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 12
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of which sounded like a furious cannonading. Gen. Grierson. several miles distant, hearing it, and believing Col. Karge was engaged with the enemy, forme I and kept the other brigades in line of battle till morning, when he moved to the town and learned the real state of facts.
After burning all the Confederate Government property, and destroying the railroad for several miles, Grierson, with his entire force, returned to Harrisburg.
While Col. Karge was moving on Verona, Lieut .- Col. ' Funk, with the Eleventh Illinois, went to Old Town, and burned the bridge and a long trestle-work over the creek.
On the morning of the 20th, Gen. Grierson marched from Harrisburg for Okolona, the Third Brigade following the rail- road, burning the bridge- and trestle-work, and tearing up the track, and cutting the telegraph wires, to Shannon, where it captured a train of cars, containing one hundred new wagons, and a large quantity of quarter-masters' and commissary stores. intended for Forret's anay. all of which were burned. The First and Third Brigades took the usual road to Okolona, Prossed the Tombigbee river at night and ampel near it.
At Shannon, the Third Brigade was relieved by the Second, which proceeded along the railroad, destroying it as they went; while the other brigades, following the publie road, passed through Okolona, and campel four miles beyond at Chawappa creek.
At Okolona a small holy of rebels were encountered and some skirmishing ensned, in which the rebels were compelled to retire.
.1 messenger was captured with a dispatch to the commander of the post, stating that he would be reinforced by thirteen handrel infintry from Mobile. A telegraph operator, arcom- ponying the expedition, ont the wire and applying a small instrument, intercepted dimanches from General Dick Taylor and Maj .. G.a. Girdiner. in the commanding officer at Egyp: station, osloung him to hell that post at every hazard.
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Gen. Grierson rightly conjectured from the dispatches, that reinforcements were being harried forward to that point, and early on the morning of the 28th. marched rapidly toward Egypt, where he opportunely arrived, and captured a rebel stockade just as a train with the expected reinforcements came in sight. It devolved on the First Brigade, it being in the alvance. to capture the stockade.
The Second New Jersey was formed in front, and the Seventh Indiana in its rear in supporting distance, with orders to shoot down any officer, or man, who attempted to run. The Second New Jersey moved toward the stockade, and when at short range, the rebels opened a severe fire on them. They halted, afraid both to advance or retreat, and for a brief time they sat on their horses, helpless targets for the rebels to shoot at. An aid of Gen. Grierson rode up, and ordered them to dismount, which they did, and led by the Aid, charged on the stockade.
The officers in command of it, seeing that reinforcements wore cut off, surrendered.
When the attack on the stockade commeneed. there was a train of fourteen cars, and a platform car with four pieces of artillery, that had come from the north. standing on the track. There were indications that it was about to move. Gen. tirierson, taking the Seventh Indiana and Fourth Missouri, charged upon it, and pressed it so closely, that the engineer was compelled to detach the fourteen cars, and make his escape with the locomotive and platform car of artillery.
Lient. Dinont. with his squadron, by order of Capt. Elion. burned the detached cars, that were heavily loaded with . nothing and other army supplies, and pursued and captured the rebels who were attempting to escape from them to the woods.
The detachments of the Seventh Indiana and Fourth Missouri. Tel by Capt. S. L. Woodward, Gon. Grierson's Adintant General, pir-ned the retreating locomotive and artillery: the latter throwing shells, which were replied to by the carbines and revolvers of the former.
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After an exciting chase of about a mile, two trains of cars. loaded with reinforcements under General Gardiner, were seen approaching from the south, the fugitive engine and artillery from the first train, backing up in front of them. Capt. Woodward was ordered to tear up the track, to prevent the approach of the trains. There was nothing with which to obstruct the road, and the hatchets carried by the men were not sufficient to break the spikes. Capt. Skelton, therefore, ordered all the inen to get on one side of the track, and taking hold of the rails, succeeded in wrenching a portion of it loose, and threw it off the embankment, just as the train with reinforce- ments came up.
The rebels got off the train, and formed behind a fence, in a cornfield.
Capt. Skelton was sent forward with a skirmish line to ascer- tain their numbers. As he was advancing, the rebels opened a brisk fire on his lines.
One of his men had a part of the brim of his eap shot off. He moly took it off, and holding it up, said, "that was pretty d-m close." Another man, hearing the remark, and having his hat- band shot off, held up his hat and said, " that is a d-m sight closer."
Cant. Skelton reported that the rebels were at least there hundred strong. The two detachinents of the Seventh Indiana and Fourth Missouri participating in the attack, numbered but one hundred men. Notwithstanding, Cant. Elliott ordered a charge. After proceeding but a short distance, Capt. Henky, of the Fourth Missouri, foll, when it was discovered that there . was a glitch in front of the rebels, which rendered it impossible to proceed further. The roleis opened a severe fire, and killed two men of the Seventh Indian, and shot down twenty-eight Cant. Elliott then withdrew his command, and s. p.del in getting over al of the wounded and dismounted
The entire loss of the Seventh in the affair, was two
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killed, eleven wounded, and twenty-eight horses killed and disabled.
The squadron of Lieut. Dumont burned a train, and captured forty-seven prisoners, among them a Lieut .- Colonel.
Gen. Grierson, in this engagement, captured a storkade and its garrison, numbering eight hundred men. Brig .- Gen. Gohlston, the commander of the post, was killed, also a Colonel, whose name was not learned. The federal loss was fifteen killed, and seventy wounded.
Gen. Grierson, before leaving Egypt, cut the telegraph wire, and sent false dispatches, that caused the rebels to send troop- to points he did not intend to visit.
After burying the dead, and making provisions for the care of the wounded, who could not be taken along. the entire command lett Egypt on the same day of the engagement, mar hed west- ward, and camped for the night near Honstan.
On the morning of the 29th, Gen. Grierson dispatched a detachment in the direction of Pontotoc, and another toward West Point, on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, for the purpose of deceiving the rebels as to the real course he intended to take.
On the return of the detachments, the Seventh Indiana burned the bridge across the Hulka river, and the entire com- mand taking a south-westwardly direction, toward the Memphis and Jackson railroad, camped that night at Hohenlinden.
Early on the morning of the 30th, the command continued it- march, and camped at night at Bellefontain.
During the day, a wretch by the name of Capt. Tom Ford, whose business for two years had been to hunt down Union men with blood hounds, was captured, and confessed to having hung veral Union men. He managed to escape from the guards.
From Bellefontain a detachment was sent in the direction of Starksville to threaten the Mobile and Ohio railroad, and Capt. Berkwith, of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, with one hundred and fifty men, went to Bankston, arriving there at midnight, and taking the inhabitants completely by surprise.
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At this place the rebel government had a large cloth and leather manufactory, that gave employment to five hundred men. This factory turned ont one thousand yards of cloth and two thousand pairs of shoes, daily. Its destruction would materially affect the resources of the rebel government. The torch was applied, and the establishment, with a large amount of cloths and shoes, destroyed. The following anecdote will show how completely the town was taken by surprise: After the factory had been fired, the superintendent of the works made his appearance in night attire, and seeing the soldiers sitting around and making no effort to stop the con- tagration, and taking them to be the operatives, he threatened to arrest the night watebes, and wanted to know "why in h-1 they made no effort to stop the fire." Capt. Beckwith, sering his mistake, quietly remarked, that as it was a cold night. he thought he would have a little tire. "H-1 and damnation." exclaimed the superintendent, in a towering rage, "would you burn the factory to make a fire to warm by?" Then, for the first time, noticing the Captain's uniform, and that the supposed operatives were armed men, the fact that the "Yanks" had arrived, broke on his mind, and his utter amazement on making the discovery, was as comical to witness, as it had been a moment before to see his anger.
On the 31-t, at 9 o'clock in the morning, Capt. Beckwith rejoined the main column, that had been on the march since 6 o'clock in the morning.
At 11 o'clock in the forenoon, the command reached Lodi. At that place two thousand bushels of wheat were burned. xindl eight hundred and ninety fat hogs, intended for Hood's army, were captured. They were driven in front of the army for several miles, and were the occasion for an iminite Variety of jests and remarks, in which Gen. Grierson partici- patel. It being found that they impeded the march, they were driven into a large pen, constructel for the purpose, and killed by the men with their sabres. Rails were piled on them and set ou fire.
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Col. Karge, with the First Brigade, preceding the main column, reached Winona, on the Memphis and Jackson railroad, where he cut the telegraph and intercepted a dispatch, making inquiries respecting the movements of Wirt Adams, at Canton.
From Winona, the entire command, excepting the Third Iowa Cavalry, marched to Middletown and campe.l.
The Third Iowa, commanded by Col. Noble, went north to Grenada, with orders to destroy all the rebel government property at that place, and rejoin the command at Benton.
On New Year's Day, 1865, the main column marched south on the Benton road, and camped at night at Lexington, while the Third Brigade moved down the railroad, with orders to destroy it, burn the bridges, and rejoin the command at Benton.
On the ed of January, Gen. Grierson passed through Lexing- ton and took the road to Ebenezer, through which place he passed at noon. Some skirmishing occurred in his front, in which a rebel Lieut. was captured, who stated that there was a rebel force of eleven thousand men at Benton, awaiting Gen. Grierson's approach. This information served only to quicken Grierson's march for that place, which he reached at six o'clock in the evening without opposition, and found that the place was hot occupied by the rebels.
The Third Brigade destroyed the railroad as far as Goodman's, from which place it marched to Franklin, where it encountered six hundred of Wirt Adams's cavalry, under Col. Woods. A spirited fight occurred, in which the rebels were defeated, and retired, leaving on the field twenty-five killed, among them a Major and a Captain, and twenty prisoners. The loss of Col. O-born (Commander of the Third Brigade) was five killed and fourteen wounded. After the engagement, Colonel Osborn continued his march, and reached the main command at Benton, at ten o'clock at night.
Col. Noble had been equally successful in his march ou Grenada. He destroyed twenty-five miles of railroad, dashed 16
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into the town, taking it completely by surprise, captured and destroyed fourteen engines and a large machine shop, set fire to several buildings containing quarter-masters' and commissary stores, twenty cases of Enfield rifles, intended for the arming of the malitia, and a large amount of fixed ammunition. The Col. visited the printing office of the "Greanada Picket," and glancing over the columns of the previous day's issue, read an article, stating that Grierson's army had been defeated on the Mobile and Ohio railroad, and his columns were flying in dismay back to Memphis. The Colonel ordered the establishment to be barned. He then joined Gen Grierson, in safety, at Benton.
On the 3d, Gen. Grierson marched to Mechanicsburg, arriving there at dark.
On the Ith, he reached Clear creek, at five o.clock in the afternoon.
Here, at sundown, the evening gun at Vicksburg, was heard, and elicited from the weary command hearty cheers. At this point, the command was met, pursuant to request of Gen. Grierson, sent by a couple of scouts a day or two before, with rations and forage from Vicksburg.
The next day, the command marched through a cold, drenching rain, to Vicksburg, arriving there about two o'clock in the afte !- noon, where it was welcomed by hearty cheers from thousand- of persons gathered by the road-side, who had heard of its sale arrival.
Thus terminated one of the most successful raid- of the War. The damage done to the rebels by destroying thei! supplies was incalculable, and contributed materially to the di -- memberment of Hood's army.
Cien. Grierson displayed military talent of a high order. He moved rapolly, and by having portions of his command appear at different points at the same time, so confused the rebels, that they did not know where to concentrate against him.
At Brice' -- cross-roads, with dismonated cavalry he resiste 1 -infantry; but in this expedition, he accomplished feats with
,
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caralry, in charging and capturing a stockade, heavily gar- risoned, and in chasing away railroad trains, with large. reinforcements, the possibilities of which had never been dreamed.
His marching was so rapid, that he frequently reached places in advance of rebel couriers carrying information of his move- ments. At other times, messengers had but given information of his approach, when his columns would be charging through the town. His humane treatment of his prisoners was equal to his courage. He compelled rebel citizens to contribute clothing and blankets, to protect them from the inclemency of the weather.
In this raid, the Seventh Indiana bore an honorable part, and was complimented by Gen. Grierson for its bravery and efficiency.
On the Sth of January, the squadrons of Captains Skelton and D. F. Bales left Vicksburg on transports, and reached Memphis on the 10th. The remainder of the detachment left on the 10th hy steamboats, and arrived at Memphis on the 12th of January.
The guerrillas were getting troublesome on the west bank of the Mississippi, in Arkansas. The rebel Colonel, MeGee, had quite a force at Mound City.
The commanding officer at Memphis determined to break up the rendezvous at that place.
Accordingly, Capt. Moore. of the Seventh Indian Cavalry, in command of detachments from the Seventh Indiana, First Mississippi Rifles and Second Wisconsin Cavalry, numbering in all two hundred men, pursuant to orders, embarked on a steam- boat, a little below Fort Pickering, on the evening of the 20th of January, and steamed down the river a few miles, when the boat put about, passed Memphis and went up the river several miles, and stopped on the Arkansas side of the river.
At day-break the next morning, the command disembarked and marched for Mound City.
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Capt. Skelton, who accompanied the expedition voluntarily, or, to use his own language, "just for fun," took command of the advance guard.
The advance was dressed in rebel uniforms, and on arriving at Mound City, dashed through the town, yelling, "Yanks: Yanks !"
When a mile or so from the town, they slackened their speed to a slow walk. They were soon overtaken by rebels from the town, who were pretending to be citizens, and believing Capt. Skelton and his men to be genuine rebels, had no hesitancy in coming up with them. As they did so, in squads of three or four, they were captured and their concealed revolvers taken from them. In this manner thirty prisoners were taken.
From the prisoners, Capt. Skelton learned the location of the rebel camp at Marion. Sending his prisoners to the main com- mand, he pushed on rapidly toward that place, and soon arrived at their camp without being discovered. He galloped back to Capt. Moore and asked for twenty additional men, with which to charge the reb Is. This was refused. Capt, Skelton then asked for ten men, and that also, was refused. Capt. Moore then gave command for his force to form in line, in so loud a voice that the rebels heard it; and that was the first inti- mation they had of the presence of an enemy.
Capt. Moore, although a brave man, and a good officer, lacked the dash, so essential to the successful operations of cavalry, but which was possessed im so high a degree by Capt. Skelton.
The latter, disgusted with the course of Capt. Moore, dashed back to the advance guard, and with only ten men, boldly charged into the enemy's camp. The rebels, thrown into the greatest confusion by their comolote surprise, broke and fled in all directions, fapt. Skelton and his men hotly pursuing. The Shelton, after following a s grad af tive rebels for a mile, found posters and the mar-a- I, in the chase, got separated. Capt. Skelton after following a qual of five rebels for a mile found none of his men with hun ine "Junmy" Graydon, as he was
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called, a small boy of fifteen years of age, but with courage equal to any man. His full name was James Wier Graydon. The rebels separated into two squads, three going in one direction and two in another. Capt, Skelton followed the three, and "Jimmy" the two. The mud and water thrown by the horses in the mad chase through a swamp, almost concealed the riders from view. The horse of one of the rebels, that Capt. Skelton was pursuing, stumbled and fell, and threw its rider completely under the mud and water. This one proved to be a rebel pay-master, with a large amount of money. Capt. Skelton kept on after the other two, who stopped and surrendered after going a short distance further. The Captain disarmed his prisoners, before they discovered that he was alone, and took them back to the pay master, who was emerging from the mud and water. The latter, seeing the Captain was alone, started to run, but an ominous movement of the Captain's arm, decidedl him to surrender. After going a short distance, one of the prisonora asked Captain Skelton where his men were. The Captain re- plied that he saw all there were. " Hell!" exclaimed the prisoner, "I thought the woods were full of Yanks." After traveling about a mile, Captain Skelton met Jimmy Graydon, coming through the woods, crying, because, by firing his revoly- "r at too long a range. he had allowed the rebels he was pur- suing, to escape. The disappointment of not getting them vexed him sorely.
Capt. Moore's command took possession of the rebel camp and partook of breakfast, already prepared, when the rebels were so unceremoniously driven from it. The exercise of the morning gave the men a good appetite, and their relish for the breakfast was not lessened by the variety of jokes cracked at the expense of the "Johnnies."
After destroying the rebel government property, the com- mand returned to Memphis, having been eminently successful.
4
CHAPTER IX.
LOUISIANA EXPEDITION.
The Expedition goes down the Mississippi River to Grand Lal. -March Through the Swamps to Bastrop, La .- Negras Flock to the Command, and Perish of the Cold-A Negro Mother Throws away her Child-Sufferings of the Soldiers - March to Hamburg, and Gains Landing-Return to Memphis.
In a few days after the return of the regiment from the expedition mentioned in the last chapter, another cavalry ex- pedition was fitted out at Memphis, and placed under the com- mand of Col. Osborn. It 'consisted of detachments from the regiments of two brigades.
The First Brigade, including five hundred men'of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry, under the command of Major S. E. W. Simonson, was commanded by Colonel J. P. C. Shanks.
On the 26th of January, 1865, the expedition embarked at Memphis, on transports, and steamed down the Mississippi river. It disembarked a few miles above Grand Lake, Arkansas.
The extra rations and ammunition were strapped on Pack mules, and everything being in readiness, the command started toward the interior over the low, flat country. .
On the first day's march, it reached a small stream. It was reported that the crossing there was held by a considerable force of rebels. To surprise and capture them, the column marched from the road through the timber and advanced toward the crossing. with extreme caution, and after an almost breathless march of a mile, the 5th Indiana having the advance
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arrived at the stream in time to see two men on the opposite side gallop away.
The stream was crossed by means of an old rickety ferry, which was on the opposite bank. A negro, soon appearing at the ferry, in obedience to orders, brought it across.
When the crossing was effected, the command pursued its march through a dreary, uninhabited country to Bastrop, Louisiana. From that place it marched north, crossed Bayou Bartholemew, and went to Hamburg, in Arkansas. Between these points the country was execrable. Human beings could not and did not inhabit it, except in an occasionally dry spot. It was given over by Nature, and Nature's God, for habitation, to frogs, lizzards, snakes and alligators. In such a country it was impossible to get subsistence for man or beast. Nearly all of the extra rations transported on the pack mules, were lost with those animals, as they sank out of sight in the mud and water of the swamps. The ammunition was lost in the same way. But that did not amount to anything as there was no enemy to use it on. It was pitiable to see the poor ammals try to extricate themselves while they were all the time sinking deeper in the mire. They would cast appealing looks at the men and utter piteous groans.
At Hamburg the country was better. Some forage for the horses and food for the men were obtained. At this point the hegroes began flocking from the plantations, to the command, and as it advanced, hundreds of them were following in the rear and on the Hanks. They were half clad wretches, indeed, many of them were almost entirely destitute of clothing. Men, wo- men, and children, without a moment's consideration or prepa- ration, left their huts and the plantations, and followed the com- mand not knowing where they were going, or what they were to do. They were of the most ignorant and degraded of their race. Having lived all their lives in a God-forsaken country, they had not the means of gaining the information of others of their rare in more favored portions of the South. When asked where they
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were going, they invariably replied, "Donno, Massa." When asked what they intended to do, they gave the same laconic answer. For the privilege of following the command, they cheerfully reu- Jered menial services for the officers and men. Nearly every private had a servant. Even negro women, with sucking babes trudged along by the marching column. Many of them finding their infantile charges burdensome, left thein by the road-side to die. The soldiers had taken pity on a wench with a young babe. and placed her and the child on a mule. In crossing a muddy creek, the mule stumbled and threw the mother and child into the mud and water. The mother fell on the child and burriel it beneath the water. Hastily rising, and lifting it up, she saw it choking and gasping, and after looking at it a moment, threw it back into the water, and exclaimed: Dah, go to yar Jesus, yar better off in his hands, than yah'r in mine," and abandoned it. A soldier sprang into the water, but before he could recover it. it drowned. Many of the women were advanced in pregnancy and give birth to children by the road-side. After a short time they would be seen with the command. but without their offspring. What they had done with there was easily guessed. Some of the negroes perished of the cold and exposure. Their dead bodies were found in the morning where they had lain down the night before, without blankets, to sleep, but not to wake in this life.
The ground most of the way was exceedingly treacherous. The surface looked firm and solid, but underneath a thin crust was quick sand and mnd. While riding along in fancied Seen- rity, the horses broke through the crust, and precipitated their riders. over their heads.
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