USA > Tennessee > The Annals of the Army of Tennessee and early western history, including a chronological summary of battles and engagements in the western armies of the Confederacy > Part 13
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We had a good time generally at Natchez, and left there with re- gret. As soon as the boat touched the shore, the boys struck a bee- line for town, and paid no attention whatever to the guards. In a few hours every man was in a glorious state, and it was with a great deal of difficulty that they could be gotten on board again. In fact, some were left.
The boys had another spree here yesterday, but the fun was cut short by some fool officer emptying the whisky into the street. I am sorry to see a strong feeling of jealousy existing between the officers and crews of the different boats engaged in the capture of the Indian- ola, and a strong prejudice in the minds of the people of this place against the crew of the Doctor Beatty. The feeling extends even to those highest in command, whose minds should be above such petty considerations. General Taylor makes an open display of his feelings against the men who are from another Military Department. This . morning his Adjutant came down to Colonel Brand with the request that we take ourselves away from this vicinity, as we were a nuisance. Our Colonel didn't see fit to notice the request, however, and we still lie at the wharf. I fear that there will be a fight before we leave here. The officers of the Webb and Queen refuse to give us credit for doing anything in the late action.
March 9 .-- We left Alexandria yesterday, to the manifest joy of the inhabitants of that village, and I believe our own crew is as happy at the parting as the Alexandrians. I have no pleasing reminiscences of the place, being eased of a good deal of my confederate during our stay. General Kirby Smith arrived there Saturday, and will take com- mand of that department immediately, as he ranks General Taylor. We were telegraphed to return to Port Hudson forthwith, as it was stated that the enemy were to make an attack on that place to-day. We are going down at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. Our expedition has fizzled out. The Grand Era went up to the wreck of the Indianola, and returned yesterday laden with guns, iron, etc., of that notorious craft. There was no other gun-boat below Vicksburg. So it is clearly proven that we fled when no man pursued us.
PORT HUDSON, March II.
We arrived in port yesterday, having made the run without incident worthy of note. Colonel Brand has taken a list of our names, for the purpose of drawing prize money, and has discharged the crew of the Doctor Beatty, as there is no longer any necessity of using her as 3
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gun-boat, the river being clear of the enemy's vessels from here to Vicksburg. I now write from the camp of the Forty-first, where I in- :end to remain. We expected to find our army engaged with the enemy on our return, as we had heard some heavy ordnance reports it Atchafalaya; so we approached the bend very carefully lest we might, inadvertently, run into the Essex. The firing which we heard was. below, and it is expected that we will have a general engagement this week.
March 14. - We have had no fight here yet, but from the indica- tions it can't be deferred much longer. We have drawn one hundred rounds of ammunition, the batteries are training their horses, and many other unmistakable signs of an early engagement are to be seen at all hours of the day. A considerable force was sent out last night to watch the movements of the enemy, and reported this morning that they were landing troops, guns, etc., below. Their men are deserting and coming over at the rate of five a day. They assign as a cause that they are placed on a level with the negro regiments in Bank's Army. Evening .- Eight of the enemy's vessels appeared around the bend at noon to-day, and commenced throwing shells into our fortifi- cations, but the range was too long to justify our guns replying. We were ordered to our position, which is on the right wing, and near the river batteries, decidedly the most dangerous one that could be as- signed us. Here we spent the evening very pleasantly dodging shells, quite a number of which fell within our line.
March 15 .- About sundown the shelling ceased, and nearly all of us returned to camp to endeavor to sleep, as we had been up all the night preceding unloading a corn boat. We had all got comfortably settled for the enjoyment of that sweet restorer of tired nature, when the whole fleet of mortar boats, ships-of-the-line, and I do not know how many gun-boats, turned loose their storm of iron hail into our midst without giving any warning. The effect on soldiers suddenly aroused from sleep can be imagined. We sprang to our feet, and hardly taking time to draw on our coats, took to our heels in search of shelter. Indeed it was enough to make the stoutest heart quake to hear the shells hurtling over our heads and the fragments crashing through the timber or ploughing up the earth at our feet. I started to the trenches to get with my company, which had been left on picket, but as I had to go through the thickest of the fire to get there, I backed out after going several hundred yards, and made for the shelter of a
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large tree in a swamp near by ; but found five men crouched down be- hind it; tried another with a like result, and another and another, and found all " full ;" concluded that the front seats were all taken or re- served for the officers. Saw a wagoner driving his team through the thickest of the shells. and observed that the mules took it quite easy; concluded that a soldier was as good as a mule and emulating their unconcern, I made for the river bank, where I got a good position high and dry, and watched closely the progress of the fight. I en- joyed the grandeur of the scene to the fullest extent.
Simultaneously with the opening of the mortar boats, the men-of- war and gun-boats attempted to run past our batteries, which one of them, a large steamship, succeeded in doing notwithstanding the ter- rible fire which was poured into her. It is said that she would have surrendered if our men had ceased firing upon her. Two others at- tempted to follow in her wake, but one of them was forced to retire badly crippled, and the other was set on fire by a hot shot from one of our guns, when her crew abandoned her, and she burned to the water's edge. She drifted down with the current, and a tremendous explosion a few hours later told that she had blown up. Others of their craft ยท are supposed to have suffered considerably. After a hot engagement of two hours and a half, the firing ceased and the enemy withdrew. Our loss in the whole bombardment, is, so far as I can learn, five killed and wounded, while the enemy's loss must have amounted to hundreds, as nearly every shot from our guns took effect. From some of the crew of the burnt vessel who were picked up this morning, we learn that nearly all of her men, over three hundred in number, were either killed, burnt or drowned; only a few swam to the shore. Our batteries sustained no damage whatever. Taken altogether we came off well, and if they are not satisfied that they can't take this place, let them come again. The vessel which passed last night was lying in plain view this morning, and firing signal-guns as though she would like to get back to her consorts below, which are also in view to- day.
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The train from Clinton, La., came in this morning at an unusual hour, bringing the sick from the hospital, and reported that the Fed- eral cavalry were near that place in strong force. If this is true, and we can't get the Yankee ship from above, our supplies are cut off, as we have but limited stores of subsistence here. So that if the siege is prolonged for some time, we may expect to undergo all the pangs of
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hunger ; we are now, and have been for weeks, living on half rations of meal and pork. We now calculate on living on half an ear of corn per man, before this place is given up. To-day we have been al- lowed to live in peace up to the present hour, 2 P.M. We are cooking rations, expecting to be sent to the ditches again to-night.
March 20 .- The gun-boats and steamers are still below the bend, where they have been since Monday. They come up every day and throw shells at our batteries, but seldom elicit a response. Yesterday our guns were engaged about an hour in shelling the Yanks on the opposite side of the river, and their aim was so accurate that one shot cut one of the enemy in two. Several other shots were very accu- rate. . The enemy's fleet is busy all the time, and it is thought that they are landing a force on the west bank, but for what purpose, I am unable to say, as the whole country is overflowed, and unless the water falls it will be impossible for them to plant batteries, or any thing else, on that side. Yesterday four boats came down from Red river laden with corn, bacon, etc., which relieves us of the fears we were beginning to entertain on account of the scarcity of provisions. It is said we have enough to last through a long siege. No news of the two vessels which passed our batteries on Sunday night. They have passed above the mouth of Red river.
[To be continued.]
ATTACK ON FORT GILMER.
[THE paper of Adjutant Cross, though referring to events in another Depart- ment, deserves a place in the ANNALS, and we gladly yield space to the gallant men of Johnston's and Gracie's brigades, who for three years were an integral part of the Army of Tennessee. Their shining conduct on the fields of Virginia is simply what we would expect from men who had won honors at Shiloh, Cor- :nth, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Hoover's Gap and Chicamauga. In the latter battle, Johnson's Brigade fought alongside of Longstreet's veterans, and was mainly instrumental in capturing and dispersing the battalion of artillery which at one time threatened to successfully dispute the advance of the left wing of Bragg's Army.]
'T NO give a few details not contained in Mr. Charles Johnston's let- ter in the Southern Historical Society Papers, June number, 1876, is the object of my writing. Mr. Johnston gives great credit to my old
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Brigade, whose fortune it was to play a most important part in the saving of Richmond from probable capture on this occasion, having performed a similar service for Petersburg.on June the 16th.
The night before the fall of Fort Harrison, great activity was no- ticeable on the part of the enemy ; heavy cannonading was heard at distant points to attract attention away, and a number of rockets rose into the air. About 9 o'clock, Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Snowden. commanding the Forty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Tennessee consolidated regiments, proposed that we retire to our bunks for a night's rest. My reply was that I would remain up and see what the signs in the air meant, fearing it might cover an attack upon us. Accepting the same conclusion, the Colonel joined me in an inspection of the picket lines. On reaching the outposts we found officers and men in great trouble : the enemy had just commenced landing troops in our immediate front : the officers' commands were plainly audible, for they were not more than two hundred yards in front of our advance post. Instructing the men to be ready to contest an advance at any moment, we returned to make a report of what had been seen and heard. A dispatch stating that the enemy were certainly landing in heavy force in our front, was sent to Colonel J. M. Hughes, commanding Johnson's Brigade, and by him hastily forwarded to Richmond. This dispatch proved to be the only information received at Department Headquarters, of the landing and advance of Ord's and Birney's corps.
We sent for our wagons to remove every thing to the rear, and got ready for the defense. We had a light earthwork to defend, insuffi- ciently manned, and precautionary measures were adopted to meet every exigency. A hasty breakfast had been prepared at 3 A.M., and we had just set down to it, when the enemy's skirmishers commenced firing, their balls striking among us as we sat on the ground. I put seven hard baked biscuits in my coat pocket, and the mess dispersed to their several places of duty. But a few minutes elapsed before we had developed the enemy in force ; firing continued heavy. Of course. we could only dispute his advance, to gain time, for our numbers were . not adequate for a stubborn resistance. Fort Harrison was fully : mile from where we met the enemy, and this distance was fought over. and lost, inch by inch, in the face of tremendous odds. On reaching the open ground extending for seven hundred yards back to the Fort. we were placed at a still further disadvantage for want of cover, but the men turned and fought whenever commanded. At length a line.
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of battle appeared behind the fence at the edge of the woods, and opened fire upon us as we stood one hundred yards off in the open field. At the third volley the writer fell, but thanks to the seven hard biscuits in his coat pocket, he has a sound pair of legs to-day. The biscuits were mashed into pieces, and my left leg was paralyzed. After three efforts, I regained my feet by the aid of my sword, and managed to get to a fence, over which I scrambled, dragging my wounded limb after me. Here comrades came to my aid, and carried me into the Fort. The guns of this work were insufficiently manned, owing to the absence of the greater part of the gunners on working detail at the front, who, by the way, were cut off. Some men of the Richmond Reserves were in the place, but incapable of fighting, they said, because they had no suitable ammunition. I ordered Ordnance Sergeant John Baxter, of my regiment, to supply their wants at once, and charge it to me, which was done. The old "Long Tom" rifle piece captured at the first Manassas battle was being used against the enemy, with an occasional shot from other mounted guns, but they were so slowly served they effected little in the way of defense. The enemy still came on, and feeling sick from my heart, I decided to continue my retreat. Before I left the scene was getting animating, not to say exciting, and I remember seeing Colonel Hughes, com- manding the Forty-fourth and Twenty-fifth, wheel and discharge every barrel of his pistol into the faces of the enemy, at the distance of a few paces.
On reaching the foot of the hill on which the Fort stood, I met Gen- vral Ewell. He inquired where the enemy was, and said he expected reinforcements, which he had ordered from Howlitt's house, at 3 o'clock that morning ; and further that he would form them on arrival, across the road to Richmond, and attack the enemy at once. The men were now beginning to retreat from the works, some of them wounded. The General ordered every officer to go to work and rally them, and placed a horse at my disposal for this business, on to which I was mounted with assistance. But all efforts to hold Harrison were vain, and after a desperate resistance it was yielded, a barren trophy, to the enemy ; for it was quickly faced with a new line of works, and the situation re- mained thus until the end of the war. I was not a witness to the sub- sequent operations on that day of which Mr. Johnston speaks, and can add nothing further. The name of the officer whose bravery he so strongly commends was Colonel John M. Hughes, now living at VOL. I, NO. III .- 3.
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Lynchburg, Tenn. I think he is in error in regard to Texans being present. It is my opinion that it was Gracie's Alabama Brigade in- stead, and no compliment paid these brave men could be overdrawn. They went with us to Virginia, and constituted a part of Major-Gen- eral Bushrod Johnson's Division. R. G. CROSS,
Adjutant Forty-fourth Tennessee Regiment.
(From the Southern Historical Society Papers for June, 1876.) ATTACK ON FORT GILMER, SEPT. 29, 1864.
BY CHARLES JOHNSTON.
1 [THE following letter to the President of the Southern Historical Society was indorsed by him as follows: "The young gentleman who furnishes this narra- tive-a private soldier in Huff's, afterwards Griffin's Battery, I believe -- is a gen- tleman by birth and education, being connected with highly respectable families, and there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of his statements.
J. A. EARLY."]
SALEM, ROANOKE CO., VA. G ENERAL J. A. EARLY : As the Southern Historical Society has lately called upon all soldiers and officers connected with the Confederate Army for any incidents of the late war which would be of general interest, I have presumed upon the fact of having been for four years a private soldier in that army, and upon the interest that I know you take in everything connected with the cause which you so earnestly, so honestly and bravely defended, to call your attention to some facts connected with the fight known by the troops engaged in it as the " Battle of Fort Gilmer," which was fought on the 29th of September, 1864.
My attention was called to this subject by a letter lately published in the Norfolk Landmark, in which the writer refers to a speech made by B. F. Butler on the Civil Rights Bill. The writer in the Landmark says that what Butler says about riding over a battle-field below Rich- mond, and looking into the brown faces of the dead negroes, and making a vow to avenge them, is a piece of imagination on his part. He then goes into an account of the fight; but, from his account. it would appear that the affair was a very slight one indeed, whereas the truth was that, on that same 29th of September, Richmond came nearer being captured, and that, too, by negro troops, than it ever did during the whole war; and but for the devotion and bravery of two decimated brigades-Bushrod Johnson's old Tennessee Brigade and the
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Texas Brigade, consisting of about three hundred (300) men each-the Yankees must have carried everything before them and captured Rich- mond.
I shall try to give you as correct an account as I can of this fight, in which I was myself engaged, though in a very humble position- that of a private soldier. However, I saw the whole of it, and more than once during the engagement was a witness to acts of daring and heroism on the part of those Texans and Tennesseeans that surpassed anything I had ever heard of. And I write for no purpose of attract- ing your notice to myself or to my company, but to do what I can to perpetuate the memory of the bravest men I ever saw under fire.
With this much of an introduction, I leave my account to you to use as you think proper. I write from memory, and do not profess to be positively accurate ; but my statement can be verified by Major W. J. Dance, Powhatan Courthouse, Va, ; Lieutenant Wm. M. Read, Augusta, Ga., and Lieutenant. H. E. Blair, of Roanoke, Va.
On the 29th of September, 1864, there were on the north side of the James, in the neighborhood of "Chaffin's Bluff," about two thou_ sand (2,000) men, consisting of what remained of Bushrod Johnson's Tennessee Brigade (300 strong), commanded by a Colonel whose name I think was Johnston ;* the Texas Brigade, also commanded by a Colonel whose name I do not remember ; the " City Battalion ;" some battalions of " Department troops" (made up of clerks and other at- taches of the different Departments of the Government) ; Gary's Bri- gade of Cavalry ; the "Louisiana Guard Artillery ;" "Hardaway's Battalion of Artillery," consisting of four batteries of four guns each ; the "Rockbridge Artillery," Captain Graham; "Third Company Richmond Howitzers," Lieutenant Carter; the "Powhatan Artillery," Captain Dance, and the "Salem Artillery," Captain Griffin. These commands included all the troops engaged during the day. I think the whole force was commanded by Lieutenant-General Ewell, either as commander of the Richmond defences, or that part of General Lee's Army on the north side of James river, I do not now remember which, but at any rate he was in command in person, and by his cool courage and presence wherever the fight was hottest, contributed as much to the victory as any one man could have done.
The Yankees landed near " Deep Bottom," some ten or twelve
*Colonel Jno. M. Hughes.
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miles below Richmond, and consisted of two entire army corps (sup- posed at that time to have ten thousand men each).
At "Deep Bottom " they came upon a picket, composed of one bat- tery of Hardaway's Battalion and some infantry, and by the sudden- ness of their attack, which was between daylight and sunrise, drove back our pickets, and continued to drive them until they reached Fort Harrison-a fort containing several heavy cannon, but with not more than forty or fifty men to mann them. This fort the Yankees cap- tured and kept possession of. Fort Harrison was one of a series of forts running through from Chaffin's Bluff almost entirely around Richmond, and connected by earthworks for infantry, with a redoubt for field artillery wherever the nature of the ground permitted. This line of works was laid out by regular engineers, and, as far as I was a judge, showed that the men who built them understood their busi- ness.
After the capture of Fort Harrison, our troops were formed on the same line of works, but, of course, a new line had to be formed in front of Fort Harrison.
- Fort Gilmer was the next in the line, which had some five or six heavy cannon, and was manned by about forty men (of what com- mand I never knew). Between Forts Harrison and Gilmer, a distance of nearly half a mile, were stationed Hardaway's Batteries, Dance's being nearest to Fort Harrison, Griffin's next, and Carter and Graham to their left, supported by Texans and Tennesseeans, with the City Battalion deployed as skirmishers. General Ewell was with the skir- mish line, constantly encouraging them by his presence and coolness. I remember very distinctly how he looked, mounted on an old gray horse, as mad as could be, shouting to the men, and seeming to be everywhere at once. I do not remember at what time in the day the , attack was made, but it commenced by the Yankees making a furious charge upon Dance's Battery; and they came in such numbers and so rapidly, that they got within forty yards of his guns before our fire told upon them. Here it was that the Tennesseeans did such glorious work. They had trotted, or rather run, from another part of the line where the attack first began, and by the time they reached Dance's guns, the Yankees were almost there; but the Colonel in command of the brigade leaped across the works, followed by his men, and after an almost hand-to-hand fight, drove the Yankees back. Too much praise cannot be given this Colonel (I wish I could remember his
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name),* for I was told by one of Dance's men that he had never seen a man so entirely free from fear, and that in front of his men he dis- charged every barrel of his pistol right into the Yankees' faces. I do not remember the loss in this charge, but Captain Dance and a good many of his men were surrounded and several of them killed.
Almost immediately after the enemy retired from Dance's front, an attack was made upon another part of the line to the left, and the same Tennesseeans again double-quicked to the point of attack, and again the enemy were forced to retire before their fire and the cannister of the artillery.
I love to think of these men, how bravely and cheerfully they rushed from one point to another, and at every point doing such good work. They passed me several times during the day, and I did not see one man of them straggling or giving away, but all were firm and seemed to be on fire with fight, calling to us as they passed : "Stick to them, artillery ; we'll come back and help you when we get through up here." I have never seen one of them since, but I shall always remember those two little handsful of men-the one Texans, and the other Tennessee- ans-as the bravest, truest men I ever saw ; and I only wish that our whole army had been made of the same stuff that was in them.
After this last repulse, the Yankees did not renew the attack for some time (if I remember rightly, not for several hours), and when they did come, it was away off to the left and in front of Fort Gilmer. They advanced in three lines, one behind the other, the first line com- posed of negroes; some said that the second line was also negroes, but I cannot speak positively of that, but the rear line was of white troops.
Fort Gilmer was on a hill, with quite an extensive flat in front, from which the trees had all been cut, and most of the trees were still lying on the ground with their branches attached. The Louisiana Guard Artillery on the left, and the Salem Artillery on the right of the fort, occupied redoubts, so constructed that each had an enfilade fire on the Yankees as they advanced.
The enemy came rather cautiously at first, but finally they came with a rush, our artillery firing shrapnel at the start, but soon began to load with cannister, and the way those negroes fell before it, was very gratifying to the people on our side of the works. But the Yankees came on until they got to the ditch in front of Fort Gilmer-a dry ditch about ten feet deep and twelve feet wide.
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