USA > Tennessee > Hardin County > A history of Hardin County, Tennessee > Part 3
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The following table shows how the school fund was apportioned in Hardin County in the year 1839 :
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Districts.
Scholastic Population.
Apportionment of School Fund in 1839.
1
290
$ 180 17
2
217
135 22
3
220
137 09
4
130
81 01
5
165
102 82
6
213
132 73
7
104
64 81
8
183
114 04
9
240
149 56
10
152
69 79
11
257
160 15
12
203
126 50
2,374
$1,453 89
The above table shows that the scholastic popu- lation of the county in 1839 was twenty-three . hundred and thirty-four, and that the school fund was fourteen hundred and fifty-four dollars and forty-three cents, which was about sixty-two cents per scholar.
Let us now step up ten years and see the condi- tion of the county. At this date (1850) we find a total population of 10,328 souls. Of this number 9,040 are whites, 31 free blacks, and 1,257 are slaves. We find Savannah with a population of eight hundred. We see six hundred and ninety farms, containing 34,446 acres, and 164,432 acres
1
56
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
of unimproved land. The occupied or improved land was valued at five hundred and eighty-six thousand dollars. We find in the county fifteen hundred dwellings, fifteen hundred and thirteen families, twenty-four hundred and thirty-nine horses and mules, sixty-nine hundred head of cat- tle, sixty-six hundred sheep, and twenty-four thou- sand six hundred and eighteen hogs. The crop of 1850 amounted to seventy-four hundred and eighty-eight bushels of wheat, four hundred and forty-nine thousand three hundred bushels of corn, and six hundred and eighty-six bales of cotton. The scholastic population of the county in 1850 was thirty-seven hundred, and the school fund was fourteen hundred and forty-two dollars. The capi- tal invested in manufactures in the county in 1850 was sixty-six thousand seven hundred and forty dollars.
In the year 1860, forty-four years after the first cabin was built, the total population of the county was 11,217. Of this number 9,600 were whites, 1,650 were slaves; and the voting population of the county was 1,650.
At this date four of the first settlers were still
57
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
living. They had lived to see a wilderness changed to the habitation of civilized man. The Indian and his dog were gone to return no more. The wild beasts had been slain or had left for the Mis- sissippi swamps, where they could roam unmo- lested by the white man. The once wild cane- brake-lands on the east and the beautiful uplands on the west were fast changing into nice farms, and everywhere peace and prosperity seemed to reign supreme.
At this date the citizens of Hardin County knew not the terrible fate that awaited them. The Nation was soon to be convulsed by a mighty Rebellion, which would change peace to confusion, turn joy into mourning, and stain the land with - blood.
For the history of the civil war as it occurred in Hardin County, we refer the reader to the next chapter.
3
PART SEGOND.
The Civil War
CHAPTER X.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. -
C one knows the trouble and horror of war unless they have lived through a war and beheld it in all its scenes. The boys and girls of to-day know nothing of the great Rebellion that occurred over twenty years ago. They know comparatively nothing of what the poor soldiers went through before they were allowed to return to their homes and live in peace. They do not know the hardships that the gray-headed fathers of to-day went through while staying at home and trying to make a support for their families.
The little boys and girls of to-day have not the faintest idea of the places sought out for the con-
59
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
cealment of property, and the means used in pre- venting its discovery by the roving bands of sol- diers that frequented the country in the absence of the regular army.
No one can estimate the amount of bloodshed, the agonies of the wounded and dying, or the hardships endured in war, for it is beyond the power of the tongue to tell or the pen to describe. No one can tell the sad effect of war more than those who have beheld it with their eyes, heard it with their ears, and felt the full pressure of it in many battles.
We will now picture to the reader as best we can . the appearance of the great civil war in Har- din County from the beginning to the close.
THE BEGINNING - VOTING - BARBECUE - DRAFT -FED- ERAL GUNBOATS-THE FEDERAL ARMY.
When it was known that a war was approach- ing, those who had experienced war-times, and those who had heard their ancestors relate stories of the Revolution, and the trouble caused and mis- chief done by the Tory bands, looked on the ap- proaching Rebellion with terror, for they expected
60
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
a repetition of what they had learned of past wars; while a few persons said it would only be sport and all over in one year, but they doubtless thought quite different before the end of five years.
The first thing the citizens were asked to do was to vote "Separation " or "No Separation." A few leaders said, " Vote the State out of the Union and the war will stop." Hardin County voted to stay in the Union, but the State went out by some means, and the war came on, as might have been expected. The militia were ordered to meet regu- larly to be drilled at the "muster-grounds," which were at Old Town, for the east side of the river, and at the Perkins place, on the Savannah and Adamsville road, for the west side of the river. The little boys even got to meeting regularly and drilling as best they knew with wooden guns and swords, and oftentimes they would have sham bat- tles, in which one party would represent Yankees and the other Rebels. The place selected for these sham battles was on some rocky hill where the boys could have access to munitions without much trouble.
In the summer of 1861 a grand barbecue was
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
given to aid the Southern cause at Shady Grove Church, two miles west of Saltillo. The orator on that day, in a lengthy speech, greatly entreated the young men to enlist and fight for the "Sunny South," and ofttimes he would unfurl to the breeze the "stars and bars" amid loud cheering by the multitude. After speaking there was a call for volunteers, and at the same time the few who had previously enlisted paraded on their horses around the old camp-meeting arbor, with small flags at- tached to their horses' heads. There was many a youth on that day, no doubt, who wished that he was a man, so that he could join the then apparent braves. But few of those volunteers lived to see the war closed, and but very few live to-day to tell of their parade and barbecue at Shady Grove Church. .
One year after the barbecue the citizens were forced to give up their guns, and men were ap- pointed to receive them at the various precincts, after which they were placed in the care of the colonel of the militia, who examined them, and those that did not fill a certain measure were re- turned to the owners. The rest were deposited at
62
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Coffee Landing and at Savannah, where they re- mained until taken by the gunboat.
The next thing to come up was the "draft" in the fall of 1861. Those drafted were posted at Savannah, the county capital, where the little reg- iment remained until the following February, under command of Col. Crews.
Before leaving home each soldier was ordered to supply himself with a uniform of brown jeans cloth, with a black stripe running up each leg of his pants. Those who were too poor to supply themselves with a uniform received donations from their relatives and friends.
When this regiment was fully organized at Sa- vannah the men received such arms as had been taken from the citizens and stored away there, consisting of small squirrel rifles and double-bar- rel shot-guns. This little regiment remained at Savannah very pleasantly until the 7th of Febru- ary, 1862. On that day several steamboats passed up the river at full speed, and all the hailing that could be done would not bring them to land nor check their speed. As one of the boats was pass- ing Savannah, a passenger jumped into the river
63
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
and swam ashore, and related the news of the fall of Fort Henry, and said the gunboats were cer- tainly coming. The news spread in all directions very soon, and while some of the citizens were re- joicing, others were trembling with fear, for there had been so many hideous stories told about the Yankees that many didn't know whether they would see human beings or not. Some few persons were foolish enough to believe that a gunboat was like unto some monstrous animal of an amphib- ious nature, that would devour the people on both the river and the land.
In the summer of 1861 the Confederates com- menced building a gunboat at Cerro Gordo, which they named " Eastport." She was about half com- pleted when the workmen received news of the fall of Fort Henry. To keep the Eastport from falling into the hands of the Yankees, prepara- tions were made to sink her as soon as they knew for a fact that the Federal gunboats were coming. A man was stationed on the bluff with his gun, and when the Union boats appeared in sight he was to shoot as a signal for two men to chop a hole in the Rebel boat, and let her sink to be seen
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
no more. On the evening of February 7th, near the hour of seven, the watchman discovered the Tyler, Lexington, and Conestoga steaming slowly up the river. He fired and the boats returned the fire with two shells, one of which penetrated the ground near the watchman's feet. He fled and the men on the Eastport fled too, without accom- plishing their purpose.
The three boats ran up near the Rebel boat and anchored. On the following day they proceeded up the river, captured the citizens' guns stored at Coffee Landing and at Savannah, and returned.
The regiment of Confederates at Savannah did stay to see the gunboats, but left in haste on the night of the 7th for Nashville. From there they went to Corinth, Miss., where they remained a short time, but before the battle at Shiloh they had nearly all deserted and either returned home or joined the Union army. Several of the drafted boys were at home on furlough when the gun- boats fired their cannons at Cerro Gordo, and they never tried to catch up with their regiment, but enlisted, some on the gunboats and others in Sherman's army.
65
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
In a few days the gunboats left with the East- port for the Ohio River. She was completed and sent to do service on a river in Arkansas, but it is said she never proved profitable to the Govern- ment.
Many of the citizens' guns were returned to them the next trip of the gunboats.
THE FEDERAL ARMY MOVES TO SAVANNAH.
On the 10th of March the Federal army began to move from Fort Henry up the Tennessee River. This was a grand sight to the citizens living along the river, and day after day great crowds of men and women assembled on the river bank to gaze at the long line of steamers loaded with the much- talked-of and long-expected Yankees. Many citi- zens were so excited that they seemed to forget their homes and all the expected dangers of the war, and appeared to be drawn as by some great attractive power to the river, where they would stand and greet the boys in blue with loud hur- rahs for the Union and its flag, to which the sol- diers on the boats would cheerfully respond.
One division of the army went to Crump's Land-
1
66
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
ing, where it remained till the Shiloh battle, and five divisions stopped at Savannah, where they re- mained a few days, and then moved to Pittsburg Landing.
Gen. Grant made his head-quarters at the Cherry mansion at Savannah until the Shiloh battle.
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CHAPTER XI.
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.
N the west bank of the Tennessee River lies the spot where this great battle was fought, and includes the greater part of the Fifteenth Civil District. (See map.) On the east side of the battle-field is the river; on the north, Snake Creek; on the west, Owl Creek; and on the south, Lick Creek. The south-west corner of the field is without any boundary, and it was through this pass, which is about three miles wide, that the whole Confed- erate force moved into battle. The memorable Shiloh Church stood two and a-half miles south- west of Pittsburg Landing, was a log structure, and under control of the Methodists. The soil is poor, and a more unprofitable spot of land, per- haps, could not have been selected in the county suitable for a battle-ground, and with less. loss to the county. The ground is not cut up by any streams of account. Only a few small brooks are
68
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
to be met with. From the top of the ridge divid- ing the waters of Snake and Lick Creeks the ground slopes gradually toward said creeks.
Let us now notice the arrangements made for the great approaching battle. We see the Federals, thirty-eight thousand strong, move out toward Shi- loh Church and erect their tents. We doubt whether those Union soldiers once thought, as they were moving out from Pittsburg Landing on the 17th of March, that three weeks from then those hills and valleys would be stained with blood and covered with the bodies of four thousand brave men. Here nearly one hundred thousand men were soon to meet in a battle that would destroy the timber and cause the earth beneath to become the last resting-place of four thousand civilized men (?).
The Federal army, numbering about thirty-eight thousand, and composed of five divisions, formed a line on the morning of the 6th reaching from the ford on Owl Creek, via Shiloh Church, to the ford on Lick Creek. The division commanders were Sherman, McClernand, Prentiss, Hurlbut, and W. H. L. Wallace. Gen. Grant was over all.
1 69
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
The Confederate force, numbering about forty thousand, left Corinth, Miss., on the 3d of April, but on account of bad roads did not get into posi- tion for battle till the morning of the 6th. Gen. Johnston's intention was to capture the Federal army at Shiloh before Gen. Buell arrived with re- enforcements. The Confederate army moved into battle early Sunday morning, arrayed in three lines. The first and front line was commanded by Gen. Hardee; the second, by Gen. Bragg; and the third, by Gens. Polk and Breckinridge. Gen. Johnston was chief commander and Gen. Beaure- gard was second in command.
In this battle neither army was supplied with breastworks, and so it had to be an open-field fight, except what protection the timber gave.
The intention of the Confederates was to sur- prise the Federals in their camps, and so they did. The Yankees were not expecting so large and dar- ing a force upon them at so early an hour in the day.
FIRST DAY'S FIGHT.
About six o'clock Sunday morning a charge was made on the Federals while many of them were in
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LINE
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HURLBUT
SHILOH
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CLEBURNE
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HILDERS
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HINDMAN
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GLADDEN
POLK'S
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MAP OF THE BATTLE GROUND OF SHILOH.
TENNESSEE
BRECKENRIDGE'S
CREEK
GIBSON
CLARK
SHERMAN'S
BUCKLAND
GROUND
HARD
POND
STUART.
B A.T. T. L.E
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CREEK
CRUMPS LANDING
MONTEREY
71
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
their tents. Soon the battle became general all along the Federal line, and with frightful fury. Here commenced such a scene as Hardin County had never witnessed. With all the fury of mad- dened desperation eighty thousand combatants hurled themselves against each other. The smoke from the guns arose and spread over the country for many miles in all directions, and crowds of cit- izens gathered on the distant hills to listen to "the cannon's opening roar."
In this battle neighbor often faced neighbor, brother faced brother, and boys who had been playmates from youth and classmates in school met here to put an end to each other's existence. All day long the battle raged, and every effort was made by the Rebel commanders to carry out Gen. Johnston's orders. While leading a Tennessee regiment in a charge, Gen. Johnston was mortally wounded, and died in a short time. Gen. Beaure- gard now took command.
About five o'clock in the evening Gen. Prentiss and about two thousand of his men were sur- rounded and captured, but not without great loss to the Rebels in killed and wounded. The Fed-
72
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
erals were forced back until their line extended from Pittsburg Landing west to the mouth of Owl Creek. This was late Sunday evening. The Con- federates now advanced in mighty force, and fought as if they intended to drive their enemy into the river or force him to surrender. It was now a critical time with the boys in blue; it was conquer or surrender-no chance to retreat.
The citizens living miles away, who had listened attentively to the roar of cannon from early morn, could tell when this critical moment came by the different sound produced by the shell-guns on the Tyler and Lexington, which, up to this time, had not been used; but now the shells from these boats came whizzing through the timber, exploding in the air and on the ground, greatly terrifying the advancing enemy. The destructive fire from the Federal artillery on the bluff near the river and the preconcerted fire from the infantry soon 1 checked the advancing columns of the Confeder- ates, and they soon fell back to the camps left by the Federals in the morning.
Thus ended the first day's fight. The loss on both sides was heavy. The Confederates had lost
73
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
their most daring leader, and the Federals one brave commander, Gen. W. H. L. Wallace.
Sunday night the Federals were reenforced by Gen. Buell's army and Gen. Lew. Wallace's divis- ion; and, notwithstanding the heavy rain that night, the Federal commanders got every thing perfected and in readiness for the approaching day.
SECOND DAY'S FIGHT.
Early Monday morning the two armies ap- proached each other for a final struggle, and the scene was nearly egnal to the one on the previous day. At times the Confederate columns seemed determined to hold their ground, but the boys in blue faced the cruel tempest with courage and de- termination, until finally in the afternoon the Confederates retreated toward Corinth, Miss.
The Federal loss in this battle was 1,735 killed and 7,882 wounded. The Confederate loss has not been, as yet, correctly ascertained, but thought to be about 1,800 killed and over 8,000 wounded.
Thus ended a bloody battle, one in which the carnage was so great that the battle-field is com- monly called " Shiloh's dark and bloody ground."
CHAPTER XII.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
0
anxious were citizens living for many miles around the battle-field to learn the result of the battle, and be ready to search for a brother or friend among the dead or wounded, that many set out on the morning of the 7th, and assembled at Savannah, Crump's Landing, and other places near by, and on Tuesday men could be seen searching among the dead for a lost brother or son.
Several days after the battle a widow lady came from one of the Eastern cities to search for the grave of her son, who was said to be among the slain. His grave had been marked by a soldier, who wrote the boy's name on a piece of board and placed it at the head of the grave. After search- ing several days the mother found it. She sig- nalled with her handkerchief to some soldiers who were aiding in the search, and were some distance away, and then fell on her knees with her arms over the little mound of earth.
75
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
One gentleman who was permitted to ride over the battle-field on the day following the battle in search of his brother, who was supposed to be among the slain, describes the scene to us as being a sad one. Says he: "In many places I saw dead men lying so thick that I could have walked on them for some distance without touching the ground, and in a few places the dead were so thick that they appeared to me to be in heaps. Often dead bodies were seen lying across each other."
" O who the woes of war can tell, And paint its horrors true and well ?"
Among the many who fell on the Federal side was little Henry Burk, the drummer-boy. Some soldier who, perl po, viewed the dying scene of this brave boy, penned the following lines shortly after the battle, entitled
THE DRUMMER-BOY OF SHILOH.
On Shiloh's dark and bloody ground The dead and wounded lay : Among them was a drummer-boy, Who beat the drum that day.
A wounded soldier raised him up- Ilis drum lay by his side
L
76
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
He raised his eyes and clasped his hands, And prayed before he died :
"Look down upon this battle group, Though there are heavenly friends, Have mercy on our sinful souls." Each soldier cried, Amen.
" Look down upon this battle-field " __ Each brave knelt and cried, And listened to the drummer-boy, Who prayed before he died.
" Dear mother," cried the drummer-boy, " Look down from heaven on me ; # ~ Have mercy on our sinful souls, O take me home to thee !
" I love my country as my God, To serve them both I've tried."
He raised his eyes and clasped his hands, And prayed before he died.
" Dear mother," cried they like a child- Stout hearts were they, and brave; The flag, it was his winding sheet- They laid him in his grave.
One wrote upon a simple board- These words are for a guide- " To all who mourned the drummer-boy Who prayed before he died."
Angels round the throne of grace, Look down upon the brave, Who fought and died on Shiloh's plains, Now slumb'ring in the grave.
1
77
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
There's many a home made desolate, There's many a heart made sigh, There's many like the drummer-boy, Who prayed before he died.
For months after the battle great crowds of citi- zens visited the field. £ Many carried provisions, camped, and staid for days viewing a sight they had never seen before, and we hope will never be seen again in this great Republic of ours. This was a silent place to visit all alone, for no living thing was to be seen, except great numbers of house cats, creeping silently about here and yon- der. The buzz of a fly could be heard occasion- ally, but the sweet song of the birds was silent as the moldering braves. The timber was cut down, and much of it torn into shreds, as if a tornado had swept through the forest.
" This field of carnage lowly lies, On Tennessee's west verdant shore; It points us back, with tearful eyes, To scenes of strife, of blood, and gore; Tells us where the striving brothers Of our own blessed country met;
O the grief the heart now smothers- Just think, the earth with blood was wet!"
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CHAPTER XIII.
CLOSE OF THE WAR-NATIONAL CEMETERY.
ROM the Shiloh battle until the close of the Rebellion the citizens were dis- turbed but very little by regular troops, but armed bands that shunned the regular army created confusion now and then.
The river being protected by gunboats, enabled the needy citizens to procure supplies from the North until the war was over. In order to get what he wanted, a man had to prove to the Fed- eral authorities that he had been loyal to the United States during the war. Before this the people had to manufacture their own clothing as best they could, and use wheat in the place of coffee.
In the spring of 1865 the news of Gen. Lee's surrender to Gen. Grant on the 6th of April was received. The people knew now that the Rebell- ion was about over, and of course there was some rejoicing. It was not long until peace was pro-
79
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
claimed, and the soldiers that had escaped death began to return home to leave no more for the battle-field. The dark cloud of war that had overshadowed the Nation had disappeared, it was hoped, to rise no more.
The county now presented a different appear- ance to what it did in 1860; in fact, it almost seemed like a new county. The four years of war had caused small game to become plentiful; even the deer and turkey, that were scarcely seen before the war, were numerous in places. The catamount screamed occasionally, and the black bear was to be seen now and then. As soon as it was known that a man could hunt without being molested, the hollow trees were robbed of their old rusty guns, and then there was such a killing of game as had not been known since the first settling of the county.
Notwithstanding the people seemed rejoiced at the news of peace, the war had left a stain that a century could not remove. There was a hatred between citizens that seemed destined to last as long as time, and then the morals of the people had been greatly debased from what they were be-
-
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
fore the war. Common schools had nearly been forgotten, and many a child had grown up without even the knowledge of a school-house.
If some one had told the people at the com- mencement of the war of what they would have to endure and of the condition of the county at the close, he would have been scorned at and called a fool. During that dreadful time it was a common thing to see the ladies filling the places of their husbands or brothers at the plow-handles. But few owned a horse, and most of the plowing was done with oxen.
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