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 62
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W. J. PALMER, Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General, Commanding.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIV., DISTRICT OF EAST TENNESSEE (Howell's Ford, near Warsaw, on the Chattahoochee) May 12, 1865, 5 P.M.
Major,-After my last dispatch to you from Athens, via Asheville, I got reliable information from a scout, disguised as a Contederate sol- dier, who stated positively that he had traveled with him for a day, that Davis was one mile and a half from Wills' Ferry, on the Oconee River, a short distance above the mouth of the Apalachee, moving westward. This was at four o'clock on the morning of the 7th instant. The scout left him at that point to report to me at Athens, and, on the way, eight miles northwest of where he had left Davis' party, near Salem, he states that he met General Bragg with about 100 men, most of whom were without arms, and five wagons. He traveled with Bragg some distance toward Furlow's Bridge, over the Apalachee, and then came to Athens. A detachment of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry sent in pursuit suc- ceeded in capturing General Bragg below Concord, west of Monticello, on the night of the 9th instant, with his wife, three staff officers, one am- bulance and three wagons. There was no specie in the wagons, but an assortment of provisions, horse equipments, papers, wines, etc. The lieutenant, in violation of orders, paroled Bragg to report to General Wilson at Macon, he stating that he was not trying to escape, but was simply going to his home in Alabama. He had, however, passed around a detachment of my command at Madison, and had evaded another detachment at Covington, and I have no doubt whatever but that he was a candidate for the Trans-Mississippi Department, and that he had been with Davis but a very short time before. A detachment of
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the Twelfth Ohio Cavalry which I had stationed at Monroe, while pur- suing a party which they took to be Davis', also captured at Conyer's Station, west of Yellow River, on the morning of the 9th instant, Major- General Wheeler, three of his staff, and eleven privates. Wheeler had a forged parole on his person, and tried to pass himself off as Lieutenant Sharp, stating that he had been paroled. When sent to me he made a very poor story, stating that he wanted to be paroled and go to his home in Augusta. As I had no doubt whatever but that he was a Trans-Mississippi man, and had been very recently with Davis, I stripped him and his staff of their horses and side arms and sent them to the commander of the United States forces at Augusta, with a state- ment of the facts. On the morning of the 8th instant, while search- ing for Davis near the fork of the Apalachee and Oconee Rivers, Colonel Betts, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, captured seven wagons hid in the woods, which contained $188,000 in coin, $1,588,000 in bank notes, bonds, etc., of various Southern States, and about $4,000,000 of Confederate money, besides considerable specie, plate and other valuables belonging to private citizens of Macon. The main portion of the above property comprised the assets of the Central Railroad and Banking Company, Georgia, which had been moved out of Macon at the approach of General Wilson. The wagons also contained the private baggage, maps, and offi- cial papers of General Beauregard and the same of General Pillow. Nothing was disturbed, and I sent the whole on by railroad to Augusta in charge of Captain Patterson, acting assistant adjutant-general, to be de- livered to commanding officer of United States forces, to await the action of the Government. Colonel Miller, whom I had sent to Greensboro, reports that Davis had passed through there, but it is possible that he may not have crossed the Oconee River, but deflected south to cross it below Milledgeville. Colonel Stacy, however, who was sent in pursuit from Washington, and who marched by Crawfordsville and Sparta to a point opposite Milledgeville, reports that he could find no trace of him in that direction. I have had the whole country thoroughly searched from Washington west to the Chattahoochee River, and from Athens to Lawrenceville south to Milledgeville, Monticello, and Mc- Donough. My belief is that Davis has not yet crossed the Chatta- hoochee River, but that he is lying by until search shall have ceased. This belt, however, is so thoroughly exhausted of corn that I have de- termined to send Brown's and Miller's brigades under General Brown to the line of the Savannah River from Dooley's Ferry, near Lincoln- ton, northward to Knox's bridge, on the Tugalo, to feed there as long as practicable without starving the people, and to arrest stray parties of armed Confederates going westward. These orders were sent to General Brown yesterday, with instructions as soon as forage becomes scarce to move to Greenville, S. C., and vicinity to await orders from you.
With the First Brigade, which is as much as I can feed on this route, I have determined to march rapidly across the belt, exhausted by the
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campaign against Atlanta, and place it west of the Coosa River for the purpose of guarding that line, from Will's Valley south to Wilsonville, on the Talladega and Selma Railroad. The Tenth Michigan, now at McDonough, has been directed to cross the Chattahoochee at Franklin ; thence to march via Talladega to cross the Coosa at Clannche's Ferry. The Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, now near Decatur, has been directed to march, via Atlanta and Campbellton, to Jacksonville, and from there to Asheville, west of the Coosa. With the Twelfth Ohio I shall start from here to-morrow morning and march by Van Wert and Cedartown to Bennettsville, on Will's Creek. Each of the three columns will carry along enough forage and rations from the Chattahoochee (the Fifteenth Pennsylvania from Atlanta), to take it across the exhausted belt, except- ing the Tenth Michigan, which will scarcely find it necessary to do so. On arriving west of the Coosa all intersecting and crossroads will be guarded from Coxville, in Will's Valley, south to Wilsonville, on the Talladega Railroad. The Tenth Michigan will communicate with United States forces at Montgomery, and request that the line from Wil- sonville to Montgomery be guarded by them. I have received no or- ders from you since the one to follow Davis, until I believed further search useless, and I am acting upon that. The shortest way to com- municate with me at Bennettsville .will be, probably, by telegraph to Huntsville, thence by courier, or if the gunboats are running on the Ten- nessee River the shortest way will be by courier from Guntersville to Bennettsville. I shall endeavor to communicate by that route when I get west of the Coosa. In regard to the Confederate specie, I am satis- fied that Davis has not now any considerable amount with him. Major Millsap, of Major-General Loring's staff, states that in the council of war held in General Johnston's army, General Johnston called on Secre- tary Breckinridge for specie to pay his army, they not having been paid for more than a year. In presence of the entire council Breckinridge re- plied that the Government had not more than $60,000 actually belonging to it. That $40,000 was on hand, that $20,000 was or would be trans- ferred to the Commissary Department for the purchase of provisions. It is estimated that the Confederate Government may have had in its possession some $32,000,000, the property of different Southern banks, including those of New Orleans, removed from various points to avoid capture, it having been the original intention to return these funds when the danger of falling into our hands should have passed away. As Davis passed through North Carolina the funds belonging to the bank of that State were, it is said, left at Charlotte, at the instance of Governor Vance. That belonging to South Carolina, Georgia and New Orleans was either left and concealed at Washington or shipped by railroad from that point. The soldiers and people were impressed with the idea that Mr. Davis had a very large amount of Government specie with him, and that they were becoming exasperated that it was not distributed in pay- ment of the troops. It was probably as much to appease this feeling
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as anything else that prompted the payment of specie to Dibrell's cav- alry, and at the time these were the only troops not formally surren- dered or disbanded. This payment probably took most of the public funds. It seems probable that little specie crossed the Savannah River, for if Davis felt it necessary to have a division of cavalry to guard his train, he would not be apt to move that train without guard when he found it impracticable to take his cavalry escort across the Savannah River. General Bragg states that no specie came this side of Wash- ington, Ga. I also have the honor to report that General Iverson was captured by a detachment of the Twelfth Ohio, near his home at Law- renceville. As I had good reason to believe that he was not a Trans- Mississippi man, and it being difficult to take him with us, I paroled him. A detachment of my command, which passed through Crawfordsville a few days ago, found Mr. Alexander H. Stephens at his home. Howell Cobb is at his home in Athens. The people all want peace and pro- visions and appear strongly opposed to the Trans-Mississippi scheme of Davis. There is a disposition everywhere on the part of the poor people and the poorer class of returned soldiers toward agrarian riots. I have a telegram of the 7th from Major-General Wilson at Macon stating that it is quite certain that Dick Taylor has capitulated. I had determined to parole Dibrell's division, taking from them their horses and arms, but found that General Wilson had already sent a paroling officer from Augusta to attend to their case.
I am, Major, yours respectfully,
WM. J. PALMER, Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General, Commanding.
MAJOR BASCOM,
Assistant Adjutant General.
P. S .- After waiting long enough along the Coosa to catch Davis, or become convinced that further search is useless by my command, I would propose to go to Huntsville, Ala. (if not required further in the cotton States), as being the nearest railroad point that I could march to and obtain forage en route. W. J. P.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIV., DISTRICT OF EAST TENNESSEE. (Near Coxville, Will's Valley, May 17, 1865, 7 P.M.).
Major,-I have the honor to report that I have the first brigade placed along the line of Will's Valley and the Coosa River from Van Buren, in Will's Valley, to Wilsonville, near the crossing of the Coosa by the Talladega (or Montevallo) Railroad. I shall move in the morning to Guntersville, on the Tennessee River, with one company of the Fif- teenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and establish my headquarters there un- til I hear from you, which I hope to do by the gunboats on arriving at that point. I find forage much less abundant along this line, particularly from Asheville to Van Buren, than I expected, and I think
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it will be impossible for the brigade to remain many days in its present position without thoroughly exhausting the country, whose inhabitants will already find great difficulty in getting food enough to last them un- til the next crop is gathered. I have communicated with you from Athens, via Dalton, from Athens, via Asheville, from the Chattahoochee via Dalton and from Euharlee via Resaca, since I received any dispatch from your headquarters. In moving through the country I have found it advisable to parole some 5000 Rebel soldiers, who were at or in the vicinity of their homes, many of them unable to report at the paroling stations regularly provided, or ignorant of where they should report. I would respectfully suggest that if necessary an order be issued under the proper date authorizing me to give these paroles, so that there may be no doubt concerning their legitimacy. Until I reached the vicinity of Jacksonville and Goshen, Ala., I met nowhere in the south any dis- position toward guerrilla warfare. Most of the soldiers had returned peaceably to their plows. At Jacksonville, however, ten of Wheeler's cavalry captured two of my men and stripped them of their horses and arms, and subsequently captured Major Garner, of the Fifteenth Penn- sylvania, who had remained behind for a short time with four men in Jacksonville, to finish paroling some soldiers. They threatened' to kill the major, but were prevented by the citizens until the four men came up, when the rebels were driven off with a loss of several horses and one man wounded.
In the district I have traversed since leaving Athens, Ga., the poorer classes will be apt to suffer for provisions until the wheat crop is gath- ered unless the rich divide with them, which they show but little inclina- tion to do anywhere in the south. I do not think it advisable that any authority should be granted by the military commanders for the forma- tion of armed police bodies for local protection in the South, as such au- thority will in most cases, I think, militate against the poor whites and negroes, who are and always have been our friends, in favor of the wealthy, who have always been and still are our enemies. No protection should be afforded that cannot be given by garrisons of our troops. There is an abundance of corn in southwestern Georgia and southern Alabama to feed these poor people if the railroads were repaired. The new corn crop is so promising everywhere that I think there will be a large surplus the coming year. All the suffering for food that will occur in the South will occur within the next three or four months. I find on further inquiry that General Bragg and staff were not released, but sent under an escort of a sergeant and ten men of the Fifteenth Penn- sylvania Cavalry to report to General Wilson. You have, no doubt, before this received information of the capture of Jefferson Davis, of which I was apprised day before yesterday by the inclosed dispatch from Colonel Trowbridge, of the Tenth Michigan. There may, of course, be still some doubt of the matter, but I regard the information as entirely reliable, as I have had it confirmed from various sources. Davis ap-
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pears to have been captured at Irwintown (Irwinville), south of Mil- ledgeville, on the 11th (10th) instant, by Colonel Pritchard, of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and to have passed through Atlanta for Au- gusta on the morning of the 14th instant. I inclose a letter from Gen- eral Wilson, dated at Macon on the 9th, showing the dispositions he had made to arrest Davis. The proclamation he refers to I had printed in Athens, and have posted it in handbills everywhere from the Oconee to the Coosa, and from Allatoona south to Talladega. If Davis is cap- tured, the only object in the First Brigade remaining along its present line would be to arrest other fugitive parties. I sent a company of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry yesterday morning from Jacksonville to Montgomery, Ala., to communicate with the commanding officer of the United States forces at that point. I have managed to keep tol- erably well mounted thus far, but unless my animals are rested now I fear the First Brigade will become rapidly dismounted. I would therefore recommend that as soon as it is thought that the brigade is no longer needed along this line it be ordered to Huntsville, Ala., to re- cruit. It would probably be difficult to march to Chattanooga in con- sequence of the scarcity of forage on the roads leading thereto. General Brown, with his own and Miller's brigades, is now posted along the line of the Savannah River, but was ordered to move to Greenville, S. C., and vicinity (under General Stoneman's previous instructions), as soon as forage should become scarce along the Savannah. General Brown remained near Washington, Ga., with one brigade until the paroling of Dibrell's command (Davis' escort), some 3000 in number, was completed by an officer sent from General Wilson for that purpose. One brigade of Grierson's cavalry is at Talladega.
I am, Major, yours respectfully, WM. J. PALMER,
Colonel and Brevet Brigadier-General, Commanding. MAJOR BASCOM.
Assistant Adjutant General, Headquarters District of East Tennessee.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY DIV., DISTRICT OF EAST TENNESSEE, HUNTSVILLE, Ala., May 24, 1865.
Major :- I have the honor to append to the reports I have hitherto furnished of the operations of this cavalry division since I assumed command the following :-
First .- The rebel cavalry force which started with Jefferson Davis from Charlotte, N. C., to escort him to the Trans-Mississippi Depart- ment. and which was intercepted by us on the line of the Savannah River, consisted of Dibrell's division and Ferguson's brigade, of Wheeler's corps, Duke's brigade, and all of Vaughn's command that had not previously deserted, and Butler's division, of Hampton's corps. The last did not attempt to cross the Savannah River, but disbanded
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in South Carolina, near the river. Ferguson's brigade, consisting chiefly of Georgians and numbering about 1000, after crossing the Savannah was allowed to march to Macon, where it surrendered to General Wilson. The remaining four brigades, commanded by Dibrell and numbering about 2500 men, surrendered at the Petersburg pontoon bridge, on the Savannah River, on finding that they were intercepted, Davis at that point having come to the determination to get away with a few men.
Second .- A large proportion of the rebel soldiers paroled at different poles in the South were without arms, some saying that they had thrown them away, others that they had left them with their commands when given furloughs, etc. It is a question worthy of consideration whether by proclamation of commanding officers all such arms should not be ordered to be delivered up within a certain limited period, as I am sat- isfied that in most cases these men have their arms at their homes.
Third .- I desire to recommend for honorable mention and promo- tion the following officers of my command, to wit: In the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Lieut .- Col. Charles M. Betts, commanding Regi- ment, for gallant conduct in charging and capturing a South Carolina battalion of cavalry with its commanding officer (Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson), in front of Greensboro on the morning of April II, 1865; also for thoroughly preserving the discipline of his regiment on an active campaign, during which the troops were compelled to live ex- clusively on the country. Adjutant Josiah C. Reiff, for gallantry in the above-mentioned charge in front of Greensboro, in which he wounded with the sabre and captured Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson, commanding battalion of the Sixth (Third) South Carolina Cavalry; also for skill and success throughout the campaign in getting acquainted with and in clearly reporting the movements of the enemy. Major, William Wagner, for skill and good conduct in having with his battalion of 250 men destroyed the Virginia Railroad from thirty miles east of Christiansburg to within three miles of Lynchburg, and thence succeed- ing in withdrawing his command in the face of a superior force, with the loss of but one man and in joining his regiment at Statesville, N. C. Major A. B. Garner, for gallantry and skill in having with his battalion of 100 men destroyed the railroad bridge over Reedy Fork, between Danville and Greensboro, on the morning of the IIth of April, evading superior forces of the enemy. Captain Adam Kramer, for skill and gallantry in having destroyed the important railroad bridge over Deep River, between Greensboro and Salisbury, on the morn- ing of April II; also for destroying a large quantity of arms and munitions of war and railroad trains with their contents, first defeating a superior force of the enemy. Sergeant Selden L. Wilson, for skill and gallantry in having with ten men destroyed the railroad bridge, over South Buffalo Creek within a few miles south of Greensboro, driving off the guard.
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I also acknowledge my indebtedness for faithful and efficient services throughout the campaign, to all the officers of my staff, but especially to Capt. Henry McAllister, Acting Assistant Adjutant General, and to Lieut. Chas. S. Hinchman, Assistant Commissary of Subsistence; the last for activity and success in keeping his brigade at all times well sup- plied with rations from the country in the authorized manner, thus pre- venting, to a great extent, irregular foraging.
I am, Major, yours respectfully,
WM. J. PALMER, Brevet Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.
MAJOR G. M. BASCOM,
Ass't Adjt. General, Headquarters District of East Tennessee.
General Orders No. 7
HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIG., CAVALRY DIV., Department of the Cumberland, HUNTSVILLE, Ala., May 26, 1865.
The general commanding accepts the present opportunity to com- pliment Sergeants John Burton, Company E, and John K. Marshall, Company F, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, for the faithful discharge of the duties which, owing to the absence of their company officers, devolved upon them during the recent campaign, and to congratulate them upon the entire success of their efforts to maintain the discipline in their respective companies.
By command of Brevet Brigadier-General William J. Palmer.
HENRY MCALLISTER, Captain and Acting Assistant Adjutant General.
GUNTERSVILE, May 21, 1865.
MAJOR SOUTHARD HOFFMAN
Assistant Adjutant General.
I have just received your dispatch, and am about leaving for Hunts- ville to make arrangements for crossing my command to subsist and forage it on the march to Knoxville and Nashville. I shall reach Hunts- ville this evening. Please telegraph me there whether the General commanding desires that I should accompany the other regiments of this brigade to Knoxville, or to go with the Fifteenth Pennsylvania, to which myself and staff all belong, to Nashville. Will you please direct four days' forage for 1200 animals to be shipped to Bridgeport im- mediately, if it is not already there, to meet the Twelfth Ohio and Tenth Michigan Cavalry. I take it for granted that there is subsistence enough already there for them. I have sent orders to General Brown and Colonel Miller how to march to reach Knoxville. I have received enough forage at Guntersville for my purposes, but have no subsistence. Will you please have 6000 rations ordered to Guntersville immediately for the Fifteenth Pennsylvania and Tenth Michigan Cavalry, and give
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History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
orders for the boat that brings them to receive and cross these regi- ments to north side of Tennessee River.
WM. J. PALMER, Brevet Brigaider-General.
HUNTSVILLE, May 22, 1865.
MAJOR-GENERAL STONEMAN,
General,-I sent a full dispatch of recent operations to you from Gun- tersville, but the courier being informed that you were not in Knoxville took it to General Thomas' headquarters at Nashville. I received at Guntersville on Saturday your orders to bring my command to Knox- ville, and subsequently an order from General Thomas directing me to report with my staff and the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry at Nash- ville, to superintend the muster out of that regiment. I have sent orders to General Brown to march with his two brigades from South Carolina to Knoxville, via Hiawassee or Little Tennessee, and to send couriers at once to notify you where and when he would strike the railroad. The Twelfth Ohio and Tenth Michigan are marching to Bridgeport, Ala. The Twelfth will arrive there to-morrow evening; the Tenth Michigan probably not until Sunday next. This brigade is in very good condi- tion except as regards clothing. The Fifteenth Pennsylvania will reach Huntsville on Saturday next. I shall send a staff officer to Knoxville to-morrow to communicate with you more fully, and to bring here all officers and men of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry who may be in your district or at Chattanooga. Will you please have them relieved from the duty they are now on.
WM. J. PALMER, Brevet Brigaider-General.
TALLADEGA, May 25, 1865.
LIEUT .- COL. CHAS. M. BETTS,
Commanding Fifteenth Penna. Vol. Cavalry.
Colonel .- I have the honor to report that in obedience to orders I marched to Talladega on the 16th inst, and awaited there the arrival of the Tenth Michigan Cavalry, from whom I hoped to obtain informa- tion of the movements of the rebel General Braxton Bragg. The Tenth Michigan did not arrive in Talladega until noon of the 17th, when I ascer- tained that the detail ordered to escort General Bragg to Macon, Ga., had left him alone at a place called Indian Springs and had returned to join the Regiment. I communicated this fact to you and started for Mont- gomery, Ala., which place I reached on the evening of the 19th, having scouted the country on the way down as far as Vicksburg, on the road to West Point, Ga., and as far west as the river, without obtaining any information. On arriving at Montgomery, I immediately reported to headquarters to Lieutenant Colonel Hough, A. A. G., in the 'absence
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