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 34
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seen by our line, and the firing immediately ceased. The loyalists, at the time of their surrender, were driven into a crowd, and being closely surrounded, they could not have made any further resistance.
In this sharp action, one hundred and fifty of Colonel Ferguson's party were killed, and something over that number were wounded. Eight hundred and ten (of whom one hundred were British regulars) surrendered themselves prisoners, and one thousand five hundred stand of arms were taken.
The loss of the American army on this occasion amounted to thirty killed and something over fifty wounded, among whom were a number of brave officers. Colonel Williams, who has been so much lamented, was shot through the body, near the close of the action, in making an attempt to charge upon Ferguson. He lived long enough to hear of the surrender of the British army. He then said, "I die contented, since we have gained the victory," and expired.
The third night after the action, the officers of the Carolinas com- plained to Colonel Campbell that there were among the prisoners a number who had, previous to the action on King's Mountain, com- mitted cool and deliberate murder and other enormities alike atro- cious, and requested him to order a court-martial to examine into the matter. They stated that if they should escape, they were exasper- ated and they feared they would commit other enormities worse than they had formerly done. Colonel Campbell complied, and ordered a court-martial immediately to sit, composed of the field officers and captains, who were ordered to inquire into the complaints which had been made. The court was conducted orderly, and witnesses were called and examined in each case. The consequence was that there were thirty-two condemned. Out of these, nine who were thought the most dangerous and who had committed the most atrocious crimes were executed. The others were pardoned by the commanding offi- cer. One of the crimes proven against a captain that was exe- cuted was that he had called at the house of a Whig and inquired if he was at home, and being informed by his son, a small boy, that he was not, he immediately drew out his pistol and shot him. The officers on that occasion acted from an honorable motive to do the greatest good in their power for the public service, and to check those enormities so frequently committed in the States of North and South Carolina at that time, their distress being almost unequaled in the annals of the American Revolution.
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THE SOLDIER'S WAR-BAG.
Colonel Clanton's Adventure near Shiloh .- During the march of General Albert Sidney Johnston's Army to Shiloh, Colonel Clanton, commanding the First Ala- bama Cavalry, had an adventure which has never become a matter of history. As he was proceeding along the road in the neighborhood of Mickey's, some fifty yards ahead of his regiment, with a guidon in his hand, he was suddenly con- fronted by a mounted Federal officer who rode out of the bushes and demanded his surrender. The Colonel instantly drew his sword and made at his opponent with his weapon ready for a thrust. The latter was so taken back by the danger he had provoked that he wheeled his horse and retreated along the road some paces, when he turned off into the words with the irate Confederate in close pur- suit. A few paces back from the road, and concealed in the bushes, lay several Federal regiments in line of battle, and into the first interval between them the retreating officer dashed for safety, hoping thus to shake off his pursuer. But Clanton's blood was up, and, instead of drawing rein at discovering his perilou, situation, he spurred forward into the interval, also, in a more determined pur- suit of his enemy, who proved to be the Major of one of the regiments. The Major ordered his men to fire, as he again doubled, taking down the rear of his line, in the endeavor to get rid of his pursuer; but the latter's sabre was still at his back and gave him no rest. Clanton was a man of commanding figure and a perfect demon in appearance when aroused, and his adversary realized from his manner at the outset that he was doomed to death if he came in reach of his arm. The chase had now become exciting to the last degree, for the line of battle faced to the rear and fired hundreds of shots at short range at the audacious intruder ; but he heeded nothing but his self-appointed adversary, and, with his little flag still flying in his bridle-hand and sword poised in the other, he dashed recklessly ahead in pursuit. When the end of the line was reached, the Major was being pressed so hardly that he could make no turn, and was forced to keep on his course, which, unluckily for him, now led in the direction of the Confederate lines. Clanton, who had escaped the fire of the whole line, though his guidon was riddled and its staff splintered by bullets, being now sure of his man, after driving him beyond reach of aid, called upon him to surrender, which he did at discretion. Thus ended a chase, the like of which, probably, never occurred before, partaking of the marvellous in a high degree. There was, doubtless, never another prisoner taken under such circumstances, and nobody but Clanton could have performed this feat. ' It was madness, and fortune alone saved him. But, as far as the Major is concerned, there is a side to his subsequent story which places him in more honorable and less equivocal light. He was carried to General Hardee several miles back, and while the General was pumping him for information, the head of a long' column of infantry and artillery appeared in view. The prisoner's eyes opened to the widest extent, and he realized, at a
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flash, that the Confederate Army was marching to attack his friends, then resting in fancied security at Shiloh and unsuspicious of impending danger and disaster. Every consideration of patriotism aroused him to action, to make one supreme effort to save his country's cause. Acting under this impulse, he wheeled his horse in the direction of his camp, and, plunging the spurs into his sides, dashed away at full speed. Pistols and guns were quickly made ready to fire upon the. heroic rider, but General Hardee sternly ordered that not a shot was to be fired, as it might alarm the enemy at camps and put them on the alert. He himself joined in the pursuit, shouting to the men to capture the fugitive, but on no con- ditions to fire upon him. Away went the chase, at a break-neck pace, through the woods and over logs, the contest being narrowed down now to a test of the horses" speed and mettle. Vast interests to both parties hung on the issue, and it is needless to say that every nerve was strained in the struggle. The excite- ment grew to a great pitch, when it became evident that the gallant Major was gaining on his pursuers, and would, barring bad luck, make his escape; but this was in store for him. As he was crossing a piece of low ground his faithful horse sank to his haunches in the mire, and the race was at an end. The heroic officer was almost heart-broken at his misfortune, but was kindly and generously treated by General Hardee, who sought to console him, and commended, in the highest terms, the honorable and patriotic spirit he had exhibited in the cause of his Government.
The Killing of William Quinn .- At the battle of Murfreesboro, as Polk's Brig- ade was advancing to attack a force of the enemy, William Quinn, of Company K, Second Tennessee, pushed ahead of the line, and in a loud voice dared any two of his opponents to step out and fight him. The reply to this challenge was a volley, which Quinn returned and continued his advance. At length, he paid the penalty of his hardihood, and fell with a bullet through his brain in a few paces of the enemy's line. Quinn was a stranger to fear at all times, but on this occasion he cast aside all prudence, in the belief that he was invulnerable. At the battle of Perryville, Ky., he had performed an equally daring feat, but with better fortune. While on the skirmish line, he advanced along a road to within short range of a hostile battery and opened fire upon it amid a shower of missiles large and small. The contest between one man and several pieces of artillery was something unique, inasmuch as he had provoked it and now stood in the middle of the road disdaining any shelter. A number of rounds was fired by both sides without injury to Quinn, when, by a peremptory order from the officer in command, he quit the place, though begging to remain. He declared that every shot he fired took effect, and that he would finally have silenced the guns if left undisturbed.
Considerate .- Corporal, afterward Lieutenant, John E. Randolph, of the Forty- fourth Tennessee, while seperated from his company at Murfreesboro, captured seven of the enemy in a sink-hole, without any assistance. As he was taking them to the rear, a Captain in a reserve line stepped out and offered to assist him. "No," replied the Corporal, "I captured them by myself, and think I can get them to the rear without assistance. Just go up to the front there, and I expect you can capture some, too."
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EDITORIAL.
OWING to unavoidable causes, the issue of the October number of the ANNALS has been greatly delayed; but the patience of subscribers will be rewarded with an excellent number in the variety and value of its contents. The November issue will contain valuable reports from Generals French, Wheeler and Churchill, and the usual amount of in- teresting sketches of minor events.
We are gratified to find that a deep interest is being awakened in the direction of collecting and preserving Confederate History in the West, and we trust that it will not flag until every item of value is rescued from neglect and decay. In the main, our people are not ready writers, but they can commit to paper their recollections of events, and thus preserve them for all time. If care is taken to make these accounts accurate-reproducing scenes that came under actual ob- servation-they will have the stamp of the highest value, even though their construction and style may have some faults. The testimony of every witness to a given event has its value, and is necessary to a full and complete summing up of the result.
We again ask our friends to exhibit a little more zeal in aiding the circulation of the ANNALS. If this work is properly supported now, it will be able to accomplish a valuable mission in transmitting to other generations materials of history that would otherwise be lost for- ever.
BOOK NOTICE. - Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. Philadelphia : Publication Fund of the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania; 1878; Nos. I and 2 of Vol. II.
Through oversight, we have neglected to notice the reception of this valuable and deeply interesting publication. It deals only with ques- tions of old American History, of which it furnishes a rare treat in the many able and carefully digested articles which fill its pages. It is a large quarterly, of over one hundred pages, and is gotten up in a style in keeping with the character and dignity of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It should be a matter of deep concern to every State of the Union to be " furnished forth " with such an organization as this, to preserve its records and perpetuate its history.
The subscription price is $3.00 per annum ; to be sent to Townsend Ward, Secretary of Publication Fund, 820 Spruce st., Philadelphia.
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ANNALS ARMY OF TENNESSEE
EARLY WESTERN HISTORY.
VOL. I. & NASHVILLE, TENN., NOVEMBER, 1878. { No. 8.
FRENCH'S DIVISION.
Official Report of Its Operations In and Around Atlanta, Ga.
HEADQUARTERS FRENCH'S DIVISION, Near Nashville, December 6, 1864. Captain W. D. Gale, A. A. General .- Sir :
IN compliance with orders, I have the honor to report the operations of my division in and around Atlanta from the time General Hood was placed in command of the Army of Tennessee until we left Love- joy's Station.
On the morning of July 17th, when the change of commanders was announced, my division formed the extreme left of the army. Gen- eral Ector's Brigade was stationed on the Chattahoochee River at the railroad bridge, its right extending up the river to the mouth of Peach Tree Creek, and thence up the creek to where it joined Adams' Brig- ade of Loring's Division. General Sears' Brigade rested with its left on the Marietta and Atlanta Road near Montgomery Chapel, about a mile from the river, its right extending toward the Pace's Ferry Road. General Cockrell's Brigade was on the right of General Sears. On the 18th and 19th, I intrenched my line. On the 20th, at 12 o'clock M., I received orders to move to the right, leaving Sear's Brigade at the railroad bridge, where it had been sent to relieve Ector's Brigade. Proceeding as far as the Pace's Ferry Road, we were halted and formed line of battle with Ector's Brigade on the left. General Wal- thall's Division was on my right. About 4 o'clock P.M., I received orders to advance in echelon of brigades, keeping about four hundred yards in rear of General Walthall.
VOL. I, NO. VIII .- I.
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The order of battle was that the right of our army should attack the enemy, cross his line, swing to the left, and, as the enemy was forced down the creek, the brigades to attack in front in succession. A re- port of this battle has been forwarded.
July 21st .- The army fell back to Atlanta, and during the night this division went into position on the west side of the city : Cockrell's Brig ade on the left of the Turner's Ferry Road, and Sears's and Ector', Brigades on the right, occupying a front of about three thousand yards, and at once commenced fortifying the line. On the 22nd, the enemy advanced and slight skirmishing occurred on my right. Heavy firin; was heard on the east side, which continued till dark, it being an en- gagement of forces under General Hardee and the enemy.
On the morning of the 23rd, under orders from General Stewart, my division made a demonstration on the whole of its front, causing the enemy to open fire from his batteries there in position. But few cas- ualties occurred. All night the enemy fired occasional guns.
On 24th .- Artillery firing on the line all day by the enemy, which at 10 o'clock P.M. became rapid and continuous. Heavy skirmishing on my right.
On 25th and 26th. - The usual artillery firing and skirmishing on the line. Men busily engaged on the works.
On 27th .- This morning, when I was on the line, the enemy opened fire on Ward's Battery, which was responded to on our part. As it wa. about ceasing, a shell exploding over the work severely wounded Gen- eral Ector in the left thigh, rendering amputation necessary, and wound. ing Captain Ward, of the artillery, mortally. Captain Ward was a fine soldier, and his loss was severely felt. General Cockrell is now absent wounded, Ector wounded and Sears absent sick.
On 28th .- This morning, Loring's Division moved to my left to join those already there. Enemy was also seen moving to my left. At : o'clock P.M., rapid firing commenced on my left and front. Opened on the enemy with artillery. Soon discovered that a general engage ment was taking place. Heard that Generals Stewart and Lorin. were wounded. Received a note from General Walthall, to send - brigade to him if I could, and I sent General Ector's, under command of Colonel Young. He joined the forces on the Lickskillet Road 3: the close of the battle. I continued an enfilading fire all night on the enemy from Hoskins' Battery.
On 29th and 30th. - Some artillery firing and a little skirmishing on the picket line.
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On 3 Ist .- It being Sabbath, the firing on all sides appeared to cease, out of respect to the day.
August Ist .- In the afternoon, enemy opened a rapid fire of artillery all along my front, killing a man at my headquarters, breaking a wagon, wounding Captain Henderson's horse, and striking out-houses and trees several times.
From 2nd to 5th, nothing unusual occurred on my front till about 4 o'clock P. M. on the 4th, when the enemy advanced on my vidette line, which had been maintained at a distance of five hundred yards in front of my skirmish line ; and attacking it in force, it was driven in. Col- onel W. H. Clark, Forty-sixth Mississippi, in command of the line, ad- vanced with about five hundred men and attacked the enemy vigor- ously, and drove them back and re-established his videttes, capturing twenty-one prisoners and a number of small arms, killing and wound- ing many of the enemy. Their own papers stated their loss to be be- tween three and four hundred. We had seven killed, twenty-five wounded, and one missing.
I had now some twenty-five pieces of artillery in position, four of them being thirty-two-pounders (when smooth bored) that had been rifled, and, had ammunition been abundant, could have annoyed the enemy very much ; as it was, subsequent information showed they suf- fered severely.
The enemy had in my front about thirty pieces of artillery : among them was a battery of four and a half inch Parrot guns, from which they kept up to the close of the siege an almost uninterrupted fire day and night-not at my lines, but on the heart of the city. They made every effort with hot shot to set the city on fire.
On 6th. - Received orders to make a demonstration on the enemy's works in my front, to aid General S. D. Lee on the left. For this pur- pose, three of the Missouri regiments and one Mississippi regiment and the skirmishers on the line moved forward, under command of Colonel E. Gates, to feel the enemy's position and develop his strength. The enemy was driven from his skirmish line on our left and center and forced into his main works. At the same time, Colonel W. H. Young, now in command of Ector's Brigade, advanced on the right with a strong force, attacked and drove the enemy from his rifle-pits, but could not advance far, owing to the nature of the ground.
Colonel Gate's halted his troops after they had moved forward about three-fourths of a mile, and only when he encountered the fire from
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the enemy's main line of works. Finding the enemy was reinforcing his line, I directed the troops to withdraw and return to our lines. " The loss of the Federals on this occasion could not be ascertained. We sustained a loss of one officer (Lieutenant Mothershead) killed; four privates killed, and thirty-nine wounded. Also Major Redwine, of the Texas Brigade, was wounded. The demonstration caused the enemy to bring up several batteries of artillery in addition to those in position, for in the afternoon they commenced a rapid fire of artillery from all along their line in my front and continued it until after dark."
1
On the 7th and 8th, there was less firing than usual, except on the skirmish line. That never stops day or night; there the work of death never ceases.
On the 9th .- As soon as the fog rose this morning, the artillery of the enemy opened and continued for seven hours without intermission, but from all this we sustained but little damage. On several occa- sions, over two thousand rounds of artillery ammunition have been ex- pended in a day on my front by the enemy. It makes my house ah unpleasant residence and annoys the soldiers a little.
From roth to 25th .- During this period-as, indeed, ever since we have been here-the work of fortifying and strengthening my front has been continued, often all day and night. The main line was made very strong, and the whole front obstructed by a double line of sharp- ened stakes firmly set in the ground at an inclination of about sixty de- grees. In addition to this, abattis were placed in front. . The advanced skirmish line was a continuous rifle-pit, made very strong with a stock- ade in front throughout nearly its whole length. A reserve line of rifle- pits was also constructed for a second skirmish line. Redoubts were built on the main line, and several batteries were casemated with great care and vast labor. At intervals, interior lines were also constructed.
From time to time, the enemy would continue to press in my videttes, until at last the skirmish line of the enemy was established by gradual advances in a few places to within two hundred yards of mine.
In one vidette rifle-pit (for one man) on the extreme right, twenty- one men were killed or wounded before it was given up. Along the main skirmish lines the firing now was incessant to the end; and so severe-was the fire that all the ordinary timber between them of mod- erate size was killed and the foliage dried up and withered. In one small field in front of my line the expended. balls covered the ground like hail, and from this field, I believe it was, over ten thousand
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pounds of rifle balls were picked up by my soldiers and sold to the . ordnance department. By thus maintaining my skirmish line so far in advance, the troops on the main line were generally free to move where they pleased in camp, unmolested from the fire of musketry.
The fire of the artillery of the enemy continued to the last, both day and night, except, however, it sometimes ceased from the batteries operating on our lines, but from those erected to shell the city there was no cessation for darkness. A careful examination of the enemy's line showed that the fire from our artillery, especially from the thirty- two-pounders, rifled, and in battery on my front, had been very de- structive.
On 26th .- This morning at daylight information was brought me that the enemy had abandoned their works in front of the right of my skrimish line, and an immediate advance disclosed that the enemy had withdrawn his troops from his works around the city, except on the west side. They were this morning in force on my extreme left and thence in front of General Loring. In making the enemy disclose his force this afternoon, Lieutenant-Colonel D. T. Samuels, of the Missouri Brigade, was killed. It showed that the Federal left rested on the Lickskillet Road.
On 27th .- This morning I found the enemy had withdrawn en- tirely from my left. Under orders, I moved out, with Ector's and Sears's Brigades, on the Turner's Ferry Road, and did not encounter any resistance until I approached the Chattahoochee. I there halted the brigades and formed line of battle, and advanced two of the regi- ments of Ector's Brigade as skirmishers-the one under command of Colonel Coleman, and the other under Colonel Camp-while Hoskins, following on, came into position with a section of artillery on the brow of the high plain that overlooked the valley of the river. After a spirited contest, these two regiments-the Thirty-ninth North Caro- lina and the Fourteenth Texas-drove the enemy from their rifle pits on the skirmish line, and advanced until they received the fire from the enemy's main intrenched line, and his 'artillery from well constructed works. Prisoners captured informed me that the Twentieth Army Corps was there in position, and the appearance of the long continu- ous works corroborated their statements, which proved to be true. Being now satisfied that the Twentieth Army Corps was on the Tur- ner's Ferry Road and at the railroad crossing of the Chattahoochee, I returned to Atlanta and reported the result of my reconnoisance.
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On 28th, 29th and 30th .- Nothing of importance occurred on. my line. It seemed strange, this silence after so long and continuous booming of artillery.
On 31st .- My division and the State troops were the only forces in the works immediately around the city. General Stewart having informed me that the enemy had advanced a party of about three hun- dred men on the railroad to near Atlanta, he directed me to endeavor to capture them. I ordered Colonel W. H. Young, commanding Ec- tor's Brigade, to take four regiments and move out on the Turner's Ferry Road, and thence by the cross-roads gain the railroad in their rear. On reaching the railroad near the river, he discovered they had gone back to their lines on the river.
September Ist .- To-day the order for the evacuation of the city was received. I caused preparations to be made to spike the heavy guns on my line, and to have their carriages burned, when the skirmishers should be withdrawn at 11 o'clock P.M., but to my astonishment they were set on fire, without my knowledge, by order of the Chief of Ord- nance of the army during the afternoon, which I could not but con- sider rather a premature signal. After dark, and after Generals Lor- ing and Walthall, and the State troops-when all were gone but the stragglers-my division moved out of the city, forming the rear guard. Taking the McDonough Road, we marched all night, all day of the 2nd, and came into camp late at night.
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