con- 
 cluded to drop the matter, as he thought the inci- 
 dent would have a wholesome effect on the guilty 
 parties. The men did not so easily let it drop. 
 Frequently at night for some months afterwards 
 someone would call out : 
 
 "Who waded Pigeon?" 
 
 From some other part of the camp the answer 
 would come: 
 
 "Murray ! Brownson !" 
 
 The story got into the comic papers and caused 
 some amusement and some mortification to the 
 victims of the joke. John Haynie, one of the best 
 soldiers in the regiment, was the leader of the 
 alarmist jokers. If I ever learned the names of 
 the others 1 have forgotten them. 
 
 We had now been in the service for considerably 
 over two years, and there had been no general 
 system of furloughs. Our regiment might have 
 fifteen if they would re-enlist, but as we had al- 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 77 
 
 ready enlisted for the war we could hardly per- 
 form this condition. However, it was demanded 
 that we make declaration of our intention to con- 
 tinue in the service. Some of us considered this 
 a reflection on our honor, and decided to do with- 
 out the coveted furloughs. Then some of the boys 
 got together, made a speech or two, passed a pre- 
 amble and resolutions, declaring we would never — 
 no never — quit as long as an armed foe trod our 
 sacred soil. This was considered satisfactory at 
 headquarters, and the furloughs were ordered. 
 Lots were drawn for the three assigned to Com- 
 pany D. These fell to D. S. Combs, I. V. Jones 
 and J. F. McGuire, who left at once to visit their 
 homes. 
 
 At that time the enemy was at the mouth of 
 the Rio Grande. They evidently intended to in- 
 vade the country far enough to break up a most 
 profitable trade between the States west of the 
 Mississippi and the outside' world by way of 
 Mexico. This traffic was carried on by means of 
 wagons, hundreds of which went in a constant 
 stream to the Eio Grande, loaded with cotton, 
 and brought back supplies of all kinds. The 
 people feared the enemy would penetrate the in- 
 terior, as the State had been stripped of its de- 
 fenders. Every persuasion was used to prevail 
 
78 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 on these men to remain on this side, and they 
 finally a^eed to stay. The lieutenant general 
 commanding the department readily agreed to 
 the arrangement, and thus Company D lost three 
 good soldiers. We could not blame them, for, 
 given the opportunity, every one of us perhaps 
 would have done the same thing. 
 
 It was during this winter that one of the sad- 
 dest events of all our career happened; the hang- 
 ing of E. S. Dodd by the enemy. He was a mem- 
 ber of Company D. He was of a good family and 
 well educated. For many years he kept a diary, 
 setting down at night the happenings of the day. 
 He was taken prisoner with this diary in his 
 pocket. On that evidence alone he was con- 
 demned and executed as a spy. 
 
 Spring was now approaching. Those masters 
 of the art of war — Grant and Sherman — were pre- 
 paring to strike the final blows at the tottering 
 Confederacy. Longstreet went to Virginia. Our 
 cavalry went to Georgia to our old commander, 
 General Joseph Wheeler. Our way was up the 
 French Broad river, through western North Caro- 
 lina and South Carolina, marching leisurely 
 where there were abundant supplies. We reached 
 Georgia as Sherman was preparing to move. On 
 the 9th day of May, just north of Dalton, we 
 
Terry^s Texas Rangers 79 
 
 were ordered to charge a force of the enemy, which 
 proved to be our old acquaintance, La Grange's 
 brigade of Indiana cavalry. We went at them in 
 our usual style, at top speed, every fellow yelling 
 as loud as he could. They broke and retreated 
 precipitately. We took more than sixty prisoners, 
 including the brigade commander. Colonel La 
 Grange. His horse was wounded and fell, pin- 
 ning his rider to the earth just at a large farm 
 gate. John Haynie, quick as a flash, was at his 
 side, securing the prisoner, evidently an officer. 
 Addressing his captor, the prisoner said: 
 
 ^'You have a prize indeed. I am Colonel La 
 Grange. I did not know that you boys had got 
 clown here from East Tennessee. I knew you as 
 soon as I saw you coming." 
 
 With the help of some of the prisoners he was 
 released from his fallen horse, mounted on an- 
 other, and escorted by his captor to Colonel Har- 
 rison. This incident came under my own ob- 
 servation. For the interview which followed his 
 presentation to Harrison I am indebted to that 
 officer himself, who related it to me several years 
 after the war. La Grange said : 
 
 "I was in command of the brigade, and was 
 anxious for the commission of brigadier general. 
 Had some influential friends who were helping 
 
80 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 me. My division commander told me to go out, 
 run in the rebel pickets, skirmish a little and send 
 in a report^ which he would forward with strong 
 recommendations for my promotion. I came out, 
 ran into the Texas Rangers, and am a prisoner/' 
 
 *^^Only the fortune of war, my young friend," 
 said Harrison. '^^Only the fortune of war." 
 
 Our loss was quite heaYj. Among the killed 
 were Charles T. Pelham of Company D, an edu- 
 cated 3'oung man, of good family and fine prom- 
 ise, a civil engineer by profession; D. F. Lily, a 
 young lawyer J who fell almost in sight of his 
 mother's home, and W. H. Bigelow, a native of 
 Canada; both of these last were of Company G, 
 and both educated o:ent]emen. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Sherman's wagon train and the affairs with 
 mccook and stoneman, 
 
 The enemy, over one hundred thousand strong, 
 under one of the ablest commanders in the Fed- 
 eral army, advanced on all the roads, overlapping 
 the Confederates, who took position after posi- 
 tion, to be turned by the superior numbers of 
 their adversaries. 
 
 At Kesaca there was quite a spirited engage- 
 ment with a part of the advance. At Cassville 
 we took position and offered battle, but retired 
 before the flanking movement of the enemy. Near 
 this place Wheeler turned their left and captured 
 a train of wagons wathin a few miles of Sherman's 
 army. The Rangers were not in this capture, 
 but when the enemy sent a force of cavalry to 
 retake his train, we met it in the most unique en- 
 gagement of the war. Sherman's great army v/ith 
 its hundreds of cannon, thousands of wagons and 
 other vehicles had passed along, pulverizing the 
 roads and fields into fine dust, which covered 
 everything, in many places several inches deep. 
 A single horseman riding along raised a cloud, 
 a company or regiment, such a dense fog as to 
 
82 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 obscure everything. We were in line on one side 
 of a slight rise in the land. The cavalry of the 
 enemy above mentioned were approaching on the 
 other side of the hill. We were ordered forward, 
 and at the top of this hill we met each other, 
 enveloped in clouds of dust. We raised the usual 
 yell, although in doing so we took in large quan- 
 tities of Georgia real estate. We emptied our 
 pistols into the dust, and the enemy broke. We 
 did not pursue them very far; for we knew we 
 were near their main army, and feared we might 
 run into a brigade or two of infantry, as we 
 could not see anything twenty feet away. Pre- 
 vious encounters had given us a contempt for 
 their cavalry and we did not hesitate to charge a 
 whole brigade if need be; but we had a whole- 
 some respect for large bodies of infantry. We 
 took a few prisoners, but did not know, owing to 
 the dust^ what other casualties were inflicted on 
 them. We had seven wounded, including George 
 Burke of Company D, who was shot in the 
 shoulder. 
 
 Wheeler was determined to save his train, so 
 he tried to march all night, but a violent electri- 
 cal storm came up, rain fell in torrents, and our 
 progress was very slow, for the drivers of the 
 teams could not see the road, except by the glare 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 83 
 
 of the lightning. After this had gone on for sev- 
 eral hours, making scarcely so many miles, the 
 command camped in column — I believe without 
 orders. 
 
 Wheeler dearly loved their wagon trains. I be- 
 lieve it is safe to say that from the first to the 
 last he captured as many wagons as he com- 
 manded men. Thousands were burned, but other 
 thousands were secured for the use of our army. 
 The Northern contractors probably enjoyed this 
 as much as Wheeler; no doubt they would 
 have been glad to replace all the wagons, for a 
 reasonable consideration. 
 
 The retreat of the army continued to the very 
 gates of Atlanta. Here the Rangers made another 
 charge, in which Jesse Billingsly of Company D 
 was killed. 
 
 During the last week of July the enemy under- 
 took to play our game, and simultaneously made 
 two raids on our communications. One column 
 under General McCook, with 3500 cavalry, turned 
 our left. They crossed the Chattahoochie near 
 Campbelltown, passed through Fayetteville, where 
 they burned between fifty and one hundred 
 wagons, and struck the Macon railroad near 
 Jonesboro, twenty or twenty-five miles below At- 
 lanta. As soon as intelligence of this movement 
 
84 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 reached Wheeler he started for the raiders. We 
 rode all night, coming up with them about day- 
 light. They made very feeble resistance and we 
 ran over them. It was now a chase of twenty 
 miles to the Chattahoochie again. As this stream 
 was not fordable, they made a stand to gain time 
 for crossing the river^ which they were attempt- 
 ing by means of boats. Our column was strung 
 out for several miles, Harrison's brigade in front. 
 We were dismounted and pushed into the thick 
 woods. It was afternoon of tlie first day of 
 August, and about as hot as such days ever get. 
 The enemy made some resistance, but we drove 
 tliem vsteadily some four or five liundred yards, 
 when we heard firing in our rear where we liad 
 left our horses. So we had to face about and 
 fight our way back. We got mixed up with Ross' 
 brigade, which had been dismounted as soon as 
 it came up. After some three hours of this work, 
 the enemy surrendered ; that is, all who harl not 
 crossed the river. 
 
 Wheeler reported 950 prisoners, 1200 horses and 
 two pieces of artillery as the fruits of this en- 
 gagement. There were many of their killed and 
 wounded lying in the bushes. I have no informa- 
 tion as to the number. Our regiment lost two 
 killed and ten wounded, including one from Com- 
 
Terry's Texas E angers 85 
 
 pany D. This was V. Catron, who was shot in 
 the leg. 
 
 The other column of the enemy^ led by Gen- 
 eral Stoneman, turned our right flank and struck 
 our communications lower down, near Macon. 
 His force was reported to be 3000. General Iver- 
 son of the Confederate cavalry attacked them and 
 took 600 prisoners, including Stoneman himself, 
 with two pieces of artillery. The remainder of 
 their force in small detachments made their way 
 back as best they could. Iverson did not have 
 force enough to pursue them. 
 
 General Shoupe of General Hood's staff re- 
 corded in his diary, that the "First of August 
 deserved to be marked with a white stone." These 
 operations cost the enemy nearly half of the two 
 raiding parties, and fully justified General Hood 
 in saying that our cavalry were equal to twice 
 their number of the enemy. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 wheeler's second raid into TENNESSEE. 
 
 Wheeler was now ordered to operate on the long 
 line of the enemy's communications. Finding the 
 posts and bridges south of Chattanooga too 
 strongly fortified to offer any promise of success- 
 ful attack, Wheeler determined to go over into 
 middle Tennessee again. He went up along the 
 Holston above Knoxville, and then had to cross 
 under a severe fire of the enemy's pickets. For 
 this undertaking there was a call for volunteers. 
 It looked as if the whole of the Rangers were vol- 
 unteering, and Wheeler had to stop them. The 
 fording was deep, but the enemy were easily 
 driven from their position. A small force, not 
 of the Rangers^ was sent down toward Knoxville. 
 They met the enemy and were roughly handled; 
 about half of them were taken prisoners, and the 
 exultant enemy came on at a furious rate. Our 
 regiment was formed in an open field. Colonel 
 Harrison took position in front. We went for- 
 ward in a walk at first, and then in a trot. The 
 men were impatient. Officers kept saying: 
 
 "Steady, men ! Keep back there !" 
 
 Then we heard the popping of pistols, and all 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 87 
 
 eyes were turned on Harrison. The routed Con- 
 federates came into view. Next the enemy in 
 close pursuit. The men could now hardly be re- 
 strained. Finally Harrison shouted : 
 
 "Well, go then ! you, go !" 
 
 The tap of the drum on the race track never 
 sent jockeys and racers to the front more impet- 
 uously than the Rangers went at the sound of 
 these words. The enemy's force was small, and 
 the}^ faced about at once. Their horses were 
 nearly exhausted, and we soon overtook them, cap- 
 turing nearly the whole party, which did not 
 exceed two companies. 
 
 Our march was now across the Cumberland 
 mountains, by McMinnville, the familiar route 
 we had traveled two years before under Forrest, 
 and one year before under Wheeler. Just before 
 reaching Murfreesboro we turned to the left and 
 began to destroy the railroad leading to Chatta- 
 nooga, over which Sherman's supplies had to be 
 carried. We piled fence rails on the track and 
 set them on fire. The heat caused the rails to 
 expand and bend into all shapes^ rendering them 
 useless until straightened out; of course the ties 
 were burned also. In this way we destroyed some 
 fifty miles of the road ; but the enemy had unlim- 
 ited resources, and kept trains loaded with rail- 
 
88 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 road material at Nashville and Louisville; these 
 were rushed to the scene of our operations. With 
 large forces working day and night they soon got 
 the tracks in order. 
 
 We now moved forward to the Mussel Shoals, 
 where we were to cross the Tennessee river. In 
 a little skirmish on the north side W. H. Caldwell 
 of Company D was wounded in the hip. He was 
 disabled for the remainder of the war by this 
 hurt; never entirely recovered, in fact, walking 
 with a limp for the rest of his life. 
 
 After crossing the river the men of the Third 
 Arkansas, who had shown courage and devotion 
 on many fields, became greatly demoralized. Find- 
 ing themselves nearer home than they had been 
 for yearSj many of them deserted. One morning 
 it was reported that twelve of these men had gone. 
 A detail of twenty Rangers under Lieutena.nt 
 Joiner, the whole under Captain Bass of the 
 Third Arkansas, was sent after the deserters. I 
 was one of this detail. Riding forty or fifty miles a 
 day, we overtook four of them about twenty miles 
 from the great Mississippi and made them pris- 
 oners. On the return my horse was badly injured 
 by falling through a broken plank in an old 
 bridge, and I was left afoot. Joiner gave me 
 orders to remain until my horse recovered, or 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 89 
 
 until I could procure another^ and then join some 
 other command until I could get company over 
 Sand mountain, as that region was infested with 
 bushwhackers and murderers. It was some weeks 
 before I could get a mount, for horses were very 
 scarce, but this is not a narrative of my oper- 
 ations. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 "the ROME RACES." 
 
 I am indebted to Comrade A. B. Briscoe for a 
 description of this incident. 
 
 "General Harrison, our old colonel, was in com- 
 mand of the forces composed of ours and Ashby's 
 brigade of mounted infantry and a battery of four 
 guns. For some reason, but contrary to all for- 
 mer usages, our regiment was dismounted and 
 placed near the battery, and Ashby's infantry kept 
 mounted to protect the flanks and led horses. 
 The fight had barely commenced when it was 
 realized from the immense bodies of infantry in 
 our front that it was a bad one. The battery was 
 ordered to the rear, but just as they were lim- 
 bered the Yankee cavalry poured in on our flanks 
 and completely enveloped us. I did not give an 
 order to run nor did I hear an order of any kind, 
 but T soon found myself dodging through and 
 among the Yankee cavalry, who were shouting to 
 us to surrender. We reached our horses, which 
 were not over 150 yards in the rear, mounted, and 
 after a very hasty formation charged out through 
 the enemy, and although we made repeated ral- 
 lies they ran us back about five miles. Why the 
 
Terry's Texas E angers 91 
 
 Yankees did not capture more of our men is a 
 mystery, as outside of the battery we lost very 
 few prisoners. To give an appropriate name to 
 this battle we called it "Rome Races/' for such 
 it was." 
 
 In this race the colors furled around the staff 
 and in the oilcloth were lost — not captured — as 
 the subjoined letter shows: 
 
 "Dallas, Texas, May 18, 1898. 
 
 "Terry's Texas Rangers Association, Austin, 
 
 Texas. 
 
 "Gentlemen : I have been in Texas since 1890, 
 and have frequently endeavored to find some mem- 
 bers of Terry's Texas Rangers, and finally, by ac- 
 cident, met with your comrade, H. W. Graber, 
 and reported to him the finding of your flag the 
 day after our engagement with your forces near 
 Rome, Georgia. It happened in this way : I was 
 directed by the general commanding to take two 
 companies and move through the woods on the 
 right of our line to a certain point where a coun- 
 try road intersected the main river road then oc- 
 cupied by our brigade. Just before coming into 
 the main road I picked up a package or roll of 
 something, threw it over my saddle^ and on my 
 return to the main command examined the same 
 
92 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 and found it to be the Terry's Rangers' flag in 
 its case. It seemed to have slipped off the staff 
 and been lost in that way. At the suggestion of 
 your comrade — Grabcr — I have made a request on 
 the authorities of the State of Indiana, who have 
 had charge of it ever since, soon after its capture, 
 and herewith enclose you a letter from Chas. E. 
 Wilson, military secretary at Indianapolis, which 
 seems to indicate there is no authority with the 
 executive department of the State to return the 
 flag, as it is in absolute control of the State Legis- 
 lature, which is a matter of exceeding regret to 
 me, as I should like to have returned the flag to 
 you in time for your next reunion at Austin. I 
 am furthermore able to assure you that this flag 
 was never displayed in the streets of N"ashville, 
 as has been reported, but remained in possession 
 of our regiment until soon after it was found. We 
 returned direct to Louisville, from which point 
 it was sent by express direct to the State of In- 
 diana. 
 
 "In \dew of the existing unsettled condition of 
 the country, I would suggest we let the matter 
 rest until our country is again pacified and re- 
 turned to its normal condition, when I will take 
 pleasure in making a further effort to return this 
 flag, which was not captured, but found, and I 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 93 
 
 consider, therefore, property should be returned 
 to its owner. 
 
 "With kind regards and best wishes, hoping to 
 haA^e the pleasure of a personal meeting with your 
 association, I am, with great respect, 
 "Yours very truly^ 
 
 "J. J. WiLER, 
 
 "Maj. Com. 17th Indiana Volunteer Infantry." 
 
 This flag was returned to the survivors at 
 Dallas in October, 1898. Its loss was very morti- 
 fying to the Rangers, as it had been presented 
 shortly before by the ladies of middle Tennessee. 
 
 In Justice to the knightly "Count" Jones, I 
 must say that no one could have taken the colors 
 from him without taking his life. 
 
 In this action fell Wm. Nicholson of Company 
 D and Lieutenant Batchelor of Company C, and 
 perhaps others, but I have no record of them. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE LAST CAMPAIGN. 
 
 Wheeler's cavalry was now almost the only ob- 
 stacle to Sherman's great march to the sea. They 
 harassed his columns front, flanks and rear, pick- 
 ing up many pri.soners; but three or four thou- 
 sand cavalry could make little resistance to the 
 onward sweep of 60,000 veterans under one of the. 
 greatest captains of modern times. Conflicts 
 were of almost daily occurrence. The Rangers 
 were engaged at Buckhead Church and Waynes- 
 boro, Georgia. Again at Aiken, South Carolina. 
 At Averysboro and Fayette ville, North Carolina, 
 where, after a night's march, they surprised Kil- 
 patrick's cavalry camp, but failed to bag that 
 redoubtable leader. In all of these conflicts the 
 losses were heavy. Old Company D lost in killed, 
 John Gage, P. R. Kennedy, Dave Nunn, Sam 
 Screws and Jim Wynne. Their list of wounded, 
 too, was large. P. R. Kyle and Geo. T. McGehee, 
 good ones both, were badly hurt at Aiken; Mc- 
 Arthur^ Brannum and P. J. Watkins also. The 
 other companies sustained heavy losses. Lieuten- 
 ant Ileiskell of Company K was killed. I wish 
 I could name them all. 
 
Tekry^s Texas Kangers 95 
 
 In all of these actions, the remnant of nearly 
 1?00 enlisments charged with that dauntless cour- 
 age which had characterized them at Woodson- 
 ville, at Bardstown, at Dalton and many other 
 brilliant fields of arms. Their old colonel, now 
 a brigadier general, Thomas Harrison; their 
 colonel, the knightly Cook, and the staid and ever 
 reliable Major Jarmon, were all stretched on beds, 
 racked with the pains of severe wounds. The 
 command now devolved on Captain Matthews, 
 who but a little over a year before had been 
 elected lieutenant, promoted to the rank of cap- 
 tain by the bullets of the enemy which brought 
 down his superiors, was now, at Bentonville, to lead 
 the old regiment in the last charge, which will 
 always rank as one of the most brilliant feats of 
 arms in the history of wars. As I was not pres- 
 ent I will let Lieutenant Briscoe tell of it, for 
 he tells it well. 
 
 the last charge. 
 
 '^We did but little fighting the first day, as the 
 enemy changed positions very rapidly. But the 
 second we were engaged in some severe skirmishes 
 all the forenoon, in one of which Major Jarmon, 
 our only remaining field officer, was severely 
 
96 Terry's Texas Eangers 
 
 wounded;, when we were withdrawn a few hundred 
 yards to rest and give place for the infantry. 
 
 "We had been in this position resting and eat- 
 ing our rations probably over an hour^, when we 
 heard the boom of artillery directly in our rea,r. 
 Every man pricked up his ears, for we knew that 
 it meant something serious. Captain Doc Mat- 
 thews of Company K (my company) was in com- 
 mand cf the regiment, which numbered about 100 
 men. We were standing talking of the probable 
 cause of the artillery fire in our rear when Gen- 
 eral Wheeler galloped up and asked for the com- 
 mander of the Eangers. He seemed a little ex- 
 cited. His order was, ^Captain, mount your men, 
 go as fast as you can and charge whatever you 
 find at the bridge.' These were almost his exact 
 words. In less time than it takes to tell it, we 
 were mounted and racing to the rear. Within 
 about half a mile of tlie bridge we passed a small 
 brigade of infantry 'double quicking' in the same 
 direction. We saluted each other with a cheer 
 as we passed, for all felt that it was a critical 
 time in the battle. As we came upon some rising 
 ground we had a good view of the enemy across 
 an open field about 500 yards distant. Here we 
 halted an instant to close up the column, and for 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 97 
 
 Captain Matthews to salute General Hardee and 
 staff, who wished to know what troops we were. 
 
 "^Captain Matthews told hirn and of our orders 
 from General Wheeler. He took a look across the 
 field at the dense blue line and said^ *^Then execute 
 your orders.' It looked like the old regiment was 
 this time surely going to its grave. Everything 
 was so plain and clear you could see the men 
 handling their guns and hear their shouts of 
 command. Without a moment's hesitation Cap- 
 tain Matthews gave the order, 'Charge right in 
 front/ and with that wonderful rebel yell we 
 charged across the 500 yards of open field upon 
 and among the mass of Yankees. We rode them 
 down and emptied our pistols at close range. 
 When the force of the charge was expended we 
 fell back with about 200 prisoners." 
 
 Like our other brilliant charges, it was the very 
 audacity that brought success. 
 
 In this charge fell, mortally wounded, Wm. J. 
 Hardee, Jr., son of Lieutenant General Hardee. 
 Nearly a year before he, with several other boys, 
 had run away from school to join the Rangers, 
 but on account of their extreme youth Colonel 
 Harrison sent them back to school. The boy 
 would not remain in school, so General Hardee 
 kept him with him for several month, but he 
 
98 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 fretted to join the Eangers. Finally the father 
 consented. The boy was enlisted in Company D 
 and fell in this, his first action. 
 
 I reached the command shortly before the sur- 
 render. The regiment in numbers was little more 
 than a good company. Battle and disease had 
 claimed and received their toll; but this little 
 remnant seemed as full of courage and spirit as 
 when first they left their State. 
 
 The dream was over. General Lee, "yielding 
 to overwhelming numbers and resources/' had 
 laid down his arms. General Johnston, again in 
 command of the Army of Tennessee, agreed 
 v/ith Sherman to disband his army. Sadly the 
 Rangers dispersed, taking the roads to their dis- 
 tant homes. 
 
 General Wheeler issued the following order, 
 which for intense feeling and felicity of expres- 
 sion is a gem : 
 
 "Headquarters Cavalry Corps, 
 
 "April 28, 1865. 
 
 "Gallant Comrades: You have fought your 
 fight. Your task is done. During a four years' 
 struggle for liberty you have exhibited courage, 
 fortitude and devotion. You are the victors of 
 m.ore than 200 sternly contested fields. You have 
 
Terry's Texas Rangers 99 
 
 participated in more tlian a thousand conflicts of 
 arms. You are heroes ! Veterans ! Patriots ! 
 The bones of your comrades mark battlefields 
 upon the soil of Kentucky, Virginia, North Caro- 
 lina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alamaba and Mis- 
 sissippi. You have done all that human exertion 
 could accomplish. In bidding you adieu, I de- 
 sire to tender my thanks for your gallantry in 
 battle, your fortitude under suifering and your 
 devotion at all times to the holy cause you have 
 done so much to maintain. I desire also to ex- 
 press my gratitude for the kind feelings you have 
 seen fit to extend toward myself, and to invoke 
 upon you the blessing of our Heavenly Father, to 
 whom we must always look in the hour of dis- 
 tress. Brethren, in the cause of freedom, com- 
 rades in arms, I bid you farewell. 
 
 "Joseph Wheeler, 
 
 "Major General. 
 "Official : 
 
 "Wm. E. Waites, 
 
 "Assistant Adjutant General." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 I am well aware of the imperfections of this 
 work. I can only say that I have tried to tell an 
 unvarnished tale, to do no one injustice, nothing 
 extenuate nor set down aught in malice. Beyond 
 a few old letters which have escaped the ravages 
 of mice, and such official reports as I could find, 
 I have been compelled to rely on memory — frail 
 and unreliable at best, more so after the lapse of 
 half a century. I beg to remind those who may 
 find fault that it is much easier to find fault than 
 to do good work. No two persons see events 
 exactly alike. This is illustrated in our courts 
 every day. 
 
 From the standpoint of the martinet our or- 
 ganization could hardly be called a regiment. A 
 distinguished lieutenant general is reported as 
 saying that it was not a regiment at all but "a 
 d — d armed mob." If there was ever any serious 
 attempt to discipline it the effort was soon aban- 
 doned. Yolimteers we began, volunteers we re- 
 mained to the end. If any wished to evade duty, 
 they found a way, and the punishment for evasion 
 was light. To our credit it may be said that few 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 101 
 
 ever avoided a light. There were few real cowards 
 among us, and they were simply objects of pity. 
 If a man did not wish to go into a fight he held 
 his horse until it was over. 
 
 One reason of our almost uniform success was 
 the superiority of our arms. It will be remem- 
 bered that at the beginning the possession of a 
 good pistol was a requisite for enlistment. If a 
 man died or was killed his comrades kept his 
 pistol. When a prisoner of the enemy's cavalry 
 was taken this part of his outfit was added to 
 the general stock, so that after a few months most, 
 if not all^ had two weapons of this kind, and some 
 even tried to carry three or four. No other regi- 
 ment of the army was so supplied. 
 
 Again, it was a noteworthy fact that the men 
 were all good horsemen, accustomed to the use 
 and management of horses from childhood. When 
 three or four hundred of such men, charging as 
 fast as their horses would go, yelling like Co- 
 manches, each delivering twelve shots with great 
 rapidity and reasonable accuracy, burst into the 
 ranks of an enemy, the enemy generally gave way. 
 It did not take us long to find this out; also the 
 enemy were not slow to "catch on." 
 
 If it be said that other commands lost more 
 men in battle, the explanation is simple and easy. 
 
102 Terry's Texas Rangers 
 
 The purpose of fighting is to destroy the enemy 
 in battle; all drill, organization and hard marches 
 are to this end — to kill and wound as many of 
 the enemy as possible. If this is granted, the 
 Rangers invite comparison with the best in any 
 army. It is safe to claim that the regiment 
 killed, wounded and captured a number of the 
 enemy at least several times our highest enlist- 
 ment of nearly 1200. If it be said that my claim 
 for superiority is biased by prejudice in favor of 
 my own regiment, I will give estimates of others. 
 
 In a letter to me acknowledging an invitation to 
 one of our reunions, General Wheeler said : 
 
 ''They were unceasingly vigilant, matchlessly 
 brave and daring." 
 
 General Thomas eJordan, an educated soldier, 
 a writer of ability, chief of staff to General Beau- 
 regard, was selected by Forrest and his principal 
 officers to write a history of the campaigns of 
 that great soldier. In a note on page 160 of his 
 book, General Jordan says: 
 
 "This regiment was raised and commanded by 
 the lamented Colonel Terry, whose brief military 
 career, beginning as a volunteer scout at the first 
 Manassas, was full of distinction. He was killed 
 at Woodsonville, Kentucky. The privates in- 
 cluded a large number of the wealthiest and best 
 
Terry's Texas E angers 103 
 
 educated young men of Texas, who, with many 
 others specially trained in the business of stock 
 raising on the vast prairies of that State, had ac- 
 quired a marvelous skill in horsemanship. The 
 career of this regiment has been one of the most 
 brilliant in the annals of war/' 
 
 Dr. John A. Weyeth, who also wi'ote a life of 
 Forrest, says, "No braver men ever lived than 
 the Texas dangers." 
 
 General Hood ("Advance and Retreat," page 
 202) writes of the cavalry: 
 
 "I had, moreover, become convinced that our 
 cavalry were able to successfully compete with 
 double their numbers. The Confederacy pos- 
 sessed, in my opinion, no body of cavalry superior 
 to that which I found guarding the flanks of the 
 Army of Tennessee when I assumed its direction." 
 
 I now quote Federal authority. Writing of the 
 comparative merits of the soldiers of the two 
 armies, in a paper on the Kentucky campaign. 
 General Buell, while denying the superiority of 
 the Southern soldiers over the Northern, admits 
 it was true of the cavalry. He says : 
 
 "Another sectional distinction produced a more 
 marked effect in the beginning of the war. The 
 habits of the Southern people facilitated the for- 
 mation of cavalry corps which were comparatively 
 
104 Terry's Texas Hangers 
 
 efficient even without instruction ; and accordingly 
 we .see Stuart, John Morgan and Forrest riding 
 with impunity around the union armies, destroy- 
 ing or harassing their communications. Late in 
 the war that agency was reversed. The South 
 was exhausted of horses, while the Northern cav- 
 alry increased in numbers and efficiency, and ac- 
 quired the audacity which had characterized the 
 Southern.^' 
 
 Eead that again. It comes very near saying 
 that the South was overcome because the supply 
 of horses failed. The waiter is an educated soldier 
 and student of war. 
 
 L'ENVOI. 
 
 My task is done. My story is told. I have 
 derived pleasure as well as pain and grief from 
 the recital; pleasure in going back over the dreary 
 waste of years to the morning of life, and dwell- 
 ing in memory amid the scenes of my early man- 
 liood ; pain that I can not do justice to all who, 
 at the call of country, periled their young lives for 
 home and the right; grief for the heroic dead, 
 who sleep in unmarked graves wherever duty lead 
 to danger and death. Their matchless courage 
 and devotion earned undying fame. 
 
Terry's Texas Eangers 105 
 
 "Their praise is hymned by loftier liarps tfian 
 
 mine; 
 Yet, one I would select from that proud throng'^ : 
 
 Because he was my bedfellow, and I loved him 
 as a brother; faithful in the discharge of every 
 duty, clean, brave, and true^ — William N'icholson. 
 
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