USA > Tennessee > History of Tennessee, its people and its institutions > Part 21
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The total forces of the Federal army, by the morning report of September 20th, was 67.548 men, of which 64.392 were engaged in the battle. Bragg's total effective force in the battle was 47,321. The losses on both sides were very heavy. The Federal loss was 16,170. as officially reported. The Confederate loss has never been officially reported, but, from the best estimates, was not far from equal to the
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Federal loss. The Federal army, demoralized and beaten, saved from destruction only by the heroic defense made by General Thomas, fled in confusion to Chattanooga.
General Forrest was sent through Rossville Gap with a small force to assail the flank of the fleeing column. The Eleventh Tennessee Cavalry, under Col. D. W. Holman, leading Forrest's advance, ap- proached within less than a mile of Chattanooga, and held this position for more than five hours. General Forrest urged that the Federal line of retreat should be intercepted at this point. General Bragg, however, prohibited pursuit, and Rosecrans occupied and fortified Chattanooga.4
399. Siege of Chattanooga .- The victory of Chickamauga was barren of results to the Confederates. The soldiers who had fought so hard to open the road to Tennessee complained that General Bragg had failed to follow up his victory, and had permitted the Federal army to fortify Chattanooga. Rosecrans was now besieged, and confined to the city and its defenses, while the effort was made to force the surren- der of his army, by destroying his communications.
The authorities at Washington, however, recognized the importance of holding the great gateway of Chattanooga, and relief was sent, in time. October 24th, General Grant arrived at Chattanooga, and assumed command of an army largely reinforced, with restored com- munications, and ready to resume the offensive.
400. Forrest Transferred, Longstreet Detached .- General Forrest, a few days after the battle of Chickamauga, was sent into East Ten- nessee to intercept an attempt, which was suspected, on the part of Burnside, to form a junction with Rosecrans. On this expedition, he encountered and defeated Federal forces at Charleston, Athens, Sweet- water, Philadelphia, and Loudon. Soon afterwards, he was transferred to the Mississippi Department, where he arrived November 18th.
Early in November, General Longstreet was ordered to move against Burnside. at Knoxville. He carried with him his own corps, Gen. Bushrod Johnson's division, and other infantry, and a cavalry force under General Wheeler. After some fighting on the way, he reached and invested Knoxville. November 17. 1863.
+ Official Records. Vol. XXX. Parts I, II, and III; Campaigns of the Civil War. Vol. VII. Chapters XI and XII; Confederate Military History, Voi. VIII, by James D. Porter. Chapter VII: Rise and Fall of the Confederate States, by Jefferson Davis, Vol. II. pp. 427-434: Military Annals of Tennessee, by J. Berrien Lindsley. pp. 693-695; Campaigns of Lieut .- General N. B. Forrest, Chapters XI and XII.
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CONTEST FOR TENNESSEE.
401. Orchard Knob, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge .- General Grant had now accumulated an immense force at Chattanooga. and had fully established his lines of communication. Bragg, with his forces weakened by the detachment of Longstreet, clung tenacious!y and fatally to the investment of Chattanooga. In the closing days of November, in a series of detached actions, known as the battles of Chattanooga, Grant broke the Confederate lines at Lookout Mountain, Orchard Knob, and Missionary Ridge. The final disaster at Mission- ary Ridge, November 25th, drove Bragg to retreat South in confusion. December 27th, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston assumed command of the
FEDERALS CLIMBING LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN AFTER THE RETREAT OF THE CONFEDERATES.
Army of Tennessee, at Dalton, Georgia. Early in May, 1864, the Federal forces advanced, and the Atlanta campaign began.
402. Siege of Knoxville Raised .- After the defeat of the Confed- erate army at Missionary Ridge, General Grant detached a force of 30,000 men, under command of General Sherman, and another force from Decherd under General Elliott, to move towards Knoxville, at .: to cooperate with a third force, moving from Cumberland Gap, to raise the siege of Knoxville. General Longstreet, being informed of these movements, raised the siege December 4, 1863, and withdrew towards Virginia.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
General Longstreet continued to hold a portion of Upper East Tennessee, with headquarters at Morristown. He was, soon after- wards, succeeded by General Buckner.
403. A Romantic Campaign .- A desultory campaign followed, maintained, for the most part, by the cavalry. This campaign was one of the most romantic in the history of the war. Two large bodies of hostile cavalry, unable, on account of the difficulty of transportation, to procure adequate supplies of forage, were compelled to live upon the country. They fought for possession of the fertile sections, but the scarcity of supplies forced them to separate into small detachments. Roving bands, in pursuit of subsistence, encountered each other, and the hostile commands became inextricably entangled. Then followed a period of innumerable skirmishes and individual adventures, which accords more with the chronicles of knight errantry than with the annals of modern warfare.
This condition of affairs subjected the citizens to a reign of terror. The impressments of food, forage, and horses, made by both sides legiti- mately, under the pressure of military necessity, were bad enough, but the situation afforded the opportunity to lawless men to perpetrate out- rages which no honorable partisan will wish to defend, and which the brave soldiers of either army not only condemned, but were ever ready to avenge.
During this short campaign, a number of brilliant engagements occurred, among which were: Maynardsville, December 3d; Mossy Creek, December 24th and December 29th; Dandridge, January 20, 1864; Dibrell's Hill, January 28th ; Shook's Gap, February 20th. In the spring of 1864, the Confederate troops were withdrawn, and the entire territory of Tennessee remained in possession of the Federal authorities.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
MILITARY GOVERNMENT.
404. Governor Johnson's Plans .- Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee, was now free to assert jurisdiction over the entire State, and to resume his policy of restoring it to the Union. From the beginning, it was his ardent ambition to be the instrument to restore the Federal relations of Tennessee. His plans had been inter-
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MILITARY GOVERNMENT.
rupted by the reoccupation of the State by the Confederate army. He now returned vigorously to the task.
405. Proclamations .- January 26, 1864, Governor Johnson issued a proclamation, providing for the election of county and city officers. to be held March 5th. The next day, he issued a second proclamation, granting amnesty to those who should take an oath which he prescribed, and disqualifying all others from voting or holding office. These proclamations were not acceptable either to the Confederate sympa- thizers or to the Unionists. The Confederates considered the oath as severe and humiliating in its terms, and the Unionists objected to it, be- cause they thought it opened the franchise too widely, and because it was unjust to require any oath from men whose loyalty had never been suspected.
There were, in all portions of the State, men who, from Union sentiment, or from disability, by age or otherwise, while sympathizing with their friends in the Confederate army, had taken no part in the struggle, and had remained inactive or neutral. There were enough of these to organize a State government, and maintain order within the Federal lines. They felt it to be their wisest course, and their duty. to interpose in this crisis, for the benefit of the helpless non-combatant residents of the State. Governor Johnson hoped to bring such men to his support. Unfortunately, he was persuaded by others to frame an oath to which many whom he wished to conciliate could not honorably subscribe. They were willing to take an oath to abstain from any participation in the contest, but this oath required them to transfer partisanship from one side to the other. The course of Governor Johnson aroused opposition among his own partisans, which defeated his purposes, and later on, led to a fierce political conflict.
406. Union Conventions .- August 12th, a general conference of prominent Union men was held at Nashville. This conference called a convention to meet at Nashville. September 5th, to take steps for the reorganization of civil government, and to provide for holding the Presidential election.
The convention met at the appointed time, and a wide divergence was developed between its members. The Radical wing of the Union party advocated extreme measures, which the Conservative party stren- uously opposed. The Radicals gained control of the convention, and the Conservatives withdrew. The breach was widened by the Presi- dential election, which soon followed. Andrew Johnson was a candi- date for Vice-President. He issued a proclamation, prescribing for
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
voters the famous "iron-clad oath." It was charged by his opponents that this oath was framed to prevent the Conservatives from voting, and thus to secure the State in favor of the Lincoln and Johnson electors.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
FORREST'S RAIDS.
407. The Tennesseans in Retreat .- After the disaster of Mission- ary Ridge, and the evacuation of East Tennessee, the Confederates never again held permanent possession of Tennessee, but they did not leave the Federal possession undisturbed. In many battles, and in almost daily skirmishes, the Tennessee soldiers, fighting in other States. bore the part of heroes, ever sustained by the hope of winning back their beloved Tennessee.
408. Forrest in West Tennessee .- The first advance into Tennes- see was made in the west. After the battle of Chickamauga, General Forrest was transferred to Mississippi, taking with him 310 men of his old command. Here he was assigned to the duty of invading West Tennessee, in the hope of raising a force of cavalry, and of annoying the enemy. The expedition was regarded as a "forlorn hope," but it led to the most brilliant epoch of Forrest's military career. drew on his exploits the eyes of the world, and won his title, "The Wizard of the Saddle."
Entering West Tennessee with five hundred men, he remained there thirty days, recruited a force of three thousand men within the enemy's lines, evaded General Hurlbut, who attempted to encompass him with a force of twenty thousand men, fought five battles - Jack's Creek, Estenaula, Somerville, Lafayette. and Collierville - threatened Memphis, crossed the Wolf River on the bridge built by his pursuers on their way to capture him, and finally passed the fortified line of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and reached the Confederate lines. having inflicted on his pursuers a loss of about two hundred men, and bringing out a long train of wagons laden with supplies. besides a great number of horses, mules, and cattle. For this feat he was rewarded by the appointment of Major General.
409. Forrest in Mississippi .- It does not pertain to our history to relate the operations of Forrest in Mississippi. It is sufficient to note
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FORREST'S RAIDS.
that he made Mississippi the base of his operations, from which he made frequent irruptions into Tennessee. In Mississippi, he became famous for his operations against the forces of Generals Smith and Grierson, over whom he gained brilliant victories. Later, he gained the brilliant victories of Tishomingo Creek and Brice's Cross Roads. Operating from Mississippi, he made four expeditions into West Ten- nessee and one into Middle Tennessee. The first has already been described.
410. Raids into Tennessee .- March 15, 1864, Forrest started on his second raid into West Tennessee, and extended his operations into Kentucky, captured Union City, made an attack on Paducah, made demonstrations on Columbus and other points in Kentucky, and re- turned to Tennessee. In addition to numerous minor captures and engagements, at Somerville, Bolivar, and other places, this expedition was made famous by the capture of Fort Pillow. He has been unjustly charged with slaughtering the negro troops at this place after their surrender.
In the third expedition into West Tennessee, he surprised Memphis, penetrated into the heart of the city, and came very near capturing the Federal commanders. Washburn and Hurlbut.
411. Raid into Middle Tennessee .- The next expedition was into Middle Tennessee and North Alabama, crossing the Tennessee River, September 21, 1864. In this brilliant expedition, he captured the Federal garrisons at Athens, Alabama, and at Sulphur Springs Trestle, besides a number of smaller garrisons at block-houses. After making demonstrations at Pulaski, he began a rapid march to strike the com- munications of Sherman on the Nashville and Chattanooga Railway. On the way, he received intelligence from his trusty scouts that fifty thousand Federal troops were on the march to encompass him. The
danger was great. He promptly sent General Buford in command of the wagons and captured stores, under a strong guard, to cross the Tennessee River and retreat South. With the best mounted troops, he made a dash towards Nashville, to mislead the enemy, and secure the retreat of the heavily laden wagon train. The entire force of the enemy followed him. After demonstrations around Columbia, and movements as if to attack Nashville, he suddenly evaded the Federal forces, gathering to surround him, and moved rapidly to the Tennessee River. On the retreat. he was pursued by a large Federal force. The river, swollen by recent rains, was unfordable, and the command was placed in great danger. Forrest's genius improvised the means of
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
crossing, but a portion of the command escaped only by swimming. The Federals crossed the river in pursuit, but were repulsed at Eastport by Col. D. C. Kelley, one of the best and bravest of Forrest's officers.
In this expedition, General Forrest inflicted upon the enemy a loss of 3.500 men, in killed, wounded, and captured; 8 pieces of artillery. 3,000 stands of arms, 900 horses, besides a large amount of ordnance, medical, quarter-master, and commissary stores, and having destroyer! a number of railroad bridges, with nearly one hundred miles of railroad.I track, two locomotives, fifty cars, etc. He gained over one thousand recruits. All this was accomplished in twenty-three days, with a loss of about three hundred men.
412. Raid into West Tennessee .- After a short rest. Forrest entered West Tennessee on the fourth raid, October 17th, and moved to the Tennessee River, where he took possession of Paris Landing and the old Fort Heiman, the two places being five miles apart. Here he placed batteries in ambush, and laid in wait for boats that were fre- quently passing on this highway of Federal communications. A number of boats were captured, among which were the Undine and the Venus. The Undine was one of the largest class of river ironclad gunboats, and had a fine battery of eight twenty-four pound howitzers. The Venus, having no armament, was speedily equipped, by placing on her the two twenty-pound Parrott guns, which had been so effectively used in capturing her.
The Cavalry Afloat .- Crews were detailed for the "navy," among whom were a few men who had some experience in naval affairs - and now for commanders. Naturally, General Forrest turned to his chief of artillery. In all his campaigns, the boy who commanded his artillery had been his right arm. Amiable and modest, that blushing stripling was the bravest of soldiers, and the most skillful of artillerists. The soldiers knew that he could handle artillery as boldly and as well as Forrest could handle cavalry. General Forrest, therefore, selected Capt. John W. Morton to command the fleet. Captain Morton replied : "General, I can handle your guns on land, but I am not familiar with naval fighting. I have, however, temporarily attached to my artillery. Capt. Frank P .. Gracey, of Tennessee, a most efficient artillerist, and an experienced boatman." Accordingly, Captain Gracey was placed in command of the Undine. Lieut .- Col. W. A. Dawson was assigned to command the Venus. The fleet made a trial trip from Paris Landing to Fort Heiman, and returned, while the troops, assembled along the banks, gave vociferous cheers for "Forrest's Navy."
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HOOD'S CAMPAIGN.
413. "Forrest's Navy" Destroyed .- It was now decided to move against Johnsonville, located on the Tennessee River at the crossing of the railroad, where the Federal commanders had established a depot of supplies, and had accumulated a vast quantity of military stores. As- cending the river, "The Navy" encountered a Federal fleet of gunboats. After a severe fight, both of Forrest's boats were disabled, and were destroyed by their crews, who escaped to the shore by swimming.
414. Johnsonville .- Forrest now moved his artillery to points on the river bank opposite to Johnsonville. Here he destroyed the Federal fleet of gunboats, transports, and barges, and set on fire by the hot shot from his artillery the large warehouses and vast piles of army stores, covered with tarpaulins and stacked along the shore. During the night the Confederate forces withdrew, and marched six miles by the light of the conflagration they had kindled.
415. Forrest Retires to Join Hood .- The following day, Novem- ber 5th, General Forrest began his march to join General Hood for the approaching campaign in Middle Tennessee. In this expedition into West Tennessee, which occupied a little more than two weeks, General Forrest reports that he inflicted upon the enemy a loss of 500 men, 4 gunboats, 14 transports, 20 barges, 26 pieces of artillery, $6,700,000 worth of property. The Assistant Inspector General of the United States Army, having been sent to inspect and report on the destruction of property at Johnsonville, reports the money value of property destroyed at $2,200,000.1
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HOOD'S CAMPAIGN.
416. The Confederate Army Reenters Tennessee .- The Atlanta campaign was ended. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston had been superseded by Gen. John B. Hood. Removing from the front of the Federal army, General Hood crossed the Tennessee River, November 21, 1864, and marched for Nashville.
1 Official Records, Serial Number 77. Forrest's Report, pp. 870-872; Ibid., Report of Assistant Inspector General. pp. 860-863; Confederate History, Vol. VIII, Chapter XII; Campaigns of Lieut .- General N. B. Forrest, especially Chapter XXII.
.
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
General Sherman, beginning his march to the sea, appointed Gen- eral Thomas to oppose the movement of Hood. The reports of De- cember Ioth showed the relative strength of the two armies: Confed- erate army, total effective, 33,393; Federal army, aggregate equipped, 75,153.1
417. Battle of Franklin .- General Schofield was sent to oppose Hood's advance. After some skirmishing at Spring Hill, Schofield effected his retreat to Franklin, at which place General Hood attacked his strongly entrenched position, and was repulsed, with fearful slaugh-
COL.JOHN
MCGAVOCK
WRSCARO
INE
ERMCGAVOCK
CONFEDERATE CEMETERY AT FRANKLIN.
ter, November 30, 1864. During the night, Schofield fell back to Nashville. The Federal loss, as officially reported, was 2,326. The Confederate loss, as reported by General Hood, was 4.500.2
The Battle of Franklin was the most pathetic of the Tennessee battles. In the midst of homes and friends, with scarce time to receive from their parents the kiss of welcome after their protracted absence,
1 Official Records, Serial Number 93. pp. 52-55, 663.
: Official Records, Serial Number 93, pp. 32-59, 652-663.
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HOOD'S CAMPAIGN.
the flower of the Tennessee youth went into battle, full of ardor and resolution - many of them never to return. The fearful havoc in their ranks inflicted a pang in every household in Middle Tennessee.
The public grief for the fall of the great leaders, Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, Brigadier Generals Gist, John Adams, Strahl, and Granbury, was mingled with the private grief of parents and friends, who sought the bodies of less renowned but equally heroic soldiers. Friends of the wounded officers of rank, Maj. Gen. John C. Brown, Brigadier Gen- erals Carter, Manigault, Quarles, Cockrill, and Scott, joined in anxious inquiries and ministrations with the friends of the obscure but gallant privates. The people of the vicinity, Confederate and Union, organized themselves into a corps of relief.
418. McGavock Cemetery .- Col. John McGavock, one of the noblest of men, on whose magnificent estate the battle was partly fought. not only made his house a hospital for the wounded, but also gathered the dead and interred them with decent obsequies in a beautiful site adjoining his family cemetery, and in his will, devised the ground to be forever dedicated as a Confederate Cemetery. In all these offices of mercy, he was aided and inspired by his wife. Here sleep the heroes of Franklin, honored and lamented by friend and foe, while McGavock Cemetery, their resting place, remains, likewise, a monument to John McGavock and his honored wife.
419. Nashville .- Following the retreat of Schofield from Frank- lin, General Hood pursued him to the vicinity of Nashville, where he established his lines about two miles from the city, December 2d. Here, General Hood intrenched his position, and sent Forrest in com- mand of a force of cavalry and infantry to invest Murfreesboro, which was defended by a force of 8,000 men under General Rousseau. General Thom- as, in the meantime, had accumulated an overwhelming force at Nashville. De- cember 15th, he as- saulted the Confed- erate lines, and was repulsed. The next day, December 16th. FORT NEGLEY AT NASHVILLE. he renewed the as-
sault, and this time with success. The Confederate line was broken. Generai Hood retreated on the Franklin road.
ยท
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HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
Lieut. Gen. Stephen D. Lee commanded the rear-guard, and held the enemy in check until the army reached Columbia. December 18th, Forrest, who had been recalled from the investment of Murfreesboro, arrived at Columbia. The gallant General Lee, while heroically pro- tecting the retreat of the army, had been severely wounded. The command of the rear now devolved on Forrest.
With sad hearts, the soldiers resumed the march south. The Tennesseans passed by their homes, as they had done on previous retreats, but this time with the conviction that Tennessee was perma- nently abandoned. Yet, with few exceptions, they remained true to their colors. General Hood states in his report that the desertions were less than 300. On Christmas Day, the Tennessee River was reached, at Bainbridge. In two days the crossing was completed, and Tennessee was no longer a battleground.
420. The War Ends .- The Confederate army retired to Tupelo. Mississippi. Lee's, Stewart's, and Cheatham's corps went to South Carolina. Under Johnston, they fought the despairing campaign until they were surrendered, April 27, 1865.
A portion of the Tennessee infantry, and Forrest's cavalry, re- mained in the Mississippi Department. Forrest, now promoted to Lieutenant General, reorganized his command. All the Tennessee cavalry were organized into a division, which was placed under the command of Brigadier General William H. Jackson, who had borne an important part in all of Forrest's operations, and had performed many brilliant exploits.
421. Surrender of the Last Troops East of the Mississippi River .- May 9, 1865, Gen. Richard Taylor surrendered the last troops east of the Mississippi River, in which were included Forrest's Cavalry. The terms of the surrender were liberal. Officers retained their horses and side arms. Soldiers retained their horses and private property. The several organizations were to return home under command of their own officers, and there to be disbanded, and were to be supplied with forage and rations on the way.
422. The Paroles .- Gen. E. S. Dennis, Commissioner on the part of the United States, and Gen. W. H. Jackson, Commissioner on the part of the Confederate States, issued to each Confederate soldier a certificate of parole, and to each officer a written parole, in the following form :
"I, the undersigned, prisoner of war, belonging to the Army of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, having been
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THE SURRENDER.
surrendered by Lieutenant General R. Taylor, Confederate States Army, commanding said department, to Major General E. R. S. Canby, United States Army, commanding Army and Division of West Mississippi, do hereby give my solemn parole of honor that I will not hereafter serve in the armies of the Confederate States, or in any mili- tary capacity whatever, against the United States of America, or render aid to the enemies of the latter, until properly exchanged in such manner as shall be mutually approved by the respective authorities."
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