Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 109

Author: Dunbar Rowland
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant
Number of Pages: 1020

USA > Mississippi > Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II > Part 109

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The governor gave the declaration of war official proclamation at the same time, July 14, calling for a detail from each of the 13 regiments of militia (except the four drawn upon to meet the Creek danger) to form a regiment to be held in readiness for active service. The cavalry was instructed to be prepared en masse. F. L. Claiborne, recently appointed brigadier-general of militia, was entrusted with the execution of this order. To General Wil- kinson at New Orleans the governor wrote that to draw any large force from the Territory "might hazard our domestic safety," yet he was confident he could furnish as many men as the general thought it prudent to require. The militiamen were almost totally destitute of arms and ammunition, and the general was called upon for six hundred guns and adequate ammunition. A new order of things had just begun on the river. Wilkinson was asked to send the guns by "the steamboat."

Gen. Claiborne reported August 18 that the various regimental commanders had their detachments ready to march to the rendez- vous at Washington. The counties of Wilkinson, Jefferson, Clai- borne, Warren and Marion had no occasion to resort to a draft. Amite and Franklin drafted but a few privates. Adams was com- pleted by a draft principally. All await your orders with solici- tude. . I am confident they will march when ordered with great promptitude, and in all situations will discharge their duty with fidelity and zeal." Three troops of forty each was the limit

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of the cavalry force. A battalion would be organized in the Mobile district under Col. Carson as major. A company was formed at Natchez by men legally exempt from military service, who offered their services to the governor, which he accepted with hearty rec- ognition of their patriotism. They were ordered on patrol duty. The steamboat arrived at Natchez with the arms and camp equip- age Sept. 19, and the regiment began to assemble at Cantonment, Washington. About 600 men were in camp in the latter part of September, when a further detail of about 300 was ordered. The troops understood that they were called to six months service. They were formed into two battalions. Gen. Claiborne accepted the command of the regiment with the rank of colonel. Capt. A. H. Holmes, of the United States army, was detailed as inspector. Lieut. Benjamin Salvage was quartermaster.

The Mississippi regiment began the march to Baton Rouge, November 3. It was held there, in readiness to meet an attack on New Orleans, but had no occasion for active service.

Claiborne wrote from Baton Rouge, December 30, 1812, to Cowles Mead, speaker of the house, in acknowledgement of resolu- tions of the legislature regarding the detachment of Mississippi militia in the service of the United States: "Every citizen soldier felt as he should when the resolutions were read, and. · with one look manifested a determination to deserve well under any circumstances, and if an opportunity should occur in the field to do honor by their prowess to the standard presented them, as Americans united to maintain the best interests of their country." He asked that the thanks of the Mississippi regiment be tendered to the assembly. Governor Holmes wrote of this regiment July 6, 1813: "When their term of service was near expiring a considerable number of them, with many others from the same district of coun- try, entered the volunteer corps. This has very much reduced our militia force." The service of the regiment probably corresponded to Col. Claiborne's service, Sept. 6, 1812 to Feb. 28, 1813.

The organization was begun in January at Baton Rouge, of the First regiment Mississippi infantry, U. S. V., of which Joseph Carson was commissioned colonel. There was also a Louisiana reg- iment, forming a brigade, to command which Col. F. L. Caliborne was commissioned brigadier-general, U. S. V., in March. This brigade was ordered, in the latter part of June, to march to the Tombigbee. There was a panic on account of the activity of the Creek Indians. (See War with the Creeks, 1813-14.)

No British fleet was in sight during 1813, and the War with the Creeks (q.v.) absorbed the attention of the people of Mississippi, ex- cept as they read with patriotic anxiety of the battles on the Cana- dian frontier, where Brig .- Gen. Zebulon M. Pike, who had been on duty at Fort Dearborn, fell in Gen. Dearborn's ill-starred campaign, and Brig .- Gen. Leonard Covington, who had recently gone north from the Natchez, lost his life in the miserable campaign under Gen. Wilkinson, who had been called north because the government was afraid to trust him at New Orleans. New counties were cut

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off from old ones and named for Pike and Covington, and a few years later another county was named for Lawrence, of "Dont give up the ship" fame, who fell in this same mournful year of 1813. These counties lie in a crescent in southern Mississippi, commemo- rating a strange, unfortunate and fortunate war, now long forgotten. Mobile way, is another group of names of this period (Jackson, Harrison and Perry) amidst a galaxy of heroes of the Revolution.

Toward the close of the Creek war, there was another regiment of Mississippi militia in the service of the United States, put in the field in the Tombigbee country, under the command of Col. George H. Nixon. They marched from the Alabama river July 16, 1814, with a part of the 39th regulars, under Col. Thomas H. Ben- ton, to hunt out the remnant of the hostile Creeks on the Escambia river. A few days later Jackson made a treaty with the Creeks, in which they were compelled to surrender the territory shielding Pensacola from the United States, some British war ships arrived at Pensacola, and Maj. Edward Nicholl landed, began organizing the Indians that had fled from Jackson's army, and sent out a call for the people of Louisiana and Kentucky to join him in war on the United States. Before this, Jackson had started his troops down the Alabama to Mobile, which he had learned was the first point of attack of the British fleet that had been sent to the Gulf region.

Under the call of 1814 for 93,500 militia, the quota of Mississippi was 500 infantry. Accordingly the governor called for five com- panies to be made up by volunteering or draft, to rendezvous at Washington, Liberty and John Ford's on the Pearl, September 25, to march to Mount Vernon. He also promised Jackson four troops of dragoons, and infantry and cavalry were sent for in haste, September 14. The enemy's fleet was even then off Mobile Point, into which Jackson had put a garrison under Maj. Lawrence. The attack had begun when the general wrote, the ships assisted by a land force of Indians and marines. Next day, the 15th, Law- rence repulsed the enemy, destroying one of the ships, the Hermes.

On the 30th of the same month Jackson wrote the governor, ten- dering his thanks "for the promptitude with which you have as- sembled and marched your quota of troops. Capt. Doherty's [Jef- ferson] troop is composed of fine young men calculated to endure hardship. I have received the degrading news of the burning of our capital by the enemy previous to the receipt of your letter, and although I, like every American, felt much mortification at an event so well calculated to show the imbecility of our military preparations, and I might add the general measures adopted for the protection of the country, as well as the general apathy which has prevailed in the greater section of the Union; yet I am well as- sured that it will have the happy tendency to arouse the people to a vigorous and united effort in the defense of the country ; that it will render the war popular, and that such men will be selected as are calculated to, and determined on, discharging the duties as- signed them regardless of interests or popular motives. We may then look forward to a termination of the war upon terms honorable

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and advantageous to our country and not until then. I sympathize with you most cordially in the afflicting loss of your brother, Major Holmes." The governor's twenty-two year old brother, Maj. An- drew Hunter Holmes, was killed at Fort Mackinac, August 4, 1814. He had seen his first service against the Lafitte brigands, near New Orleans.

The Mobile danger passed, Jackson turned to Pensacola, which he had said was his objective of campaign, a year before. At Mims' ferry, the Mississippi dragoons and other mounted men left their horses, to march the rest of the way on foot. The soldiers forced an entrance into the town November 7, the British fled to the ships and blew up Fort Barrancas next day, and on the 9th Jackson destroyed the remaining fort and set his army in motion for Fort Montgomery, on the Perdido. The Dragoons did good work in the Pensacola campaign, and in the command of Majors Blue and Kennedy was a party of Choctaw warriors. The move- ments of this little army in this campaign and the return to Mobile, through a wild and almost pathless wilderness, were as well-con- ceived and brilliantly and rapidly executed as anything in the his- tory of Napoleon, or the records of Jackson in the Valley or Grant in Mississippi. Yet historians have never done the campaign jus- tice, misled by the stupid comments of bureau officials at Wash- ·ington. The capture of Pensacola, defense of Mobile and battles ·of New Orleans, were part of one masterly campaign by militia infantry, without railroads, against British veterans transported by the British navy.

What Natchez and the coast had to fear from British invasion may be inferred from the following extracts from British letters regarding the subsequent operations on the Georgia coast, captured on the ship St. Lawrence: "We had some fine fun at St. Mary's; the bombs were at the town and had plenty of plunder. How are you off for tables, chests of drawers, etc?" Concerning the taking of Cumberland island-"Part of the black regiment employed on this service acted with great gallantry. Blacky had no idea of giv- ing quarters, and it was with difficulty the officers prevented their putting the prisoners to death."

Jackson hastened on to New Orleans and prepared for defense. calling to his assistance all who could carry a gun. militia of all sorts and conditions, Lafitte's pirates and "men of color" even from Mobile. The naval engagements at Bay St. Louis and Malheu- reux islands. December 13-14, left Lake Borgne exposed to the enemy's small boats from the naval station at Ship Island. (See Miss. Sound.) Tennessee militia, 2.700 strong. reached Natchez. December 13. under Gen. Carroll, whom Judge George Poindexter joined as an aide. The Dragoons (q. v.). under Maj. Hinds, arrived at New Orleans just in time to take part in the first battle. Decem- ber 23. The Natchez Volunteer Riflemen organized under Capt. James C. Wilkins, reached the city on the day of the battle of Tan- uary 8, 1815, and took position on the field. Maj. Chotard, a gallant Mississippian, served on the staff of Jackson, and was wounded by

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a shell near the Villere mansion. During the great battle of Janu- ary 8 Sam Dale arrived after a ride of eight days, horseback, cross country from Georgia, bearing despatches from the war depart- ment. Dale carried back with equally remarkable speed, the glo- rious news of victory. The British prisoners taken at New Orleans were held at Cantonment Washington, and on March 1, they were marched to Natchez to embark, escorted by a company of militia under Capt. James Green. British ships were not far off, for they had made another attack on Fort Bowyer, and captured it February 11, just two days before news of the treaty of peace came from Jamaica. The British fleet sailed away in March, after having ruled the Mississippi sound for many months.

The total contribution of the Mississippi Territory to this war was as follows: Cavalry, officers, 44, men, 442; mounted infantry, officers 51, men, 738; riflemen, officers 21, men, 326 ; spies, officers 1, men, 13. Total 1.667. Such was the record of the war depart- ment of the United States. Of course many more performed mil- itary duty of more or less importance and danger. But the list above given exceeds that of South Carolina or North Carolina, and surpasses that of Massachusetts in all items except that a large number of artillerymen were recruited in that State. Massachu- setts' total list, including 2,700 artillerymen, was only 3,350.

Mississippi Territory was the principal gainer by the war of 1812-15, which nearly everywhere else was the occasion of humil- iation. The Territory gained the Gulf coast; the Spaniards at Pensacola were deprived of their military strength; the Indians were thoroughly subdued. The belt of country along the south open to settlement was extended to the Chattahoochee, and the patriotism of the people was enriched by memories of the wonder- ful victory at New Orleans.

War of 1861-65. (See Army, C.S., Army of Miss., and Pettus Adm.) The first hostilities in the Gulf States were the occupation of the Mt. Vernon arsenal and Fort Morgan by the State troops of Ala- bama January 4, 1861. On the 10th Louisiana troops took posses- sion of the Baton Rouge arsenal and the forts on the river. Ala- bama was sending troops to occupy Pensacola, where the navy yard and mainland forts were taken, but a small garrison of United States troops held out at Fort Pickens, on the island. It was on the same day that the Mississippi ordinance was passed, January 9, that the steamship Star of the West, carrying food to the United States garrison at Fort Sumter, in Charleston harbor, was fired upon by the South Carolina batteries and turned back. Governor Pettus ordered seven companies, from the counties of Chickasaw, Lowndes, Noxubee and Clarke, on the line of the Mobile & Ohio railroad, to Mobile and Pensacola, to aid Alabama. The Missis- sippians at Pensacola were held inactive, else there would have been a battle there in January. Before the forts in Louisiana were taken, Governor Pettus, on the request of the governor of Louis- iana, "sent Capt. Kerr with 16 of the Jackson Artillery, and ordered Capt. H. H. Miller to call out the volunteer companies of Vicksburg,

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and take such position as would enable him to prevent any hostile expedition from the Northern States descending the river." Kerr arrived at Vicksburg, January 10, and with the Vicksburg South- rons, Capt. Moore, the Sharpshooters, Capt. Miller, and the War- ren Guards, Capt. Brown, encamped and fortified at Fort Hill. Next day a steamer from Cincinnati, on passing by, was fired upon. But there was no hostile move from the North, and the State hastened to disavow any intention to obstruct the river to com- merce. This assurance was formally renewed from time to time, notably in 1862, when the legislature asked that the commanders of the armies marching to the Ohio river proclaim that the Mississippi river should remain free to commerce. The workmen engaged in the United States government works at Ship Island were visited by armed parties of Mississippi militia January 13, who declared their intention to take possession, acting on their own authority, and a flag was hoisted. There was no interference, however, until another party arrived on the 20th and took forcible possession of the works and engineer property. Lieut. F. E. Prime, the officer in charge, reported that it was rumored at Biloxi that Governor Pettus had not directed this. It was, however, fully sanctioned by him. By his order the engineer property was sent to New Orleans, and sold for $900, which was invested in powder. The next military operations in which Mississippi troops engaged were those against Fort Pickens, Pensacola harbor. (q. v.) After the capture of Fort Sumter troops were sent to Virginia, which later were orga- nized in the army of Northern Virginia (q. v.)

In April, 1861, Wirt Adams, of Mississippi, to whom President Davis had offered a cabinet office, suggested the danger of a naval attack on New Orleans. The president replied that the subject had been considered, and such an attack was "improbable politi- cally," and the capture of New Orleans was a "physical impossi- bility." A. M. Clayton, at Montgomery, in May received a letter from Charleston advising him: "I hope you will not let our gov- ernment lose sight of the vast interests at stake in the Mississippi valley, and by all means urge the keeping open the navigation of the Mississippi river and the possession of Saint Louis at all hazards."

In June, the mouth of the Mississippi river was blockaded by Federal war ships, and the launches from these ships began raid- ing Mississippi sound, where a Confederate patrol had been estab- lished. Capt. Higgins, with two armed lake steamers, under Cap- tains Myers and Warley, sailed out July 6, and left a garrison at Ship Island, while one of the boats went back to obtain supplies at New Orleans. Warley, left in command on the island, was at- tacked by the U. S. Steamer Massachusetts, and held out until Higgins returned, when the enemy was driven off. The Confeder- ates were reinforced by three companies from Mississippi City. under Col. H. W. Allen, and fortification was begun. One Missis- sippi regiment was on the island a short time, and a Mississippi battery of heavy artillery was stationed there. But the garrison

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was withdrawn, on the recommendation of Col. J. K. Duncan, September 26, just in time to escape an attack from the United States navy. The island was occupied by a New England brigade December 8. There were then on the coast only one scant regiment of Mississippi troops and two batteries with six light guns. It was impossible to defend the coast, except with a navy.

After the rout of the Union army at Manassas, (q. v.) which per- suaded many that peace would follow, the leading men .in Missis- sippi were not deceived. It was evident that the main effort of the United States government was to gain control of the Missis- sippi river, which would make the independence of the South a physical impossibility. A determined effort was made to bring Missouri into the Confederacy, but it failed. The main part of the military strength of the State went into the Union army, and St. Louis was Union headquarters in the West. The fight for the Mississippi must be made south of the Ohio. Meanwhile, the transfer of the Confederate capital to Richmond gave the impres- sion that the post of honor for a Confederate soldier was in Vir- ginia. August 30, 1861, congress authorized President Davis to provide "floating defenses" of the river, "against a descent of iron- plated steam gunboats." Albert Sidney Johnston, regarded as one of the ablest soldiers of America, was assigned to command west of the Alleghanies. In September he began the concentration of troops in Kentucky, but it was too late. (See Armies of Kentucky and the Mississippi.) The first Confederate position on the Mis- sissippi river, north, was Columbus, Ky. Grant's victory at Fort Donelson compelled the immediate abandonment of Columbus. The next stand was at Island No. 10 and New Madrid, which ended / in surrender, at the same time as the battle of Shiloh, April 7th, almost on Mississippi soil. The Confederate government was building two ironclad rams at Memphis, the Tennessee and Arkan- sas, (q. v.) and upon the fall of Island No. 10, the Tennessee was burned and the Arkansas brought down the river and up the Yazoo to Greenwood, for completion. There was nothing but disaster. Early in June both Corinth and Memphis were in the hands of the United States troops. (See Army of the Mississippi).

While 200,000 men were in hostile camps in northeast Missis- sippi, the coast was not without its excitement. April 3, 500 Fed- erals were landed at Biloxi and Gen. Lovell, late captain of the Quitman artillery, sent Col. Deason with 7 companies of the 3d Mississippi, (stationed at Pass Christian) against them by land, and three armed vessels. But the Federals re-embarked their men, beat off the Confederate boats, and then landed a force at Pass Christian which overpowered the companies left there, and burned their camp. Soon after this the 3d regiment was called to New Orleans, and the coast abandoned by Confederate troops. Com- modore Farragut, son of the captain who took possession of the coast for the United States in 1811. had a formidable fleet off the coast, part of which anchored at Ship Island. Gen. B. F. Butler arrived there March 21, and there embarked 6,000 men on the

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29th to support the naval campaign against New Orleans. The 3d Mississippi was among the last Confederate troops to leave that city, which went into Federal possession April 24. The Fed- eral fleet advanced up the river, and reached Natchez, May 12. Col. C. G. Dahlgren was there with a small body of State troops, and fell back to Washington. The city was surrendered by the mayor. When the boats had passed, Dahlgren resumed posses- sion. The Mississippi river, northward, was defended by a flotilla of eight Confederate rams, fitted up from tow boats at New Or- leans, in January to May, 1862. They were under the command of Capts. J. E. Montgomery, W. H. H. Leonard, J. E. Henthorne, Isaac D. Fulkerson, W. W. Lamb, J. H. Burke, J. C. DeLancy, and J. H. Hurt. Fulkerson's boat was called the VanDorn. Burke's the Thompson, DeLancy's the Lovell. Montgomery was the commodore. They took position at Fort Pillow, north of Mem- phis. May 10 they sunk one Federal ironclad and ran another to shore. When Fort Pillow was evacuated June 4, they dropped down to Memphis, where they fought a splendid naval battle June 6. But the Federal ironclads had been reinforced with seven rams, and all the Confederate boats were destroyed but the VanDorn, and the supply boat, Paul Jones, which took refuge at Greenwood. This was the first fight of steam rams in the history of the world. Now the river was open to the Federal navy from both the north and south against Vicksburg, where a naval bombardment was begun May 26, 1862, and continued for 67 days. (See Vicksburg, First defense.)

The naval expedition against Vicksburg, the battle of Shiloh and the siege of Corinth, were parts of the first Mississippi cam- paign. The armies then arrayed in northeast Mississippi were the greatest ever collected on the soil of the State, but they were speedily dissipated. The Federals threw out their left and right wings to Memphis and Chattanooga. The Confederates made a like move toward Vicksburg and Chattanooga. Bragg found he was able to turn the Federal left flank along the Cumberland mountains, and made the famous raid toward Louisville, that carried the bulk of the Federal troops. under Buel, back with him into Kentucky. This, for a time, relieved the pressure towards Vicksburg

Gen. Earl VanDorn was assigned to command of the District of the Mississippi, embracing all the State west of Pearl river and the Central railroad. Gen. John H. Forney was given command of the coast region, as far east as the Chattahoochee river, and north as far as Quitman, in Mississippi. July 4, 1862, VanDorn issued General Orders No. 9, declaring martial law. forbidding trade in cotton with the Federals under pain of death, requiring the acceptance of Confederate money, regulating newspapers and prohibiting exorbitant prices. The provost-marshal general and provosts in each county were charged with the execution of the order. This raised a storm in Mississippi, and the newspapers alluded to the general as a "military tyrant." VanDorn had a plan

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for driving the Federals out of New Orleans with the aid of the ram Arkansas, but this was checkmated by the occupation of Baton Rouge by Gen. Williams, with the troops withdrawn from opposite Vicksburg. Breckinridge was sent by VanDorn to drive Williams out, but failed to capture Baton Rouge (q. v). Breckin- ridge began the fortification of Port Hudson, which became a strong support of Vicksburg on the South. Breckinridge, and the troops with him, did not get back to Jackson until August 17.

Gen. Joseph Wheeler, who succeeded Chalmers in cavalry com- mand, before Tupelo, went on his first raid, in the latter part of July, to Bolivar and Jackson, Tenn., Pinson's regiment forming part of his force, and fought eight battles and destroyed the rail- road bridges and much Federal property, and cotton. Other raids, by Adams and Falkner on the Confederate side, and like ma- noeuvres on the part of the Federals, continued through July and August. Some mounted Mississippians were with Armstrong, in a raid from Holly Springs, August 26, to Denmark, and some of Pinson's men and other companies met Grierson's raid from Mem- phis at the Coldwater railroad bridge a little later.

VanDorn, after the failure of the Baton Rouge expedition and the loss of the ram Arkansas, went to the support of Price in north Mississippi. On the assurance that VanDorn would move from Holly Springs to join him, September 12. Price advanced on Iuka and encamped there, seeking a battle with Rosecrans. VanDorn, with his 10,000, instead of joining Price, moved to Grand Junction, Tenn., where Hurlbut engaged his attention, while Grant, at Burnsville, set two columns in motion against Price, Rosecrans with 9,000 from Jacinto, and Ord with 8,000 north of the railroad. He hoped to destroy or capture Price's entire army. Thus resulted the battle of Iuka (q. v.). Price narrowly escaped from the trap, and he and VanDorn united their forces at Ripley, September 28, VanDorn taking command under orders from the war department. The troops from Vicksburg formed a division under Gen. Mans- field Lovell. The army thus formed was 22,000 strong. VanDorn was confronted by Grant, his headquarters at Jackson, Tenn., with 6.500 men under Sherman at Memphis, 18,000 at Jackson and Bolivar under Ord, and 23,000 under Rosecrans, at Corinth, Rienzi, Burnsville, Jacinto and Iuka. VanDorn made the fatal resolve to attack Rosecrans at Corinth, planning to surprise and defeat him before he could bring in his outposts. The battle of Corinth, (q. v.) that resulted, was one of the bloodiest of the war, and badly crippled VanDorn's army, which retreated to Holly Springs.

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Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II, Part 109

Author: Dunbar Rowland Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant Number of Pages: 1020

Author: Dunbar Rowland
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Madison, Wis. : S.A. Brant
Number of Pages: 1020