USA > Arkansas > A pictorial history of Arkansas, from earliest times to the year 1890. A full and complete account, embracing the Indian tribes occupying the country; the early French and Spanish explorers and governors; the colonial period; the Louisiana purchase; the periods of the territory, the state, the civil war, and the subsequent period. Also, an extended history of each county in the order of formation, and of the principal cities and towns; together with biographical notices of distinguished and prominent citizens > Part 38
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
would set the mill afire. One day, about this date, a sergeant sighted his gun and dropped a shell inside the mill, which took fire in the explosion, and was burned to the ground with all its contents. The besieged had no means of extinguishing the flames, and had no men to spare for the purpose, and were regretfully compelled to see their last source of obtaining bread swept away before their eyes. Their subsistance was now reduced to sugar, molasses and peas. Of this latter they had a quantity stored in an old church, hidden from view in a grove of trees, which prevented its sharing the fate of the mill.
By the Ist of July, their provisions had run so low that it became necessary to slaughter the mules of the teams, and from that time on rations of mule-meat were regularly issued to the men. Any squeamishness at partaking of such fare was put to flight by the sharp pangs of hunger, and the flesh of the animals was eaten as readily as that of beeves would or- dinarily be.
As the siege progressed, it became quite the custom for the Federal pickets and the men in the entrenchments to talk across to each other in the night. On the night of July 7th, the Federal pickets called out to the Confederates in the trenches announcing the fall of Vicksburg, which they proved by sending in an official copy of General Grant's dispatch to General Banks, announcing the capitulation of that place on the 4th. On the next day, July 8th, negotiations for capitu- lation were conducted between the commanders, and on the 9th the surrender was made. It had stood actual siege 49 days. Its defense was one of the most heroic acts of the war. About 3,000 active men, and 1,250 sick or wounded, were surrendered. Twenty pieces of heavy artillery, 31 of light artillery, and 30 pieces dismounted, were surrendered. The Confederate loss, in killed, was estimated at 225.
The non-commissioned officers and privates were paroled, and the commissioned officers were sent as prisoners to John-
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THE YEAR 1863.
son's Island, in Lake Erie, near Cleveland, Ohio, where they remained in prison for the rest of the time, only regaining their liberty at the close of the war.
With the fall of Port Hudson, the Mississippi passed into the possession of the Federals, from its headwaters to the sea, and the Confederacy was cut in twain.
The following is a list of killed or wounded in the Twelfth Arkansas Regiment, during the siege: Field and Staff officers .- Killed : Lieutenant-Colonel E. C. Jordan and Adjutant W. L. Hemmingway. Wounded : Captain C. H. Jonas, Quartermaster.
Company "A."-Killed : Sergeant J. J. Sutton. Wounded : Sergeant W. A. Sublett and Corporal J. M. Shackelford.
Company "B."-Privates Isaac Newton and Munn Gorum.
Company "C."-Wounded : Captain H. L. W. Johnson, leg shot off, and private R. J. Barnes.
Company "D."-Privates R. W. Williams and N. B. Holloway.
Company "E."-Killed : Martin Guest and M. Elliott. Wounded : J. T. Jeans, John Avery and J. T. Nichols.
Company "F."-Killed: Private J. C. Wallingford. Wounded : John Goodrich.
Company "G."-Killed : Privates James W. Coulter and H. L. Appleton. Wounded : Sergeant B. F. Humphrey's right foot shot off, and George H. Brown shot through both , legs.
Company "H."-Killed : Corporal Marion Burke and private James Elder. Wounded : Smith Turner.
Company "I."-Wounded : Lieutenant Andy Archer and Corporal-Lieutenant McCoy.
Company "K."-Killed: Sergeant Joseph Garnett and private Isaac Fugett.
CHAPTER XXIII.
1863.
PROGRESS OF THE WAR, CONTINUED .- BATTLES OF CHICKAMAUGA, MISSION- ARY RIDGE, AND RINGGOLD GAP.
AFTER the retreat of the Confederates from Helena, they had withdrawn first to Searcy, and eventually to near Little Rock, which place had been fortified with a line of earth- works, placed on the north bank of the river, but there were no defenses on the south bank. General Holmes was suc- ceeded in command by General Sterling Price, and the Fed- eral forces were placed under command of General Frederick Steele. In the latter part of August, General Steele set out with a force of about 20,000 men, advancing on Little Rock. A part of the force was moved by boat down the Mississippi, and up the White river, to Devall's Bluff, which was made the point of concentration, and from which the army marched for Little Rock.
The following is the chronological order of incidents lead- ing up to this event :
August Ist to 8th, 1863, Davidson's Cavalry Division moves from Wittsburg to Clarendon ; August 10th, Steele's column advances from Helena; August 14th, skirmish at West Point; August 16th, skirmish at Harrison's Landing; August 17th, skirmish at Grand Prairie; August 25th, skir- mish at Brownsville; August 26th, skirmish at Bayou Meto; August 27th, action at Reed's Bridge, on Bayou Meto; August 30th, skirmish at Shallow Ford, on Bayou Meto;
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GENERAL STERLING PRICE.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
September 2d, skirmish near Shallow Ford; September 7th, skirmish at Ashley's Mills; September 10th, engagement at Fourche Bayou, and capture of Little Rock.
On approaching the town, Steele manoeuvered to take the fortifications in reverse by crossing a column of cavalry, under General J. W. Davidson, to the south bank of the river, about 9 miles below the town, while he, with the main body of troops, advanced along the north bank. The Confederates withdrew to the south bank to repel the advance in that di- rection, crossing on a pontoon bridge at about II o'clock of the day.
Line of battle was formed near Fourche Dam, about four miles from town, and preparations were made for a general engagement. The Federal advance was checked, and in a brilliant dash the Confederates captured four pieces of artillery, when orders were given by General Price for a retreat. Breaking up their positions, the Confederates retired slowly, pressed by the advancing cavalry, and under artillery fire. The town was evacuated at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and from that time until 2 o'clock in the morning, the army was moving in. It was a season of severe draught, in which the dust was almost insufferable, there having been no rain for many weeks.
In the meantime General Steele, advancing along the north bank of the river, came to the entrenchments, and finding them deserted passed over them, and planting batteries op- posite the town opened fire with some few discharges, but which ceased as soon as it became known that the place was being evacuated.
While the Confederate Army lay near Little Rock, the last duel fought in Arkansas occurred. It was between Gen- erals L. Marsh Walker and John S. Marmaduke, lately Governor of Missouri, both of whom were generals in the Confederate forces, encamped near. The difficulty grew out of remarks made by Marmaduke, relative to Walker, who
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THE YEAR 1863.
had commanded the Confederate troops in an engagement at Reed's Bridge, a short time previous, Marmaduke command- ing a division under him. Upon the remarks coming to his knowledge, Walker challenged Marmaduke. The parties met in the latter part of August, near the Godfrey Lefeve place, a short distance from Little Rock, and fought with pis- tols. General Walker was wounded, and was taken to Little Rock, where he died next day. He was buried with military honors in Mount Holly Cemetery.
In the Tennessee Armies no conflict had taken place since Murfreesboro. Bragg had retreated to Tullahoma, where he lay for some time. Rosecranz made no advance until June, and when he did so, Bragg fell back from time to time until September; when, having received re-enforcements, and ex- pecting a farther addition of 12,000 men under Longstreet, who had been sent from Lee's Army for his assistance, he de- termined to give battle, with a view of re-possessing himself of Chattanooga, which the Federals had occupied Septem- ber 9th. His force consisted of nearly 50,000, while that of Rosecranz was about 65,000. He, accordingly, attacked Rosecranz at Chickamauga, Friday afternoon, September 18th. The battle began with a hot skirmish, in which the Federals were driven across Chickamauga creek, and both armies bivouacked where night found them.
That night General Hood arrived with 5,000 men, the ad- advance of Longstreet's expected re-enforcements, and were put into action the next day. Among them was the Third Arkansas, in Robertson's Brigade. They were at the left center of the Confederate line.
In the forenoon of the 19th the battle began, with a brilliant- success by Liddell's Division, 2,000 strong, driving the Fed- erals in disorder before them, and capturing two batteries. At 2 :30, P. M., General Hood, with his and Bushrod Johnson's Divisions, gained a decisive success, crushing the Federal 34
HID
......
GENERAL FREDERICK STEELE.
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THE YEAR 1863.
right center, capturing artillery and many prisoners. But the greatest success of the day was that achieved by Cleburne's Division. Late in the afternoon they were selected to assault an important point, which had been held against every attack, and were marched six miles to come on the field. The battle had lulled everywhere. Cleburne gave the order to advance, and the men came up as coolly and unconcernedly as if they" were going on parade. Many of the men were smoking pipes, saying, as they passed to the front : "We'll attend to them."
At the proper place the line was formed, and the order was given to charge. Perhaps never, in so short time, was there a deadlier struggle. A deafening and continuous roar of cannon and musketry marked the bloody work. Cleburne led his veterans to the attack with the momentum of a tornado. The works were captured, with 300 prisoners, two stands of colors, and several pieces of artillery. It was all over in fifteen minutes. In this charge General Lucius Polk's Brigade cap- tured a battery of six twelve-pound Napoleon guns. Every gunner, driver and horse in the battery was killed. In one place nineteen horses lay piled one upon another. That night the division bivouacked on the gory ground they had won.
When night came, everything was highly favorable to the Confederates. Two-thirds of the Federal force had been driven from the field, routed and disordered, and by a flank movement Thomas' men, who alone remained firm, were enclosed by Polk's men in his front, and Longstreet's men in his rear, their lines forming the two arms of a letter V. All night long, however, Thomas' men worked building breast- works. All night long the ringing of axes could be heard as they chopped logs and got them into position, so that when daylight dawned they had constructed a considerable line of defenses. That night General Longstreet arrived, and was assigned to command the left wing, with Hood's and Buck- ner's Corps, and Hindman's Division, under him, numbering
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
22,850 infantry and artillery, and 4,000 cavalry, under Gen- eral Wheeler.
Bragg had given orders to Polk to attack in front at day- light, and to Longstreet to attack in rear as soon as he should hear Polk's guns in front. Daylight, of Sunday, September 20th, came, and Polk did not attack. Seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock came and passed, and still no attack was made. In the utmost impatience, Bragg sent orders to Polk to attack at once, and at ten o'clock the battle began. It was afterwards explained that Polk had given the necessary orders for a daylight attack, but they did not reach the sub- ordinate commanders until seven o'clock, at which time the troops were engaged in receiving rations. No disposition had been made for an attack, and the necessary formations could not be made until ten. The five hours' delay had enabled Thomas' men to greatly strengthen their position, so that when the attack was made, it was all the more vigorously re- sisted.
When the battle opened, General Longstreet led a brilliant assault, in which he gained considerable advantage over the Federal right and center, in which two army corps were driven from the field in utter rout. On the Federal left, how- ever, General Thomas held his ground, and repelled the Con- federate attacks. Around his position the battle was the fiercest.
General Hindman, in his report, speaking of an attack made in the afternoon, said :
"In a few minutes a terrible contest ensued, which con- tinued at close quarters, without any intermission, over four hours. Our troops attacked again and again, with a courage worthy of their past achievements. The enemy fought with determined obstinacy, and repeatedly repulsed us, but only to be again assailed. As showing the fierceness of the fight, I mention that on our extreme left the bayonet was used, and men also killed and wounded with clubbed muskets. A little
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THE YEAR 1863.
after four, the enemy was re-enforced, and advanced with loud shouts upon our right, but was repulsed by Anderson and Kershaw."
At night-fall, Bragg, finding he could not dislodge them, de- sisted from farther attack. That night Thomas retreated to Rossville, leaving the field in possession of the Confederates. The Confederates captured 8,000 prisoners, 57 cannon, 15,- 000 stands of small arms, and about 40 standards.
The strength of Rosecranz' Army, in the three days' strug- gle, was 64,362. Bragg opened with 33,583 the first day ; but, being re-inforced by Longstreet on the second day, raised his force to 47,32I.
All the Arkansas troops in the Army of Tennessee took part in this engagement. The First Rifles, Colonel Harper ; the Second Rifles, Colonel Williamson ; the First Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel William Martin; the Second Infantry ; the Fifteenth and Twenty-fourth, under Colonel Warfield ; the Third Arkansas, in Hood's Division; the Fourth, the Thirty-first and the Fourth Battalion consolidated, under command of Major J. A. Ross; the Fifth, Colonel Lucius Featherston, and Lieutenant-Colonel John Edward Murray ; the Sixth and Seventh consolidated, Colonel Sam. Smith ; the Eighth, Colonel Kelley; Thirteenth, Colonel J. A. Mc- Neeley; Twenty-fifth, Colonel Hufstedler, being in Liddell's, Govan's, McNair's and Lucius Polk's Brigades. Shoup's. Artillery also took part, and suffered heavily.
On the evening of the 20th, McNair's Brigade, composed of the First and Second Rifles; Fourth, Twenty-fifth and Thirty-first Arkansas, Fourth Battalion and Humphrey's Battery, were on the extreme left of the Confederate line, where the Federals undertook to turn their flank. The am- munition of the brigade was almost expended ; but, making a charge, they drove back the Federal right, and put an end to the fight in this part of the field. On the repulse of the
FIRST GUN AT CHICAMAUGA.
Courtesy of Joseph M. Brown Atlanta, Ga. The Confederates opening fire upon the Federal Cavalry, who had begun the destruction of Reed's Bridge.
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THE YEAR 1863.
Federals, the brigade set up a shout of victory, which was taken up along the whole line.
On the 19th, at about 12 o'clock, General Gregg's Brigade, which was just in front of McNair's, engaged the Federals,. and being heavily assailed, sent for re-inforcements. The Twenty-fifth Arkansas and Thirty-ninth North Carolina moved up, and joining with them the Fourth and Thirty-first Arkansas, and Fourth Battalion, in connection with Gregg's men, charged the Federals and drove them over a half a mile. The supply of ammunition being exhausted, the brigade fell back to replenish their cartridge-boxes, and bivouacked for the night in their first position. On the next day the brigade engaged the Federals, and drove them out of a long line of breast-works, pursuing them some distance. In the course of the pursuit, seeing a battery of artillery on a hill to the left, a charge was made on it, and every gun was captured, 10 in number, 8 of them were at once carried to the rear. Private J. O. Tibbetts, of Company "K," of the Fourth Arkansas, who was bearing the regimental colors-the regular color- bearer, Frank Murf, having been wounded early in the action- was the first color-bearer to reach the captured guns, and to plant his flag above them.
In the last charge, General McNair was severely wounded in the thigh, and left the command of the brigade to Colonel Robert W. Harper, who shortly after fell mortally wounded, . and then the command devolved upon Colonel D. A. Cole- man, of the Thirth-ninth North Carolina.
The following were the losses in McNair's Brigade : Fourth Arkansas, 10 killed ; 37 wounded; 8 missing ; total, 55 ; Thirty-first Arkansas, 5 killed ; 12 wounded ; 2 missing ; total, 19; Fourth Arkansas Battalion, I killed; 12 wounded ; 6 missing ; total 19. Total loss of these regiments, 93.
They went into the battle with an aggregate strength of 250 men, and fought well in every part of the field where en- gaged. Their sum total of loss was nearly forty per cent. of their number.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Of those lost in the Fourth Regiment the following were killed : J. M. Crews, Company "A;" J. F. Cheatham, Com- pany "B;" R. J. Warren, First Sergeant, Company "B ;" Harrison Wilder, Company "C;" Captain J. F. Coatney, Company "D;" John M. Kilgore, Company "D;" L. McClelland, Company "D;" Captain Thomas A. Smith, Company "K;" Corporal William M. Avery, Company "K;" G. Ainsworth, Company "K."
The following died of wounds received in the battle : George Vandever, Company "C," and F. W. Wilson, Company "K."
In the First Arkansas Infantry of General Lucius E. Polk's Brigade, S. N. Greenwood, Adjutant of the regiment, was killed. This was the only regiment of Arkansians under Cle- burne in this battle, the other Arkansas Regiments having a short time previously been placed in a brigade under General St. John R. Liddell. After the battle of Chickamauga, this brigade was returned to Cleburne's Division and remained with him to the end.
Colonel Lucius Featherston, commanding the Fifth Arkan- sas, was killed. John Edward Murray succeeded to the com- mand. Colonel Gillespie, of the Sixth and Seventh consoli- dated, was wounded and died from his wounds. In the Sixth Arkansas, Captain Joseph W. Martin was wounded. In Captain John G. Fletcher's Company, Frederick Brack and E. H. Watson were killed, and William C. Ratcliffe was wounded; also Charles M. Norwood was wounded, losing. his leg.
The losses on both sides in this terrible battle were very heavy. The Federal loss is given at 16,179, and that of the Confederates at about 12,000.
Thus was fought the battle of Chickamauga. The name in the Indian language signifies "River of Death," as indeed it proved to be.
After this battle, Bragg occupied Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain, two points extremely strong by nature,
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THE YEAR 1863.
overlooking the city of Chattanooga. Their summits he crowned with artillery and made the points additionally strong by entrenchments and earthworks from base to cope, behind which he placed his veteran army. Human skill combining with the opportunities of nature could hardly create a stronger point. At this juncture, however, he committed the error of sending Longstreet with his corps to Knoxville, 110 miles, to lay siege to that place garrisoned by General Burnside, while he himself by commanding the bases of supply, practically laid siege to Chattanooga. General Grant having been placed in command of the Federal Army, concentrated large re- enforcements to relieve Chattanooga, and learning that Bragg had weakened his force by detaching Longstreet, notwith- standing his strong positions, attacked simultaneously the two points which represented respectively Bragg's right and left- the left, Lookout Mountain; the right, Missionary Ridge. General Hooker led the attack against Lookout Mountain, and Sherman that at Missionary Ridge, while Grant himself commanded the center. Early on the morning of the 24th of November, under cover of a dense fog, Hooker's command climbed the sides of the mountain, and completely surprised the Confederates, driving them out of their entrenchments. During the night the Confederates withdrew, leaving him in entire possession of that height.
On the 25th, Sherman attacked Missionary Ridge. There the contest was extremely stubborn, and the Confederates repelled attack after attack. To resist these onslaughts, Bragg concentrated his troops on his right, and thereby weakened his center. When this was done, Grant made a tremendous attack on that point, which, although strenuously resisted, swept entirely through it, driving the Confederates backward to the top of the mountain. Finally, in a complete panic, the Confederate lines gave way, except the right, and went rushing down the mountain side. Nothing but the firmness of the right wing saved their army from total destruction.
.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
The hottest fighting of the day had been on the right. Cleburne's Division held a position here, and repelled attack after attack made on it. So furious had been the fighting, that they did not know that the rest of the army had been defeated, until about sundown, when they were ordered to interpose between the Federals flushed with victory, and the demoralized Confederates. Having repulsed the Federal attacks at all points, they were cheering for victory when Grant broke through the center. The work of destruction had been terrible. The fighting was at such close quarters, that the Confederates could not use artillery, the guns could not be sufficiently depressed to fire down-hill. So the artil- lerists lit the bombs, and with their hands sent them plunging down the mountain side to scatter destruction when they exploded below. Aided by the darkness, the broken army drew off through Ringgold Gap, and on the next morning Sherman, Hooker and Palmer, with their respective com- mands, started in pursuit.
The Federal loss in these engagements was stated at 5,616, of whom 757 were killed, 4,529 wounded, and 330 missing. The Confederate loss in killed and wounded was 3, 100, but they lost 6,142 prisoners, with 40 guns and 7,000 stand of small arms.
In the battle of Missionary Ridge, the brunt of the long day's fight by Cleburne's Division was borne by Smith's Texas Brigade, and the Second, Fifteenth and Twenty-fourth Arkansas, consolidated, of Govan's Brigade, together with Swett's and Key's Batteries. The Second, Fifteenth and Twenty-fourth consolidated, and captured a stand of colors. The other portions of the division were also heavily engaged skirmishing, and were held as reserves until the retreat was ordered, when General Polk's Brigade was sent to hold the Shallow Ford bridge, and Govan's Brigade to dispute the Federal advance on the Shallow Ford road. The loss in the
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
three brigades of the division engaged in the battle was 42 killed, 178 wounded, and 2 missing.
The duty of covering the rear in the retreat was assigned to General Cleburne, and the manner in which he accom- plished it is one of the most brilliant incidents of the war. With a bare handful of men, he established himself in Ring- gold Gap, to oppose the advance of three divisions, number- ing five times more than his own, and not only held them at bay, but so checked their advance that the pursuit was aban- doned, and the pursuers returned to Chattanooga.
He had with him General Lucius E. Polk's Brigade, 545 men, Arkansians and Tennesseeans ; Smith's Texas Brigade, 1,016 men ; Liddell's Brigade, 1,016 men, Arkansians, and Lowrey's Brigade, 1,330 men, Alabamians and Mississippi- ans, the whole aggregating 4,157 men, and a section of Sem- ple's Battery, under Lieutenant Goldthwaite, with 2 Napoleon guns. Hooker's advance attacked them posted in the gap, in the early forenoon, and a battle began which lasted over five hours. Again and again the Federal columns assaulted Cleburne's position, but he was not to be dislodged. His men stood as firm as the mountains they were among. It was a most furious hand-to-hand combat, and at such close quarters that the Confederates often fought with rocks. A number of men were wounded in this way. Towards two o'clock the Federals drew off, having lost nearly a thousand men. The Confederate loss was 190 killed and wounded, and II missing. Finding the pursuit abandoned, Cleburne remained in the gap until all of the army and the whole of the transportation, some five or six hundred wagons, had safely passed through the defiles of the mountains, when he withdrew and joined them safely at Dalton.
For this splendid and unaided defense, the thanks of the Confederate Congress were extended to Cleburne and his men.
1
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THE YEAR 1863.
The following is General Cleburne's report of the engage- ment :
"HEADQUARTERS, CLEBURNE'S DIVISION.
TUNNEL HILL, GA., Dec. 9th, 1863.
"COLONEL :- On the retreat of the Army of Tennessee, from Missionary Ridge to Ringgold, Georgia, my division covered the retreat of Hardee's Corps, arriv- ing safely on the east bank of the Chickamauga river at 10 o'clock, P. M., on the 26th of November. At this point the river had to be forded, and was nearly waist deep, and the night was freezing cold. I, therefore, determined to post- pone crossing until morning, and bivouacked on the hills near by. At 3 o'clock, A. M. I received the following order," viz :
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