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 7
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On the 9th of February. Gen. Smith with the 2d and ad brigades left Germantown on the Memphis and Charleston rail- road, and marched to New Albany on the Tallahatchie river, where he waited for the arrival of the first brigade.
On the morning of the Ilth of February. the first brigade. to which the 7th Indiana was attached, broke camp at Colhersville and moved east along the Memphis and Charleston railroad, to Moscow, a small town eighteen miles distant.
On the 12th. it left the railroad, and maar bing south. Art're l a. midnight at Hudsonville, the ruins of which marked the tra.l
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of hostile armies. After a rest of two hours, it proceeded on the line of march, and at dawn arrived at what was, before the hot breath of war swept over it, the beautiful town of Holly Springs. That place presented a strange appearance of desola- tion. The echoing tread of the horses' hoofs, and the clank of the sabres, produced a weird effect, as the column rode in silence through the streets.
Just beyond the town, the advance guard met some resistance from a company of rebel cavalry, and in the skirmish that en- sued. the 2nd Tennessee lost three men killed, but it inflicted equal sanguinary punishment on the rebels, and captured nine prisoners with their horses and equipments. The brigade pro- ceeded without further interruption, to Walker's Mills, eight miles from Holly Springs, and camped. Foraging parties were Font ont to get subsistence for the men and horses. While on this duty, a member of the 24 New Jersey regiment was killed at a farm house. The perpetrator of the den 1. was, by way of re- taliation, shot, and his house burned to the ground.
The brigade remained in camp on the 14th. The monotony of the rain that fell all day, was relieved by an almost constant fire on the picket lines.
Early on the morning of the 15th, the command was in mo- -ion, and proceeded to the Tippah river, arriving there about nine o'clock in the morning. The recent heavy rains had ren- dered it unfordable. The only means of cro-sing was on an old horse ferry. To have crossed on it, would have consumed too much time. A bridge was, therefore, constructed under the supervision of Col. Shanks, over which the entire command pass- el in safety. ·
At six o'clock on the morning of the 16th the march was con- tinned. The Tallahatchie river was crossed at New Albany. Four miles from this place, the brigade went into camp on the plantation of a rebel by the name of Sloin. He had been a member of the secession convention of Mississippi, that had re- & NTil the State ont of the Union, When the brigade marched
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the next morning, he was a poorer man by many thousand dol- lars, by cotton and fence-rails burned, and meat, meal and corn eaten and taken away.
At three o'clock on the morning of the 17th, the brigade was mounted and on the march. On this day Smith's army was con- rentrated. The lat brigade was commanded by Col. George E. Waring, Jr . of the 4th Missouri; the 2d by Col. Hepburn, and the 3d by Col. McCrillis. Seven thousand mounted men make a great show. The day was clear, and the sun shone brightly. The long line as it filed ont on its march, with its nodding guid- on- and waving banners, as it wound along the road. the prond pep of the steeds champing their bits, and the gleam of the brightly polished arms, presented a spectacle grand and splen- did in the highest degree. In the afternoon the advance had a -light skirmish, with this exception nothing of particular in- terest occurred through the day. The army passed through Pontotoc towards Honstou, and atter a march of thirty miles eLt into ramp.
General Smith expecting an attack from the rear, ordered the ith Indiana to go back three miles on the road it had traveled, and picket and hold the crossing at a swamp. Though the men were so fatigued they could scarcely sit in theirsaddles, yet the regiment remounted, and went to the point designated, and stood by their arms, patientiy awaiting the anticipated attack. Night, however, wore away without any hostile demonstrations being made.
The march was continued on the 18th toward Houston. Throughout the day everything indicated the presence of the enemy in force. An engagement was expected at any moment. Everything was got in readiness for sanguinary work. Ambu- lances were cleared for the reception of the wounded: the sur- xeons placed their knives, bandages and lint, where they could ve conveniently reached ; the officers gave their commands in a i-rner tone of voice, while their faces wore a solemn and ans- But the men, what of them? A soldier is a strange
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being. He trusts everything to his officers, and borrows no trouble about passing events. He views the preparations for battle with apparent indifference, cracks his jokes, and belches ont his hearty laagh, as if danger was not near.
The enemy, evidently, were not yet ready for battle, for Le steadily fel! back beror- the advance of the federal army.
Redland. a small town ten miles from Pontotoc, lay in the path of this day's march, and was given over to the torch. When Smith's army left it, it was a heap of smouldering ruins. In every direction, except the immediate front, as far as the eye could see, smoke and dames shot up from burning mills, cotton- gins, and corn-cribs.
The work of desolation, designed for this army to accomplish. as fore-hadowed in General Grant's correspondence with Gen. Hallock. had commenced. When within about thirteen miles of Houston, the head of the column was directed towards Okolo. na, while a small force pre ended towards Houston, to engage the attention of the rebels behind the Halka swamp. The army passed at nightfall through Okoloha, and went into camp two made, south of it on the edge of a large and fertile prairie. Here the advance guard had a heavy shirmich in which the enemy were discomfited.
Fairly on the morning of the 19th, the 2d battalion of the 7th Indiana, under the command of Maj. Simonson, was sent back in Dhalona, with orders to burn the depot. and warehouses, and to destroy the railroad for several miles to the north of the town and to rejoint the command in the evening. It returned, having . rauchfully performed it - mission.
From Okolona the aring moved in two columns. The 2d briga le going to Aberdeen. the Ist and Sd south on the Mobile and the railroad. Hep Cal. Burg with the 1'ath Illinois, dach- od inin Aberdeen so unexpertly, that several Confederate soldiers fell into his hands
Te ise and I have les man had along the railroad to Ecept Hatten, a saudi village. It is stated in one of the most beau-
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tiful and fertile prairies in the world, that produced wonderful crops of corn and cotton. The former were mainly relied on to subsist the Confederate armies in the south-west. At this place vast cribs of corn, belonging to the Confederate government stood by the roadside. The warehouses were filled with meal, tobacco, guns, and baggage for the Confederate army, awaiting shipment. The railroad was destroyed, and the torch applied to the depot, ware-houses, and corn-cribs, and entirely consum- ed by fire. When the army left it. only two dwelling houses re- mained to mark the spot where " Egypt" had been. From this place the 1st brigade marched towards Aberdeen, but it had not gone far when it was overtaken with an order to countermarch. and go to the assistance of the 3d brigade, which was reported to be engaged with the enemy. The order was promptly obry - el, and after a march of a few miles, came up to the 3d brigade drawn up in line of battle. Without stopping, the Ist brigade fel past and went to the front, when the bugles sounded the "trot" and off the brigade went on the hard, smooth road. After a ride of an hour the brigade halted and formed in a world. without having met the enemy. Two companies of the 7th In- diana were sent out to burn corn-cribs on the left of the road. It was now night, and as the command rode along, the sky way reddened in every direction, by the flames that shot up from corn-cribs and cotton-gins. At ten o'clock at night the army Went into camp at Prairie Station. The brigade that went by way of Aberdeen had reache l this place, and Smith's army was again concentrated. It was now ascertained that Forrest was con- centrating his army at West Point, a small town on the Mobile ahol Ohio railroad, thirteen miles distant.
Early on the morning of the 20th, the entire army was on the march toward the enemy, moving slowly and cautiously to avoid falling into ambuscades.
Sinali bodies of rebels were constantly in sight, hovering on the Hanks and in the front. The advance guard was continually hung and charging, to clear the road of the enemy. Near
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West Point, the advance guard met with considerable resistance, the account of which and the balance of this day's operations, is given in Colonel Browne's own language. He says: "Arriv- ing within a mile of West Point, quite a force, brobably a bat- talion, was drawn up in line to oppose our advance. Quite a spirited skirmish ensued, and the rebels Hed, having lost two or three killed, and a captain taken prisoner. We lost a lieutenant killed, and a few men wounded. When this skirmish occurred our brigade was moved forward on a double quick, and our rez- iment constituting its advance, was soon on the ground and in line of battle. The men were dismounted. fences thrown down. howitzers put in position, and every preparation made for battle. Here we stood in readiness for an hour, and I had an opportuni- ty of studying the conduct of the mnen. The joke and laugh went round as if no foe was near. Officers and men were Palm. not a sign of cowardice could be seen any where. About sun- down, and while we were still in line, four or five hundred reb- els moved around to our right. The 4th Regulars and 7th In- diana were ordered forward. and after them we went, with a whoop and a yell, and as fast as horse-flesh could conveniently go. The rebels having the start and making equally as good time as our- selves, were enabled to keep out of the way. It was now night. and soon a huge column of flame and smoke went looming up in our front. We soon learned that the foe had retreated to the south side of the Bigbee, tributary of the Tombigbee, and set fire to the bridge. We then went into camp to await the coming morrow. On that night our forces were within a short mile ot each other. One camp-fire could be seen from that of the other. Two brigade, of our command were kept saddled during the night, and the men slept with their arms by their eides. Stronger pickets than nenal were thrown out. That blood would flow on the next day all believed. I could see no way of avoiding it. The foe was in our front, and in a favora- ble position, and if we went forward we would have to give battle, if we turned backward Forrest was too good a General
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hot to see that he could pursne and annoy our rear and flanks."
Early on the morning of the 21st, the bugles called the sol- diers from their slumbers to the saddle. The regiments were formed in line awaiting orders. Pursuing further the account given by Col Browne, he says: "I awaited impatiently the order of march. Just then Gen. Smith rode ip in front of our regiment and haited by the roadside surrounded by a knot of Aids and officers. They seemed engaged in eager conversation I did not go near enough to hear what was passing, but I imag- ined I saw anxiety or apprehension depicted in the General's tare. In a short time afterwards, Hepburn's brigade moved past on the road we came. in a brisk and hurried trot. Why this retrograde movement? It excited my curiosity. I enquir- el at an officer the reason for it, and being answered that the thel- were attempting to ilank na upon the left, I was satisfied. As soon as that brigade passed. ours formed in its rear, and opekward we went. This Left MeCrillis and Grierson to bring. up the rear. I soon became convinced that we were on the march back to Memphis, that it was a retreat-and subsequent events have proven the correctness of my suspicions. Before proceeding a mile the sharp, quick volleys of musketry, and the lond, deep roar of the cannon, told us in language that could not be misunderstood. that our rear was engaged with Forrest. And gallantly did they stand and hold their own ground, and drive back the enemy. Every hour during that long and bright Sabbath, they were skirmishing and battling, always doing their work well. Till & o'clock p. a., we , the 7th Indiana) were out of sight of the enemy. About this hour they made a demon- stration ou Maj. Simonson's battalion, it being the rear guard o ir brigade. The M gor promptly deployed two companies and held them at bay. Just then the column was halted, and the ith was ordered back to reinforce Gen Grierson. Moving back a half mile, we discovered a long line of rebels upon our right, moving leisurely through the prairie ou a parallel line with ourselves. A company was deployed under the command of 3
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Maj. Beck, and he rode gallantly out into the open field to feel for them. Col. Shanks followed to his support with another company, and I was left with the regiment. We threw down fences and formed in line of battle. Maj. Beck soon came upon their flankers and fired upon and drove them in upon their main column. He would have charged them but was unable to do so because of the intervening hedges and ditches. The same obstacles prevented the regiment from eu- gaging them. In the meantime, Grierson's command came uy and we moved forward. That the rebels intended to pursue our retreating forces, and harrass us at every suitable moment, was now quite apparent. At near midnight we went into our old camping ground near Okolona, and a more weary and worn command had seldom been seen. We were now hurrying rap- idly forward to the duty of our trouble."
On the morning of February 224, the anniversary of Wash- ington's birth, the sun rose gloriously in an unclouded sky. At an early hour the army was in the saddle and on the march. The splendor of the morning, and the sight of the long column moving on the elge of the prairie, gave the men a glow of pleas- ure, and a feeling of confidence.
Hepburn's brigade had the advance, the let the centre guard- ing the trains, and the 3d, under Col. M. Crillis, brought up the rear.
Across the prairie, to the past about half a mile, in the edge of the woods, mar lung off & hne parallel with the Union army, was seen the advance of the enemy. Both armies were making for Okolona.
A company of renola were in the town, when the 1st brigade arrived at the south elge of it, the 2d brigade having passed through. Gen. finerson ordered Col. Browne to throw forward a compiny of skirmishers. The Colonel orderel Lient. Calkins to move company HI forward, which he did, and deploying it as sk rinishers, was soon delivering a brisk fire into the rebel, and gallantly drove them through the town. The
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rest of the regiment, with Gen. Grierson and Col. Browne at its head, advanced rapidly into the middle of the town. While passing along the main street, a rebel appeared at the corner of a house, and leaning against it, took deliberate aim at Col. Browne and fired. The ball passed, to use the language of the Colonel, in speaking of it afterwards, "in uncomfortable proxim- ity" to his head. The regiment moved through on the trot. to the north side of the town, and under the personal supervision of General Grierson, formed in line of battle on the crest o. a hill facing the prairie. A battery was placed in position, and the 3d brigrde was hurrying forward to take position on the field. In front of the federal line, about a quarter of a mile distant, the rebels were formed in the open prairie. Between the two lines was a high railroad embankment, behind which either side could have offered a stubborn resistance, had one or the other ventured on an attack. The two forces stood watch- ing each other for the space of an hour, without a shot being fired on either side.
The soldiers now thought that the long expected battle was to come off. When they saw the superior position they occupied, to that of the rebels, they felt confident of defeating them. Back of the federal line was a dense woods and the town of Okolona, and the rebels to attack, must advance across a level pararie. "very man of them in full view of their adversaries, in the face of a murderous fire from behind the railroad embankigent. It driven from that, they had the houses of the town, and the woods from which to deliver their fire into the ranks of the rebels, who would have been obliged to advance across an open held. As they sat on their horses awaiting the attack, they be- gniled the time, by promising to celebrate Washington's birth. with a glorious victory, and in complimenting Gen. Smith. on his generalship, in drawing Forrest towards Memphis, and in compelling him to attack on a field chosen by his adversary.
The 3d brigado having arrived.on the field. the 7th Indiana, which was the rear of the Ist brigade, and being nearest when
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the enemy were marching into Okolona, was ordered to the po- sition mentioned, because the emergency required it. was order- ed to resume its position in its brigade. It slowly withdrew its line, and filed to the rear in column of fours, and started off on the trot to overtake the brigade. 'The regiment had gone but about half a mile. when the rebels made a furious charge on the 3.1 brigade. They charged into the town right up to the battery of howitzers, and captured five ont of six of them. The scene that followed was terrible beyond description. The 2d Tennessee broke and Aed in wild confusion. Soon the entire 31 brigade stampeded. and breame an uncontrollable mob. Its reg- iments lost all semblence of organization. The men threw away their arms, and dashed, hatless. pell mell to the rear, with terror depicted in their faces, deaf alike to threats or entreatips. Col. MeCrillis and Staff, and Gen. Grierson, made superhuman efforts to rally this brigade, but to little purpose.
The 7th Indiana was ordered back to the support of the 3.1 Frigrade. Col. Shanks and Major, Beck and Febles, formed the two rear battalions across the road, and Col Browne and Maj. Simonson the front one. Starceiv was the regiment thus form- el, when the fugitives of the 3d brigade went pouring through its ranks. The officers beat them with their swords, and cock- eil their revolvers in their faces to compel them to halt, but fail- ed. The torrent rushed past the 7th, leaving it to contend with the entire rebel army. This it did until the rest of the 1st brigade, far in advance, could be brought back to its assist- ance. The two rear battalions nuder Col. Shanks were formed on a hill flanked on both sides by ravines. There was room for bnt one company to night at a time. This, each company iid. till fatiked on both sides by the rebels, when it was compelled to retire to escape capture in a body. The one in the rear would then engage the enemy, antil flanked in like manner when it would renr. It then came the turn of the battalion under Col. Browne un Magasin men to meet the the list formed across the road with each wing resting on a grown
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scrub oaks. Col. Browne dismounted a company, and deployed it forward as skirmishers. It soon opened fire on the advanc- ing enemy. With an exultant yell the rebels charged this skir- mish line, but were suddenly brought to a halt by a well-direct- ed volley. that emptied many of their saddles, from the remain- der of the battalion. A brisk fire then opened on both sides. The bloody tide surged against the 7th Indiana hour after hour. it vielding its ground only step by step. Many were the anxious glances cast at the sun. whose rising on that day was hailed with a glow of pleasure, but whose setting was now prayed for. A- it was abont ro dip beneath the western horizon, Ivy Farm. eleven miles from Okolona. was reached Over this distance. from ten o'clock in the morning, the contending arinies had fought. umitesting the ground foot by foot. The condition of Smith's army, at this time, was critical in the extreme. Forrest was Banking it on both wings. Smith's only hope of avoiding a cap- tire of his entire armiv, was to give Forrest such a sudden and -- vere check, that darkness would put an end to the strife, be- fore he could resume the offensive.
The tield at Ivy Farm, where the most desperate fighting of that ill-fated day of ourred. sloped east an eighth of a mile to a ravine, that lay north and south. It extended south of the road half of a mile, where it was skirted with timber.
The 7th Indiana took its position on the erest of the hill, on the south side of the road. The 4th Missouri was formed in " se column behind the 7th Indiana. The battery attached to Ce ftl: Mi-conri, was placed on the left of the column near the road and was having a duel with a rebel battery on an opposite iall. "To the right of the 7th Indiana, a quarter of a mile dis- tant, a regiment was formed in the open field, and was engaging with its carbines. the enemy formed in the edge of the woods. Wreaths of smoke rose from the ranks of the Union regiment od floated grawfully away. The line of smoke at the edge of De woody indicated the position of the enemy.
The rebels in front of the 7th Indiana and 4th Missouri, was
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formed along the ravine in the the edge of the woods. They ceased firing and watched with interest the preparations for the "charge."
Members of the 7th Indiana dismounted and threw down the fence in front, so the cavalry could charge through.
Everything being ready. Gen. Smith, who had personally di- rected the formation of the troops. rode up to the 7th Indiana, and said. "Colonel Shanks, charge!" The Colonel gave the command. " Draw sabres!" and in an instant every blade flash- ed in the setting sun-light. "Forward, charge" rang along the line, which was repeated by the bugles sounding the "charge," then off shot the column, like a thunderbolt, down the hill to the ravine, over it. into the ranks of the enemy, through a storin of bullets from their minskets, and shells from their guns. Sabres clashed on muskets. and inuskets were fired in the faces of the assailants, or used as clubs over their heads. Owing to the ns- ture of the ground some of the regiment were unable to get close enough to the rebels to use their sabres. Under a galling fir- they coolly returned them to their scabbards, drew their revol- vers and ponred such a deadly fire into the faces of the rebels that it caused confusion in their ranks. The sun having gone down, the blaze from pistol and musket ilhinnined the dusk of evening. Having accomplished the object of the charge, the regiment was withdrawn.
The enemy had been so severely punished, he did not ven- ture on pursuit. A few scouts only went forward to watch the movements of their adversaries, but vanished like specters in the gathering gloom of night. In this last rencounter, the reh -! Co! Jesse Forreste a brother of the rebel General N. B. Forrest, was killed.
There were many acts of personal daring performed which will be more tully mentioned in another part of this book. On y one or two instances are given here Captain James H. Carpen- ter of company I. with his own hands captured two prisoners and sent them sately to the rear. He killed, with his sange, ?
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rebel who refused to surrender. He captured a third prisoner, who was in the act of handing him his sabre, when the Captain happening to cast a look to his left, saw not over ten feet from him, the left wing of a rebel regiment that had been stealthily placed in the ravine parallel with and north of the road. To escape capture himself, he was compelled to let his prisoner go, and save himself by flight. In doing so. he had to ride along in tront of this rebel regiment, under a fire directed at him, but he escaped unhurt. He and his company saved the battery, that had been abandoned by its support. from capture.
First Lieut. George R. Kennedy of company C, fought with desperation, was wounded and taken prisoner.
Capt. John R. Parmelee of company A. fought valiently, and at the time was supposed to have been mortally wounded. His wound however proved not to be fatal. He was taken prisoner, and confined at Macon, Georgia, and Columbia, South Carolina, but succeeded in making his escape from the latter place Nov. 4, 1564, and arrived in safety at the federal lines at Port ROVAL.
By the pale light of the moon, that rose in a clear sky, the bleeding and exhausted army pur-ned its retreat, About mid- night it halted two hours to rest, and restore order to the ranks of the demoralized regiments. Atter which it was again on the. move, and passed through Pontotve at daylight.
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