USA > Tennessee > Bradley County > History of the rebellion in Bradley County, East Tennessee > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
With the exception of Col. Wood's regiment, this for- midable array of troops reached its destination on the morning of the 11th of November, 1861, and went into camp a short distance to the east of Col. Clift's fort. Col. Wood, of Chattanooga, it appears, did not arrive till two days later, the manner of which arrival will appear here- after. As was the case when Clift was previously as- saulted, some of the leading Union men of the country stole the march upon these rebel troops, and on the 12th entered Clift's camp, advised him of his danger, and suc- ceeded in convincing him that with little more than four hundred men, and those without arms, it would be impos- sible to resist an armed force of nearly two thousand. Fortunately for the cause, Mr. Robert Sullivan, a United States recruiting officer from the North, reached Clift's camp on the same day of the arrival of the rebel troops ; and, it being decided to abandon the fort without resist- ance, a portion of the refugees enlisted, and that night, while the rebels were encamped before them, secretly left with Mr. Sullivan for the Northern army. Mr. John McPherson and C. S. Matthews, two of the Union men who remained till the next day, seeing the fort completely yacated, for some cause, perhaps out of mere curiosity,
75
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
entered the rebel camp. Attempting to leave that even- ing or early the next morning, they were very politely informed that they must remain and await further orders.
Not knowing that Clift and his men had fled, on the morning of the 13th, the time appointed by the rebels to bring things to a crisis, they sent out their scouts with instructions to proceed cautiously and reconnoiter Clift's position. Coming within sight of his fortifications, these scouts used every possible means to descry an enemy, but, unable to do so, they ventured forward till they en- tered the vacant Union camp. After strolling among the deserted tents for a short time, one of their company dis- covered, at some distance, a body of troops approaching them from the west. Supposing, in the excitement of the moment, that these were Clift's men, who had vacated their camp only to entrap them, they sprang to their ani- mals, and in the act of mounting were fired upon by their supposed enemies. This confirmed their fears that Clift and his men were upon them, and perhaps surrounding them from ambush; consequently they lost no time but retreated towards their own camp, returning the fire as best they could, till their precipitate flight placed them for the moment out of danger, when they halted, but sent one of their number on to camp with information that they had found the enemy and were holding him in check that the main body might be prepared to receive him. This information suddenly created a perfect commotion in the rebel camp. Officers and men hurried to and fro, per- fecting arrangements and forming themselves into line of battle preparatory to receiving the renowned scoffer at rebellion from Sails Creek.
Esq. McPherson, however, and his friend Matthews, whom the rebel officers had detained, stood by and looked upon the scene with complacent smiles, enjoying the hurry and alarm of these rebels with a high degree of in- ternal satisfaction, knowing that neither Clift.nor any of his men were anywhere in the vicinity.
After the confusion and bustle of the alarm had a little subsided, these Union men ventured to suggest to one of
76
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
the rebel officers that some mistake must be at the bot- tom of the matter, for it could not be the Union refugees who were pressing back their scouts. In a few moments, however, a second messenger rode into camp, and not only confirmed the tidings of the first, but added that Clift and his men were advancing in very heavy force, easily and steadily bearing back their companions, and that everything must be in readiness to receive them. This second intelligence spread quickly through the rebel camp, and left no doubt on the minds of any that they must either fly, or, in a few moments, meet the approach- ing foe, and preparations were completed for the struggle. The two Union men, however, still insisted that the ad- vancing force could not be Clift's men. But quickly a third messenger dashed into camp, apparently more ex- cited than the others, when anxiety was again on tip-toe ; but instead of anything terrific and startling to increase the alarm as before, the first salutation was, "A flag! a flag ! We are afraid that we are fighting our own men !" "There!" ejaculated Esq. McPherson, " that sounds to me something like a solution of the mystery." The flag was immediately procured, and the trooper hastened back with it to the scene of conflict in front, where it was ele- vated-a truce obtained, and instead of old Clift, their mortal enemy, they had been fighting no other than Col. Wood and his Alabama regiment, just arrived from Chat- tanooga.
Both these rebel parties had been mistaken - both errors centering toward the same object, but, in part, in- versely laid in regard to themselves, Col. Wood, supposing that he was fighting and driving Col. Clift; the others, that they were fighting and being driven by him. The old fox, however, had eluded their spring-stepped out from between them just in time to give them a blind fight among themselves. From the results however, one would judge that they fought at rather a safe distance, for through all this heavy skirmishing but a solitary man was hit-on the foot, a slight scratch-no blood drawn, Col. Woods' party ahead in this respect. This was rather a fortunate
77
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
out-come from the awkward and somewhat dangerous position the rebels had fallen into.
Recovering a little from their excitement, they began to feel the mortification of their general failure. Not- withstanding all their toil and dangerous fighting among themselves, the Tennessee Lincolnites, and especially the central object of their expedition, Col. Clift, had escaped. With the exception of Col. Wood's regiment, which, we believe, returned to Chattanooga the next morning, these rebels remained in the vicinity for several days, scouring the country, stealing property, and arresting Union men wherever they could find them. A guard-house was erected in which the prisoners were confined as fast as they were brought in. Many of these prisoners were not simply mistreated, but some of them were savagely abused-berated as Lincolnites, threatened to be shot, accused of complicity with Clift, of bridge burning, etc. Col. Clift's premises were laid waste, and other Union plantations besieged and robbed; Capt. Bill Brown par- ticularly distinguishing himself in this business. We were creditably informed that he reached Cleveland richly laden with Union spoils, a desirable portion of which were oppropriated to his own use.
It was reported at the time that, in addition to these general depredations, a number of Union men were shot, some being killed and others wounded. That a great deal of shooting was done by these rebels, in connection with this whole affair, is attested by Union men present from Bradley, some of whom were under arrest at the time, but there is ground to hope, perhaps, that no Union lives were lost.
Utterly failing to capture Col. Clift or obtain any traces of his men, yet satisfactorily avenging themselves by suc- cess in much more uncivil villanies-capturing and bru- tally mistreating every male person in the vicinity sus- pected of connection with Clift in his operations or of being friendly to the old Government, and after adminis- tering suitable threatening and warning to old men and Union women and children, these rebel companies left
78
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
and returned to their respective home camps. Thus ter- minated the second "Clift War," an affair which at the time created the most intense excitement throughout the country.
Having given, perhaps a sufficiently detailed account of Col. Clift's early opposition to the rebellion, and his efforts to defend himself against it at his own home, the reader will doubtless desire to know something of his further career in aiding to crush the power, which of all others his very soul hated. Whether he was concealed upon his own premises or somewhere in the country, when both rebel armies were fighting his rear ghost, and when the vandals were trying to scent the track of his physical reality, among the rocks and swamps, or whether he fled with Mr. Sullivan, like some of his men, to the North, or escaped in some other direction, we are not informed ; but certain it is, that he escaped without personal harm, and it is equally certain that he made no further attempts upon his own plantation, two hundred and fifty miles in front of our lines, to fight the whole Southern Confede- racy.
Up to this period, Col. Clift was acting upon his own responsibility, independently of the Government, con- ducting a war of his own, having no authority to enlist troops or anything of the kind. Being now, however, not only compelled permanently to change his base of opera- tions, but to abandon the idea of whipping the rebellion without the aid of the Government, he repaired to Wash- ington, obtained authority from the War Department to recruit and organize a regiment of which he was to have the colonelcy.
With a view to accomplish this object, early in the spring of 1862, Col. Clift established his headquarters near Huntsville, at the head of Sequatchee valley, Scott county, East Tennessee. Enthusiastically pushing forward his new enterprise, by the following August he had collected and enlisted between four and five hundred men, and prospects appeared so flattering, that in a few months longer he thought he would be able to report his thou-
79
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
sand men ready for service. All this, however, was too significant a fact in that part of Tennessee, long to remain a secret from the rebel authorities ; consequently, soon being fully advised of the nature and extent of his opera- tions in Scott county, these authorities determined on one more effort to secure this ubiquitous and troublesome enemy. Eighteen hundred cavalry were dispatched from Knoxville for that purpose. Just previous to this, how- ever, Col. Clift's superiors, aware that his position was too advanced for safety, ordered him to retire to some point within or near our lines. Either for want of time, between the arrival of the order and the arrival of the rebels, to. call in his men, who were scattered over the country recruiting, or from his unconquerable desire to fight the rebels at every opportunity, this command was not obeyed; and on the 9th of August he found himself attacked by this rebel cavalry from Knoxville. Many of his men were out recruiting at the time, his Lieuten- ant-Colonel, Alex. Hoagland, an Indianian, from Lafay- ette, being engaged on the day of the attack in delivering a speech to a crowd in the vicinity, endeavoring to per- suade the young men to enlist ; so that not more than one hundred and fifty or two hundred men were left with Clift in the fort at the time to resist eighteen hundred rebels.
Having an advantageous position, and his men pro- tected by breast-works, with an obstinacy characteristic of the man, he defended himself for an hour and a half gainst eight or ten times his own numbers; and fortu- nately without having any of his men either killed or wounded. An attempt of the rebels to gain his rear com- pelled him finally to retire, which he did in time to escape with his entire immediate command to the adjacent mountain, overlooking the Sequatchee valley, a retreat inaccessible to the rebel cavalry. A moderate stock of supplies, with a box or two of army muskets, fell into the enemy's hands. Twelve of Clift's men-of those absent when the attack was made-were the next day picked up by the rebels, and were taken to Knoxville as prisoners.
Some time after the battle the rebels published their
80
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
loss in the Knoxville Register, stating that it was from fourteen to sixteen killed and wounded.
After this affair, Col. Clift personally adhered to his purpose of recruiting in that part of Tennessee; but it was thought best for his men to join the nearest Federal army. Accordingly, under the command of Lieut .- Col. Hoagland, all that could be collected started to join Gen. Morgan at Cumberland Gap, a distance of about seventy- five miles. After being out several days, and when within two miles of Barbersville, Ky., to their mortification they were informed that Gen. Kirby Smith with his army was then passing through Barbersville, on his way to invade that State. This rendered it impossible for them to pro- ceed, while it was unsafe for them to remain where they were ; consequently, the only alternative appeared to be to retrace their steps with a view to join Gen. Thomas at McMinnville, in Middle Tennessee, a point much further from their late battle-field than they had already trav- eled, and exactly in the opposite direction. It was nearly a hopeless task; but they undertook it as cheerfully as possible, and a few days brought them back to their old fort and battle-field in Scott county, which they passed, taking the crest of the mountain range, and after many more days of hardship and weary traveling they began to descend the western slope towards McMinnville. Gain- ing the foot of the mountain, and hopefully proceeding to within seven miles of that town, all at once their joy was turned into sorrow by the discovery that Gen. Bragg's army was then passing between them and McMinnville, also on its way to Kentucky, to act in conjunction with Kirby Smith, from whom they had just fled at Barbers- ville. So anxious were they, however, to join General Thomas, that, in their efforts to do so, Col. Hoagland was captured. After this loss, it was decided that before they could possibly cross Bragg's trail it would be too late to reach Gen. Thomas. They were now being left in the rear of both rebel armies, and of course would be exposed to the guerrillas and bushwhackers who would infest the country ; and, as joining Gen. Thomas was impracticable
81
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
if not impossible, they determined once more to retrace their steps and make another effort to join Gen: Morgan at Cumberland Gap. Accordingly, after ranging the Cumberland mountains the third time, having in all trav- eled a distance of three hundred and fifty miles, they finally reached the Gap in safety, but one day, however, before it was evacuated by Gen. Morgan. Though com- pletely worn down and debilitated, they were compelled to accompany Gen. Morgan in his march to Ohio; where, as a regiment, they were left at Gallipolis. Here they were joined by Lieut .- Col. Hoagland, who had, in the meantime, been exchanged. Remaining at Gallipolis two months, they were ordered to Lebanon, Ky., where they were joined by Col. Clift himself, who, since his battle at Huntsville to this time, had been recruiting for his regi- ment in that vicinity.
Col. Clift's regiment was the 7th Tennessee Infantry. At this place, Lebanon, his was consolidated with the 8th Tennessee, commanded by Col. F. A. Reves ; after which, the two thus merged were known as the Sth Tennessee. What position or rank in the Eighth after this change, was held by Col. Clift, or how long after this he remained in the service, we are not informed. This change was made December 13th, 1861.
Before bidding adieu entirely to the subject of this famous Clift War, a remark should be devoted to the char- acter of Col. Clift himself. The worst thing that can be said of him as a military man is, that he was not a strate- gic general. Mathematical military strategy was alto- gether too slow a process for the enthusiasm of the Col- onel's nature. He promptly reduced one of his officers for manifesting cowardice at the approach of the rebel cav- alry at Huntsville. Fear, or cowardice, was a visitor whose disgusting form never crossed the threshhold of his patriotic spirit, or even crouched, so far as he was con- cerned, in the vicinity of his camp. To "find the enemy," or, "let them come" were his principle and most inspiring themes -subjects to which every thing else was only auxilliary. Long and tedious campaigns with no results
S2
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
but the wasting of an army his righteous soul abhorred. With him, fighting was the principle argument to be used against the rebellion ; and as soon as an enemy could be reached his daring and fiery spirit cried for a hand to hand encounter, relying upon the justice of his cause, cold steel, grit and gunpowder, to give him the victory.
As a patriot, a soldier, a politician, or a public man in any sense, more moral principle reddened under his little finger nail than ever volunteered to aid the rebellion during the war. To some, this may appear like a sensa- tional remark, but such is not the case. It is but the utterance of an incontrovertible truth. Doubtless many persons inately possessed of moral principle, but vitiated by education and contact with error, perhaps through life, espoused the rebellion; but not an individual upon the green earth naturally disposed to be just to all men, and uncorrupted by association, ever volunteered in its aid. Justice never dictated to any mind that the rebel- lion was right. When we, therefore, state, that Col. Clift was the embodiment of more moral principle than the whole rebellion could honestly claim, the assertion does not transcend the limits of historical truth.
83
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
CHAPTER VIII.
CAPTAIN WM. L. BROWN AND THE FIFTH DISTRICT ELECTION.
WE return now to the history of the rebellion as it pro- gressed and subsequently existed in Bradley county.
After the rebel forces which had attempted to capture Col. Clift on Sails Creek, had returned to their respective vicinities, their organizations, generally, were not only preserved intact, but rebel military rule from that time, especially, was instituted in a manner plainly to indicate the fate of those who dared to oppose, as well as of those who failed to comply with rebel demands.
Two rebel regiments were raised in Bradley and adjoin- ing counties, both, we believe, going into camp on Brad- ley county fair grounds, there to remain while recruiting and fitting out, grounds about a mile from the village of Cleveland. One of these regiments was the 4th Ten- nessee Cavalry, the other the 36th Tennessee Infantry. The infantry regiment, from the fact that it was armed principally with squirrel rifles and double barrel shot- guns, many of which were forcibly taken from Union citizens, was by way of jest denominated the squirrel brigade. After its completion this regiment was ordered into the vicinity of Knoxville. The cavalry regiment, which was under the command of Col. Rogers of Bradley county, was finally ordered to Knoxville also.
The following from the Cleveland Banner of Novem- ber 15th, 1861, shows about the time this cavalry regi- ment went into camp for recruiting.
" MILITARY CAMP-Cleveland has been made a military camp, and Wm. H. Tibbs has been appointed commissary. Captains McClary and Brown's cavalry companies have gone into camps."
We know not that these companies were the very first that occupied the fair grounds, but probably they were
S4
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
among the first. This cavalry regiment left for Knoxville toward the last of January, 1862, being in camp at Cleve- land about three months; this being the period in which the reign of rebel terror in that section rose to its zenith.
In entering fully upon the history of the rebellion in Bradley, we propose to introduce and briefly sketch, the character of one of the most prominent actors in the drama, Capt. Wm. L. Brown, one of the officers mentioned in the above extract; but more commonly known as Capt. Bill Brown of Bradley.
Unquestionably, this Capt. Brown was one of the most notorious characters, in many respects, of all the rebel leaders that figured in East Tennessee. Being admirably fitted by nature to execute the dirty work planned by others, with this ability made constantly restive by a natu- ral feeling of great self-importance, he was, of all others, the most blustering, insulting, and overbearing, the most reliable to be entrusted with the meanest and most dis- graceful enterprizes. He was a natural liar, as well as a natural thief, and so far as moral forecast is concerned, the next thing to a natural fool; religiously as well as other- wise a practical hypocrite, a base tyrant and a vile de- ceiver. Altogether, his composition, as a human being, was such, that his greatest earthly happiness flowed from the privilege of being a dictatorial or governing spirit in the midst of just such a rebellion, as that in which he acted so conspicuous and disgraceful a part. Never was he so deliriously happy ; never so emphatically in a world of ecstacy, as when in Bradley county, swaggering in all the license and riot of his commission, he displayed him- self as Capt. Brown of the rebel army.
At the opening of the rebellion, Brown perhaps was forty years of age, had been a resident of the county from an early period, was a member of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church, by trade a tailor, having followed the business of this craft for a number of years in Cleveland, but never, it appears, relied upon it as the permanent business of his life. His first surplus funds, instead of being invested the enlargement and permanency of
85
IN BRADLEY COUNTY, EAST TENNESSEE.
of his business, were prostituted to the work of shaving notes, and being invested in loans at high rates of usury, and in otherwise taking advantage of the unfortunate, by which means, he soon won the name of being one of the most hard-hearted money dealers and swindling specu- lators in the country.
As a solitary instance among many that might be given of Browns innate villiany, we noted down from the recital of one of the most prominent citizens of Cleveland, the following case.
Mr. - , a man well known in Bradley, and who by many readers in the county will be instantly called to mind as the person referred to, had failed, by the regular proceeds of his industry, to procure means for the liquida- tion of a debt, which was of the utmost importance to him to pay at the appointed time. Money matters were close, and being unsuccessful in his first efforts to borrow the amount, as a last resort he applied to Brown. Brown pre- tended to be out of money, whined about his own poverty, complained of the hard times, scolded about dilatory cre- ditors, etc., but told him to call again in a short time, and he would give him an answer. Agreeably to appoint- ment the man waited upon Brown the second time. Brown informed him that times were so hard that he had no money to loan, and that if he had obligations on the best of men, he could take them only at such and such discounts. The terms amounted to a swindle, but the man was compelled to have the money or suffer infinitely more, and consequently he submitted to Brown's proposals. Brown took the notes, counted out the man a part of the money, saying that was all he had with him at the time, but the rest should be forthcoming without fail before he would need it. Having not the least idea that Brown, by this maneuver, intended to swindle him, and knowing that he was able at any time to get the remainder, made no particular objections. The next day, however, or as soon as the time drew near, that the whole amount coming from Brown should be in his possession, the man called to procure it; but to his astonishment Brown was per-
86
HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
fectly unapproachable on the subjet, coldly and indiffer- ently pretending that he had been disappointed in collect- ing; and that he could do nothing more about it at pre- sent. The man enquired what he meant by such conduct, and if he considered the extent of the injury he was inflicting upon him by such a rascally forfeiture of his word. Notwithstanding these appeals, Brown gave his victim no satisfaction ; but left him to extricate himself from the dilemma into which he had led him as best he could. This, however, was not the sequel of the transac- tion. The injured man, as a matter of course prosecuted Brown for the debt, and for aught we know for his villainy also; but one way and another Brown staved off the issue, evading the action of the law, and keeping Mr. out of the residue of his money, till long after the notes he delivered to Brown had matured, and Brown had col- lected on them both principal and interest.
Taking this transaction as a basis of Brown's moral character as a private citizen before the war, none will be greatly surprised at the following developements in this chapter in regard to his conduct as a public man and a civil officer, nor at the future developments in this work of his character as a soldier and a rebel officer.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.