USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee from the earliest time to the present : together with an historical and a biographical sketch of from twenty-five to thirty counties of east Tennessee, V.2 > Part 6
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1
D. LEADBETTER,
Colonel Commanding.
Col. Leadbetter evidently did not understand the steadfast loyalty of the Unionists of East Tennessee, or he would have saved himself the trouble of issuing this proclamation. Very few took advantage of the proffered clemency. Meanwhile Brig .- Gen. W. H. Carroll had been placed in command at Knoxville, and on December 11, he issued a proc- lamation declaring martial law, and suspending the writ of habeas corpus. On the same day C. A. Haun, who had been confined in the jail at that place, was hanged on the charge of bridge burning. About a week later Jacob Harmon and his son, Henry Harmon, were hanged on a similar charge. These vigorous measures had the effect of driving many of the Unionists to Kentucky, and of silencing the most of the remainder for the time being.
In December, 1861, Gen. George B. Crittenden was assigned to the command of the Confederate forces in a portion of East Tennessee, and southeastern Kentucky, which included the troops then at Mill Springs under Gen. Zollicoffer, who had been stationed at that point to prevent Gen. Schoepf from penetrating Tennessee. The latter was stationed at Somerset on Fishing Creek, a small tributary of the Cumberland. Jan- uary 18, 1863, Gen. Thomas, with the remainder of his forces came up, and in the battle which ensued on the following day Gen. Zollicoffer was killed, and his force driven back in great confusion. In this action the First and Second Union Regiments of Tennessee Infantry, under Gen. S. P. Carter, took a conspicuous part, fighting with great spirit against, among others, several Tennessee regiments on the Confederate side.
By the death of Gen. Zollicoffer the forces in East Tennessee lost a valuable officer, and on February 25, 1862, Gen. E. Kirby Smith was assigned to the command of the troops in that district. He arrived
489
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
at Knoxville on March 9, and on the following day reported to the War Department that the troops then in East Tennessee numbered less than 8,000 effective men, 4,000 of whom were at Cumberland Gap, 2,000 at Knoxville, and the remainder distributed over neighboring counties. In a report a few days later he refers to the capture, without the fire of a gun, of a large number of two companies of the First East Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, near Jacksboro, and states that, in his opinion, "East Tennessee troops can not be trusted, and should be removed to some other field." On March 28, 1862, an expedition was sent into Morgan and Scott Counties to chastise the Unionists, who had been gathering there in considerable force. A skirmish took place near Montgomery, lasting about thirty minutes, in which the Unionists were dispersed with a loss of fifteen killed and a large number of wounded. During the latter part of the same month, Gen. George W. Morgan was assigned to the command of an expedition against Cumberland Gap. His force con- sisted of four brigades, under the command of Gens. Carter, Spears, and Baird, and Col. DeCourcy. Carter's brigade consisted of the First, Second and Fourth ( Union) Tennessee, * Third and Nineteenth Kentucky, and the Forty-ninth Indiana, all infantry. Spear's brigade consisted of the Third, Fifth, and Sixth ( Union) Tennessee Infantry. The two other brigades contained no Tennessee regiments. After considerable pre- liminary skirmishing a general advance was made about the 10th of June, and on the 18th the post was evacuated by the Confederates with- out firing a gun. Gen. Morgan remained at Cumberland Gap until the 17th of the September following, when he was forced to retreat or be cut off from his line of supplies, as Gen. Stevenson with a force estimated at 20,000 had taken position in front of the Gap, and Gen. Smith with a still larger force was at Barboursville, Ky. After an arduous march of several days he reached the Ohio River at Wheelers- burg. In his report of the evacuation and retreat Gen. Morgan compli- mented the gallantry of the Sixth Tennessee. He says: "We resumed the march from Manchester, Ky., on the 21st. The enemy's cavalry ap- peared on our rear and endeavored to cut off one of our trains, but was gallantly repulsed by the Sixth Tennessee under Col. Cooper, who had before rendered good service in attacking the enemy's force near Big Creek (ap."
Several of the regiments had been poorly equipped, especially the Second and Fourth Cavalry, both of which regiments had been organized at Cumberland Gap. Consequently, several weeks were spent in equip- ping and refitting, and in recovering from the demoralization incident
*Col. Robert Johnson afterward re-enlisted, and the Fourth was organized as First Tennessee Cavalry.
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to so long and difficult a retreat. As soon as this had been accomplished. they were ordered to report to Rosecrans at Nashville. The battle of Stone's River was fought almost immediately after their arrival at that place, and was participated in by Gen. Spear's brigade, including the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Tennessee Infantry, and a portion of the Third Cavalry, then not fully organized; also by Carter's brigade, including the First and Second Tennessee Infantry. The Second and Fifth Ten- nessee Cavalry were also actively engaged, with the exception of the First and Fourth Regiments of cavalry, which did not arrive until after the battle; these included all the Tennessee regiments which had then been mustered into service.
But to trace the movements and record the achievements of Tennessee troops in all the numerons campaigns, raids and battles in which they participated would require a volume; therefore only a few of the most - important, and especially those of East Tennessee, will be noted. The troops of no other State were more active, untiring and intrepid. Their service was chiefly performed within their own State and the territory immediately surrounding it. As this was disputed ground from first to last "eternal vigilance" was required of the troops within its borders. and it seems to have fallen to the lot of the Tennessee regiments to do more than their share of the arduous work of scouting, raiding and skirmishing. Indeed the mounted infantry regiments, all of which were organized dur- ing the last eighteen months of the war, saw no other kind of service.
The campaign for the deliverance of East Tennessee was entered upon in August, 1863, simultaneously with the advance of Rosecrans upon Chattanooga. Gen. Burnside's' army, numbering about 18.000 men, consisted of the Twenty-third and Ninth Army Corps, together with new troops raised in Kentucky. The Tennessee troops were attached to the Twenty-third Corps, and included the First. Second and Eighth Regi- ments of Infantry, the Ninth Cavalry, and the Eighth and Tenth East Tennessee Cavalry, afterward consolidated and known as the Eighth Tennessee Cavalry.
By the use of pack mules Gen. Burnside succeeded in pushing his army across the mountains west of Cumberland Gap, and after a tedious and difficult march approached Knoxville. The first regiment, the Sixty-fifth Indiana, entered the town on the 3d of September. The small Confederate force which had previously occupied the post had been quietly evacuating it for several days, moving supplies and railroad equipments to the South. About three days later Gen. Burnside with the main part of the army arrived, and soon after detachments were stationed at various places along the railroad.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Col. DeCourcy with his brigade had already been ordered to Cum- berland Gap, which place he reached on September 8, and on the follow- ing day received its surrender.
About the 1st of October a considerable force of Confederates from Virginia entered upper East Tennessee and threatened the left wing of Burnside's army. Nothing was done by the latter, however, until Oc- tober 10, when an advance in force was made. The enemy were encoun- tered at the village of Blue Springs, and after a spirited skirmish were driven back. During the succeeding night they retreated, and the next day were pursued by Gen. Shackleford and driven back into Virginia.
On the 22d of October Gen. Burnside began concentrating his force at Loudon to meet Longstreet, who with a force of 20,000 men was approaching from Chattanooga. Six days later the Union troops were withdrawn from the south side of the river at Loudon, and the next morning marched to Lenoirs, where they went into camp. There they remained until the morning of November 14, when the entire force was ordered under arms, as Longstreet was at last coming, and had thrown his advance across the Tennessee six miles west of Loudon. No fighting. however, was done, except by the cavalry, until two days later. Mean- while Burnside had fallen back to Campbell's Station, closely followed by Longstreet's infantry, who were hastening up to cut his line of retreat. Here he resolved to make a stand in order to protect his wagon trains. which were straggling in toward Knoxville. A battle ensued which lasted nearly all day, and which has been rated as the decisive battle of the campaign. Longstreet's veterans made two furious assaults, but were repulsed each time by Burnside's infantry and artillery. About 5 o'clock the former withdrew, and as soon as it was dark the Union Army resumed its retreat to Knoxville unmolested. Capt. O. M. Poe, chief engineer of the Army of the Ohio, had already selected the lines of defense, and the next day the work of fortification was carried forward with the utmost rapidity not only by the troops, but by citizens impressed into service, so that by the morning of the 18th the city was strongly fortified.
Had Longstreet pushed on his forces to Knoxville during the night of November 17, and been ready to make an attack the next morning. while the retreating troops were demoralized, and the town without the protection of a single rifle pit, he could have captured the entire force without so much as a skirmish. During the next day his advance was considerably impeded by the Federal cavalry under Gen. William P. Sanders, who was unfortunately killed on the evening of the same day just outside of the earthworks, afterward named Fort Sanders in honor of his memory. Longstreet immediately invested the town, but made
492
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
no attack until Sunday, November 29, eleven days after the beginning of the siege. He had evidently intended to starve Burnside into a sur- render, but learning that Sherman was coming from Chattanooga, decid- ed to make an assault. His delay had given the besieged time to strengthen their defenses, and proved fatal to his hopes of success.
At daylight on the 29th the famous "Barksdale Brigade," composed of Mississippi troops, made an attack upon Fort Sanders, then under command of Gen. Ferrero, but was repulsed with a loss of about 1, 100 killed and 300 taken prisoners, while the Union loss was only 8 killed, 5 wounded and 30 prisoners. Fort Sanders, on the southwest part of town, was the strongest point in the fortifications. A deep ditch had · been dug all around it, and in front of this trees had been cut down, and telegraph wires stretched from stump to stump about eight inches from the ground, in order to trip the men and break the lines .* These served their intended purpose, but the charge was made by veterans, and they pushed on, filled the ditch, climbed up the parapet and planted three Confederate flags on the top. The fort would then, undoubtedly, have been taken had it not been for the action of Lieut. Benjamin, commander of the battery. The guns could not reach those in the ditch, and he, taking the shells in his hand, cut the fuse, and lighting them with his cigar threw them over the parapet, when they exploded, doing terrible execution.+
The assault was not renewed, and on the following Friday, December 4, the last of Longstreet's troops withdrew from in front of the city. The next day Sherman sent a despatch to Burnside from Maryville, say- ing that he was at that point with 25,000 men, and would leave them there unless needed at Knoxville. In a short time he returned with his forces to Chattanooga, leaving the Fourth Army Corps under Gen. Gran- ger to re-enforce the garrison at Knoxville.
Gen. Longstreet retreated slowly up the north bank of the Holston River, followed by the Ninth and Twenty-third Corps, under Gen. Parke, and about 4.000 cavalry. As soon as the former had learned that Sher- man had returned to Chattanooga with the main part of his command. he turned upon his pursuers, then at Bean's Station, and administered to them a decided defeat. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, however, and the bad condition of both armies, active operations were soon after suspended. Longstreet went into winter quarters at Morristown and Russellville, and Gen. Foster, who had succeeded Gen. Burnside in
*This plan was suggested to the engineer by Mr. J. B. Hoxie, of Knoxville, who had been master mechanic on the Fast Tennessee & Virginia Railroad. Upon the occupation of Knoxville Burnside made him a mem- ber of his staff, and placed him in charge of transportation, in which position be rendered valuable assistance. t History of the Twenty-first Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
command of the Army of the Ohio, withdrew the greater part of his forces to Knoxville.
When Burnside retreated to Knoxville a portion of his command was stationed in detachments at various points above that city and were con- sequently shut out during the siege. Among these detachments were several Tennessee regiments. The Tennessee troops that participated in the defense of Knoxville were the Eighth Infantry and the Eighth and Ninth Cavalry, and others.
During the June previous to the siege Gen. Sanders, with about 2,000 men, including the First Tennessee Infantry, made a successful raid into East Tennessee from Kentucky. He reached Knoxville on the evening of June 20, 1863. The next day he planted a battery on the north side of the town and began an artillery duel with the Confederates on the opposite ridge, during which only one person was injured. Pleasant M. McClung was shot, it is said, by the last gun fired by San- ders' men. Gen. Buckner, in command of the post, was absent with his life guard, leaving only Kain's artillery and parts of two Florida regi- ments to defend it. Had Gen. Sanders made an immediate assault he could probably have captured the town. During the day, however, a Virginia regiment arrived and Sanders retreated to Strawberry Plains and Mossy Creek and thence back into Kentucky.
February 9, 1864, Gen. J. M. Schofield superseded Gen. Foster in command of the Army of the Ohio. No movement of importance was made until April, when, Gen. Longstreet having gone to rejoin Lee in Virginia, preparations were made for the Georgia campaign. The Ninth Corps having been returned to the Army of the Potomac, Gren. Schofield was assigned to the command of the Twenty-third Corps, and O. O. Howard succeeded Gen. Granger in command of the Fourth Corps. About the last of April, 1864, after tearing up the railroad for a consid- erable distance above Bull's Gap, the entire force, with the exception of small garrisons at Knoxville and Loudon, moved to join Sherman. The Tennessee Infantry, which participated in this campaign, formed a part of the Twenty-third Corps, and included the Third and Sixth Regiments. Cooper's brigade; Fifth« Regiment, Manson's brigade, and the First and Eighth Regiments. brigade. The history of the Georgia campaign and the part performed by the Twenty-third Corps is too well known to require mention here. October 31. 1864, Gen. Schofield, who was at Resaca with the Twenty-third Corps, was ordered by Gen. Thomas to Pulaski. He arrived at Nashville November 5, and was immediately sent to Johnsonville. Finding that the enemy had already retreated h. left a force for the defense of that part and moved to join the Fourth
494
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Corps at Atlanta. Among the troops left at Johnsonville were the Third and Sixth Tennessee Infantry, Cooper's brigade. Several regiments of Tennessee cavalry were also employed in that vicinity. When Hood reached Columbia Gen. Cooper was ordered to join Gen. Schofield at Franklin, for which place he immediately started. "Owing to delays in receiving his orders, however, he could not reach Franklin before its oc- cupation by the enemy, and turned his column direct for Nashville, and arrived at the Brentwood Hill, by the Charlotte pike, on the night of December 2, and again found the enemy between him and the army. He then marched to Clarksville. where he arrived in safety on the 5th, and rejoined his command on the 8th of December. Gen. Cooper de- serves great credit for the skill and judgment displayed in conducting his retreat."*
The fight which took place before Nashville was participated in by more Tennessee troops than any other one battle of the war. All the infantry regiments then in the field, with the exception of the Fourth, and all the cavalry, except three regiments under Gen. Gillem, were present. All conducted themselves gallantly, and several received es- pecial mention from the commanding officer in his report of the battle. August 4, 1864, what was known as the "Brigade of Governor's Guards" was organized in accordance with the following order:
STATE OF TENNESSEE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, NASHVILLE, TENN., August 1, 1864.
ORDERED 1. That Gen. A. C. Gillem, adjutant-general of Tennessee, be assigned to the command of the troops known as the "Governor's Guards."
2. That First Lieut. Ed S. Richards is announced as assistant adjutant-general of the State of Tennessee, and must be obeyed and respected accordingly. Lieut. Richards will establish his office in this city.
3. It is further ordered that Gen. Alvan C. Gillet proceed with the Ninth and Thir- teenth Regiments of Tennessee Cavalry, and Batteries E and G, First Tennessee Light Artillery, to East Tennessee, and, under such orders as he shall from time to time receive from this office, kill or drive out all bands of lawless persons or bands which now infest that portion of the State. It is not to be understood that this order shall prevent Gen. Gillem, whenever he shall deem it feasible or expedient, from pursuing said bands of out- laws beyond the limits of the State. Gen. Gillem is further authorized, under such in- struction as he shall receive from this office, to take such measures as are deemed expedi- ent to re-establish order and enforce civil law, to which end Gen. Gillem will lend every assistance in his power to the regularly constituted civil authorities. All the organized regiments of Tennessee troops being raised in East Tennessee to serve one year or longer will obey the orders of Gen. Gillem, who is authorized to organize such new regi- ments as may be deemed expedient. Officers of the commissary and quartermaster de- partments will furnish the necessary supplies upon the requisition of Gen. Gillem.
ANDREW JOHNSON, Brigadier-General and Military Governor of Tennessee. Immediately after its organization the brigade began its march to
*Report of Gen Schofield.
5
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East Tennessee, where it arrived about the middle of the same month. August 22 a skirmish occurred at Rogersville, soon after which the com- mand took position at Bull's Gap. While there it was learned that Gen. Morgan with his command were at Greeneville, and an immediate ad- vance was made upon that place.
" On the evening* of September 3, at 6 o'clock a courier reported to Col. Miller, then in command of the brigade, that the enemy, in heavy force, were advancing and were in camp about two miles west of Greene- ville. After a short consultation of the commanding officers it was decided to move at once, and at 11 o'clock the Thirteenth Tennessee Cav- alry was ordered to proceed to Greeneville, passing around the enemy's flank. At 12 o'clock the remainder of the command moved out. The night was very dark and the rain fell in torrents, but the troops pushed on and at 6 o'clock in the morning they came upon the pickets of the enemy, who were attacked by the Tenth Michigan Cavalry, then in advance, and with the whole force driven back about three miles. By that time the Thirteenth had joined the rear and began an attack, which, with a charge made by the Ninth, scattered them in all directions; some forty being taken prisoners. Meanwhile two companies, I. and G. of the Thirteenth. had been sent into the town; there they surprised Gen. Mor- gan and his staff, who were at a Mrs. Williams'. Morgan ran out and attempted to escape, but was shot and instantly killed by Andrew Camp- bel, a private of Company G. The two companies captured the staff, and taking the body of Morgan upon a horse, returned to their command with- out having lost a man. The entire column then moved into the town, where they found the enemy's artillery planted upon College Hill. A flank movement by the Ninth and Thirteenth Regiments soon dislodged it, and the entire command fled in confusion, leaving two pieces of artil- lery, several wagons, and other equipments. They were driven about four miles, when the pursuit was abandoned. On September 27 a sharp fight occurred at Watauga, in which the command lost 15, killed and wounded. Another skirmish took place at Greeneville, on October 12. On October 27, the brigade left New Market, and during the day met the enemy and drove them back. On the next day the command moved forward until within one mile of Morristown, where they found the enemy in line ready to receive them, with the Ninth and Thirteenth Regiment in front and the Eighth in the rear to support the artillery; a charge was made, but it failed to break the Confederate line, a sabre charge was then ordered. This proved more successful; the line was broken, and
*This description of the battle at Greeneville is taken from an account of it written at the time by a Tea- nessee officer.
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McClung's battery captured with a loss to the enemy of about 300 killed, wounded and captured."
From this time nothing but scout and guard duty was done until November 9, when the brigade assembled at Bull's Gap, where two days later it was confronted by the Confederates under Gen. Breckinridge, by whom, on the 12th, an unsuccessful assault was made. At nightfall on the following day the brigado withdrew from the Gap. After having pro- ceeded about ten miles an attack was made upon the rear, causing a stampede among the pack-mules and wagon-trains, and producing the greatest confusion. The artillery and several hundred men were captured. and the remainder of the force driven back to Strawberry Plains and thence to Knoxville. As soon as the report of Gillem's defeat reached Gen. Thomas he ordered Gen. Stoneman from Louisville, to take com- mand of the forces in East Tennessee. The latter immediately ordered Gen. Burbridge to march with all his available force in Kentucky, by the way of the Cumberland Gap, to join Gillem. At the same time Gen. Ammon, who had been co-operating with Gen. Gillem, received a re-en- forcement of 1,500 men from Chattanooga, and at once occupied Straw- berry Plains.
Having quickly concentrated the commands of Gens. Burbridge and Gillemat Bean's Station, on the 12th of December Gen. Stoneman started for Bristol, his advance under Gillem striking the enemy under Duke at Kingsport, killing, capturing, or dispersing the whole command. The entire force then pushed on to Wytheville, meeting and completely rout- ing the enemy under Vaughn, at Marion, Va. Having destroyed a large amount of supplies of all kinds at Wytheville, Gen. Stoneman turned his attention to Saltville and its important salt works, which were captured and destroyed .* The command then returned to Knoxville, where it arrived on December 29, having marched an average of forty-two miles every twenty-four hours since its departure. It remained in camp until March 21, when such portion as was mounted joined Gen. Stoneman upon his great raid. The vote for governor, at the election March 4, 1865. indicates the relative strength of the regiments at that time. It was as follows: Eighth, 384; Ninth, 606; Thirteenth, 259; Battery E, 79.
After the close of hostilities many Confederates who returned to their homes in East Tennessee suffered violence at the hands of Union men in retaliation for outrages committed at the beginning of the war. This soon ceased, however; and at the present time there is no place perhaps in the United States where there is a more fraternal spirit existing be- tween the Unionist and the ex-Confederate than in East Tennessee. Ten-
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