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 17
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 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
He commanded the detachment of the regiment partici- pating in the Missouri campaign in the fall of 1864. In the battle of the Osage, the regiment won the en- thusiastic admiration of General Pleasanton. The glory it ac- quired on that brilliant field, was due in a great measure to its intrepid commander who inspired it with his own courage, and led it in the charge on the enemy's lines. Old veterans who were in that battle describe it as the grandest sight they ever saw in war. The field was a prairie, peculiarly adapted to the operations of cavalry. The day was pleasant and the sun shone brightly. The rebels were drawn up in line of battle faced from the river. Opposite them in charging columns were Pleasanton's cavaliera. When with gleaming sabres they dashed on the rebel lines, the scene must have been the sublime of war. To have participated in it as a private was an honor; to have led a reg- iment in it, that captured two guns and over a hundred prison- ers, glory enough for any man of reasonable ambition.
After the reorganization of the regiment, Major Simonson was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, and served with it as such, until it was mustered out. After the war he returned to Charleston in Clark county, Indiana, where he still resides.
MAJOR JAMES H. CARPENTER.
James H. Carpenter was born in Harrison county, West Vir- ginia, on the 31st day of October, 1822. His father, Lewis R. Carpenter, was a farmer of that county. Lewis R. Carpenter removed with his family to Marion county, Ohio, where he en- gaged in farming.
James H. Carpenter remained with his father on the farm un- til 1813. On the 13th of November of that year, he left home and went to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and began the study of medicine. He remained there until 1813, excepting during the winter
207
MAJOR JAMES H. CARPENTER.
months, when he engaged in teaching school, to obtain the means of defraying his expenses, while studying medicine.
In 1845, he went to Goshen, Elkhart county, Indiana, and taught one term of school. On the 24th of February, 1846, he formed a copartnership with Dr. Sutton of Goshen, Indiana, and began there the practice of medicine.
On the 27th of October of that year, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to take his last course of medical lectures, and in the Spring of 1817, graduated in medicine.
He continued in the practice of that profession at Goshen, Indiana, until the 15th of April, 1854, when he went to War- saw, Kosciusko county, Indiana, his present home, and began the study of law, under the instruction of the Hon. James S. Frazer, a very able lawyer, and at this time an ex-judge of the Supreme Court of Indiana.
In the Fall of 1854, he was admitted, at Warsaw, to practice law. He, however, did not enter on the practice of that pro- fession until the Spring of 1855, since which time he has been in active practice, except the time he served in the army during the rebellion, and nearly three years since the close of the war, when he was on the Bench as Judge of the Common Pleas Court.
On the 30th of January, 1849, at Marion county, Ohio, he married Miss Minerva J. Anderson, an estimable lady, by whom he has an interesting family of healthy and intelligent children, consisting of three girls and four- boys.
In 1861, after the outbreak of the rebellion, he recruited two companies of volunteers for the 30th Indiana Regiment of In- fantry. But on his return home from Indianapolis, he suffered; in a railroad accident, a compound fracture of his right thigh bone, which prevented him entering, at that time, the military service of the country, and which left him a cripple for life.
In 1863, having recovered from this misfortune, he recruited Company I, of the 7th Indiana cavalry, and was commissioned and mnstered its Captain. He entered on active duty with the regiment. He was with it in its operations at Union City, and
1
208
MAJOR JAMES H. CARPENTER.
Jackson, Tennessee. He commanded his company in the expe- dition to West Point, Mississippi, and the battle of Okolona, February 22d, 1864. He led it in the sabre charge of the regi- ment at Ivy Farm, in the evening. He drove the rebels, and captured several prisoners, and saved from capture, the battery attached to the 4th Missouri cavalry, which had been abandon- ed by its supports, members of that regiment. He, individual- ly, captured two prisoners and sent them to the rear. Another, whom he pursued, refusing to surrender, he cut down with his sabre. He was about receiving the sword of a rebel officer who had surrendered, when discovering the wing of a rebel regiment but a few feet from him, he was obliged to let the prisoner go, and save himself from capture by a hasty retreat. During the afternoon, while on the retreat, he saw in the road a new curry- comb and brush that some one had dropped. Not seeing any good reason why they should be lost, he dismounted and picked them up, and strapped them on his saddle, and coolly remounted; the bullets, in the mean time, were flying about him like hail-stones. A rebel prisoner, captured by his company, seeing this performance, remarked that the Captain was the coolest man he ever saw under fire. Thislittle incident illustrated his character for economy. He always guarded gov- ernment property from loss or waste, with the same care as he would if it had been his own.
He accompanied the regiment, on its expedition to Fort Gibson, in July, 1861. He started with the detachment that took part in the Missouri campaign in the fall of 1564, but returned and assumed command of the regiment at Memphis. For meritorious services, he was in October, 1864, commissioned Major of the regiment and' mustered as such ; November 11th, 1864. On the 9th of January, 51865, he was sent by General Dina to Louisville, Kentucky, to bring back a part of the regiment that had gone there, on its return from Missouri. He bad per- mission to visit his home, which he did, staying but two days. On his return to Loui ville, pursuant to orders from General
--
Major James H Carpenter.
209
MAJOR JAMES H. CARPENTER.
Upton, he reported at General Thomas' head-quarters, at East- port, Miss., and was sent by the latter to Memphis, with the request that Gen. Dana send the Seventh Indiana Cavalry to Louisville. This request was made on the supposition that part of the regiment was already there, and at the solicitation of Col. Winslow, who wanted to retain the regiment in his com- mand; but, the detachment of the regiment having returned from Louisville, the request was not complied with.
On the 20th of March, 1865, Major Carpenter went on duty at Gen. Dana's head quarters, as Judge-Advocate of a court- martial, but was soon afterwards detailed as Judge-Advocate of the Military District of West Tennessee. He served in that capacity till the 20th of August, 1865, when he was ordered to rejoin the regiment, which he did in due time, at Hempstead, Texas.
On the consolidation of the regiment, which occurred soon after his return, he availed himself of the opportunity to return to his home, and was mustered out of the service.
As a soldier, he was brave-as an officer, efficient-as a dis- ciplinarian, strict but just. He was an officer of good executive ability.
On his return home, he was elected Judge of the Common Pleas Court, of the District embracing the county of Kosciusko, which position he held until the Legislature in 1873, abolished those courts. As a Judge, he was able and upright, and had the confidence of the entire bar.
After laying aside the ermine, he purchased an interest in the Northern Indianian, a weekly Republican newspaper of wide circulation, and became its sole editor. He discharged the arduous duties attaching to that position, while at the same time managing an extensive law practice, till after the State and Presidential election campaigns of 1876, commenced, when he sold his interest in the paper to Gen. Rube Williams, and retired from journalism. He now devotes his time exclusively to the practice of law.
23
i
210
MAJOR JOHN M. MOORE.
This brave officer, at the time of his enlistment in the Seventh Indiana Cavalry, resided at Plymouth, in Marshall county, Indiana.
He joined the regiment as 2d Lieutenant of company A, but was on the 27th of August, 1863, commissioned Captain of company HI., of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry.
He served with the regiment in every expedition in which it participated, except Grierson's raid through Mississippi, in the spring of 1865.
On the expedition to West Point, in February, 1864, at Okolona, he had command of a detachment of the regiment, and pursuant to orders, burned a large amount of property, belong- ing to the rebel government, and destroyed several railroad bridges. In the evening he was joined by Lieut. Way, of com- pany B, who had gone north on the railroad, with another de- tacliment, on a similar errand. The two commanders were on their way to rejoin the regiment, when they were fired upon by a body of rebels. Captain Moore immediately gave chase, and pursued them about two miles, when they made a stand behind a large white house, a short distance from the road. Captain Moore, with his command, charged up to the house, part going on one side, and part on the other.
The Captain was met at the corner of the house' by the proprietor, an armed rebel, who fired bis revolver at him. Expecting such tactics, the Captain, just as the rebel fired, threw himself Hat on his horse, and the ball passed harmlessly over him. The rebel, thinking he had killed Moore, steppel out from the corner of the house to fire at another man, when Captain Moore, as quick as thought, fired his revolver at him, and brought him down. The rebel, in falling, fired his revolver again at the Captain, but without effect. The Captain's shot proved fatal, and the rebel expired in a few moments. While this -neonnter was taking plice, a portion of the command,
1
211
MAJOR JOHN M. MOORE.
pursued the rest of the bushwhackers a mile or more into the woods.
By the Captain's order the house was fired, and burned to the ground. When it became quiet after the skirmish, a voice from a log building was heard, calling for help. Captain Moore ordered the door broken down, when two members of the regi- ment, bound and lying on the floor, were discovered. They were speedily released, and stated, that the "bushwhackers" captured and put them there, with the information, that they intended to hang them before morning.
Captain Moore then started for camp, but got on the wrong road, and did not discover his mistake until he got on to the rebel camp at Aberdeen. He rapidly retraced his steps, found the right road, and without further adventure, reached camp at a late hour at night.
He commanded his company in the battle of Okolona, and bravely performed his duty.
At the battle of Brice's Cross-Roads, Mississippi, he proved himself a hero. With but a handful of men, he repulsed repeated attacks of the rebels, and held his position until ordered to withdraw. He rendered important services on the retreat that followed that disastrous battle.
He managed with distinguished success, an expedition to Mound City and Marion, Arkansas, an account of which has already been given.
He was in all the battles and skirmishes of the regiment, in the Missouri campaign.
Before the battle of the Little Osage, he was placed, by order of General Pleasanton, in command of the baggage train. This did not suit a brave spirit like his, especially when there was a prospect of a battle. He put the train in charge of a sergeant, and joined his company, and led it, in the glorious sabre charg., in that engagement. He was severely reprimanded by the General, tor abandoning the train without orders. Unquestion- ably the Captain dil wrong, but his fiult is forgotten when we
212
MAJOR JOEL H. ELLIOTT.
consider the motive that induced him to incur the displeasure of his General.
He was, on the consolidation of the regiment, commissioned Major of the new organization. He served in that capacity until its final muster out ..
He was a genial gentleman, and a kind, noble-hearted man. As a soldier and officer, he had the respect and confi- dence of his inferior and superior officers, and of all the men.
He returned to his home at Plymouth, Indiana, where he died of consumption, early in the year 1869.
MAJOR JOEL H. ELLIOTT.
Joel H. Elliott entered the 7th Indiana cavalry as Captain of Company M. His residence at the time of his enlistment, as shown by Adjutant-General Terrell's reports, was Centerville, Wayne county, Indiana. No braver or truer soldier ever fought under the strrry flag of our country. No member of the 7th can ever think of him but with feelings of respect and sympathy. His military career was an active one. Wherever the 7th Indi- ana cavalry marchel or fought, there was found the indomitable Elliot. He never failed to win golden commendations from his superior officers for his courage as a soldier and skill as an offi- cer. On the expolition to West Point in February 1861, he was almost constantly detached from the regiment with scouting parties, and many were the examples of courage and ability he set. On one occasion, while with a foraging party near Okolo- na, Miss., and while the most of his men were in a crib, getting corn, a body of rebels, greatly outnumbering his force, dashe i upon him, expecting to capture his entire party. Capt. Elliott hastily mounted a few of his men, and charged with them into the ranks of the rebels, and with revolvers put them to flight without the loss of a man. He led his company in the sab:e charge on the evening of February 22d, 1-61, at Ivy Farm.
In the battle of Brice's cross-roads, Miss., His courage was very conspicuous. For two hours he had command of a part of the line, and repulsed every attempt of the enemy to break .c. Ha
213
MAJOR JOEL H. ELLIOTT.
exposed himself so recklessly it was a wonder he was not killed. He was a target for the rebel sharpshooters. In the evening when the regiment was leaving the fieldl, he received a severe and painful wound in the shoulder which disabled him. He was carried in an ambulance during the next day, when his wonnd becoming so painful he could not endure the jolting of the vehicle, he was left at a plantation, where he remained un- til his woun I was sufficiently healed to enable him to be taken to Memphis In the mean time, he had been paroled by the rebels. He commanded the detachment of the 7th Indiana on Grierson's raid in the winter of 1864-'65. He was invariably placed in positions of danger, and well did he prove himself worthy of the honor. We have already given an account of the manner in which he, in conjunction with Capt. Skelton, captur- ed Verona, Miss., and burned a large quantity of army stores. For his glorious services on that expedition he was breveted Major of the regiment.
After the reorganization of the regiment, he was promoted Major, and as such served with it in Texas, until it was muster- ed out. He was soon after commissioned Major of the 7th United States regular cavalry, recruited by Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith. He went on duty with it, on the frontiers, among the Indians. By their savage hands he was destined to die. There was a tinge of romance in his life, which is given in the following ex . tract from a letter to the Author, from Capt. Will A. Ryan ot Company G, of the 7th Indiana cavalry, the friend and conf- dant of Major Elliott :
" Among the brave men who figured conspicuously in the an- nals of the Seventh, my mind recalls one-Captain Joel H. Elli- ott. I, as'an intimate and confidential friend of his, was per mitted to see and know him, as few, if any, other members of the regiment did or could have done. The Captain's was a quick, open, generous nature, sensitive as a chill, vet brave as a Lon. His affections were Very strong, and were perhaps the guiding star of his destiny. You will perhans remember the few days
F
.
214
MAJOR JOEL H. ELLIOTT.
leave of absence granted to our men to go to our homes and at- tend the Presidential election in the Fall of 1864. The Captain and myself were among the favored ones. He met me on his return to the regiment, in this city (Terre Haute), and we jour- neyed on together. He was buoyant with hope. Life had new charms for him. He had seen the lady of his choice, and they were betrothed. 'The course of true love never did run smooth' says the poet, and so in his case. Scarcely two months had elapsed when one evening, upon the eve of an expedition into the enemy's country, he summoned me to his tent, and with manly emotion told me ' the story of his life '-gave in my keep- ing all the little love tokens that he had so highly treasured, with instructions as to their final disposition in case he should 'not return.' The expedition had fruitful results for our arms, and every one who accompanied it, will remember the daring, dashing Captain Elliott, whose exploit in the capture of a town at midnight, scattering the enemy in all directions, and captur- ing and destroying so many valuable army stores, was flattering- ly complimented by his superior officers. Of course, at that time, I attached no importance to this love trouble of the Cap- tain's; but now, ten years after the occurrence, I regard it as the turning point of his life. His determination from that mo- ment seemed bent on the profession of arms. During our sub- sequent intimacy when discussing the ladies, his conversation ever carried to my mind the remembrance of this 'affair.' There were detachedl hints of it in his after letters which came to me from time to time. The affairs of civil life possessed no charms for him. He again sought and obtained preferment in the ser- vice of his country, and his appointment to a Majorship in the regular army was a flattering recognition of his merits as an offi- ver. I possess letters of his up within a short time.of his unfor- tunate death, and the same sad under-current prevades them all. He had not forgotten his first love. It will be remember- ed that in an expedition against the Indian; on our western frontier, under General Caster, that an attack was mide upon
215
CAPTAIN JOIN R. PARMELEE.
an Indian encampment and the Indians badly beaten. Major Elliot, with a detachment of sixteen men, was following up one body of the retreating Indians. A few miles from the scene of' battle his body and those of his men were found scalped and mutilated. The history of that heroic combat will perhaps nev- er be known-how, after being ambushed, his gallant band fought 'till the last man was slain.' But certain it is, and those who knew him best will unite with me in the belief, that no truer, braver, or nobler life was ever sacrificed in our country's defense."
On the 27th of November. 1868, on the Washita river, in In- lian Territory, the brave Elliott fell, fighting to the last. His boly rests in an unmonumented grave on the distant plains of the West. Those who knew him, will, in imagination, make a pilgrimage to his tomb, and to his brave spirit chant the littes of the great poet :
"Soldier rest! thy warfare o'er; Sleep the sleep that know- not breaking : Dream of battle-fields no more. Days of danger, night- of waking. In our isle's enchanted hall,
1. ands unseen thy couch are strewing,
Fairy strains of music fall, Every sense in slumber dewing.
Soldier rest, thy warfare o'er,
Dream of fighting-fields no more :
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking, Morn of toil, nor night of waking.
No rude sonnd shall reach thine ear, Armor's clang, or war-steed champing, Trump nor pibroch summon here, Mastering clan, or squadron tramping. Yet the lark's shill ffe may come, At the dav-break from the fallow, And the bittern sound his drum, Booming from the sedgy shallow.
Ruder sounds shall note he urar, Guards nor warders challenge here. Here's no war steed's neigh and champing Shouting clans or squadrons stamping.
CAPTAIN JOHN R. PARMELEE.
At the time Chipt. Parmelee entered the service in the Seventh Indiana Cavalry, he was a practicing attorney at Valparaiso, Porter county, in the State of Indiana.
On the 24th day of August, 1868, he was innstered as First Lieutenant of Company A, of the Seventh Indiana Cavalry.
1
.
1
,
216
CAPTAIN JOHN R. PARMELEE.
On the promotion of Captain John C. Febles to Major of the regiment, Parmelee was promoted to the vacancy caused there- by, and mustered as Captain November 1st, 1863.
As already stated in chapter 3d, he was severely wounded in the sabre charge, at Ivy Farm, on the 22d of February, 1504, and taken prisoner of war. In the charge, he gallantly led his company, A, which suffered severely in killed, wounded and prisoners. From the field at Ivy Farm, he was taken to Okolona, and from there by railroad to West Point, thence to Starksville, Mississippi, and from there to Columbus, Miss .. arriving at the latter place on the 25th of February, 1804. He remained at Columbus until the 3d of March following, when he, with many other prisoners, was compelled to march on foot to Demopolis, Alabama, a distance of ninety-five miles, arriving there on the 6th of March. The next day, March 7th, he was taken by railroad to Selma, and from there, by steam- boat on the Alabama river, to Cahawba, Alabama. arriving there on the evening of the same day. He remained at Cahaw. ba till the 28th of April, when he was taken on the steamboat "Southern Republic" up the Alabama river to Montgomery, the capital of the State of Alabama. From Montgomery, he was taken to Andersonville, Georgia, via Columbus and Fort Valley, Ga., by railroad, arriving at Andersonville on the 21 day of May. On the next day he was taken to Macon. Ga., where he remained until July, 29th. On the 17th of May, the number of prisoners at Macon, were increased, by the arriv. of fifteen hundred Federal officers from Libby prison, at Rich- mond, Va.
On the 20th of July, the Captain, together with six hundred other officers, was taken, by way of Savannah, Ga., to Charleston, South Carolina, arriving there on the morning of July 30th. There he remained till October 6th, when he was removed to Columbia, South Carolina, where he remained until the 4th of November, 1864. On that day, determined to make an effort to regain his freedom, the Captain, in company with Captians
217
CAPTAIN JOHN R. PARMLEE.
George E. King, of the 113th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and Marcus L. Stansberry, of the 95th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, escaped through the guard lines, and traveling across the country, reached Orangeburg, S. C., on the Edisto river, on the 9th of November. At that place, the fugitives procured a skiff, and proceeded in it, down the Edisto to its mouth, reach- ing that point on the 17th of November. In the evening of that day, by the aid of some negroes, who owned and navigated a small sail-boat, they succeeded in getting aboard of the gun- boat Stetten, of the United States blockading squadron, lying in St. Helena sound, off Otter Island, on the coast of South Carolina. They remained on board the gunboat two days, during which time, they were treated with the greatest kindness and politeness by the officers and men of the vessel.
After the expiration of two days, they were taken in a small boat to Port Royal harbor, and delivered to Admiral Dahlgreen on board his flag-ship.
After a couple of hours conversation with the Admiral, they were taken in a steam tug to Hilton Head, where they were placed in the hands of General Foster, Commander of the Department. The General and his wife, and all the members of his staff, treated them with the utmost kindness.
Gen. Foster gave them a leave of absence for two months. They proceeded on board the Orago to New York City, arriving there on the 25th of November, 1864. From there, they pro- ceeded to their homes.
Soon after reaching home, Captain Parmelee was attacked with inflammatory rheumatism, and was unable to rejoin his ยท regiment, until the 20th of January, 1865, which he did on that day, at Memphis, Tennessee.
He was soon after detailed as Judge-Advocate of a military commission, at Memphis, Tenn., and served as such until the regiment started for Texas. On the consolidation of the regi- ment, he was mustered out of the service. Since the close of the war he has made Indianapolis his home, where he is engaged in the practice of the law.
24
1
218
MAJOR JOSEPH W. SKELTON.
Joseph W. Skelton was born on the 22d day of January, 1836, in Gibson county, in the State of Indiana. His father was a farmer of that county. Young Skelton remained on his father's farm till he was sixteen years old, when he secured a position as clerk in a store in Princeton, in Gibson county. He remained in the store till he was nineteen years of age, when he returned to his father's farm, and worked on it till he attained his legal majority. He then married, and settled on his own farm, near the family homestead. His wife died in February, 1861. In April of the same year, he enlisted, in a company recruited in his county, for the period of three months, and went to Indianapolis to be mustered into the service. But the quota of three months men was full, and the company organized in a regiment to serve for twelve months. But before it was mustered, the quota of twelve months troops was filled. The company was then mustered into the service for three years, in the Seventeenth Indiana Regiment of Volunteers. He served with that regiment in all its operations in Virginia. He was with it in the skirmish at Green Briar, which was dignified by the name of battle. He went with the regiment in the winter of 1861-2, to Louisville, Kentucky, and from there to Nashville, Tennessee, from there, by forced marches, to Shilo, but did not arrive there till after the battle.
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.