USA > Illinois > History of the Fourth Illinois cavalry regiment > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
Very repectfully, your obedient servant, EDWARD HATCH, Colonel Commanding.
May 22d-The effective force of our regiment, excepting Companies E and C, under Major Townsend, started out at an early hour and crossed the Coldwater at Quinns Mill. When near Byhalia we came onto a force of the enemy and not knowing their strength we were ordered back across the Coldwater where we were soon joined by Colonel McCrellis with the Third and Ninth Illinois Cavalry from Germantown, to whose command we belonged, and also by Colonel Hatch with the Second and Sixth Iowa and a battery of artillery from LaGrange.
When we moved on and dispersed the enemy passed through Byhalia, Corcoran, Buck Snort and on to Senatobia. The third day out our regiment had the advance and Company I the extreme advance.
Chalmers was at Senatobia with a force estimated at 2000. Colonel Hatch went around in the rear with his
129
command and McCrellis attacked from the front but Chalmers slipped out and got away.
Some miscreant from our regiment set fire to the town and several buildings' burned. The command broke up after Colonel Hatch satisfied himself that the rebels had gone south of the Tallahatchie river and each command went to its own camp. We were absent on this expedition five days.
Colonel McCrellis below makes a brief report of this expedition, but Colonel Hatch makes a more full report which here follows McCrellis' report.
Report of Colonel LaFayette McCrellis, Third Illinois Cavalry, Commanding Second Cavalry Brigade to Major General S. A. Hurlbut:
Germantown, May 25, 1863 :- My command has returned and is in camp. I have the honor to report that on the 23d inst., at noon, two miles east of Senatobia on Basket creek, I came up with General Chalmers rebel forces, 1500 strong, commanded by Colonel R. McCulloch, and in three hours whipped him out and drove him into Panola.
Casualties: Killed and wounded none. Rebel loss, eleven killed. They admit fifteen wounded.
L. F. McCRELLIS, Colonel Commanding Second Brigade.
Following is Colonel Hatch's report of this expedition to Captain W. H. Morgan, Assistant Adjutant General Cavalry Division:
La Grange, Tennessee, May 31, 1863 :- I have the honor to report that complying with orders from General Smith, I left camp at LaGrange, Tennessee, on the morning of May 21, 1863, to carry out instructions from Major General Hurlbut to beat up the rebel general, Chalmer's, quarters and disperse his forces, collecting stock and provisions and destroying forage.
I proceeded with the Second Iowa Cavalry, Sixth Iowa Infantry, detachments of the Sixth and Seventh Illinois Cavalry, three two-pound guns of the First Illinois Light Artillery and one section of six-pounders of Cooper's
130
Battery, to Mt. Pleasant, thence two miles south of Byhalia, where I was joined by Colonel McCrellis' Second Brigade of Cavalry with two howitzers. Colonel McCrellis having driven the enemy out of Byhalia two hours before. %
Having reason to believe the enemy would offer battle at Cockrums Cross Roads, on the morning of May 22d, I dispatched Colonel McCrelli's command by a road to my left to take the enemy in flank and rear while I moved the balance of my command by direct road to Cockrums. The enemy's picket disputed the ground steadily to this point. The enemy retreated from Jock: ins toward Loosoho n'a on Jim Wolf creek.
May 23d-At daylight the enemy attacked my pickets, leading me to believe they would fight at Looxohoma. We marched early that morning, skirmishing with the enemy, to Looxohoma.
At this point I sent Colonel McCrellis to feel the enemy toward Senatobia and inform me if he found them in force. I moved the main column through Looxohoma, driving an inferior force south toward Panola. Colonel McCrellis reported that he found the enemy in force four miles from Looxohoma in a very strong position in the swamps of Senatobia creek. I immediately sent him orders to press the enemy, slowly, while I pushed around the enemy's right flank to his rear. The road being rough, after marching six miles, I found my artillery could not move rapidly. Returning the Sixth Iowa to support it, I pushed all my cavalry rapidly southwest six miles further, reaching the main Senatobia and Panola road six miles south of Senatobia. Supposing the main body of the enemy had not escaped from Colonel McCrellis, I pushed the cavalry rapidly toward Senatobia.
In the meantime the enemy, after a sharp skirmish with Colonel Mc Crellis, had broken and fled rapidly, avoiding the main column, leaving nine killed in the fight in the swamps about Senatobia creek. A few minutes after reaching the town it was fired on the windward side.
131
Although active inquiries have been made so far the officers have failed to ascertain the perpetrators and though both men and officers of Colonel McCrellis' command worked resolutely and cheerfully to extinguish the fire I am under the impression that the buildings were fired by men of his command or some citizen scouts that happened to be with the Brigade at the time. *
Great credit is due the command of Colonel McCrellis in driving the enemy out of the swamps at Senatobia, a very strong position.
Camping that night two miles south of the town, I pushed Colonel McCrellis' command south toward Panola and other detachments in other directions, as the enemy had gone on different roads. * * * *
Colonel McCrellis reported the following day at Coldwater Station. He had driven the detachments of the enemy going south over the Tallahatchie river. The next day, May 26, I broke my command up in detachments, sending one column by way of Cockrum's Cross roads and near Holly Springs to LaGrange, one by way of Mt. Pleasant, Colliersville and LaGrange, one direct to Colliersville and one to Germantown, with orders to scour the country for guerillas.
The weather being hot and dusty I lost many animals, which I was able to replace, bringing in four-hundred at the different posts. The casualties in this scout were five men wounded. The cattle were turned over to Colonel McCrellis at Hernando.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
EDWARD HATCH.
June 7th-The troops all left Colliersville but our regiment and for nearly a week we held the place alone. We were on duty constantly. Our horses were hardly unsaddled during that time.
Since June 16th the effective force of our regiment, under Colonel M. R. M. Wallace, started out with five day's rations and were joined by a detachment of the Third and Ninth Illinois Cavalry from Germantown, under Colonel McCrellis. The advance guard was composed of
132
about thirty men from Companies I and L, under Lieutenant Baker of Company L.
At the Coldwater we were fired on from ambush by a small force of rebel cavalry. The rebels instantly broke to run and the Lieutenant ordered a charge but we were hindered somewhat in getting across Coldwater, as we had to ford it, and the water was nearly belly deep on our horses and that gave the rebels the start. We did not give up the chase until we were nearly to Byhalia, which was about five miles.
By this time the rebels had scattered into the brush and we lost all trace of them. We captured five men and several horses. Lieutenant Baker's horse broke a leg in the run and Colonel Wallace told me later that Lieutenant Baker shot his horse accidently in the charge but he caught a rebel horse and went on with the chase.
I was riding a mule at the time which could not keep up but did the best it could. Seeing a couple of shotguns lying in the road, that the rebels bad dropped, I thought I would stop and pick them up. But no, I could no more stop the mule than I could make him keep up with the column.
Company L had three men slightly wounded and two horses killed. This occured at the ambush. We went through Byhalia east to Chulahoma and at the Cox Cross roads we were joined by Colonels Hatch and Meisner with the Third Michigan, Second Iowa and the Eleventh Illinois Cavalry Regiments. Here we turned south to Wyatts on the Tallahatchie river, five miles west of the Mississippi Central railroad. We crossed the river on a foot log, swimming our horses. A raft was constructed to get the ambulances and a few pieces of two-pound artillery across.
We went west to Panola on the south side of the river. Panola is about three miles from Wyatt. Company I guarded prisoners the day we got into Panola. We had a prisoner for each man. We were the left file and the prisoners the right file. Three of them were picked up the day before in the road: they were going home on a
133
furlough. They took us for their own men until we were so close to them that they could not escape. We had our jackets off and our grey shirts deceived them. One of the prisoners was an artillery Lieutenant. He commanded the section of artillery that engaged us on November 29 last. Our artillery dismounted one of his guns and his other gun was disabled at Coffeeville three days later by the same battery.
I guarded a wiry little Texan. He made lots of fun of my big feet and awkward riding. He was a cowboy before the war.
Chalmers had been at Panola with a force about equal to ours but he left on our approach. A part of the force, including our regiment, went down the Memphis & Greneda railroad and burned the bridge over the Yockna river.
Some vandal set fire to the court house at Panola, burning it and a lot of the town with it. We brought away fifty stand of arms found in the jail, a caisson, two battery wagons and a printing press. In the printing office was found a poster just struck off which read, "The Yankee's have come, look out for your henroosts." Good advice. The printer did not stay to post it up. Some of the boys struck off the following and posted them about town: "The Yankee's have come and Chalmers has run." Also very true. We never got a fight out of Chalmers.
The command broke up after crossing the Tallahatchie and each command went to their own camp. After we crossed the Coldwater we burned everything that was combustible, excepting dwellings. The smoke from the burning fences was almost suffocating. We brought in fifty prisoners and probably two-hundred horses and mules.
Report of Colonel McCrellis Third Illinois Cavalry Commanding First Cavalry Brigade to Colonel J. K. Meisner Chief of Cavalry Left Wing, Sixteenth Army Corps:
Germantown, Tennessee, July 13, 1863 :- In obedience
134
to your orders by telegraph of the 15th of June my command was in the saddle with six day's rations, light, at five a. m. of the 16th day of June, 1863, consisting of four companies of the Third Illinois Cavalry, under Captain Kirkbride; eleven companies of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel Wallace; and nine companies of the Ninth Illinois Cavalry under Major Gifford; in all 775 men.
After leaving two companies of the Third Illinois at LaFayette and three companies of the Ninth Illinois at Germantown, for patrol duty, I proceeded on the nearest and most practical route to Coldwater. Crossing at Quinn's Mills, where our advance guards encountered a rebel picket of twenty men belonging as state to the Second Missouri Rebel Cavalry.
The advance of my column discovered that the bridge across the Coldwater had been lately destroyed and halted to make preparations for crossing, when the enemy fired a volley from the rear of two out buildings, standing within forty feet of the creek bank where they were concealed.
Three enlisted men of Company L Fourth Illinois Cavalry were wounded, two seriously and one slightly. As soon as possible the advance guard was crossed and proceeded after the fast retreating enemy, capturing five prisoners. After some little preparation the command was crossed by fording, the wounded being returned to Colliersville by ambulance, with one company for guard, with instructions to return to the command by night.
My command advanced steadily on the Byhalia road, the advance skirmishing with the enemy, he having been' re-enforced by two companies from Panola, as I learned that were being sent out to relieve the rebel pickets at the Coldwater. Arrived at Byhalia at two p. m. of the same day halting my command for a thirty minute rest.
From here I proceeded in a southeast direction on the Chulahoma road. Arrived at Chulahoma at 8:30 a. m. of the 17th. From here I proceeded on the Holly Springs road to Cozey's farm where I took the Wyatt road. Arrived
135
at Wyatt at eleven a. m. where I reported to you in person with my command.
In obedience to your orders I directed two companies to cross the Tallahatchie by swimming, being companies H and I Ninth Illinois Cavalry who were ordered to guard the opposite side while preparation were being made to cross the command. During the afternoon of the same day companies F, G, H and C, Ninth Illinois Cavalry, were crossed and joined the two companies above mentioned, being all that I was able to cross before dark, owing to the crossing of Colonel Hatch's command.
At daylight the following morning I finished the crossing of my command and reported to you for orders. Camping with the Second and Fourth Brigade the same night, sending one staff officer as directed by you for orders at daylight on the morning of the nineteenth.
I then proceeded with my command, as directed, on the Oxford and Panola road towards Panola. Arriving at Panola at seven a. m. I halted my command to await orders. I detailed one company, agreeable to your order, for provost guard in the town. I then proceeded south on the Charleston road, as directed by you, a distance of five miles, halted my command and sent small scouting parties east, south and west to gather horses and mules.
Receiving orders fron you to move my command back to Panola by three p. m. I proceeded on the same road back arriving at the ferry at 3:30 p. m. Crossing the Tallahatchie river I proceeded with my command to camp seven miles north of Panola on the Hernando road.
Receiving orders from you the following morning to the effect that I should fall in the rear of the Fourth Brigade with my whole command I remained in camp until they came up. At Wallace's I received information of the presence of one-hundred rebel cavalry two miles to my left, proceeding north. I detached seven companies of the Ninth and two companies of the Third Illinois Cavalry, under Major Gifford of the Ninth Illinois Cavalry ordering him to scour the country on my left and report to me with his command at Senatobia. Failing to report for
136
some cause at that place I proceeded to Coldwater Station to hold the crossing of the Coldwater as directed.
Arriving at the place of crossing I found evidence of the enemy having crossed in force some two or three days previous, going north. The ferry boat, I found, was cut loose at its place and that an attempt had been made to sink it.
While preparations were being made to cross the command I received orders from you to send the available force of the Ninth Cavalry to report to you that night. I immediately dispatched a staff officer to Senatobia with orders to Major Gifford to report with his command to you immediately on the Helena road five miles west of Senatobia. I crossed my command and proceeded to camp five miles from Hernando, leaving one company at the crossing of the Coldwater for pickets.
We left camp the next morning at six o'clock and proceeded direct to Hernando where I took the Olive Branch road. Not being able to find the enemy, in obedience to orders received from you that my command should return to their respective stations, I proceeded to Olive Branch where I directed the Fourth Illinois Cavalry to take the Colliersville road also the two remaining companies of the Third Cavalry arriving at Germantown at 6:30 p. m. of the 31st of June, 1863. We captured during the scout the following property: Forty-six horses, eight-four mules and one-hundred and eighty-seven cattle.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
L. F. McCRELLIS,
Colonel Commanding First Brigade.
July 29th-Companies E, H, I and M, under Major Townsend, with about one-hundred men from the Ninth Illinois Cavalry that joined us at Byhalia, went on to Corcorans Cross roads where we turned west and crossed the Coldwater about five miles from the latter place and returned the next day by way of Pleasant Hill.
On July 16, 1863, four companies of our regiment, Companies D, E, G and K, under Major Wemple,
137
accompanied by a detachment from the Third and Ninth Illinois Cavalry and two howitzers from Germantown, all under the command of L. F. McCrellis, crossed Wolf river with three days rations-after Richardson again. The latter is as slippery as an eel. We have done a lot of chasing after him and his command, but he manages to give us the slip every time. Colonel Grierson is the only one that has ever caught him napping.
Scout from Germantown, Tennessee. Report of Colonel L. F. McCrellis, Third Illinois Cavalry Commanding First Brigade Cavalry Division to Lieutenant Colonel Henry Binmore, Assistant Adjutant General.
ยท Germantown, July 20, 1863-I have the honor to report that I left Germantown on the morning of the 16th with two-hundred and fifty men of the Ninth Illinois Cavalry and marched to Colliersville. Taking with me one hundred and fifty men of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry I crossed Wolf river and marched to Hickory Wythe and thence north towards Quinn's Mills on the Luceh river, about two miles from Hickory Wythe. I captured a person just conscripted by Richardson and who was then going to Galloway Switch where he was ordered to report that day
I immediately forded the Luceh at Quinn's Mills and pushed on to Galloway Switch where I captured four or five prisoner conscripts but could learn nothing of Richardson or any part of his force. Parties of his men numbering from five to twenty, had been seen within two or three days but I could not get the least information from anyone as to where any of Richardson's men could be found.
I will here state that of all the men who have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States and to whom protection papers have been given I could find none who would give any information whatever.
I camped for the night one and one-half miles west of Galloway Switch, near Lieutenant J. M. Griffing of Richardson's command. I took two mules, a light wagon and a two-wheel cart from him. Lieutenant Griffing was out in command of a conscripting party.
At daylight on the morning of the seventeenth I
138
divided my command and sent a battalion up Beaver Creek bottom to meet me at Concordia, whither I proceeded with the balance of the command. I there learned from negroes that about one-hundred men had passed towards Covington two days before but could hear of none in the neighborhood any later.
I then crossed to Beaver Dam and turned south towards Shelby depot but at a cross road about five miles from Beaver Dam I struck a cavalry trail leading up into Beaver Bottom and was informed by negroes that about one-hundred and fifty of Richardson's men had passed, in the night previous. I immediately turned up the creek again but lost the trail completely in the bottom before I had gone two miles but I pushed on to within eight miles of Covington. Thence I proceeded to near Mason depot and camped near the plantation of a Mr. Sherrid.
Early on the morning of the eighteenth I sent Major Wemple of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry with eight companies towards Covington. He went within four miles of Whitley ferry north of Covington and learned that Richardson's command had been crossing the Big Hassee in squads for two or three days and that they said that I was after them with twenty-five pieces of artillery and three or four thousand men.
With the remainder of my command I proceeded east to Bellmont, thence returned to Quinn's Mills and camped about half way between the Mills and Hickory Wythe where Major Wemple joined me.
On the morning of the nineteenth I sent out two companies in different directions to hunt guerillas and marched direct to Colliersville with the main portion of my command. My scouts heard of a few scattering guerillas but could find none. We arrived at Germantown on the evening of the nineteenth.
Very respectfully your obedient servant, L. F. McCRELLIS, Colonel Commanding.
August 13th-A detachment from our regiment, with the balance of the brigade from Germantown, left camp
139
under Colonel Wallace this morning. We went by the way of Coldwater, Byhalia, Waterford, Oxford, Water Valley, and Coffeeville to Grenada. A Cavalry Brigade from LaGrange, under Lieutenant Colonel Phillipps, joined us at Oxford and took the lead, Lieutenant Colonel Phillipps taking command of the expedition. Nothing occured on the way worthy of note.
We did a little skirmishing and took a few prisoners but at Grenada we found quite a force of rebels, reported to be nine-hundred strong with two pieces of artillery. Colonel Winslow came in from the south from Vicksburg with a brigade composed of the Third and Fourth Iowa and the Fifth Illinois Cavalry.
The rebels soon left, after setting fire to the two fine railroad bridges that span the Yalla Busha river at this place. There was a great amount of rolling stock here and a good deal of it was burned by us. Colonel Winslow with a brigade of Cavalry from Vicksburg, joined us here and took command.
Our consolidated force numbers about two-thousand men. We crossed the Yockena river and returned by the way of Panola, Senatobia, Looxohoma and Buck Snort. Companies I and F guarded prisoners one day. We had thirty-four, and a right jolly set they were, too. When near Senatobia the First and Colonel Phillipps' Brigades left us for LaGrange and Colonel Winslow for Memphis. We brought in fifty prisoners and lot of horses and mules. We were absent just ten days.
Report of Lieutenant Colonel M. R. M. Wallace, Fourth Illinois Cavalry :
Colliersville, Tennessee, August 23, 1863-I have the honor to report that in obedience to orders from Colonel L. F. McCrellis commanding First Brigade Cavalry Division, I assumed command of said brigade on the thirteenth day of August and on that day in obedience to instructions from Colonel Meisner, Chief of Cavalry Left Wing, Sixteenth Army Corps, I proceeded with a force of seven-hundred and twenty enlisted men from the Third, Fourth and Ninth Illinois Cavalry by the most direct
140
route from this place to the crossing of the Tallahatchie river at Abbeyville, Mississippi, passing through Byhalia, Tallaloos, Cox' Corner and Waterford.
At Byhalia we met a squad of the enemy and gave chase. One of my men, belonging to the Ninth Illinois Cavalry, being dressed in citizens dress, having arms, was wounded by one of his comrades in the chase.
I camped the night of the thirteenth at the plantation of Mr. Withers. On the fifteenth, when about ten miles southeast of Byhalia, near the house of Mrs. Craven, my advance guard, Company M Fourth Illinois Cavalry Captain Hitt Commanding, ran onto the enemy and opened fire which was returned and Roderick Justin, private of that company, was slightly wounded in the arm.
About one mile north of Cox' Corner the same advance captured private Dixon of Captain Middleton's Company of Major Chalmer's Battalion, bearing a dispatch from Captain Middleton to Major Chalmers, informing him of our approach.
The crossing of the Tallahatchie was very difficult and slow, occupying all of the night of the fourteenth and until eleven a. m. of the fifteenth at which time I moved forward, passing through Oxford, Mississippi, at about four p. m. of that day, camping that night at the plantation of Mr. Buckner, two and one-half miles south of Oxford.
August 16th-I started at daylight, overtaking the rear of the Second Brigade at nine a. m. where Lieutenant Colonel Phillipps' Ninth Illinois mounted infantry assumed command of both brigades. Near the crossing of the Yockney river at the mouth of Taylor's creek I captured two of the enemy's privates belonging to Major Chalmer's battalion.
As a pioneer corps of the First Brigade, Lieutenant Hyde of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry commanding, was crossing the Yockney the boat sank, drowning one negro. This delayed my crossing for about two hours. After crossing I proceeded to Water Valley, where, pursuant to orders from Lieutenant Colonel Phillipps, a halt was
141
made at this place, for one hour, to feed the stock and move on at night to Coffeeville. A most terrible rain storm and the pitchy darkness of the night rendered a forward march utterly out of the question.
August 17th-At daylight we left Water Valley and proceeded without incident or casuality through Coffeeville to within five or six miles of Grenada, when, by order of the Lieutenant Colonel Commanding, I sent forward one section of the battery attached to the Ninth Illinois Cavalry, under Lieutenant Butler of that regiment, with Company A Ninth Illinois Cavalry and Companies M, E and K Fourth Illinois Cavalry. Here I also sent the Third Illinois Cavalry, under Major O'Connor, to a station on the Mississippi Central railroad where there were some rolling stock.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.