USA > Tennessee > History of the Twentieth Tennessee regiment volunteer infantry, C.S.A > Part 12
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Revival services were carried on most of the time while at : Dalton, and many of the men professed religion and united them- I selves with the various churches ; and none of them were ever
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known to repudiate their faith either while soldiers or afterwards as citizens. Here too, we had the big " Snow ball battle."
Spring now opened, Johnston and Sherman had been preparing for their famous "one hundred day's campaign" which now began of which history furnishes no parallel, since the retreat of "the ten thousand" under Xenophen. Sherman came up to our front at Mill Creek Gap, north of Dalton. Johnston met him, but Sherman flanked by passing to our left through Dug Gap and aimed to intercept Johnston at Resaca, but when he got there Johnston was in his front ; here he made an effort to drive Johnston out of his works, but failed, and in that failure, he learned a lesson he seemed never to have forgotten. We pun- ished him severely for his conduct on this occasion ; we also sus- tained considerable loss. With his much greater army he con- tinued to march around our flank. Johnston would fall back just far enough to bob up in his front every time, skirmishing every day, in fact just about all the time. But no decisive battle was fought. Johnston was not strong enough to attack and Sherman seemed afraid to risk it.
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We battled along until we reached Kennesaw Mountain. Capt. Ridley had not been able for duty on this campaign. Lieut. Sanders was absent sick, and Lieut. Brothers was in com- mand. A shell from the enemy exploded in our works, killing Wiley Griggs and wounding eight others of company E among whom were R. J. Neal, Sam. Walden, Sam. M. Jamison, Andrew Robertson and others not recalled. We had to remain in the works till nightfall on account of the enemy's sharp shooters. We then, with the aid of the infirmary Corps, got the wounded out and buried Griggs. Griggs was perhaps the most inoffen- sive man in the company. He was always quiet, always in his place and never complained ; he was in addition to this, one of the bravest men in the company. He was one of the men who porfessed religion and joined the church at Dalton, and no man ever doubted his sincerity ; he ever quietly lived up to it - peace to his memory. The campaign proceeded ; almost daily we skirmished and neared Atlanta, and finally we crossed the Chattahoocheeiver. .
Johnston was succeeded by Hood, then came "Peach Tree Creek." In all of this campaign with the exceptions noted,
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Company E was, as far as recalled, fortunate. We had some of our men captured, but Geo. W. Walden was the only one re- called.
After Peach Tree Creek, Hardee's Corps, to which we belonged, marched around Sherman's left wing, and on July 22, 1864, charged him in his works. We carried the works and drove them furiously, killing General McPherson, but one Divison of our Corps suffered serious loss, (that of Cleburne). He lost perhaps half of his men captured, but we recaptured most of them to- gether with several hundred prisoners. In this engagement Lieut. A. J. Irwin was killed, another good man, gallant officer and generous comrade.
After this we were placed on the extreme left of Hood's army, when on the 6th day of August 1864, we had a brilliant engage- ment with the enemy. We were deployed as a heavy skirmish line. We had excellent works, with "head logs." There was some timber in our front and the undergrowth had been cut down to obstruct the enemy's advance. We were told that we must hold that line at all hazards. So we made up our minds to stay there. They first advanced with a double skirmish line; we drove that back inflicting a heavy punishment upon it. Then they came with a solid line of battle, determined to dislodge us, but we drove that back with heavy loss. Next, they made a third assault, ; this time they come with two solid lines of battle, and some of them reached our works, but none ever got over. We poured the shot into them in a manner simply terrific, and forced them back with terrible slaughter. Up to this time we had not lost a man, while the enemy lay dead and wounded by hun- dreds in our front. We captured three stands of colors from them. After the fight was over, our Regiment was sent out in front to pick up the stragglers that might be left skulking in the brushes. One of these skulkers shot George Castleman of Com- pany B in the thigh. R. J. Neal, who was with Castleman fired obliquely at the blue coat, when P. S. Latimer told him to "look out." He looked forward and saw a Yankee aiming at him. He dropped on his knees and was loading his gun when the fel- low fired, striking him in the right shoulder.
These were the only casualties of our Regiment, while those of the enemy could be counted by the hundreds. Report said
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the 8th Federal Tennessee Regiment went into that charge with more than eleven hundred men, and after the charge could mus- ter only fifteen. One of the stands of colors captured belonged to that Regiment. We were now drawn back to the main line on the left. Sherman commenced to flank again, and we were sent with Hardee's Corps to Jonesboro to meet the flank move- ment. We attacked them in their entrenched lines, and were repulsed with heavy loss, and retired to within our own works. While the 20th lost many of its best men, Company E had no casualties that can now be recalled. Next day we were on the skirmish line and the enemy charged us, but their greatest effort was against Cleburne's front, where they were partially success- ful, but they paid dearly for their success. Cleburne never failed to punish them when they brought up in his front.
On this day Company E was three times driven in while skir- mishing across an open field, without the loss of a man, and at nightfall held the line we had in the morning. After dark we were withdrawn from the skirmish line, and when we reached the position our main line had occupied in the morning, we found it abandoned; and the troops were retiring to Lovejoy Station, where we followed. On this night, Hood was retiring from At- lanta, burning all his stores and destroying his magazines. At- lanta was twenty miles distant, but the fires made a great light, and the burning of the magazines made almost a perpetual roar ; the sights and sounds of which, coupled with our retreat, made it a night never to be forgotten.
The next morning found us at Lovejoy Station; we were ready for the enemy when they overtook us, but the day was spent in manuevering and heavy skirmishing. Here we were joined by Hood with the main army. From here our Regiment was sent to Griffin to intercept stragglers from the army leaving Atlanta. We performed this duty, and in a few days we returned to Lovejoy Station, then we learned the enemy had gone back to Atlanta. We followed as far as Jonesboro, then moved west to Palmetto, on the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. Here Presi- dent Jefferson Davis came to us and reviewed the army, and planned "Hood's Campaign into Tennessee." From Palmetto we moved North, crossing the Chattahoochie River on a pontoon bridge. The one hundred day campaign was ended, and no gen-
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eral engagement had taken place. The battles of Peach Tree Creek, the one on July 22nd, July 28th, and Jonesboro were only partial engagements, as on the Confederate side only Har- dee's Corps had been engaged in the first and last, and the left wing of the army in the other. Yet it had been one hundred days of continued skirmishing, often amounting to the propor- tions of a spirited battle ; the losses of the two armies in killed, wounded and missing aggregating more than if a general engage- ment had taken place, and until Joe Johnston was removed the enemy loss was much the heaviest.
We now entered on a new campaign. Hood, after crossing the Chattahoochie River moved along parallel with the W. & A. Railroad, occassionally sending in a detachment to tap the railroad, as at Altoona and Resaca. We marched around Rome, and again tapped the railroad at Dalton, capturing a regiment of ne- groes and destroying a great deal of railroad track. Above Dal- ton we turned to the the left and passed through Lafayette, and near Gadsden, Ala., we crossed over Sand Mountain, and came in touch again with the enemy at Decatur, but continued west along the M. & C. Railroad to Tuscumbia.
Here we remained a few days, while our pontoon bridge was ' being placed across the Tennessee River. One bright Novem- ber morning we crossed over and found ourselves in Florence. We remained here a few days and started North on the Waynes- boro road. When we crossed the line into Tennessee it was snowing. We passed through Waynesboro and continued North until one afternoon we came to the place looking off over Duck River valley. It was the more inspiring from the fact that for several days we had marched through a very poor country, and on very short rations, (three sinkers per day-to those who don't understand, a sinker is a biscuit made from unbolted wheat flour without milk, grease, salt or soda). Our losses had been continued and heavy, and we had no chance to recruit. All the companies were very small. Company E and Company H had been thrown together as one company. Capt. Tom Caruthers of Company H commanding, Second Lieutenant W. E. Brothers of Company E second in command, First Lieutenant M. M. Sanders of Company E being absent on detached service.
We found the enemy at Columbia ready to meet us, but we
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crossed the river above, (Hardee's Corps, in command of Cheat -; ham), and struck for Spring Hill in their rear. We reached : there in good time, and by all means should have fought them in! open field, instead of at Franklin in their fortifications next day .. But we didn't and the reason for not doing so has always been a: mystery to the rank and file of the army. We bivouacked in, line parallel with the turn pike, only two or three hundred yards away and let them pass undisturbed with all their wagons and supplies to their strong hold at Franklin. This was a fatal blunder. Next morning we took the road for Franklin. Our division turned to the left and moved so as to leave Franklin to our right, halting and fronting the town, our Company E having the Bostick House on our right. We moved forward, straight towards the Carter House. There was a body of men to our, left, between us and Harpeth River, supposed to be dismounted cavalry. They advanced with our line and did good work. When the enemy opened fire on us, we charged straight ahead,. but they had placed obstructions in the way, over which we could not pass. This we saw too late and it caused our line to break, but: it was reformed again near the Bostick House. There was a de -. pression between the enemy and the creek that runs north past the Bostick House, here about one hundred men were rallied by . Adjt. Tom Fowler, Lieut. Pete Edwards and W. E. Brothers .. By lying down we were not visible to the enemy, and when a new line to our right charged, this hundred men charged again .: ' Of course we were repulsed, but rallied again in the depression, but finally gave it up and rejoined the command. It was on the first charge and when nearest the enemy's works that Capt. Todd. Carter dashed through our lines on his horse with drawn sword, made straight for his father's house, and met his death as it. were, on the very threshold of his parental home. He was per -: haps not more than fifty feet from us when he fell ; his horse was. seen to plunge and we knew he was struck. Captain Carter was thrown straight over the horse's head, his sword reached as far as. his arm would allow toward the enemy, and when he struck the ground he laid still, and his brave young life went out almost at. the door of his home. The sight of home and all that makes home dear, and that home in possession of the enemy caused him, to forget himself, and under the impulse of the moment he rushed.
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to certain death. In this action Chrisman of Company H was killed, Captain Caruthers was wounded, W. D. Martin of Com- pany E was wounded, R. J. Neal of Company E was struck three times in the engagement, but never left the field, the wounds being slight, P. S. Latimer of Company E was slightly wounded, but did not leave the field, other casualties not re- called.
The next day the twentieth Tennessee, was placed on provost duty, but so many of the men lived in and around Franklin, that soon the regiment was short in numbers, the boys quietly took "French leave" to visit their homes. They were not blamed at all, especially as they all returned in a few days.
On the second morning after the battle of Franklin, Bate's di- vision moved towards Murfreesboro, and when opposite Nolens- ville Company E being almost home, took "French leave" for a day or two. We had been gone almost two years, and so many did not return that the Company was now only a little squad, that could be more than counted on the fingers, but for those who did return, it was joy to get back home, but sad indeed to think what had become of so many who did not return.
The army was now making history fast and we could remain home only for a day or two. The boys knew Bate was largely out- numbered at Murfreesboro and hurried to their places. The bat- tie of Overall's Creek was fought, and Adjutant Thoma B. Fowler lost a leg. In a day or two after, the second battle of Murfreesboro was fought ; Colonel Shy commanded the consolidated Regiment, some of the men had not yet returned, Lieutenant Pete Edwards of Company D and Lieutenant W. E. Brothers of Company E were the company commanders. Brothers commanded compan- ies E and H, till the close of the Nashville campaign. The bat- tle was lost to us, not through want of courage on the part of men, nor of skill and tact on the part of General Bate,-but sim- ply because we did not have men enough. In addition to the lack of men it was December, and the men were poorly clad, many were bare-foot, many had their feet wrapped in "green hides" fastened on with whangs cut from the same, called moc- asins, while others had their feet wrapped in rags from cast off clothing. Washington crossing the Delaware and marching on Trenton is noted in history, is represented on canvass, and cele-
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LT. WM. E. BROTHERS, Co. F. See page 435.
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brated in song and story ; but that was a dash across the river, a short, quick march, a sharp fight, and then return ; in all only two days,-while Hood's campaign lasted more than a month, during which time, three severe battles were fought, leagues of hard marching were made, with his men poorly clad and fed, in a severe mid-winter campaign of rain, sleet, snow and freeze, as were Washington's and yet who ever saw a representation of their suffering on canvass? Who ever heard a song commemora- ting that campaign ; but the patriotism and fortitude of its par- ticipants, under all the privations they endured is worthy of highest commendation. There is another feature about this campaign that all the writers seem to have over-looked. Hood's men were for the most part men of intellect, more so than an army usually is. There were few illiterates, -they were of a class of men that go to make a country.
Now these men were veterans. For four years they had been marching and fighting, studying the game of war practically ; they knew when they crossed the Tennessee river what a perilous thing it was, they knew that it was almost the last hope of a dying Confederacy, and they knew too how poorly prepared they were for such a venture. They knew when the battle of Franklin was over, though a signal victory, was in reality a defeat. They knew after the battle of Murfreesboro how badly we needed re- inforcements, and they knew there were none for us to get ; yet knowing this they closed in around Nashville, where the enemy were re-enforcing every day, as cooly and cheerfully as if every- thing promised victory. The wonder is, that men could con- tinue to battle against such odds.
The night before the battle of Nashville, our division (Bate's) was moved from the extreme right of the army to the left of the Granny White pike. Our company was near the top of the hill. When we took our position there were no earth works, so we at once gathered up old logs and stones such as were at hand, and placed them for protection. After a while we borrowed some picks and shovels from the Florida Brigade, and worked with them best we could, but the ground was hard and rocky, and we had accomplished but little when we had to return the tools. We laid down to sleep ; R. . J Neal, W. E. Brothers and W. W. Batey of Company E, together with N. G. Kimbro and John
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Davis, unarmed recruits for our Company E. Company H was with us, and we numbered seventeen in all in both Companies. -
We knew that something decisive would be done on the mor- row. We had a little fire at our feet, and three blankets for the five men, but the enemy's sharp shooters began to fire at the light and we had to extinguish the fire. Next morning Kimbro and Davis being unarmed, were sent to the rear, until guns could be secured for them. The enemy was seen in our front some distance off. We at once noticed that we had built our works too far back on the hill, for we could not see the enemy after they reached the foot of the hill, until they would be close upon us, but it was too late to remedy the mistake now ; for as soon as they could see, the sharp shooters commenced to entertain us, the enemy using their artillery also. We had none in position with which to reply ; finally, with the exception of a few of our sharp ahooters with "Witworth Rifles" we almost ceased to fire at them, but when the "Witworth's" were fired they were answered with shells.
Our sharpshooters finally used our works from which to fire. The enemy now turned their artillery on Companies E and H. The logs and stones were knocked down in a "giffy," and most of the men in the two companies were wounded. We made our way up to the next company on our left and claimed protection with them ; some of the wounded climbed over the hill in search of our field hospital, but from the time our works were demol- ished, to the time they made a general charge on us, it was not exceeding five minutes ; they came in overwhelming numbers, having massed under the hill in our front. We could fire only one volley at them before they were upon us. We gave them that volley in "great shape," but did not check them. Seven stands of colors passed over our works. Our men, some of them, performed acts of heroism and valor, that to this day seems more like a dream than a reality when we think of it.
The enemy poured over our works in great numbers ; our men at first, fought with clubbed guns, but for an instant-and then -they broke, Yankees and Confederates all mixed up-the Con- federates trying to get away, and the Yankees trying to stop them. Both parties had fired their guns and neither had taken
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time to re-load. Gradually we unmixed ourselves from them. Our channel of escape would have been through the gap in which the Granny White Pike passes, but the enemy were already in possession of that gap ahead of us ; we bore to the left, crossed the pike, and went along the foot of the ridge until we reached the Franklin pike. Many of the men rallied in small numbers and would turn and fire on the enemy, thus checking them in a measure; but the enemy were coming up the Franklin pike, too, and many of the men who had been checking their pursuers, were either captured or compelled to climb the steep hill on the right. No general attempt was made to rally until we reached the vicin- ity of Brentwood. Here order was partially restored, and we commenced the retreat from Nashville.
Of the seventeen men in Companies E and H, we never knew what became of all of them. Lieutenent Brothers was not seri- ously wounded and escaped just before the final rush. R. J. Neal, having exhausted his ammunition. (he was on skir- mish line), started for more, and this doubtless saved him. W. W. Batey was severely wo unded and left for dead, was made pris- oner and recovered. The two recruits, Kimbro and Davis, were not seen any more after being sent to the rear. But now we left . our homes again, the cloud over the Confederacy lower and darker. The men were worn down with almost continued march- ing and fighting for months.
Yet, true to their colors they marched away from home again on the retreat, sadly it is true, but determined to stand by St. Andrew's cross to the last man. And this they did without com- plaint. They blamed nor censured no one -all believed that every one from commander-in-chief to the private soldier had done his best and accepted the result as the fate of war. GLO- RIOUS OLD BOYS !
The companies had now become so small that the Regiment was but little more than a few messes. Some of the companies had no commissioned officers left ; but every man and officer had an individuality that made it a remarkable set of men. Every one of these knew his duty just as well as if he had borne a com- mission ; he was just as prompt to do his duty as was the officer. They were quite different from the young men and beardless boys, who left home nearly four years ago. Time had made them
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men. The usage and customs of war, and its privations had in- ured them to such hardships as but few men could bear, and made them Veteran soldiers. The weakly and delicate ones had yielded to their ailments. Those remaining were physically per- fect, and their morals were as good as when they left home.
We returned South through Franklin, Columbia and Pulaski, recrossing the Tennessee River near Bainbridge, continued on to Corinth, Miss., and after a short stay there, proceeded to West Point, where Hood's Army took the cars for South Carolina, and on to Bentonville, North Carolina, where the Company E was represented in the last battle of the war by Lieut. M. M. San- ders, R. J. Neal and Jack Hartman. Lieutenant Sanders com- manded a company of "galvanized Yankees" - (Federal sol- diers who had joined our army to get out of prison ) in this fight, and of course was not with the Regiment. Jack Hartman was Ordnance teamster and as usual, was at his post of duty with his Ordnance wagon. Neal was the only man of Company E in regimental line. Lieutenant Sanders was wounded in tliis bat- tle. Those "galvanized Yankees" gave him credit for being the gamest man that ever took them into battle. He certainly put them in and made them do splendid fighting. Soon after this battle Gen. J. E. Johnston surrendered us to Sherman, near Greensboro, N. C.
Lieut. W. E. Brothers was present as a supernumerary officer. Just before the surrender all the Tennessee troops had been con- solidated into four regiments, which left quite a number of su- pernumerary officers who were allowed to choose any branch of service they preferred, and Brothers was in this number.
Jack Hartman was present as Ordnance teamster, and R. J. Neal represented the rank and file of the original Company E in line with a gun. Lieutenant Sanders was absent under treat- ment for his wound. He was also a supernumerary. Our old Regiment, the Twentieth, formed Company D of the (new) 4th Tennessee, Capt, C. S. Johnson of old Company B commanding. R. J. Neal was first Sergeant ; the other officers and non-com- missioned officers not recalled. Thirty-four men of the original Twentieth Tennessee were all that answered to roll call when the end came. After receiving our paroles we marched from Greens- boro to Salisbury, Statesville, Morganton, Marion, Asheville,
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and Marshall, N. C., thence across the mountains to Greenville, Tenn. From Greeneille we were sent by rail to our respective homes. W. E. Brothers, R. J. Neal and Jack Hartman being all of old Company E present, got off the cars at Lavergne, Ruther- ford County, Tenn., Hartman going north to his home, Broth- ers and Neal going south to their homes.
Of the forty nine men who got on the cars June 7th, 1861, Brothers was the only one here on the return, Neal having gone out a little later and Hartman yet later. We do not mean that all the forty nine except Brothers had been killed. Many had been killed, many had sickened and died, many were disabled with wounds, some had been transferred, some were in prison, and some had deserted.
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