History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A., Part 6

Author: Scott, Samuel W; Angel, Samuel P., 1840-
Publication date: [c1903]
Publisher: Philadelphia : P. W. Ziegler
Number of Pages: 576


USA > Tennessee > Johnson County > History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A. > Part 6
USA > Tennessee > Carter County > History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U. S. A. > Part 6


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By noon on the 9th, there were assembled at Eliza- bethton fully one thousand men, armed with all kinds of weapons. It was a fine body of men, and would have put up a strong fight if it had been under well-disciplined officers. But here the men were, without any kind of officers. About 3 P. M. they marched to Taylor's Ford. All looked to N. G. Taylor to take command. He rather deferred to Col. Dan Stover, and he, although without any knowledge of military matters, was selected for Col- onel and called a conference of the leading men. They met in the residence of N. G. Taylor. Capt. Wmn. Gourley suggested that the best armed men be placed under some one and sent down to capture the Confederate company at Carter's Depot.


Capt. Boyd and his associates had done their work well, and by the first day of November, 1861, the Union men of Washington. Carter and Johnson counties were well organized and ready for serious business.


On November 7th, late in the evening, there were gath- ered at the store of Lafayette Cameron, in Elizabethton, a few of the leading men from Carter county.


I remember that some boys who were playing near the corner, broke up in a boys' fight, and I walked around to the store and went in. I was told by Landon Carter to get out. I saw in the room, William M. Gourley, Pleasant M. Williams, John Burrow and a young man, Berry Pritchard, who was captured and shot by the rebels & few weeks later. I also saw the late Major C. C. Wilcox, J. P. Scott, Ollie, and Watson Collins and John Helton. There were others. but I do not recall their names. The next night, William M. Gourley came to the blacksmith-shop of J. J. Edens and told me that he wanted the mare, and would be around about 10 o'clock, for her. He ate supper with us, and I went to bed early. I was out by half past nine o'clock and had


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been down to Mrs. J. P. Tipton's, and secured a horse and was ready for whatever might come. I only waited a few minutes when W. F. M. Hyder rode up, with some seven, or eight men, and waited for Capt. Gourley, who soon came down by the saw-mill and rode to the head of the little squad, and said: "Boys, we have a dangerous job on hands to-night. It will be death to any of us should we be captured. The others have gone by Drake's Ford; we will meet them at the Nar- rows."


Then we crossed the Watauga river and quietly rode through the darkness until we reached Mr. Miller's place. Landon Carter and J. P. Scott came to us and we rode rapidly from this place until we reached a farm house on the hill, south of Union. Some of the men stopped and got bundles of straw. While we were standing here in the road, a man, on foot, came out of the house and spoke to Jonas H. Keen in low, earnest tones. Keen and Gourley rode forward, and then G. O. Collins came up and ordered all forward.


We all rode to the station, dismounted, and rushed to the bridge. It would be impossible to describe the haste with which each man did his part. A guard was captured at the bridge, and in five minutes from the time we reached it, the flames were driven from the south end to the north end of the bridge. All re-mounted and returned by the way we came. At the head of the Narrows, Gour- ley, Hyder and Williams, and a few others, left the main force, under Col. Stover, and reached J. J. Eden's place about 4:30 in the morning.


I slept until awakened by Mrs. Edens. I did not speak to any one of what had been done, for the reason that I felt that death would be visited upon any of the men who participated in that night's fearful work. Mr. Gourley and I went down to the shop and started a fire in the forge. J. J. Edens came in, and said: "What is the trouble? Do you know that the bridge at Zollicoffer has been burned?"


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By noon I was in Elizabethton, with a gun in my hands, and was drilling a squad of the boys of my own age. D. P. Wilcox came to us and asked us if we wanted to enlist. I said we were already in the army. That evening we elected him Captain of the Town Company, and he led us down to Taylor's Ford, where we received our "Baptism" for the Union, under the fire of rebel lead, and from there to Clark's Spring and then to Elizabeth- ton, and finally to "Hyder's Old Field" in the Doe river cove where the "army" disbanded.


We will place on record here that this man Jenkins whose life had been spared by these men upon his solemn promises and obligation not to betray them, and through the intercession of Keen, who had been his friend and neighbor, who had once employed him, and believed he could not be so destitute of honor and all the instincts of humanity as to betray him, upon being released, he im- mediately reported the nanies of Keen, and others of the party, whom he recognized, under oath, to the Confeder- ate authorities! But these men, and indeed every loyal citizen was yet to learn that honor, truth and integrity, those great virtues that should exist in every human heart, and some of which are said to exist even among thieves, found no abiding place in the breast of this man, and the same was true of many others of the enemies and oppressors of the Unionists of Carter and Johnson counties.


On the morning after the burning of the bridges, as the news spread, the greatest excitement and consternation prevailed among the rebel sympathizers, and great alarm was felt by the Unionists lest the wrath of the Confeder- ates would be visited upon them, regardless of their guilt or innocence in connection with the bridge burning. But the leaders were yet confident that they would be relieved and protected by the advent of the Federal army.


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S. H. Hendrix, of Carter's Depot (now Watauga), then a very young man, but who, as we have seen, was an active and useful participant in carrying out the plans for burning the bridges was the first man arrested on the morning after the bridge was burned, and the first one to convey the news to Keen and others that Jenkins had betrayed them. In a letter written by Capt. Hendrix in reply to a request from us to furnish such information as he might be in possession of regarding the bridge burning we take the liberty to quote the following :


"On Saturday morning when the excitement was at its highest I was arrested and carried to the headquarters of Capt. McClellan and ordered placed in the guard house with six guards over me. I was the first man arrested for bridge burning, but proved such a conclusive alibi by Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Brown (my uncle and aunt) and Miss Bettie Bishop, daughter of James Bishop, that I was sent home under guard, and under promise to remain in- side the Confederate lines and report to headquarters twice a day. Through my anxiety to get with the Union forces so as to inform Lafayette Cameron, Jonas H. Koen and Landon Carter that they had been betrayed and reported by Jenkins and were in great danger, I made my escape on Monday and went up the river through the pines and brush to the bend of the river below Buck's Kock (now Watauga Point), crossed the river at what was then called the "Devil's Stairs," and made my way tc Elizabethton and told Cameron, Carter and Keen what I had learned while a prisoner at Carter's Depot."


But few of the "Bridge Burners" are now living. Of those living ( 1902) now all but a very few, perhaps two or three, joined the Federal army and were pensioned by the Federal Government as soldiers. Pleasant M. Wil- liams, of Gap Creek, Carter county, is still living. There has never been a braver, truer or more patriotic citizen than Mr. Williams, and his old age should have been made happy, long ago, by a liberal pension from the Gov- ernment.


John F. Burrow, Esq., is also still living and should


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long ago have been placed on the pension rolls. He was a brave and loyal Union man and took his life in his hands to do a great service for his country.


A few years ago a bill was introduced in Congress to. pension these few remaining heroes by Hon. W. C. An- derson, and it was favorably reported by the committee but has never become a law.


In 1898 John F. Burrow requested Capt. S. W. Scott to have the matter brought before the encampment of the G. A. R., Department of Tennessee, which was held in Knoxville on February 22 of that year. Capt. Scott wrote to Capt. S. P. Angel, a resident of Knoxville, on the subject, and the latter introduced a resolution in the encampment which was favorably acted on but we re- gret to say that as yet Congress has not acted favorably on the bill.


We append a copy of the bill introduced into Congress giving the names of the bridge burners and the action of the Grand Army encampment thereon :


Resolution No. 6, submitted by S. P. Angel.


Resolved, That this Encampment endorse the bill No. 5298, now pending before Congress, granting pensions to certain East Tennes- seeans named in the bill, and that we hereby respectfully request our Senators and Representatives in Congress to vote in favor of the passage of said bill.


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION.


REPORT No. 2776.


PENSIONS TO CERTAIN EAST TENNESSEEANS.


February 3, 1897 .- Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and ordered to be printed. Mr. Anderson, from the Committee on Invalid Pensions, submitted the following report.


The Committee on Invalid Pensions, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 5298) granting a pension to certain East Tennesseeans en- gaged in the secret service of the United States during the War of the Rebellion, having carefully considered the same, respectfully report :


Pleasant M. Williams, John F. Burrow, Benjamin F. Treadway, Samuel Davenport, John G. Burchfield, George Maston, Gilson O. Collins, Landon Carter, Jeremiah M. Miller, J. K. Haun, and Elijah


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Simerley were residents of East Tennessee at the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion in 1861, and most of them possessed of valuable property, and were loyal to the Union causc.


Those named were, on November 8, 1861, enlisted and were sworn into a company in the secret service of the United States, known as the "East Tennessee Bridge Burners," by Capt. Thomas Tipton, together with Capt. Daniel Ellis, Jacob Hendrickson, M. L. Cameron, Jonas H. Keen, J. D. Carriger, Watson Collins, Henry Slagle, Mark Hendrickson, Berry Pritchard, W. F. M. Hyder, William Gourley, James T. Davenport, James P. Scott, Henderson Garland. B. M. G. O Brien, John Fondrin and James Williams, and under the command of Capt. Daniel Stover, on the night of November 8 1861, surprised the guards and burned the bridge across the Holston River on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad.


The authority for the organization of the East Tennessee Bridge Burners came through Gen. George H. Thomas, then commanding the Union forces in that locality. through authority obtained from Gen. George B. McClellan, commanding the Army of the Potomac, and was approved by the President of the United States.


Those enlisted for the enterprise were carefully selected because of their known loyalty and they were charged with the destruction of the bridges on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad, preparatory to the contemplated movement of Gen. Thomas' forces upon Knoxville, Tenn., in November, 1861. The undertaking was a most perilous one, everyone engaged in the same being fully cogni- zant of the result which would surely follow a capture bv the enenv, and it was entered into only upon the promise made by Gen. Thomas that his occupation of East Tennessee would immediately follow upon the destruction of the said bridges, which would afford pro- tection to those engaged in the hazardous work, and even then it was difficult to induce a sufficient number of the citizens of that region to engage in the execution of the dangerous enterprisc.


On the night of November 8, 1861, the bridge across Holston River and that over Lick Creek were destroyed; but Gen. Thomas did not come, as was expected, he having proceeded, according to his promise, only a short distance when he was recalled by General Sherman, who commanded the department, for the supposedly more important work.


Thus were the Bridge Burners left to their own fate. Many of them were recognized by the bridge guards, and flight and seclusion became imperative to escape death. They attempted to escape into Kentucky and join the Union forces there, but after several futile attempts abandoned this course as impracticable, and the company was disbanded and each left to shift for himself. Some of them were captured and hung or shot; others sought refuge in the moun- tains and endeavored to conceal themselves, suffering much ex- posure and hardship, hunger, cold, and rain. Some made their way, after overcoming many obstacles, and joined and enlisted in the Union armies ; others, among whom was Pleasant M. Williams, were captured and imprisoned in rebel prisons, and were confined and starved until the bones of back, hips, and arms protruded through the skin after the flesh had been absorbed by the wasting bodies.


Nearly all of those named in the bill-all but two or three, as your committee is informed-are now borne upon the pension roll by


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reason of subsequent enlistment and service in other organizations, but your committee believe that there should be a public recognition of the service of these men, who, according to the war records of the Rebellion, spread consternation and dismay among the secession- ists of East Tennessee and among the officers of the Confederate Government, who appealed for more troops to guard the railroads and prevent disruption of communication between the troops in Virginia and those in the cotton States co-operating with them. These men were heroes, and their names should be emblazoned on a roll of honor.


Your committee therefore recommend the passage of the bill.


The report of the committee was concurred in.


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CHAPTER VIII.


Carter County Rebellion .- Organized to Protect Bridge Burners and Union Leaders .- Organized at Col. N. G. Tay- lor's Residence .- Names of Officers .- Fight at Taylor's Ford .- The Unionists Victorious .- Amusing Incidents .-- "Army" Falls Back to Clark's Springs, Where Col. John Sevier's Men Took Their "Mid-day Lunch" on Their Way to King's Mountain, September 26, 1780 .- Army at Elizabeth- ton .- At Doe River Cove .- How it Was Fed .- Dispersed by Leadbetter.


The little band of men having carried out the plans of Mr. Carter as far as it could be done by burning the bridge at Zollicoffer and other places along the East Tennessee and Virginia railroad, now expected that the Government would faithfully carry out its part of the contract which had been made with their leaders and sanctioned by the President himself as well as the highest officials of the Federal Government. These men, through motives of patriotism and love for the Union and a de- sire for its preservation, performed, to the best of their ability, their part of the compact and rendered to their country a signal service, and dealt a severe blow to those who were trying to destroy the Government. They could not believe for a moment that the army under Gen. Thomas would not now advance immediately into East Tennessee, take possession of the railroad and hold the country.


It did not occur to them that all these plans would be changed and more than two long years would pass before East Tennessee would be finally delivered from the do- minion of the Southern Confederacy; and that many of those who had engaged in bridge burning would never again see their country's flag wave over their loved land, while others, after suffering much danger and persecu- tion, would join the Federal army and aid in driving the last foe from the soil of East Tennessee.


MAJOR JOSEPH H. WAGNER. (See page 274.)


MAJ, ROBERT H. M. DONNELLY. (See page 273.)


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On the 9th of November, the day following the burning of the bridge across the Holston river, great excitement prevailed. The news spread far and near that "Sher- man's Army" was advancing into East Tennessee, and hundreds of Union men from all parts of Carter, Johnson, Washington and Greene counties, and from Western North Carolina, armed with pistols, shot-guns and old squirrel rifles, flocked into Elizabethton on their way "to meet the army."


By noon there were not less than 1000 Union men in Elizabethton, and before night the number exceeded 1500. These men felt that it was necessary to remain together for protection from the company of Confederate soldiers stationed at Carter's Depot under Capt. David McClel- lan, who had already commenced arresting Union men as suspected bridge burners. The excited crowd of Union men at Elizabethton learning of these arrests determined to go to Carter's Depot and capture McClellan and his company of rebel soldiers. Some of these men on leav- ing home had gathered up such old pistols, rifles, knives and shot-guns as they had and brought them along, but fully one-half of them were without any arms whatever. At Elizabethton they procured all the butcher knives, pitch-forks and everything that bore the least resemblance to arms of offense or defense, and about 3 P. M. started down the Watauga river in the direction of Carter's Depot.


They were really an unorganized mob without leaders, discipline or any knowledge of what war meant, and yet, impelled by passion and hatred of the Southern cause and love for the Union they marched on to offer battle to Capt. McClellan's company, which, though numbering only 125 men, was well armed, drilled and disciplined. Men better acquainted with military affairs knew that men, however brave and numerous, cannot contend successfully with even a small body of well trained troops.


This crowd moved on down the river, crossed Taylor's Ford, and went on in the direction of Carter's Depot. They came in sight of McClellan's pickets, near the old "Turkey Town Camp Ground."


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At this point Dr. Jobe, Col. Stover and others, who had some little experience in military affairs, induced them to halt and hold a parley, which resulted in some kind of organization, agreeing upon Col. Stover as com- mander. They then returned to the south side of the Watauga river and went into camp with headquarters in Col. N. G. Taylor's large barn, which stood a short dis- tance from the banks of the Watauga river. They man- aged to get something to eat and putting out pickets in every direction the tired and motley crowd, after the day of excitement, went into the barn and sheds and such other places as they could find and laid down to rest. About midnight they were fired upon from across the river. Many, being unused to war's alarms, and their courage leaving them when fired upon in the darkness, fled across the fields, while others stood their ground bravely and saluted the rebels with a sharp fire from their shot-guns and squirrel rifles. This fight was kept up sharply for a short time, the balls of the enemy whizzing through the air at a lively rate and the Union men, un- dismayed, returning the fire. Finding it too hot for him Capt. McClellan withdrew but was not followed by the Unionists. McClellan had a few men and horses wounded but there were no casualties on the Union side. The next morning a number of the Union men found bul- let holes through their hats and clothing showing they had received "close calls" the night before. Those who ran the night before returned the next morning, verify- ing the old adage "that he who fights and runs away will live to fight another day."


This incident was known as "The Fight at Taylor's Ford" and many amusing and ludicrous stories, personal and otherwise, were told concerning it. We hope to gather these up, together with sketches of the leaders and many of the participants in this memorable little affair, which we will relate in another chapter.


On the morning of the 10th the "command" moved out to "Clark's Big Spring" on Gap Creek, where they remained over night. At this same place Col. John Se-


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vier's command, which left Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga river on the 26th of September, 1780, on their way to King's Mountain, stopped for their mid-day lunch. On the morning of the IIth they moved back to Elizabethton and went into camp in the "Sugar Hollow," a short distance west of town. Here was a collection of 1500 men, many of them had brought their horses with them from home and all had to be fed. There was no means of subsistance except such as could be furnished by the people in the vicinity, many of whom were too poor to furnish anything, however willing they might be. Those who were able freely opened their doors to them without complaint, and did everything in their power to entertain those who were engaged in what they called "The Little Rebellion against The Big Rebellion." Many of the citizens gave up their keys to their smoke houses and cribs to John K. Miller, who was acting quarter- master and commissary of this organization.


On the 12th of November, three days after the bridge was burned, Elijah Simerly, who had been sheriff of the county and was a prominent Union man and an officer in this organization, was sent down the country to see if any tidings could be learned of Sherman's army, which was still daily expected. Mr. Simerly returned, but brought no encouraging news, as nothing could be heard regarding the advance of the Federal army.


In the meantime the most exaggerated reports were sent to the Confederate authorities concerning the move- ments of the Unionists by the rebel citizens, many of whom were greatly alarmed and left their homes. In ad- dition to the Confederate troops already in East Tennes- see Gen. Leadbetter was sent there with 10,000 troops to repair the bridges, guard the railroads, disperse the Union men and mete out punishment to those engaged in the bridge burning, and the rebellion, or who in any way sympathized with or aided the Union cause.


Gen. Thomas, who had left Camp Dick Robinson, Ky., with his army, had moved as far as London, 55 miles distant from the former place, where he received orders


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from Gen. Sherman to return, thus leaving the bridge burners, those who had engaged in the rebellion and in fact all the Union people, to the mercy of the Confeder- ate authorities, who were now bitterly hostile to them.


On the 14th of November, Col. Stover despairing of aid and learning of the proposed advance of Leadbetter, moved up farther towards the mountains and encamped at a place near the residence of Hon. John W. Hyder in the Doe River Cove (now Hampton) on the main road leading from Johnson City to Taylorsville (now Moun- tain City). Here the men were furnished with provis- sions, beef cattle, sheep, flour and cornmeal and feed for the horses by the farmers residing in the neighborhood. They remained there until the 16th of November. Con- stant rumors of the enemy had been circulated through the camp and they were expected at any time. Gen Lead- better had arrived at Johnson City on the 15th with a large Confederate force and two mountain howitzers and moved out on the Taylorsville road towards the Un- ion camp.


We will insert here a graphic account of the breaking up of the army of the "Little Rebellion," furnished by one who participated in it, Capt. S. H. Hendrix, and whose experience will illustrate that of many others.


Captain Hendrix says: "I followed the command to Hyder's Old Field above the Doe River Cove and re- mained with it until Saturday evening, November 16. I was out on the pike beyond Douglas' at Mr. Lyon's- had gone there to get some sleep, as I had not slept any of consequence since Wednesday night preceding the bridge burning on the 8th-had been up more or less every night and some times all night. I was at Lyon's house when Leadbetter's advance fired on our pickets only a few rods away. Then I lost my sleepy spell and started for camp. Brownlow Fair and William M. Gourley, and I think Andrew C Fondrin, were the pickets fired on. I ran back north of Douglas' in the gap and found Gour- ley, Fondrin, Fair, Daniel Ellis and James I. R. Boyd with a small force formed in line across the road. We


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remained there until nearly dark when we began to get weak and scared; and finally all left on a run for Doe River Cove, or rather for Aunt Sallie Lacey's. From there I left for Johnson county and stayed all night at Sophia Jackson's, up the Laurel Fork creek.


"Miss Jane Campbell gave me a loaf of bread as I passed her father's house, which I ate with the beef I found in our abandoned camp as I passed through it."


Col. Stover and his officers, realizing the hopelessness of resisting the large body of trained and well armed rebel troops with men who had no experience in war and no effective arms, and having entirely despaired of re- ceiving Federal aid, disbanded the army, each man to take care of himself as best he could. Some fled to the moun- tains, some to Kentucky, while others returned to their homes, hoping to receive some clemency from the Con- federate authorities. Most of these were doomed to dis- appointment as they were sent to prison, there to endure all kinds of curses and abuse, and many to suffer death.




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