USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania volunteer cavalry which was recruited and known as the Anderson cavalry in the rebellion of 1861-1865; > Part 29
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 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73
When it is remembered that there were but 175 men of this Regiment all told in this campaign, and with the detachment of the Tenth Ohio, whose losses were eight men wounded, the total force under Colonel Palmer during most of the time num- bered less than 300 men, the record of their services will stand a fair comparison with any other body of men in the army. They deserved and received the highest praises for their efficiency from every Commander under whom it was their fortune to serve.
SCOUTING IN EAST TENNESSEE.
LIEUT. A. B. COLEMAN, COMPANY L, PHILADELPHIA.
FTER our Regiment arrived at Dandridge I was ordered to the south side of the French Broad River, with a small party of my comrades, to go into the interior six miles and hunt up a man by the name of Colonel Derrick-a good Union man of that section. Colonel Palmer, to the best of my knowledge, had never laid eyes on the man, but it did not take him long to know the name and proclivities of every man within a circuit of six miles. Anyhow, he knew Derrick by reputation, and the Colonel made no mistake in him. The object of the scout was to procure horses with which to mount our Regiment, for we were badly in want of them. We soon found Derrick's home, which was about six miles from the river, and he saw us coming, but dodged us for a while, until he was sure we were not rebels. He was very glad to see us and very willing to go with us any- where, but it must be at night.
He was very much elated at the thought of the opportunity to pay back his rebel neighbors for their persecutions and the suffer- ing which they inflicted upon him and his community of Union- loving people. Is it any wonder he was looking for sweet revenge? The suffering of the Union people during that long war was dread- ful in the extreme, and it was a great relief to them to help us by guiding us through almost an unknown mountainous country, delivering up to us provisions and aiding us in many ways. What has the Government done for them, the most patriotic people in the Union? It cost them something to stand by the Union at that time, as their rough experience proved.
Derrick at once piloted us to a camp in the woods, in the moun- tains, which he had established early in the war, and here we found about ten of Derrick's followers, who were compelled to hide during the daytime. Derrick also had what he called a grape- vine telegraph in operation, carried on by the women of the com-
340
34I
Scouting in East Tennessee.
munity, and through this they found out what was going on about the neighborhood. If a party of rebels came along toward a house and was seen by a woman she would run to the next house, perhaps a mile distant, and so would pass the news from house to house. By this means these rebel troops would likely be located if they should happen to stay overnight in the neighborhood, and our friend in the woods would know where they were and look after them.
I had heard, after leaving Dandridge, that our Regiment had been attacked by the enemy in the morning, and to satisfy myself as to the truth of it, when night came on I got my party together -- ten of our friends, who had good horses, and six of my com- rades-and we started for the river, six miles away.
On arriving at the river, a short distance above Dandridge, I was completely surprised. As far as I could see up the river, on the north side, there lay the largest body of rebel troops that I had ever seen. 'Their camps stretched along the river opposite to where I was standing, and not a mile away. Not knowing the whereabouts of my Regiment, I was completely cut off from them. We turned our horses' heads to the interior and up the country, and cautiously moved, stopping at the houses of the Union people on the way. My friends knew these people, who were mostly old folks, women and children. The information I particularly de- sired was to find out if there were any of the rebels on my side -south-of the river. To be taken prisoner while commanding a party of bushwhackers, would be no joke; hence the caution.
The grapevine telegraph had been working all day. They had located two men of the rebel infantry who had come from the opposite side of the river to see some friends. These we took on our trip up. I had with me a Mr. Swan, a prominent citizen of Beaver Dam, who was anxious to know if his plantation had been cleaned out. On arriving at his place he found that what he had anticipated was all too true. On viewing the destruction of his property from our side of the river he became crazed. He raised his cane in the air, galloped his horse down the road, and yelled at the top of his voice that he could lick the whole rebel army and that he would hang his brother Tom. He knew his brother was in the rebel army, on the other side of the river, and it was he who had led the party over to wipe out his plantation. We started
342
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
after Mr. Swan, caught up to him, and made him prisoner for our own safety.
There were several fords of the river below us, and it was very likely that we could be heard over there, and a force crossing below us would very speedily end our careers. If they had force enough they would hang us instead of taking us prisoners of war. My friends knew a trail which we took going back, and feeling our way cautiously found our way to Derrick's camp safely. We were pretty well protected, on account of the inhabitants generally being friendly to our side. The rebels knew that they had a poor chance of getting back to their camps if they crossed the river in small parties, and they were very cautious.
After being hidden in the mountains during the daytime for several days, raiding at nighttime and capturing horses, we heard continuous heavy firing. Mr. Swan informed me that the sounds came from about Mossy Creek, nine miles below Dandridge, alto- gether about fifteen miles from where we were stationed. I told him that I must get to my Regiment at all hazards, and he prom- ised he would take me there. I had in my possession two prisoners and sixteen horses. The whole of Longstreet's corps were be- tween us and our forces.
We started, taking our chances by traveling in the daytime, and at noon reached Sevierville, and about the middle of the night arrived in the neighborhood of Mossy Creek, where the fighting took place. Next morning we located our camp. Our Colonel had given us up, thinking that we were in prison or completely wiped out.
While camping at Sevierville, on the south side of the French Broad River, the Colonel desired to know if the enemy were any- where on the south side and within fifteen miles to the east. On that same day he had had an interview with several Union men from that neighborhood-fifteen or twenty miles above-who had informed him of the presence of the enemy. Their reports were not satisfactory to him, and wishing to have more reliable informa- tion, I was ordered to go with a small party and see for myself.
As quickly as possible we started to go as far as Muddy Creek, about fifteen or twenty miles above Sevierville. It was a dark night, just suiting our purpose. We started about 10 o'clock, and after traveling about five miles we halted. I advised my com-
343
Scouting in East Tennessee.
rades of the nature of the scout, also that Colonel Palmer expected that we would have a brush with the enemy, and that it was likely we would be captured, but if one of us escaped he must get back to Sevierville as quickly as possible, that the Colonel might know the condition of affairs up the river.
Placing a man about a hundred yards in the rear and another in the front, we started, cautiously feeling our way as we went. After going about two miles, expecting every moment to be chal- lenged by the enemy, the man on the advance halted until we came up. He informed me that horses were in the woods, on the left of the road and to the front. We cautiously went back about fifty yards and halted. I left my horse and went forward to recon- noiter, imagining at the same time what it could be. It could not be an enemy, for we would have been challenged by a picket, and it could not be that the horses were hidden there, for they are generally hidden far from a road. I got into the woods and dis- tinctly heard the movements of horses, one or two of them whin- nying. The night was very dark, and suddenly I came to what I supposed was a wagon wheel, and walked around it, only to dis- cover that I had walked around and through a battery of four pieces, limbered up, with horses hitched.
It was to my mind the strangest thing I ever heard tell of. Directly I came to a house, but not a living creature was to be seen. I found a door which was shut, but not locked. I opened it cau- tiously, and found a number of men sleeping on the floor, one of whom I awoke, inquiring who was there. If I can remember rightly, the answer came, "Gerard's Battery, U. S." "You are my prisoners," I said. He called to the Adjutant to get up and strike a light. The Adjutant went to the fireplace and soon had a light. The officer inquired who I was, and after being satisfied, I in- formed him as to the nature of my business. He informed me that I would find the enemy about a mile and a half from there. I explained to him how I had gotten into his camp. He inquired of the Adjutant how that could be, and was told by him that he had pickets at the other end of the camp, but none on the lower end. They talked generally in a foreign tongue.
Here was a camp, a battery of four pieces ready for action, with apparently no support, no picket out excepting on one side of the camp, with the nearest United States troops seven
344
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
miles distant. And where were the men? I informed the officer that I would like him to send an officer with me to the picket, where there was a non-commissioned officer and two men, and another man about a hundred yards out.
After explaining as best I could, for it was with difficulty that they understood me, the necessity of keeping a sharp lookout for my return and not to fire on us, I started again, leaving the picket behind me, not expecting to meet the enemy for several miles.
Nothing eventful occurred until we arrived at our goal-Muddy Creek-about ten or fifteen miles from camp, at about 2 o'clock in the morning. Muddy Creek is a stream about as wide as Chestnut Street from house to house, with a foot log across. There was a house on one side of the road. I thought I would rest a few minutes before sending a man back to report to the Colonel that all was clear to that point.
I placed a picket at the foot log and one on the road, and went to the house, got the old man out of bed, and he informed me that he did not think there were any of the rebels in the neighborhood. I sat down outside the porch for about a minute, when the man at the creek fired his gun. My men were ready in a moment. An old man had crossed the creek to tell his neighbor that a party of rebels from the other side of the river were then in his house ; that they had taken everything they could carry that was of any use to them and also his son. He was surprised to find Union cavalry there.
We dashed across the creek and up to the house. It was getting lighter-the day had broken. The women folks, very much ex- cited, were out on the porch. I got the information that the rebels had gone half an hour before the old man had left the house; in fact, they had kept him a prisoner until they had left.
Under the circumstances, I could not get a man to go back to the Regiment with the report. We followed the rebels to the ford of the river, six miles away, where there was a house. The people who lived there did not hear the rebels cross or recross. The boys wanted a brush with them badly, after the strain they had been under all night. We took our way back leisurely, and met the Regiment going up to where I had been. The Colonel was not in a very good humor at my failure to send a man back. But what could I do?
THE CHEROKEE INDIAN RAID.
CORP. WM. SPANG, COMPANY E, PHILADELPHIA.
O N December 3, 1863, the greater portion of our Regiment left camp in Sequatchie Valley and was ordered to go, with five days' rations, as part of a force to relieve General Burnside, at Knoxville, Tenn. We marched twenty-five miles, then rested at Kingston. Left Kingston on December 4th and halted near Loudon. We left Loudon on December 6th for Knoxville, and encamped near that place about 10 o'clock at night. We could not find anything to make fire with 'except green cedar boughs.
On December 7th the command left Knoxville and marched about thirty miles. I was then detailed for vedette duty. On De- cember 8th we crossed the mountains, and on the 9th marched until about 5 P.M., dismounted, rested in the valley and fed our horses. We then prepared to cross Cove Mountain, in order to save a circuitous march of forty miles or more. We watered our horses and tightened their girths, and the order was then given by Capt. Chas. M. Betts that in case we wore our overcoats to be sure and have our equipments strapped outside and to be ready for any emergency, as we might be surprised at any moment. The order was then given to advance, and about 6 P.M. we began ascending the mountain, Col. Wm. J. Palmer leading the main body.
We found it to be one of the most toilsome journeys that was ever undertaken by any body of cavalrymen, as we were obliged to lead our horses, single file, up the terribly rocky and steep trail, horses falling, and men stumbling and swearing the entire length of the line. We were dripping with perspiration through constant walking, not daring to discard our overcoats for fear of delay or surprise. Such was the intense darkness of the forest that we were not able to see our hands before our faces. After marching about eight hours, having lost the trail twice, we indeed felt our-
345
346
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
selves a forlorn hope. At last we arrived on a fair level about I A.M., gathered the stragglers and took a rest for a few minutes. We pressed onward along the crest for a number of miles, and long before the break of day began the descent.
The mountaineer scouts lighted their long pine torches and led the column down the trail single file. The men bumped against the horses and the horses bumped against the men. As we moved down the wild mountain trail I thought the column resembled an immense serpent, with every vertebra in its back in violent action, winding its way into the darkness of the forest.
I was very thirsty, as my canteen had been emptied two hours before, and my horse kept licking my frosty saber hilt at every op- portunity as he bumped against my back. However, after an unusually long, toilsome and continuous march, we succeeded in getting to the base of the mountain. Immediately we noticed a very beautiful stream of spring water rushing from the mountain base. We hurriedly half watered our famished and hungry horses, then mounted and assembled for the combat.
The order was given to charge. We drove the spurs into our horses and rushed forward for a quarter mile, surprised the Indian pickets along the ridge, and then wheeled to the left and into the meadows. Just in our front and on the hillside, about seventy yards beyond, was the Indian camp, and between it and our- selves was a deep creek, about thirty feet wide, and back of the Indian settlement was an immense forest.
The first battalion, counted into sets of four, dismounted, and under the direction of Lieutenant-Colonel Lamborn, advanced under a fierce fire. The Indian war whoop resounded throughout the forest as they gave us several volleys, wounding Capt. Chas. MI. Betts and Capt. George S. Clark. We then charged along the meadow, waded through the creek, breast deep, climbed up the hills and into the Indian camp.
There were the blazing fires and the corn cakes baking, just ready to eat; so we gobbled them from out the frying pan, and finding no Indians in the huts, we started out and fought them until we had driven them away into the dense forest and we could no longer hear their war whoop.
After about four hours' fighting we returned and went into their tents. We found bags of dried apples, salt, blankets and
347
The Cherokee Raid.
sheepskins. John Benner, of our company, beat the tattoo on their drums, then took out his camp knife and cut out the heads. In their surprise and hurry they left behind about fifteen horses tied to the stakes. I destroyed, by striking against the trees, twenty rifles, as they were of no possible use to us, and then we set fire to the Indian camp and left the place with the boys shouting the war whoop.
We left Sequatchie Valley on December 3d, and were without tents the entire campaign. My recollection is that I was in the saddle daily on that noted campaign, which lasted seventy days, as the last of our party arrived at Chattanooga about March 3, 1864. The Regiment went into camp at Rossville, Ga., and I was put on courier duty at the foot of Lookout Mountain to carry dispatches to Gen. "Joe" Hooker.
FIGHTING CHEROKEE INDIANS.
CORP. JAMES W. OVER, COMPANY G, PITTSBURG, PA.
O N December 3: 1863, we were sent to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville, and were among the first troops to reach him. Some Cherokee Indians from a reservation in North Caro- lina, who adhered to the Confederacy, had .crossed the Smoky Mountains into East Tennessee, forming a camp near their base, and were making incursions into the valleys and despoiling the Union people of their substance.
We were ordered to disperse them, and Colonel Palmer, taking with him a part of the Regiment, crossed an almost impassable mountain and reached their rear, while he sent a detachment to attack them in front. He hoped to surprise them, and his advance guard was ordered to charge the camp. Unfortunately, some of the Indians discovered us before it was reached, and gave the alarm. We soon caught a glimpse of their camp, on a wooded bench of the mountain, with a narrow and tortuous trail leading to it, making a mounted charge impossible, and we halted, waiting for further orders.
On the other side of a rocky mountain creek there was a small clearing, the only point from which a full view of the camp could be had. It was necessary for someone to cross this creek, in full view of the enemy, and make a reconnoisance before an attack could be made. I know that if all of the advance guard felt as I did about it, none of them were anxious to be detailed for that duty. As soon as the Colonel arrived, however, he put spurs to his horse, crossed the stream with the enemy's bullets striking the water all around him, rode out into the field, wheeled his horse, facing the camp, and as coolly as if reviewing the Regiment on dress parade, except that his head involuntarily dodged as the minies zipped by, made the necessary observations and returned to us unharmed.
The Regiment was then dismounted, and a brisk fight from
348
349
Fighting Cherokee Indians.
behind trees, rocks and fallen timber, in regular Indian fashion, ensued. The enemy seemed to think it necessary to accompany every shot with a genuine war whoop, which must have interfered with their aim, as they only wounded two of our men-Captains Betts and Clark.
When the enemy discovered a detachment of our men working its way around their flank, they abandoned their camp and took to the mountain, hiding as quickly and successfully as a flock of frightened partridges. The people in that section of East Tennes- see considered that skirmish one of the greatest battles of the war, and if sound were the only measure of a great battle it certainly was, as every discharge of a musket or carbine echoed through the gorges and sounded in the valleys like the discharge of a full bat- tery of artillery.
The next day Companies G and H, under the command of Cap- tain McAllister, started in pursuit of the Indians, who were cut- ting their way, by an abandoned trail across the mountains, to North Carolina. A body of mounted East Tennessee Hoine Guards, dressed in butternut, joined us, and had we met a regular Confederate cavalry force we could not have distinguished friend from foe.
Our pursuit led us by a narrow trail through a thick forest, and fearful of an ambuscade we dismounted, formed in skirmish line, and with great difficulty advanced through laurel, growing close to the ground, so tangled and thick that the Indians might have successfully concealed themselves underneath. About dusk we reached a farm at the foot of the mountains, and halted at the farmhouse, where we saw the enemy near the summit of the moun- tains, pushing forward as fast as possible. They were far beyond the range of our carbines, and as their position was such that a night attack could not be made with any hope of success, the pursuit was abandoned.
The command had become separated in the advance, and some of us were sent in different directions to bring in those who liad not reported. As it was getting quite dark, and there was no assurance that some of the Indians might not be lurking in the immediate vicinity, the duty assigned to us was somewhat perilous -at least this was my opinion as I dodged from tree to tree, scan- ning the woods for friend or foe and calling loudly for my lost
350
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
comrades. Not finding them, after a short time I returned to the farmhouse, and discovered that the command had started by the trail through the forest for the place where our horses had been left.
I was alone, and it is needless to say that double-quick time was made by me along that trail, or that I expected any moment to see the stalwart form of an Indian looming up before me in the darkness, with evil intent, to rob me of my scalp. I made such good time that I reached the command just as it was moving, and it was with a great sigh of relief I mounted my horse and joined my comrades.
THE PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF GENERAL VANCE
SERG. E. W. ANDERSON, COMPANY M, PHOENIXVILLE, PA.
O N or about the 12th of January, 1864, Gen. Robert B. Vance left Asheville, N. C., in command of a Confederate brigade of about 700 men, consisting of cavalry and infantry, crossed over the Smoky Mountains into East Tennessee, and made a descent on Sevierville (county seat of Sevier County, Tenn.), where he captured a wagon train and its escort, out from Knox- ville, Tenn., for forage. They started back with the prisoners, a number of citizens who had been evading Confederate service, and all the horses they could capture in that vicinity.
Our Regiment, with part of the Tenth Ohio, was encamped on the night of the 13th inst. at Jim Evans' plantation, seventeen miles distant, on the French Broad River.
Early in the evening "boots and saddles" sounded, and we started on our way to Sevierville, reaching that place at the first light of dawn. The advance squad, under Sergeant Lyon, suc- ceeded in capturing two citizens and two Confederate officers at Mr. McNutt's plantation, thus preventing them from giving knowledge of our pursuit. Here we fed our horses, breakfasted and then passed along up the Smoky Mountains, following the waters of Pigeon Creek. The citizens in this vicinity, loyal Union- ists, had stopped the progress of the Confederates by felling heavy timber across the narrow gorges, and were greatly elated when they discovered that we were in hot pursuit of "our mutual foe."
We followed on in this manner, and soon the advance guard was able to see the rear of the Confederates passing over the distant hills. Only a short time elapsed before the whole Confederate command passed in view of the advance guard. The Colonel gave orders that at the first favorable opportunity the attack would be made. Ere long the smoke could be seen arising from the valley across Crosby's Creek, proclaiming that the Confederates were going into camp.
General Vance had decided, when he left Sevierville, to take the captured wagons to Longstreet, but believing that he was not
351
352
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
pursued, changed his orders, ordering the wagons to proceed up Crosby's Creek, on the road to Asheville, from whence he came. The teams, being tired and worn out, had straggled over a distance of three miles, and some of them had gone about a mile and a half down Crosby's Creek before they received the orders to change for Asheville. Feeling certain that he was not pursued, he ordered his men into camp.
All this time our command was standing on the rise of the descent to Crosby's Creek watching all these maneuvers. The Confederate vedette had gone down to the reserve for his dinner, leaving no one on the lookout. We could plainly see the wagons coming up the stream, and those in front going into camp, when the order for the charge was given. With a yell such as the moun- tains have never heard before or since, our command fell upon the Confederates in the center, forcing them up and down the stream in direst confusion, with little or no resistance.
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.