USA > Alabama > Memorial record of Alabama. A concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people. Volume I > Part 17
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It was decided early in January, 1865, that operations against Mobile should be undertaken, but the plan of campaign was not immediately arranged. On the 26th, Maj .- Gen. Steele was ordered with a reserve of picked troops to Barrancas, a fort built by the Spaniards about two cen- turies ago, on a narrow sandy peninsula at the entrance of Pensacola bay. Here they went into camp, and in a few days the place had the appearance of a permanent encampment, so great was the skill and taste displayed in laying out streets and squares, and ornamenting them with evergreens and shrubbery, shell-walks and fancy shaped mounds formed from the white sand which is a peculiarity of the location. Several hours were spent every day in drills and target practice. The soldiers were principally young men from the west. They were splendidly drilled and equipped, and were evidently being prepared for important service. Meanwhile the Sixteenth army corps, under Major .- Gen. A. J. Smith, United States army, reinforced by 5,000 of Wilson's cavalry, left East- port, February 7, en route for Vicksburg, thence to New Orleans, and arrived at Fort Gaines, March 7th. Reinforcements continued to pour into Barrancas, and the main army of the invaders encamped on Dauphin island, near Fort Gaines.
Canby's army in the campaign of Mobile amounted to 45,000 men. Maj .- Gen. D. H. Maury was in command of the Confederate troops of the district of the gulf. He had about 9,000 men. The Confederate troops on the eastern shore were commanded by Gen. Lidell, with headquarters near Blakely, about three miles north of Spanish Fort. Gibson's brigade was put in charge of the fort; and Gen. Lidell kept his scouts actively employed endeavoring to ascertain the strength and movements of the enemy.
On account of its strong defenses, it was resolved to attack Mobile by flank movements. The base of the army resting on the eastern shore, the main body, moving up the shore with the aid of the navy, would carry the forts on the islands, and approach Mobile by the Tensas river or one of the channels coming in above. A body of 12.000 of Steele's column, was to move north from Pensacola, appear to threaten Montgomery, and destroy communication between that city and Mobile. The capture of Montgomery was, however, to be a side issue. Meanwhile a large column of cavalry was to move down into north Alabama to occupy the attention of Forrest and the bulk of the Confederate cavalry in central Alabama and Mississippi.
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Movements were commenced, March 17th, by Benton's division, num- bering 6.000 men. At Bayou Portage, they reached swampy ground, where their wagons mired to the hubs; and the incessant rains made things daily worse. At times the whole force waded through mud and water waist deep. the soldiers being sometimes compelled to drag both teams and wagons out of the dense mire where they were hopelessly swamped. On the afternoon of the 24th, the column, when within a few miles of Danley, was attacked by a party of eight Confederate scouts under Lieut. Sibley, and several men and wagons were captured. This gallant feat of Sibley produced much exctement in the column, and the division was hurried across Fish river, where they went into camp with the rest of the corps. The prisoners taken by Sibley informed their captors that Gen. A. J. Smith had a command on the western shore to operate against Mobile.
Meanwhile a demonstration was being made on the western shore. Col. J. B. Moore, with a small force, embarked for Cedar Point, and by 8 o'clock on the morning of the 20th, advanced to Fowl river. He used every effort to have his force exaggerated, so as to leave the impression on the Confederate commanders that the principal attack was to be made from that side; and in this he partially succeeded, for it was reported in Mobile that he had with him 3.000 or 4,000 men. On the 23d he rejoined his division on Fish river, where the Federal forces were to concentrate before advancing on Spanish Fort.
During the slow advance from this place there was incessant skirmish- ing with the Confederate cavalry, but the latter were not sufficiently numerous to retard the advance of the Federals. The crossing at D'Olives creek, near Spanish Fort, was protected by torpedoes, and here there were several men and horses killed, but the Federals soon bridged the creek further up and the immense column passed over with- out further casualties, except those killed or wounded in the skirmishes.
At daylight on March 27th, Col. Richard Lindsay, with a detachment of 400 Confederate infantry, moved within musket range of Veatch's picket and charged an Indiana and a New York regiment. The latter were at first driven back, but the Confederates were finally obliged to retire before the strong front of Veatch's division. Later in the day there was a sharp fight at Minette bridge, part of Carr's division being attacked by the Twenty-first Alabama under Lieut .- Col. James M. Will- iams. The Federals continued their steady advance toward the fort, despite the incessant skirmishing they encountered at every step. Mean- while the heavy guns were coming up behind the besiegers, while the gun-boats in the bay were advancing to the assistance of the land troops.
Upon the first advance of Granger's corps, it was resolved by the Con- federate generals to offer battle outside of the fort, on the north, back of D'Olives creek, where the ground is high and hilly. Gens. Gibson, Cockrell, and Holtzclaw were in command of several brigades; Col.
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Spence with cavalry and Col. Bush Jones with infantry were rendering very efficient service, scouting in the direction of Fish river. But when the immense number of the invaders became manifest, it was seen that to offer battle would be a useless sacrifice of life. Lidell retired with his troops to Blakely, Cockrell withdrew over Bay Minette bridge, which he burned, and Gisbon fell back into the fort.
The garrison of Spanish Fort comprised about 4,000 men. Col. Pat- ton had command of the artillery, which also did duty in the rifle-pits, Gibson's brigade was in the center; and the Alabama reserves, princi- pally youths, under the command of Gen. Thomas, were on the left. Old Spanish Fort is built on a bluff projecting into the Apalachee river, be- tween D'Olives bay and Minette bay. The parapet on the water side was thirty feet thick, being formed by excavating into the side of the bluff. The fort was surrounded by a continuous semicircular line of breastworks, commencing with Fort McDermett on the extreme right, upward of 100 feet above the water, and armed with ten heavy guns, and extendng to about a mile above the fort. McDermett was known as No. 2, then came Nos. 3, 4 and 5, counting toward the left. The main fort was manned by Louisiana troops, and well provided with artillery. Fort McDermett was defended by troops from Louisiana, Arkansas and Geor- gia. Captain Slocum's distinguished battery defended redoubt No. 3; Phillips' Tennessee battery, redoubt No. 4. and Lumsden's Tuscaloosa battery, redoubt No. 5. The whole number of guns the first day of the siege was fifty-seven. The outer line was two miles long, with batteries planted on high, commanding ground. In front of the outer works there was a line of abatis fifteen feet wide, and for several hundred yards the timber had been felled, making with the vines and underbrush a formi- dable obstruction. On the extreme left the works were unfinished, and they were never sufficiently strengthened, owing partly to the want of sufficient tools and partly to the demoralization of the black laborers after the advance of the skirmishers. The besiegers were kept busy throwing up breast-works to shield their advance and to protect them- seives against the deadly minie balls sent with fatal effect by the garri- son sharpshooters. In these efforts they were greatly assisted by the number of heavy trees which had been felled to retard their advance.
The garrison were determined to make a gallant resistance. They de- fended the works with great courage and resolution and made many brilliant and daring sorties. At dusk, on March 28th, a regiment from the fort attacked a working party of the besiegers under Capt. J. L. Noble of Slack's brigade, and for some time a deadly hand to hand conflict raged; but the brigade coming to his relief, the Confederates were finally driven back into the fort. Two days after this, a sortie was led by Capt. Clement S. Watson and Lieut. A. C. Newton on an advance party under Capt. R. B. Stearns, within 150 yards of the works. After a gallant resistance, Capt. Stearns and twenty of his men were captured and hur-
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ried within the fort. The captain and his brave captors were entertained at supper by Gen. Gibson, who generously complimented the former for the courage and tenacity with which he had held his position under a most galling fire.
Meanwhile the fleet under Admiral Thatcher moved slowly up the bay. The shallow water at Blakely bar prevented their coming as near the fort as the Federal commanders desired, and greatly prolonged the siege. The iron-clad monitors Milwaukee, Kickapoo, Winnebago and Chickasa succeeded in crossing the bar, and the Milwaukee and Winnebago, hav- ing Eads' turrets, which admitted an elevation of twenty feet for their guns, advanced up Blakely river. The Milwaukee was sunk by the ex- plosion of a torpedo, but her crew were saved and taken on board the Kickapoo, lying at anchor near by. On the 29th, the Octorora, a side- wheel steam gun-boat, succeeded in crossing the bar with the assistance of two tugs, and a hundred-pounder Parrott was mounted, with which she opened fire the next day. Although the river had been carefully dragged for torpedoes, the Osage was sunk by one, and several of her crew killed; but there still remained a number of effective iron-clad moni- tors capable of inflicting heavy losses on the besieged. The advances to Spanish Fort were commanded by Forts Huger and Tracy, two miles above, built on the marsh with piles for a foundation. These were manned by Louisiana and the Mississippi troops, with powerful guns. The Federal artillery rapidly advanced, and the iron-clads in the river lent their assistance. On the afternoon of the 30th, the Octorora opened her hundred-pounder Parrott, with disastrous effect, on Spansh Fort. at a distance of about a mile.
Maj. - Gen. Maury visited the garrison on that day and relieved Gen. Thomas' young reserves with Holtzclaw's brigade. This was composed entirely of Alabama troops: the Fifty-eight and Thirty-second consoli- dated, the Thirty-sixth, commanded by Col. T. H. Herndon. the Eight- eenth, Holtzclaw's old regiment, under Col. P. F. Hundley, the Twenty- first, under Col. J. Williams, and the Thirty-eighth, commanded by Capt. Bussy. Col. Bush Jones, of the Fifty-eighth, commanded this brigade, and Gen. Holtzclaw commanded all the troops comprising the left wing of the garrison.
On March 31st, the besiegers constructed a floating battery, heavily armed, on the shore of Minette bay, near enough to interrupt all com- munications between Forts Huger and Tracy and Spanish Fort. The garrison were continually occupied repairing their works; the forts were strengthened by additional bomb-proofs, some consisting of sand-bags, and some of heavy wooden embrasures covered with earth; the latter were called "Beauregard screens." Gen. Gibson described the routine of life at the fort as "digging all night and fighting all day." Besides strengthening their lines, the besieged planted a great number of tor-
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pedoes in advance of the garrison line, constructed a telegraph line to Mobile and finished a foot-way from Fort Tracy over the marsh to Con- way bayou. The artillerists were cautioned to use their ammunition very sparingly. Gen. Gibson telegraphed to Gen. Maury that his lines were painfully thin and constantly pressed by the enemy with heavy batteries ; and he begged for additional troops and laborers.
The people of Mobile did all they could to cheer and encourage their gallant defenders, hoping that the fortifications at Spanish Fort and the valor of its garrison would alike render it invulnerable; but they under- estimated the strength of the besiegers. The news of Wilson's raid, the fall of Selma and the destruction of the arsenal there, had a very dispirit- ing effect upon those who had been hoping for a diversion in favor of south Alabama by Forrest's gallant cavalry.
Meanwhile the channel had been carefully swept for torpedoes, and the gun-boats steamed up as near as possible to Spanish Fort. By the 7th of April the Federals had worked their way to within a short distance of the fort, had placed artillery in commanding positions, and with the assistance of the gun-boats could silence the Confederate artillery. On the 8th, after a siege of thirteen days, a general bombardment commenced, which was vigorously answered by the garrison. An assault was made on the left flank, the weakest quarter of the Confederate works, by Lieut. - Col. Bell with the Eighth Iowa; and after a desperate hand to hand strug- gle with the Texas and North Carolina troops, many of whom fought to the death and refused to surrender even with the bayonet at their breast, 300 yards of the works, three stands of colors and 350 prisoners were taken. Finding it impossible to recover the I'ne on the left and conse- quently to hold the fort, the Confederate officers, after a hurried consul- tation, determined to evacuate.
Lieuts. Clark and Holtzclaw were ordered to hold in check the suc- cessful division which had forced an entrance; and this they did with the most dauntless bravery, the first officer being killed and the second severely wounded. Under cover of this bold front, the garrison evacu- ated the fort and embarked at Fort Huger. Some of them marched through mud and mire to Blakely and thence proceeded to Mobile. After the evacuation of Spanish Fort, the Federals found themselves in possession of about 500 prisoners, with provisions and munitions which the garrison were obliged to abandon. Leaving a force to guard the cap- tured fort, they then directed all their energies toward assisting the besiegers at Blakely.
Steele's column, to which had been assigned the movement on Pollard, passed several weeks in the vicinity of Pensacola. They found the old city almost deserted and practically in ruins, and they spent some time in repairing the navy-yard wharves and the railroad tracks, and in build- ing comfortable quarters for themselves. In the latter part of March they commenced their march toward Pollard, a station about fifty miles
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north of Pensacola, on the Montgomery & Mobile railroad. They found the swamp roads in such a terrible condition that in some places the ยท wagon trains and artillery could move only about three miles a day, and the route had to be corduroyed almost its entire length. A detachment of Confederate cavalry under Lieut .- Col. Leary disputed the road and de- stroyed the bridge over Pine Barien creek; but Capt. Newton, the indom- itable engineer on Gen. Steele's staff, constructed in less than a day a bridge 300 feet in length, and the whole column was safely over by an early hour the next day. Col. Ball, with a small force of cavalry, dis- puted the advance of the Federals, and there was continuous skirmishing in the advance, but the defenders were not numerous enough to hold the enemy in check.
After a sharp skirmish at Cotton creek, Col. Ball fell back toward Williams' Station. leaving two cavalry regiments under the command of Col. Leary and Maj. Faulkner, near Pringle's creek. These were sur- rounded by the Federals and were retreating in great disorder when Gen. Clanton, the brigade commander, arriving from Pollard, galloped up and ordered a halt. He commanded the men to "dress up on colors," a move- ment ably `sustained by his brave young color bearer, Maynor, and a degree of order was restored when the general fell. seriously wounded. A rout ensued, in which ten officers and 120 men were captured. The remainder of the brigade escaped to the Escambia, where many of them were drowned, only a few crossing the swollen stream in safety. The advance of the Federals was stubbornly disputed by the reserves with two pieces of artillery on the north bank of the river; but the superior numbers and heavy artillery of the invaders enabled them to advance steadily. They entered Pollard peaceably on the 26th of March, no armed men beng found in the vicinity. The next day they were joined by Spur- ling's force, which had been dispatched from Barrancas a week before with orders to cut the railroad above Pollard, a feat which was accom- plished in a brilliant manner and without the loss of a single man.
Steele's forces now turned toward Blakely. They were on half-rations, having been unexpectedly delayed on their way in the midst of a most desolate country; and they suffered much from hunger and exposure, as did their prisoners. The wounded, Gen. Clanton among others, were carried on stretchers to the nearest farm-houses to be cared. Reaching Stockton on the 31st, they were able to replenish their supplies, and on the next day Gen. Veatch reached them with a wagon train from Spanish Fort. About six miles from Blakely, near Wilkins' plantation, a sharp fight took place, resulting in the capture of about 100 Confederates, and the evening of April 1st found the besiegers encamped before Blakely.
Blakely is situated ten miles northeast of Mobile on the east bank of the Apalachee. It was at one time quite a flourishng town, but during the war it had a population of less than 100. The fortifications were constructed in a semi-circle nearly three miles in length around the vil-
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lage, and included nine well built redoubts armed with about forty pieces of artillery. Fifty yards out from the works was a line of abatis, having rifle pits behind it. The garrison consisted of French's division, com- ' manded by Col. Cockrell, Thomas' division of Alabama reserves, and sev- eral artillery companies, altogether numbering about 3,500, under the command of Gen. St. John Lidell. On the advance of the Federals, the commander telegraphed to Gen. Maury at Mobile, asking for additional artillery.
The siege commenced on April 2d. The fort, assisted by gun-boats in the river, made a most vigorous resistance, rendering it impossible for the besiegers to come very near; but on the 9th, the increased forces obtained from Spanish Fort enabled the Federals to make a simultaneous assault all along the line of defense. The advance rifle-pits of the be- siegers were 300 feet from the works, over rough and exposed ground, and the assault was a desperate one, but it required hours of hand to hand fighting to get possession of the fort. All parts of the line were assaulted at once, and the overwhelming numbers rushed upon the fort like a resistless torrent. The garrison fought with the most determined bravery against the terrible odds. Many of them refused to surrender even after they were entirely overpowered. The artillerists, refusing to abandon their positions, fell at their guns, and there were fearful scenes of carnage enacted within the works before the victory. was assured to the besiegers, though the actual loss of life among the Con- federates was not more than one-third that of their enemies, who had 127 killed and 527 wounded. It was dark before the Federals found them- selves in possession of Blakely, with 3,422 prisoners, forty pieces of artil- lery, small arms and garrison stores. The fall of Blakely and the immense loss sustained there rendered the further defense of Mobile im- possible; and on April 12th, Gen. Maury, with about 4,500 men, having lost about half his forces in killed, wounded and prisoners, retired to Meridian. The Federals, hearing of the evacuation, crossed over the bay, landed two miles below Mobile, and entered the city without opposition. Meanwhile Forts Huger and Tracy, bombarded from all sides, held out three days after the fall of Spanish Fort; they were finally evacuated on th night of April 11th.
Not the least important improvement of this campaign was Wilson's raid through Alabama. About the middle of March, Gen. J. H. Wilson left Gravelly Springs, Lauderdale county, to attack Selma and divert the attention of the Confederate cavalry from the more southern portion of the state. He had three divisions, commanded respectively by McCook, Long and Upton, and numbering over 12,000, besides a large supply train, with an escort of 1,500 dismounted men organized in battalions and com- manded by Maj. Archer. Gen. Wilson was allowed the discretion of an independent commander. In order to create doubt in the minds of the Confederates, he sent these divisions by different routes, Upton's marching
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by the most easterly road, through Barton's Station, Russellville, Mount Hope and Jasper, to Saunder's ferry; Long, by the way of Cherokee and Frankfort, the Tuscaloosa road and Jasper; McCook, toward Tuscaloosa as far as Eldridge and Jasper. The whole command met at the ford on the Black Warrior. Gen. Wilson, having heard at Jasper that part of Forrest's force was marching toward Tuscaloosa, left his supply trains between the two streams and pushed on via Elyton to Montevallo. In the vicinity of Montevallo, Upton's division destroyed the Red Mountain, Central, Bibb and Columbiana rolling mills, five collieries and much valu- able property. They skirmished with Roddy's and Crossland's brigades under Gen. Dan. Adams, and engaged in several fights with Forrest. In- tercepted despatches informed Wilson as to the disposition of the Confed- erate forces, and he sent another brigade to join Croxton's forces in opposing Jackson and preventing him from rejoining Forrest, who was to be pushed on with the utmost rapidity to Selma. At Ebenezer church a stand was made by Forrest. and there was a sharp skirmish, with vary- ing success, resulting finally in the retreat of the Confederates.
On the night of April 1st, Wilson's corps bivouacked near Planters- ville, nineteen miles from Selma, after a day of continuous fighting. At daylight on the 2d, Long's division advanced toward the city, closely followed by Upton's. The Federal officers were well informed as to the position and strength of the city, which was the most important Confed- erate depot of the southwest, containing an arsenal and foundries. It is situated on the north bank of the Alabama river about 100 feet above high water. The river forins a natural boundary on the south, and there was a bastioned line of fortifications north, east and west. West of the city was a miry creek, and on the east a swamp impracticable for mounted men.
By rapid marching the troops were all in sight of the city and mostly in position by 4 o'clock. Gen. Forrest was in command, and every able- bodied man in the city, even the ministers, took part in its armed defense. The garrison, including these inexperienced recruits, numbered between 6,000 and 7,000.
Upton and Long were directed to assault the works from different directions, while Lieut. Rendelbrook, with a battalion of the Fourth United States cavalry, was sent down the railroad to destroy bridges, stations, and trestle-works as far as Burnsville. The defenders fought with bravery and skill, many of the officers performing prodigies of valor; but they were forced back from the works into the city, and 150 officers, with 2,500 prisoners and 32 pieces of artillery, fell into the hands of the besiegers. Gens. Forrest, Armstrong, Roddy and Adams, with a number of the garrison, escaped under cover of night and avoided capture. Gen. Wins- low was assigned to the command of the city, with orders to destroy everything that could benefit the Confederate cause; in consequence of this, the soldiers indulged in almost indiscriminate plunder. Wilson soon
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proceeded to Montgomery, which he reached and took possession of on the 12th of April. Pausing here two days, he resumed his march into Georgia.
Meanwhile Gen. Croxton, on the morning of March 31st, marched from Elyton toward Tuscaloosa with about 1,100 men: Some twenty miles above that city he encountered Gen. W. H. Jackson's division, and to avoid these he returned in a northeasterly direction, as if giving up the object of his raid. Part of his division was attacked by Jackson, and thirty men were captured. Marching forty miles, he struck the Black Warrior at Johnson's ferry, crossed with great difficulty, as the stream was swollen and rapid; and, marching thirty-two miles the next day, he reached Northport, opposite Tuscaloosa. Crossing the bridge, the Fed- erals surprised the guard, captured the artillery, and took possession of the town. Croxton destroyed the foundries and factories, the university, public works and stores, and remained there until the 5th of April. He recrossed the bridge, which he burned, and marched west, and on the 6th turned toward Eutaw. At Pleasant Ridge he was met by Gen. Wirt Adams. who charged the cavalry, taking several prisoners and capturing wagons, artillery, ambulances and Gen. Croxton's papers. The Second Michigan cavalry, by its firm resistance, saved Croxton's division from an overwhelming defeat. Croxton remained near Northport for several days, while Adams, who was misinformed as to his movements, pro- ceeded to Columbus, Miss. The Federals then suddenly turned to the north, passed through Jasper, and proceeded east, crossing the state toward Talladega. Into this place they charged with drawn sabres, and, after replenishing their haversacks, pushed on, destroying the railroad and skirmishing with Hill, who fell back toward Jacksonville.
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