USA > Mississippi > History of the Seventh Indiana cavalry volunteers, and the expeditions, campaigns, raids, marches, and battles of the armies with which it was connected. with biographical sketches of Brevet Major General John P. C. Shanks, and of Brever Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Browne, and other officers of the regiment; with an account of the burning of the steamer Sultana on the Mississippi river, and of the capture, trial conviction and execution fo Dick Davis, the Guerrilla > Part 11
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The cavalry under Col. Winslow, marched to Cape Girardeau, where it embarked on steambo its, siled up the Mississippi, to the Missouri river, and up it, to Jefferson City, where it disem. barked.
Gen. Price, An Ing Jefferson City too strong for him to v'ta E marched upon Boonville, on the Missouri river.
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Gen. Pleasanton arrived from St. Louis and assumed command of the cavalry. He started Gen. Sanburn, reinforced by Winslow's cavalry, in pursuit.
At Independence, Price's rear-guard was overtaken, and a skirmish ensued. The Seventh Indiana Cavalry was in the advance, and Lieut. William H. Crane, of company "F," had command of the extreme advance guard. On coming in sight of the enemy, Lieut. Crane ordered a charge, and put the rebels to flight, and captured a few prisoners.
At the Big Blue, the Seventh Indiana Cavalry had a spirited fight with the rebels in a cornfield for the forrage, in which the rebels lost heavily in killed, and were driven from the field.
At Little Osage, Price crossed one of his divisions, and formed the rest of his army on the east side of the river, to oppose Pleasanton, who was in hot pursuit.
The country was a large prairie. Every man in both armies was in plain view. Gen. Pleasanton formed his regiments for d charge.
Winslow's brigade was formed in front of the key of Price's position, at the crossing of the river.
At the command, six thousand sabres gleamed in the bright sunlight, and six thousand cavaliers swept down on the rebel lines, with irresistible power. They dashed through the lines, doing terrible execution with the sabre. Col. Winslow charged through the line in his front, wheeled, and charged it from the rear on coming back. The rebels, unable to witstand the ouset, broke and fled to the river, the federals pursuing, and fighting them into, and across it.
The rebels were cut from their horses with the sabres, or knocked into the river with revolvers.
The Seventh Indiana was led in this battle by the interpid Maj. Simonson. The regiment captured two pieces of artillery, and three hundred prisoners. The brigule to which it was attached (Winslow's) captured tive pieces of artillery, and a
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large number of prisoners. Price lost in this battle twenty-five pieces of artillery.
His retreat now became a disorderly flight. At the Marmiton river, he was overtaken, attacked, and driven across the river, losing a large number of prisoners. The Seventh Indiana, with Winslow's brigade, made two brilliant charges at that point. The pursuit continued into Indian Territory, when it was abandoned and the cavalry returned, a part of the Seventh Indiana to St. Louis, and a part to Louisville, Kentucky. Price retreated rapidly across the Arkansas river, shorn of his former prestige. In this brief but brilliant campaign, the detachment of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry participating, saw hard service.
Leaving Memphis, it marched into the interior of Arkansas, thence to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. thence by water to the interior of the State, where it entered on an active chase of Price, traveled to the western border of the State, thence acio -- the Marmiton into the Indian Territory, and returned to St. Lonis, having traveled over a great part of the State of Missouri. It participated in three battles, and by its bravery added glory to its already proud reputation as a fighting regiment. It was complimented by Gen. Pleasanton, for its bravery and efficiency, and anthorized by him to inscribe on its banners the names of the battles of Independence, Big Blue and Osage.
Gen. Pleasanton, not satisfied with the compliments he had already bestowed on Col. Winslow's brigade, issued the follow ing complimentary order, which did not reach the regiments of the brigade until they had returned to Memphis:
HEAD. QUARTERS CAVALRY DIVISION, } WARRENSBURG, Mo., Nov. 3d, 1864. )
General Order, ? No. 11.
Winslow's Brigade of Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Benteen, being about to leave tor another department. the Major-Goweral commanding takes this occasion, not only t' express his regret in separating from such glorious troops, but
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also to recall more especially than was done in General Order, No. 6, from these Head-Quarters, the splendid manter in which this brigade fought at the Osage, capturing five pieces of artillery from the enemy, with a large number of prisoners, and carrying by a daring charge the most important and con- spicuous position on that brilliant field.
No troops could win for themselves a prouder record than they have done, and the best wishes of their commander in the late campaign will accompany them wherever their services may be required.
By command of
MAIOR .GENERAL PLEASANTON.
CLIFFORD THOMPSON,
Ist Lieut. and A. A. G.
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The detachment of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry, that re- mained at Memphis during the Missouri campaign, was con- stantly employed in performing picket duty, and in scouting in the neighborhood of the Nonconnah creek and Cold- water. It was under the command of Major Carpenter, who was untiring in his efforts to clothe, arm and equip his com- mand, it having become destitute of nearly everything, in its frequent and trying campaigns.
It seems to have been reserved for the Seventh Indiana to accomplish results of incalenlable benefit to the forces about Memphis.
As already stated, the country around the Nonconnah creek was infested with guerrillas. under the command of the notorious "Dick Davis." This man was a blood thirsty human monster. He lurked about the picket posts and shot the pickels. He lay in wait, in ambash in the thickets about the Nonconnah, for scouting parties, and poured deadly volleys into them, while he was protected by his concealed position. A brave man can fight without concern, as long as he can see an adversary to fight, but when the attack comes from an unsuspected quarter, and from an unseen foe, the highest order of courage is put to the severest test. It was understood that the guerrillas mur- dered all their prisoners; and with a secret dread, scouting parties 14
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approached the Nonconnah. "Dick Davis" inspired more fear chan Forrest himself.
On the 3d of October, Capt. Skelton, on returning after dark from a scout, and when about six miles from camp, lost some horses, that fell into a ravine. Owing to the darkness of the night, and the steepness of the banks, they could not then ve got out. In the morning, the Captain sent Corporal Archibald F. Inglish, with privates Charles Fennimore, Henry Gabler, Hiram Iseminger, Herman Kile, John L. Redding, Ashbury Ritter, of Company "F," to recover the horses. Cor- poral Inglish stationed one man as a vidette, to watch in the direction of Coldwater, while the rest, laying aside their arms, went to work to get the horses out of the ravine. While thus employed, "Dick Davis" with his men, coming from the direction of the federal camp, and who had probably watched them all the way the from the picket line, and knew full well their purpose in going out, when wear them, with a fiendish yell, dashed upon. and surrounded them. Being taken by surprise, and unarmed, they could not offer the slightest resistance, and all were captured. Davis marched them rapidly to Coldwater creek. went up the stream a few hundred yards in the heavy timber, seated them in a row, on a log across the creek, and had them shot, their bodies falling into the stream. To render his cowardly act the consummation of wickedness, he fastened a written warning over his own name, to a tree, threatening the same fate to any who should bury them.
There is no doubt but this was the fate of these men. A few lays after the outrage, a young lady called on Maj. Carpenter, . at his head -quarter, and gave snch accurate description of them, that they were readily identified as the missing persons, besides, she had letters taken from their bodies, that established their identity beyond a loubt. Capt. Skelton had a consin. a Mrs. Jennie Smith, who resided at Cockruin's-cross-roads, a few miles from Coldwater, who visited the bodies, and cause !! them to be taken out of the water and buried. She gave the Captain such an accurate description of them, that he recognized
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all as being the members of his company sent after the horses.
The manner of their death, the Author learned from two of the band, who were present at the shooting, whom he captured a few miles from Cockrum's cross-roads, while on a scout in that direction, in the summer of 1865.
The Author had command of the advance guard. Several prisoners had been captured during the day. In the afternoon quite a force formed in line across the road on the crest of a hill. The advance guard was ordered to charge. The guerrillas did not wait for the advance to close with them. but broke and scattered in all directions in the woods. The guard dashed after them and succeeded in capturing two prisoners.
While marching along the road, the advance met a negro, who well knew the prisoners, and that they belonged to "Dick Davis's" band. He told who they were, and that they were concerned in the murder, not far from there, of seven soldiers.
The prisoners at first pretended not to know the negro, and denounced his story as false. The Author had the negro con- front them and make his statement. He told all about them in such a straight-forward and convincing manner, that they did not dare to dispute him, and when he said there would be plenty of people at Cockrum's, to corroborate him, they hell ont no longer, confessed to being members of Davis's band of guerrillas, and to being present at the shooting of the members of company "F."
At that time it was reported, that the secretary of war had issued an order, that all persons captured with arms, should be deemed guerrillas, and should be shot. Although the Author had not seen it, yet he believed such an order existed, and determined to execute these men. The advance went into camp that night at Cockrum's cross-roads, where further evi- dence was found against the prisoners. The Author had prepar- ations made to hang them, the end of a rope was placed aroun i a limb of a tree, and one of the prisoners mounted on a Lotse
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under it, but still he disliked to assume the responsibility, and while hesitating what to do, Capt. Skelton arrived, who being the superior officer, the Author was relieved of the disagreeable duty. The Captain, after hearing all the facts, decided that the lives of the prisoners were forfeited under the rules of war, but concluded to defer the executions till morning.
During the night Col. Phelps, commander of the expedition arrived, to whom Capt. Skelton communicated the facts. The Colonel also concurred in the opinion that they ought to suffer death. He, however, decided to have them tried by a drum- head court-martial on the return of the expedition to camp. The prisoners were taken to the farm houses along the rout for their meals. When being taken to dinner, across a slightly wooded field they attempted to escape. The guards fired ou them and returned without them, reporting that they had es- caped. One of the guard had been a mess-mate and particular friend of one of the men murdered by the band to which these men belonged, and had often been heard to declare that if he ever came across any of the band, he would kill some of them if in his power to do so. It is probable that retributive justice overtook the assassins and robbers.
The seven men not returning as soon as they should, Capt. Skelton and Maj. Carpenter grew alarmed for their safety, and by order of the latter, the former took fifty men and proceeded in quest of them. At the Coldwater he learned that Dick Davis had captured them and was taking them in the direction of Holly Springs. Cant. Skelton believed from this that his men would be treated as prisoners of war, and it being impossible to overtake Davis, returned to camp.
A few days after their capture, Capt. Skelton, with company F, was scouting near Coldwater, and came upon a small body of Guerrillas, several were captured. The Captain saw two of the im running from a house to the woods. He dashed after hom alone, and captured them, one of whom proved to be "Tuck Davis ' himself. The full particulars of his capture wil!
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be given in the biographical sketch of Maj. Skelton ; and histrial, conviction by court-martial, and execution, in a chapter devoted to that subject.
In the latter part of October, 1861, Capt. Skelton, with a scouting party of about twenty men, early in the morning, while it was yet quite dark, ran into an ambuscade at the crossing of the Nonconnah creek. The first intimation he had of the pres- ence of a foe, was a volley fired into his ranks about fifteen or twenty feet distant, from behind the railroad embankment. Two of his men were killed, three or four wounded, and two captured and shot not far from their place of capture, and left for dead. One of them lived till the relieving party arrived, and told of his being shot after he had surrendered.
Capt. Skelton did all he could to rally his men, and charged alone in the direction of the fire, but the men dispersed and the Captain was left alone. Some of them returned to camp with information of the attack. The author was ordered to take fifty men and go to the assistance of Capt. Skelton.
The men hastily mounted their horses, and left camp on the gallop. The news spread rapidly through the regiment, and the ment without orders, sad lled and mounted their horses, and before the relieving party had gone two miles, nearly the entire regiment was following.
Capt. Skelton was met about half a mile from the ambuscade. all alone, determined not to return till he learned the fate of his men. The relieving party dispersed in all directions in the woods for miles around, to find the Guerrillas, but so perfect was their mode of dispersing, that not one of them could be found.
The Guerrillas were sometimes beaten at their own game, as the following incident will show : On one of the roads leading ont of Memphis was a picket post, so situated, that the pickets stationed at it, were an easy target to the Guerrillas who eropt through the brush within ten rods of them and picked them off, This occurred so often, the men were afraid to be stationed at that point. Corporal Adum H. Shoemaker of company F, was
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detailed for picket duty, and placed at that post. The Corporal knowing that two or three times a week a picket was killed there, took the responsibility of moving the post into a yard near a large house but a few yards distant, where the picket could watch as well, and at the same time be concealed. Early the next morning before daylight, the Corporal, who was on the alert, heard a rustling in the leaves and bushes on the opposite side of the road. Grasping his carbine and laying flat on the ground, he peered in the direction of the noise, when presently he saw a man with a gun crawling stealthily on his hands and knees, and looking in the direction of the fatal post. The Cor- poral crawled on his belly a short distance to get in a position to get good aim, when he drew a bead on the Guerrilla and fired. Immediately on the discharge of the carbine, about a dozen mounted Guerrillas dashed up from a bend in the road, to the old post, undoubtedly believing the shot they heard was fired by their comrade with the usual fatal effect, and intending to capture the reserves before they could form, as they had fre- quently done before. But the reserves were wide awake, ant when the Guerrillas made their appearance, gave them a volley from their carbines, a change in the programme the Guerrilla- were not expecting. They broke and fled in wild dismay. Cor- poral Shoemaker crossed the road to the object he fired at, and found a mortally woundel Guerrilla offleer, who lived long enough to make it known that he was the successor to "Dick Davis." It seems to have been reserved by fate for company F to avenge the death of its seven members, murdered by this band of Guerrillas. The joke was this time on the Guerrillas. who took it so seriously, that they never again disturbed that picket post.
The Presidential election was approaching, and it was deem- ed as important to win a victory for the Union at the polls as in the field. As many of the regiment as could be spared, were given a ten days furlough to go to Indi ina and vote. Toprevent this the rebels grew very active, and were continually threatening
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the lines. This caused the forces at Memphis to be constantly on the alert, and to perform arduous picket and patrole duty.
The regiments were formed in line of battle every morning before daylight, and remained in line till after sunrise, to be ready for any possible attack, and to guard against surprises.
After election, affairs about Memphis assumed their usual as- pect.
About Christmas, Gen. Grierson began preparing to make an. other of his famous raids into Mississippi, in which the 7th In- diana took a conspicuous part, an account of which will be giv- en in the next chapter.
CHAPTER VIII.
GRIERSON'S RAID THROUGH MISSISSIPPI.
Gen. Grierson marches to Harrisburg-Capt. Elliott, with the 7th Indiana Cavalry, captures Verona, a large number of pris- oners, and destroys a large quantity of rebel army stores-Ruil- road and bridges destroyed-Gen. Grierson captures a rebel stockade and its garrison at Egypt, rebel Gen. Gohlson killed --- Chases a railroad train and captures a large number of cars, and rebel prisoners-Tears up the track and prevents the arriv. al of rebel reinforcements-Cupt. Elliott, with one hundred mon. attacks three hundred rebels-Capt. Beckwith captures Banks- ton and burns a cloth and leather factory, surprise of the super- intendent of the works-Capture of hogs-Col. Osborn defeats the rebels at Franklin-Grenada captured- Arrival at Vicks- bury and enthusiastic reception-Capt. Moor's expedition into Arkansas-Cupt. Skelton captures three prisoners- Breakjust in the rebel camp.
In December, 1861, the rebel Gen. Hood marched his army in prond defiance, to Nashville, Tennessee, where he encountered that sturdy warrior, Gen. Geo. H. Thomas, and his army of vet- erans. In the battle there on the 15th, Hood sustained a ter- rible defeat, that sent his broken colminns flying in dismay to- wards the Tennessee river. At different points on the Mobile and Ohio railroad were collected supplies for Hoods ariny, and trains were constantly transporting more from the interior of Mississippi.
Gen. Grierson organized a cavalry force at Memphis, to destroy the Mobile and Ohio railroad, to prevent the transportation of supplies to Hood's army, and to capture and destroy the supplies accumulating at Verona, Okolona and Egypt on that railroad. His forces, numbering in the aggregate three thousand three hundred men, composed three brigades of cavalry. The 1st commanded by Col. Joseph Karge of the 2d New Jersey cavalry,
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was composed of the 2d New Jersey, 4th Missouri and a detach- ment of one hundred and sixty men and seven officers of the 7th Indiana cavalry, under the command of Capt, Joel H. Elliott, of company "M," and the First Mississippi Mounted Rifles. The detachment of the Seventh Indiana, was divided into three Squadrons, commanded respectively by Capt. Joseph W. Skelton, Capt. B. F. Bales and Lient. John F. Dumont. The 2d brigade, commanded by Col. Winslow of the 4th Iowa, was composed of the 3d and 4th Iowa, and 10th Missouri regiments. The 3d brigade, commanded by Col. Osborn, composed of the 4th and 11th Illinois, 2d Wisconsin and 3d U. S. colored, and a Pioneer corps of fifty men commanded by Lieut. Lewis, of the 7th In- diana cavalry.
Ten dav rations and the extra ammunition were transported un pack mules. On the 21st of December, Gen. Grierson with the 24 an 1 3d brigades, took a south-eastwardly direction from Collierville, and proceeded to Ripley, Mississippi, arriving there at noon on the 24th, without interruption. At that place, a de- tachment of one hundred and fifty men were sent to Boonville to cut the Mobileand Ohio railroad at that point, and having done so rejoined the main command at Ellistown, twenty-five miles south of Ripley; and a detachment of two hundred men went to Guntown on the railroad, and rejoined the command at Ellis- town.
The First Brigade proceeded along the Memphis and Charles- ton railroad to Lagrang ., Toun., where it left the railroad, pass- "I through Lamar and Salem, Miss., to Harrisburg, arriving at the latter place on the evening of the 25th of December. After a brief rest it proceeded in the direction of Verona on the Mo- bile and Ohio railroad. After having gone about four miles. the Ivance met the enemy, who fired upon it and then retreated. Atter pursuing them about a mile, the brigade haltel and the Tth Indiana was ordered forward to reconnoiter and capture their camp. The detachment of Capt. Skelton had the advance during that day, and had captured many prisoners, who repre- 15
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sented that the rebel force at Verona was from three thousand to seven thousand men. It was raining and the night very dark. The detachment run into an ambuscade and was fired upon, but owing to the extreme darkness, no harm was done. Gen. Grier- son had arrived with the other brigade and decided to camp for the night with the main force, but ordered Col. Karge to move forward as far as he could with his brigade. The Colonel pro- ceeded about three miles and concluded to camp till morning. but ordered Capt. Elliott to advance as far as he could with the 7th Indiana. An Aid of Col. Karge, questioning the proprie- tv of sending the 7th Indiana forward alone, the Colonel, who was a German, showed his confidence in the regiment by ex- claiming: " Mein Got, when the 7th Indiana comes back, wes all come back." Capt. Elliott had proceeded but a mile and a half when suddenly there burst forth in front of his detachment a solid sheet of flame from the muskets of the rebels. It was so unexpected, that the men were thrown into confusion, and fell back in disorder about two hundred yards, when they were halted and reformed, and again moved forward. They had gone but about half a mile when they were fired into again. Capt. Skel- ton, who commanded the advance guard, ordered a charge, and the men dashed forward into a clump of black-jack oaks, the road at that point making an abrupt turn to the left towards the town. Nothing more serious resulted from the charge, than the loss of some hats and a few scratched faces.
Capt. Skelton then rodo back to Capt. Elliott for instructions. The latter was undecided what to do, and asked the former, a- the second in command, what course to pursue. Capt. Skelton, who was always ready for emergencies, advised Capt. Elliott tu dismount the rear guard, without letting the rest of the com- mand know it, and send them across a field to make a feigned at- tack on the enemy's left, by discharging their revolvers, whoop- ing, yelling, and making all the noise they could.
Capt. Elliott liked the plan, but still thought there was a pos- sibility of it failing. He however, told Capt. Skelton if he
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would assume all the responsibility in case of a failure, he wouldl give him permission to try it. Capt. Skelton readily agreed to do so, and accordingly, sent Serg't Grey with eight men to make the feigned attack. The Sergeant executedl his orders to the let- ter, and when his pirty commenced firing, the rest of the com- mand, led by Capt. Skelton charged with yells down the roadl towards the town. The rebels supposing that Grierson's entire force was upon them, abandoned their camp, of which the 7th Indiana took possession, and also of the town. Capt. Skelton wanted the rest of the command to believe that the attack on the left was made by Gen. Grierson, so they would readily ober the order to charge when given. While pondering how he could best accomplish that purpose, a Lieutenant rode up to him and said, "Captain, don't you think we have got into a hell of a tight place?" The Captain ordered him back to his place, saying he would hear something on the left pretty soon. The Lieutenant asked him if Gen. Grierson was advancing from that direction, and the Captain said yes. It was whispered through the rank- that Grierson was coming up on the left. When the firing com- menced in that direction, the men believing reinforcements had come up, cheerfully obeyed the command to "charge." A pris- oner reported their numbers at seven hundred, two hundred of whom were old soldiers, and the remainder conscripts.
A large amount of Quartermaster and Commissary stores, four hundred and fifty new English carbines and rifles, a larg .. amount of artillery ammunition, a train of fifty cars, and two hundred and fifty wagons were captured. The most of the wag- ons were the same captured from Gen. Sturges, in June, 1561, at the battle of Brices cross-roads. Col. Karge, learning of the capture of Verona, marched the rest of the brigade to that place. and ordered the buildings containing army stores to be fired. All of the buildings except two or three, contained stores for the rebel army, and all except three were burned. The wagons were placed beside the building and destroyed with them. The Rbella, when the hre reached them, began exploding, the noise
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