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 41
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But though the line had been pierced, there was no stam- pede. The remainder of Govan's Brigade made what might be called a right and left backward wheel, and joining their line to Lewis' Kentuckians on the right and Granberry's Texans on the left, they enclosed the brave stormers in two lines to the right and left of the break, and poured in an ob- lique fire at short range on the Federals, crowded into the works, who, in their close formations, were cut down in ranks at each volley, and not only was their advance arrested, but the most of those who got over the works at this time were killed.
When the break in the line occurred, Hardee and Cleburne were together in full view of it. Cleburne dashed his clenched fist into the palm of his other hand and ground it there, ex- claiming, "My God ! My Arkansaw Brigade is gone !" Gen- eral Hardee asked Cleburne if he had an officer who could
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THE YEAR 1864.
guide a certain brigade, the last disposable one they had left, to charge the opening. Cleburne replied, "Yes ! All of us will go!" and with that, he and his staff rode off to the brigade named, and led it up to the place, where, joining its flanks to the two other lines, making three sides of a quadri- lateral, formed around the break, the line was re-established, and the position was held for the rest of the engagement.
In other parts of the field, also, the fighting had been des- perate and heavy, but the line was not broken, and the Con- federates held their position when the battle ended. It was near night when the Federals broke Govan's line, and this was the only portion of the line that was broken. Darkness put an end to the combat ; and in the night, Hardee finding that the Federals were about to cut him off by encircling Jonesboro, moved off, without loss, to Lovejoy Station, five miles distant, and the Federals occupied Jonesboro on his de- parture.
The defense of Jonesboro, and the cool and effective man- ner in which they repaired the break in their line, are circum- stances redounding greatly to the credit of Hardee's heroic corps. For two days, with wholly insufficient entrenchments, they had defended the place against forces which were nu- merically more than six times greater than their own. The loss to the respective sides in this memorable conflict was se- vere, but that of the Federals was immensely greater, as they were in the open field, while the Confederates were protected by works, such as they were. The chief loss to the Confeder- ates was the capture of General Govan and his 300 men.
Cleburne thought so much of his "Arkansaw Brigade," and was so unwilling to lose them and their gallant commander, that General Hardee arranged with General Sherman to have them exchanged at once. Accordingly, they were brought back from Nashville, whither they had been transported, and were exchanged, and once more took their places in the di- vision beside their war-worn comrades.
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
The occupation of Jonesboro being a complete severing of Hood's lines of communication and supply, rendered his posi- tion at Atlanta no longer tenable, and he accordingly made preparations to abandon the place. Placing Reynold's Brigade to guard the rear of the retreat, Hood evacuated Atlanta, Sep- tember 2d, 1864, and the city was occupied by General Sher- ' man on the next day, September 3d. In drawing out of the city, Hood marched in the direction of Lovejoy Station, where he joined Hardee. On the 2 1st of September, he shifted his position to Palmetto Station, 25 miles southwest of Atlanta, on the Montgomery and Selma Railroad.
Having taken possession of Atlanta, General Sherman had completed one portion of his campaign, but had not accom- plished its full purpose ; for Hood's army, although now re- duced below 40,000 men, was still in his front. But he felt strong enough to dispense with a part of his army. Accord- ingly, General Thomas was sent back to the headquarters of his Department at Nashville, General Schofield was sent to Knox- ville, while he himself remained at Atlanta, awaiting Hood's next move. It was not long until this move was inaugurated. It consisted of an invasion of Tennessee, and an attempt to occupy the country in Sherman's rear, to break up his com- munications and cut off his supplies.
On the Ist of October, General Hood set his army in motion, marching northward, crossing the Chattahoochie river, at Campbelltown, destroying railroads, and breaking commu- nications, Sherman following in pursuit. After a variety of manoeuvers, well and skillfully executed, and attended with considerable success, General Hood paused opposite Flor- ence, Alabama, the most considerable action in this series of movements, being the attack by General French on Allatoona, where the Confederates were repulsed after a bloody encoun- ter. Here Sherman, concluding that he would leave his able Lieutenants-Thomas and Schofield-to cope with Hood, sent them such re-inforcements, by rail, to Nashville, as were
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THE YEAR 1864.
deemed necessary, while he himself repaired to Atlanta, with a force consisting of 4 infantry corps, I cavalry division, and 65 field guns, aggregating 60,598 men.
There being no longer any force in his front to oppose him, Sherman now entered upon that grand move in the game of war-his famous march through Georgia to the sea.
His object was to join Grant in Virginia. The route nec- essary to be traversed was a thousand miles long. This was too long a march to be made without having some interme- diate base for supplies, or as a contingent center for opera- tions. He, accordingly, selected the city of Savannah, Geor- gia, 300 miles distant, as the proposed base. He set out on his march thither November 12th, and reached the city December 2 Ist, 1864. His march had been unopposed by any material force, and only occasionally harrassed by the desultory fighting of skirmishers along his rear. He had only once been forced to form a line of battle. He lost 103 men killed; 408 wounded; and 278 missing. He captured 1,338 prisoners. He had subsisted an army of 60,000 men, with 35,000 animals, off of the resources of the country, for 3I days.
On the Ioth of December, Sherman was before the de- fenses of Savannah. The chief of these was Fort McAllister, which was soon taken by assault. Savannah itself was held by a small force, under General Hardee. On the 16th, Sher- man summoned him to surrender, but he refused. There was one road out of the city on the north, which was un- closed. While Sherman was preparing to close this road and invest the city entirely, Hardee evacuated the city on the night of December 21st, and escaped by the open road. After he had gone, the Federals moved into Savannah, and thus their grand march to the sea was triumphantly and suc- cessfully completed.
In the meantime Hood, resting at Florence, Alabama, hav- . ing re-organized and re-supplied his army, prepared to
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
advance against Thomas, at Nashville. His first objective point, however, was the force under General Schofield, at Colum- bia, about 25,000 strong, and whom he marched against. On Hood's approach, Schofield left Columbia, with a view of making a junction with Thomas, at Nashville. The road over which it was necessary for him to travel, was a turnpike, called the Columbia Pike. Hood formed the plan of flank- ing him on his march, and by seizing the pike prevent the junction, and give battle to each army separately. Accord- ingly, on the morning of the 29th, he put out Cheatham's and Stewart's Corps for the movement. By a swift and silent march the column came in sight of the pike, near sun- down, at a place called Spring Hill, where there was a slight fortification held by the Federals, half way between Colum- bia and Franklin. Cleburne's Division was in front, and made a strong and sudden attack on the works, with Gran- berry's and Govan's Brigades, capturing it before its defend- ers had time to fire but one volley.
Preparations were now made to take the pike itself, which was defended by artillery, but some of the supporting com- mands were delayed, and before they could be brought into position, night had come on ; and Hood gave orders for the troops to bivouac where they were, saying he would attack at daylight. That night, however, the whole of Schofield's Army passed along the pike, with a wagon train five miles long, and escaped to Franklin.
At this point the Harpeth river runs in a loop north of the town, and Schofield hastily constructed a line of earthworks, from bank to bank, on the south side, across the neck of the loop. The next day, November 30th, Hood's Army started in pursuit, and by afternoon arrived in sight of the defenses, and took up a position on the Winston Hills. Against the advice and remonstrance of his generals, Hood directed an immediate attack to be made. .
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The country, for as much as a mile outside of these entrench- ments, was a perfectly open country, in which an attacking force could have no protection whatever, but were subject to the fire of all the musketry and artillery in the works.
The attack was made at about half past three in the after- noon, and was over in an hour. The men came up with a rush, with guns at a "right shoulder shift," and never fired a. shot until they were up to and over the first line of works. Then, for the first time, they used their muskets, shooting the flying picket line, which had held the first line of works.
From the time the charge began, the artillery opened upon them with a terrible fire, and from the time they were four hundred yards away, every musket in the whole works played upon them with the utmost possible rapidity. For the dis- tance of over half a mile, they were simply shot down with- out the opportunity to return the fire.
Only one charge was made. In that charge the Confed- erates captured the first line of works, and with it made pris- oners of two brigades of Wagner's Division, which were struck by the men of Cleburne and Brown's Divisions, and borne onward in the rush. In the onset, they also captured several guns.
In this charge the First Arkansas Infantry, then under com- mend of Captain Alfred R. Hockersmith, who was in com- mand since the wounding of Colonel Colquitt, at Atlanta, was the first to reach the outer works, and swept over them with- out a check.
Cheatham's Corps, which charged along the Columbia Pike, was now subjected to a terrible fire from the inner or second line of works, but pressed up to them. Here it was found impossible to cross the ditch in any force, but still some small numbers individually got over and climbed the parapet. Some planted colors there, some leaped over to engage the men behind the works, but it was only to fall from the mus- ketry fire of the defenders, or be taken prisoners, while the
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
men in the ditches outside kept up a constant firing at the men who defended, they in turn firing down on the assail- ants.
The Federal batteries from the works made terrible havoc in the advancing ranks of the Confederates, and the musketry fire from the entrenchments was like a sheet of leaden hail, mowing them down.
After dark, Schofield having crossed his wagon train over and far beyond the Harpeth river, retreated from Franklin, and by midnight Hood had occupied the town, but his army had been terribly cut to pieces, and his adversary had escaped. His loss was stated at 6,252 men, and some of his best Gen- erals : Cleburne, Granberry, Adams, Quarles, Strahl and Gist were killed; Cockrell and Brown were wounded, and G. W. Gordon was captured.
Cleburne was killed in the fierce charge on the works. His horse was killed under him, after which he went forward on foot, and when within less than a hundred yards of the works, he fell, pierced by a single Minie ball. His remains were buried at Columbia; then at Ashwood, the family cemetery of the Polk family, six miles south of Columbia ; but in 1869 were removed to Helena by the Ladies' Memorial Association, and there interred. He was one of the ablest Generals whom the Southern Army had. General Hardee said of him and his command : "When his division defended, no odds could break its lines; where it attacked, no numbers resisted its onslaught, save only once-and there is the grave of Cleburne."
From the battle-field of Franklin, Schofield moved to Nash- ville, where he joined General Thomas, whose army had also ~ ~ been increased by re-inforcements under Major-General J. A. Smith, which had just reached him from Missouri.
On the 2d of December, Hood's columns appeared before Nashville, and took up their position on a line of hills nearly parallel to those occupied by the Federal Army, and speedily threw up works, and prepared to defend the ground. It was
1
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THE YEAR 1864.
a season of horrible freezing weather-raining, hailing, sleet- ing and snowing-and in it the troops suffered exceedingly irom insufficient protection. Their line of fortifications extended from the Murfreesboro to the Hillsboro Pike, with an ad- vanced front on Montgomery Hill. Here Thomas deter- mined to bring on a battle by attacking the entrenchments, and accordingly, on the 15th and 16th of December, was fought the battle of Nashville, the concluding battle between the armies in Tennessee, and which resulted in an over- whelming defeat for Hood. Having matured his plans, Gen- eral Thomas, on the 14th of December, gave orders for an at- tack to be made at daylight on the Confederate position. By 6 o'clock of that day, December 15th, all was in readiness, and the advance was sounded. The Federals moved out of their entrenchments and formed line of battle before the Confederate works, and the attack began. About noon, Col- onel Post's command made a rush for the Confederate works on Montgomery Hill, and captured them, taking a large num- ber of prisoners. One by one, the Confederate positions were assaulted and taken, until, when night came, Hood had been obliged to abandon his works along the Hillsboro Pike and fall back two miles to the Granny White Pike, and take up a new position. General Hood, not daunted by the reverses which had befallen him during the day, at once set to work to prepare for the next day's struggle. The new line extended along the range of a base of hills two miles south of that occu- pied during the day, and was only about half as long as that from which he had been driven. During the night, works were thrown up along the entire front, and the hills on their flanks were strongly fortified.
At dawn of the 15th the attack was renewed by the divis- ions of the Fourth Corps, driving in the Confederate skirmish- ers. Soon Colonel Post, who had led the attack on Mont- gomery Hill the day before, moved up with a brigade to as- sault the Confederate position on Overton. Hill, which was
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
Hood's extreme left. They were to be supported by fresh troops, who were to push up as soon as Post had gained the parapet.
Seeing this heavy attack impending against his right at Overton Hill, Hood moved Cleburne's old division, now com- manded by General A. J. Smith, from the extreme left, where it opposed Schofield, over to his right on Overton Hill. Here Colonel Post soon made his attack, and advanced to within 20 steps of the works, when, under a concentrated fire of musketry and artillery, they were driven back, with the loss of 300 men, while the supporting brigade on its left lost 250. Upon the repulse of Post's attack, the Confederate right wing turned its fire upon a parallel attack of General Thomp- son's Brigade of negro troops, who were moving against the works near the Franklin Pike. These were also repulsed, with a loss of 467, being 1, 117 lost in this one assault. On the Confederate left, opposite Schofield's front, General Bate's Division, which held the redoubt at that place, were struck by a front assault, and while resisting it, were also attacked in the rear by Hatch's Cavalry, with two pieces of artillery, and by a brigade of infantry charging in their rear, and deliver- ing a tremendous fire from their repeating rifles, causing Bate's line to break and abandon the works entirely, and rush precipitately to the valley below.
As soon as the other Federal commands learned of the suc- cess of their right wing in attacking the Confederate left, they, by a common impulse, charged the works in their front, and carried them. The Confederate lines gave way, and the bat- tle, for them, was lost. General Edward Johnson, with nearly all of his division and his artillery, were captured ; Colonel Post's command renewed their charge over the same ground on which they had been repulsed, and this time were success- ful, capturing 14 guns and 1,000 prisoners. Everywhere, the Federal success was complete, and Hood's Army, broken and
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THE YEAR 1864.
routed, began a retreat, first to Franklin, then to Columbia, and finally out of Tennessee altogether, making its way to North Carolina, where it joined General Joseph E. Johnston, and was under his command; for after this battle, Hood was relieved of his command, and as a last extremity, the command was restored to General Johnston.
The Confederate loss in this engagement, is given at 15,- ooo killed, wounded, and captured or missing. The Federal loss, did not probably exceed 5,000.
At the time the assault was being made on his left in this battle, Hood took General Reynolds' Arkansas Brigade from the line, and moved it to the left, to try and keep the Federal right from extending around the Confederate left, and on its way thither, it had reached a point in front of the Gap to the east of the Granny White Pike, when the Confederate line gave way. The brigade held the Federals back until Cheat- ham's Corps (Hardee's old corps,) passed through this Gap, and then covered the rear of the army until it reached Frank- lin.
General Thomas began a pursuit of the retreating Confed- erates, which ended at the Tennessee river, ten days later. Af- ter the Confederates crossed Duck river, at Columbia, on their retreat, eight brigades, viz : Reynolds', Ector's, Quarles', Strahl's, Maney's, Smith's, Palmer's and Featherstone's, . were selected and placed under the command of General Walthall, as a rear guard of infantry. At Sugar Creek, with the brigades of Reynolds, Ector, Strahl and Maney, and a part of Ross' Cavalry, General Reynolds severely punished the Federal advance guard, and thereafter made them cautious.
From there to the Tennessee river, the brigade of Reyn- olds and Ector, under Reynolds' command, were the rear guard, and were the last to cross the Tennessee river, on the morning of December 28th, 1864.
This was the end of campaigning in these Armies. For eight months it had continued without intermission. It had called
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
forth some of the highest exhibitions of strategy that the war exhibited. It had proved the valor of American soldiery, and shown it to be of the highest excellence ; whether in the en- durance of the toils of the march, the labor of entrenching. or the perils of the battle-field. It had witnessed a series of battles, everywhere stubbornly contested, but which had finally resulted in the complete triumph of the Federal arms, and the entire overthrow of the Confederate strength in that portion of the theater of war.
CHAPTER XXV.
1864-1865.
RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE GOVERNMENT .- ISAAC MURPHY, GOVERNOR. -END OF THE WAR.
IN the Trans-Mississippi Department, the war had been prosecuted with some activity, both in Louisiana and in Arkansas. The earliest operations were in Louisiana, where an expedition under General N. P. Banks, with 40,000 men, set out for Texas by way of Shreveport. One portion of the plan of his advance contemplated that General Steele's forces at Little Rock should advance southwestward, and make a junction with him at some point on Red river. General Banks was encountered at Mansfield, Louisiana, April 8th, 1864, by General Dick Taylor, in command of the Confed- erate forces, with about 25,000 men, and defeated in a severe battle. Again, on the next day, April 9th, Taylor attacked him at Pleasant Hill, and routed his entire army, arresting the invasion and compelling Banks to retreat to New Orleans, after having lost in the two battles, 14,000 men, 35 pieces of artillery, 20,000 small arms, an enormous wagon train, with immense quantities of stores and camp equipage. The Confederates also made capture of one gun-boat and three transports. Some of General Price's Army in Arkansas was moved into Louisiana, and took part in these engagements, but were afterwards moved back to Arkansas.
In Arkansas, also, the progress of events had developed some activity. When the Federal Army advanced upon Little Rock, and the danger of the place being captured became imminent,
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HISTORY OF ARKANSAS.
the State officers and many citizens moved southward. The seat of Government was temporarily established at Washing- ton, and the army, retreating in that direction, took a position first at Arkadelphia, and finally at Camden, on the Ouachita river, where they went into winter quarters. Having rested at Little Rock until spring of 1864, General Steele set out with an expedition to overtake the Confederates, and, if possible, drive them out of the State, and then turning southward to effect a junction with Banks' Army. Steele's advance pushed southward until Camden was reached, which place they occu- pied April 15th, 1864. On the 18th of April, a fierce battle took place twelve miles northwest from Camden, on the Washington, Prairie d'Ann and Camden road, between the Confederates, under Generals Maxey, Marmaduke and Cabell, and the Federals, composed of Thayer's Division. The engagement was a complete success for the Confederates. They captured 150 prisoners, and 220 six-mule wagons and teams; 25 wagons were burned, and 195 were brought off. The Federal loss was stated at from 450 to 700, and that of the Confederates at about 50. This engagement is usually called the battle of Poison Spring.
On the 25th of April, 1864, cavalry forces of General J. F. Fagan's command struck a large wagon train out from Pine Bluff, guarded by about 2,000 men, and a severe engagement took place at Marks' Mills, in what is now Cleveland county. The result of the affair was in favor of the Confederates, who took a number of prisoners and captured wagons.
On the next day, the other portion of Steele's advance evacuated Camden, and began a retreat to Little Rock. Smith's Army came up to them at Jenkins' Ferry, in the Saline bottoms, and a desperate and bloody conflict ensued April 30th, in which Steele's forces were roughly handled, and the entire army narrowly escaped capture by a rapid retreat to the capital. This place Steele fortified with entrenchments, in the belief that an attempt would be made to re-capture the
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1864-1865.
city. The Confederates, however, did not pursue beyond the Saline river. The Confederate loss in this battle was also considerable. It is described as having been one of the most desperate and sanguinary combats of the whole war, consid- ering the numbers engaged. In the Thirty-third Arkansas Regiment, Colonel Grinstead, Sergeant-Major Hugh McCol- lum, Lieutenant W. H. Dixon, of Company "A," and J. W. Lankford, Captain of Company "K," were killed.
One of the tragic incidents of this date was the execution of David Dodd, a young lad of seventeen years. He was arrested while making his way through the Federal lines, go- ing south. Papers were found on his person containing in- formation as to the Federal forces occupying Little Rock. He was charged with being a spy, and, on being tried by a court martial, was sentenced to be hung. A strong appeal was made to General Steele in his behalf, on account of his youth, but that officer was inexorable, and Dodd was executed January 8th, 1864. He was born in Lavacca county, Texas, November 10th, 1846. Just before his execution he wrote a touching letter to his mother, in which he expressed his per- fect willingness to die for his country. A handsome monu- ment now marks his resting place in Mount Holly Ceme- tery, Little Rock.
- About the Ist of September, 1864, General Price set out from his camp in Southwest Arkansas on a raid through Upper Arkansas, and into Missouri. A number of troops had been raised especially for this raid. A portion of his army consisted of sixteen regiments of cavalry. General James F. Fagan was second in command.
After reaching the upper part of the State, and entering into Missouri, there was skirmishing every day, often amounting to a considerable engagement. The principal battle was fought at Pilot Knob, Missouri, September 27th, 1864.
General Price made an attack on the place, which was strongly fortified. Notwithstanding the terrible storm of
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shot and shell that swept from the Federal works and thinned their ranks at every step, the Confederates dashed up to the very face of the breast-works, and made efforts to scale the para- pet. They had brought ladders with them for the purpose, which proved too short to pass the ditch on the outside and scale the works, but they spliced one ladder upon another, to make long enough ones. But it was impossible to hold the position they had gained, so they were obliged to retire, hav- ing suffered great loss in the attempt. That night the Fed- erals blew up the powder magazine inside the works, and re- treated in the darkness, abandoning their defenses.
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