USA > Tennessee > The military annals of Tennessee. Confederate. First series: embracing a review of military operations, with regimental histories and memorial rolls, V.1 > Part 45
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COMPANY K. Captain, T. B. Me Dearmon.
Manear, La Fayette A., d. at Camp Trousdale, | Gouldshy. Wade, k. in engagement at Rock July 23, 1861. Castle, Ky., Oct. 21, 1861.
Gipson, A. H .. d. at Knoxville, Dec. 1, 1862.
Crook, David, d. at Camp Trousdale, July 21, lười.
Fuqua, A. B., d. at Camp Hope, Ang. 31, ISGL.
Phillis, William, d. in Putnam county, Feb., 1862. Young, Maynard, k. at the battle of Fishing Creek, Jan. 10, 1862. Boekman, M. C., d. at Enterprise, June 1, 1862.
EIGHTEENTH TENNESSEE INFANTRY. BY G. H. BASKETTE, NASHVILLE, TENN.
THE difficulties of writing a history in which all of the factors which make up the multiple of fate shall be given proper place and value are insuperable. In- deed, were the effort made to comprise within any narrative the deeds of each in- dividual who has taken part in events, or to place an estimate upon each of the myriad actions and influences which obtained in any degree in bringing about not- able results, the task would soon be abandoned as in the extremest measure im- practicable. As deserving of mention as may be the unnumbered acts of bravery and the instances of heroic endurance and unmurmaring self-sacrifice which char- acterized the soldiers of the line in the memorable war between the States, they must, in the very nature of the case, be reluctantly passed over by the historian, and left to be preserved and handed down in the song and story of collateral lit- erature, or by the sacredly preserved memorials of family tradition. The histo- rian is compelled to deal with men in the aggregate, and can only give special prominence to such features and figures as distinctively mark the course of events. In thus dealing with affairs, in tracing the career of nations or of armies, natural- ly and necessarily the leaders of opinions and forces are given conspicuous places. and in their representative capacity become prominent as the historical exponents of the peoples or the soldiers whose fortunes were involved. For this reason his- tory is in great measure a succession of biographies; and to this necessity the world is reconciled, since in the prominence won by the leaders in any great more-
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ment, and which has the just recognition of the historian, the thousands who f. 1- lowed those leaders and the great forces which responded at their bidding find themselves represented and reflected. In attempting to trace the history of a com- pany or a regiment, we find that in the progress of events the fortunes of each be- come so interwoven with those of other commands with which they are associate.l the record of noble achievement becomes a common history from which it is difficult to dissociate the doings of any component part, except in rare instances or in matters of minor importance. Perhaps, therefore, the end in view -- of perpet- uating in published form the record of Tennessee soldiery -- can best be subservei in most instances by following the company only so long as it has an isolated or- ganization, then taking up the record of the regiment into which it has been merged, then again expanding into the wider history of the movements of the brigade, taking pains to mention only such noteworthy actions of the fractional parts of the brigade as may entitle them to special distinction. As the part taken by Tennesseans in this bloody drama may be viewed from the several stand-points of the numerous initial organizations which rushed cheerfully forward in defense of the South-each view culminating in the splendid aggregation of valor and achievement of which Tennessee has good reason to be proud-it seems appropri. ate that one chapter in this history should begin with a company whose Captain became Colonel of a regiment, afterward General of a brigade which included his original regiment, and finally commander of all the Tennessee troops in the Army of Tennessee, in which capacity he was their honored and beloved leader and ad- viser at the close of the struggle, when they laid down arms which had never been tarnished by dishonor, and furled forever the bullet-torn flags which had ever waved in the forefront of battle.
In the latter part of April, 1861, soon after the guns turned upon Fort Sum- ter, sounded the " doom-peal" which inaugurated the war of the rebellion, a com- pany was rapidly formed in Rutherford county, and organized by the election of the following-named officers: Captain, J. B. Palmer; First Lieutenant, W. P. Butler; Second Lieutenant, Frank Lytle; Third Lieutenant, Isham Randolph. Capt. Palmer was a prominent citizen and a leading lawyer of Murfreesboro, wir.) was warmly attached to the Union, and, though deeply sensible of the wrongs which had been inflicted upon the South, earnestly hoped that the existing troal- les might be settled without resort to arms, or to the equally radical measure of secession. When, however, he saw that the final issue had been made, he un- hesitatingly espoused the cause of his native South, and took active steps to render all the aid in his power. Recognizing in him all the qualities necessary to make an able, a daring, and yet a prudent commander, the brave men who formed the company by general acclaim chose him as their leader. The company was promptly sworn into the service, and by the 24th of May reached Camp Trousdale. the established rendezvous, near the Kentucky line. Other companies from vari- ous parts of the State had already arrived and were constantly coming into camp. and the organization of regiments was rapidly progressing. Perceiving the skill of Capt. Palmer in handling his company, his courteous and knightly bearing. and his general fitness as a commander, the following-named companies readily united on the 11th day of June, 1861, in constituting the Eighteenth Tennessee Regiment : Capt. J. B. Palmer's company, from Rutherford county ; Capt. M. R. Rushing's company, from Cannon county ; Capt. II. J. St. John's company, Can-
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non county ; Capt. B. G. Wood's company, Rutherford and Cannon counties ; Capt. B. F. Webb's company, Rutherford and Bedford counties; Capt. A. G. Carden's company, Wilson county ; Capt. W. J. Grayson's company, Wilson county ; Capt. A. J. Mc Whirter's company, Davidson county ; Capt. Gid. II. Lowe's company, Cheat- ham county; Capt. W. H. Joyner's company, Sumner county. In the organization of this regiment -- one of the gallantest that ever faced the enemy-Capt. Palmer was unanimously elected Colonel. The other officers were installed as follows: Lieutenant-colonel, A. G. Carden ; Major, Samuel Davis; Adjutant, J. W. Roscoe; Capt. R. P. Crockett, Quartermaster; Capt. William Wood, Commissary; Dr. John Patterson, Surgeon ; Dr. Gowan, Assistant Surgeon ; James Barton, Sergeant-major. Lieut. W. R. Butler was elected Captain of Palmer's company, and Capt. William Putnam succeeded Capt. Carden after the latter's promotion. Capt. Grayson died while at Camp Trousdale, and was succeeded by Capt. William P. Bandy.
The regiment remained at Camp Trousdale, where it was well drilled and disci- plined, until September 17th, when it was ordered into active service at Bowling Green, Ky. The capture of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, by the enemy early in February, 1862, made it necessary to reenforce the garrison at Fort Don- elson on the Cumberland, which was threatened by a large body of Federal troops under command of Gen. Grant. A division under command of Gen. Buckner, including the Eighteenth Tennessee Regiment, was dispatched to that point, which was reached Saturday, February 8th. The Tennessee regiments of Cols. Bailey and Head had been stationed there about a month, and now, in addition to the troops from Bowling Green, the separate commands of Gens. Pillow and Floyd were sent to swell the army of defense. Sunday morning the line of defense was laid off, forming an irregular crescent, which reached from a point near the river on the right to a lagoon near Dover on the left. In a short time, however, the Confederate position was completely invested by the superior forces of the enemy. In the various sharp skirmishes which ensued two companies of the Eighteenth Tennessee-Butler's and Lowe's-were the first troops which had a serious en- gagement with the enemy. The history of the battle and the surrender has be- come an oft-told tale. The fort had proved itself more than a match for the attacking gun-boats, but the greatly superior numbers of the besieging forees made the issue on land more than doubtful for the Confederates. It became apparent that a desperate effort must be made to extricate the besieged army, and it was de- cided to make an attack and drive the enemy back, so as to uncover the Wynne's Ferry road, and enable the troops to escape and retreat. The movement was be- gun early on the morning of the 15th, and after a severe conflict, lasting nearly nine hours, was crowned with success. But the golden opportunity was lost. By reason of an unfortunate misunderstanding or confusion of counsel among Gens. Pillow, Buckner, and Floyd, the Confederate troops, instead of being with- drawn by the way which had been opened, were kept confronting the enemy, and, after the varying vicissitudes of the day, were formed in a contracted position on the right. Gen. Grant's forces gradually recovered the lost ground, and at night it became evident that the capitulation of the Confederates was inevitable. The next day Gen. Buckner surrendered the fort and the whole command, with the ex- ception of Col. Forrest's cavalry regiment, which effected an escape, and the major part of Gen. Floyd's command, which crossed the river on a boat. The prisoners of war were distributed among the various military prisons in the
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North. The privates and non-commissioned officers of the Eighteenth Tennessee were confined at Camp Butler, in Illinois, and the captains and lieutenants at Johnson's Island. Col. Palmer, with other field officers, was sent to Camp Chase, and thence to Fort Warren, where he was held until the cartel was adopted. He was exchanged in August, 1862, at Harrison's Landing, whence he proceeded to Rich- mond and reported for duty. He was ordered to Vicksburg, where his gallant regiment, after enduring for six months the privations and hardships of a North- ern prison, was soon afterward landed. The exchanged commands were ordered to Jackson, Miss., for recuperation and reorganization.
Several popular company officers in the Eighteenth were naturally anxious for promotion, and had announced themselves candidates for the higher positions in the regiment. Having been thrown into close association with the men on the re- turn voyage, they had excellent opportunities of presenting their claims, and were confident of pressing them to a successful issue. Although he had been separated by the fortunes of war from his men, Col. Palmer was convinced that he retained their esteem and confidence; yet he declined to make any contest for the office. Despite his declination, however, he was reelected Colonel by a handsome majority over his worthy opponent, Capt. W. R. Butler, whose value as an officer was aft- erward recognized by his election as Lieutenant-colonel, upon the retirement of Lieut .- col. A. G. Carden. The other officers elected at the reorganization were: Lieutenant-colonel, A. G. Carden; Major, W. H. Joyner; Adjutant, John Douglass.
Not many days after the reorganization, the Eighteenth, with other regiments, was transported by rail over a long and circuitous route to Knoxville, Tenn., with the purpose in view of joining Gen. Bragg's army, which had advanced into Ken- tucky. The news having been received that Gen. Bragg was retiring from Ken- tucky, Col. Palmer's regiment, Col. Cook's Thirty-second Tennessee, and Col. Lil- lard's Twenty-sixth Tennessee, were sent, some time in October, to Murfreesboro, where, with the Fourth Florida and Col. Mckinstry's Alabama regiment, a bri- gade was formed and placed under Col. Palmer's command. This brigade was
known as the Second Brigade, and afterward as Palmer's brigade, and was placed in Gen. Breckenridge's division when Gen. Bragg had concentrated his forces at Murfreesboro. On the 28th of December, just before the great battle, the Ala- bama and Florida regiments of Palmer's brigade were assigned to other com- mands, and the Forty-fifth Tennessee Regiment was added to the brigade.
Gen. Rosecrans, with a splendidly equipped army of sixty-five thousand men, advanced from Nashville, and on the 30th of December confronted the Confeder- ate forces at Murfreesboro. Gen. Bragg's army was formed in a line across Stone's River, the main body being on the west side and Breckenridge's division on the east side of the river. Although having a much inferior force in point of num- bers, Gen. Bragg decided to take the initiative, and on the morning of the 31st began the attack. In the long and hotly contested battle which ensued Rosecrans's right wing was driven back until at night-fall the greater part of his line was formed nearly at a right angle to the position it occupied in the morning. Breck- enridge's division, on the east side of the river, was not engaged during the day, but in the afternoon two brigades-Preston's and Palmer's -- were ordered to cross the river and attack a seemingly impregnable position held by the enemy, and which was their central and pivoted stronghold. The two brigades forded the river, and moved in splendid style over a long stretch of open field in the face
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of a storm of shell, grape-shot, and canister. Col. Palmer at last got his brigade in position to attack the enemy's stronghold; but just at this juncture it was dis- covered that Preston's brigade, having been obstructed in its march by the Cow- an house, had become unavoidably confused and thrown out of its bearings. Un- der the circumstances, Col. Palmer was instructed to desist from the assault, which he and his men were only too eager to make. That night the two brigades re- sumed their places on the east side of the river.
The armies remained comparatively quiet during the next day, but in the aft- ernoon of January 2, 1863, Breckenridge's division made one of the bloodiest charges of the war. Just before the forward movement was made, Gen. Pillow. who was without a command and anxious to have one, was assigned by Gen. Bragg to the brigade which Col. Palmer commanded. Gen. Breckenridge expressed great regret at this action, and informed Col. Palmer that the privilege would be accorded him of honorably retiring from the field. But that gallant officer had too high a sense of duty to avail himself of this privilege. He immediately re- sumed command of his faithful regiment, and pressing to the front was a con- spicuous figure in the frightful conflict which followed. Indeed, in the terri- ble crisis of that hour of carnage and disaster, he practically led the brigade. Pushing forward, he was just upon the point of securing an advantage which would have turned the tide of battle in favor of the Southern troops, when the support- ing commands upon his left were forced to give way by reason of the peculiar cir- cumstances of their situation, which rendered it impossible for them to come into action. The left wing of the division struck the river obliquely, and as the space became more contracted as the advance progressed, the regiments were soon un- avoidably doubled up upon one another in inextricable confusion, and in this situation were subjected to a most terrific and destructive enfilade from the ene- my's batteries as well as small arms, which were massed on the opposite side of' the river, against which they bravely stood as long as possible. Retreat became a necessity, and as the shades of evening were falling the division withdrew from the field with a loss of over two thousand killed and wounded. In this desperate struggle the Eighteenth Tennessee and the Tennessee Brigade suffered severely. Four brave men were killed and one badly wounded while holding aloft the colors of the regiment. Col. Palmer, who was at all times in the thickest of the fight, received three wounds. A Minie-ball passed through the calf of his leg, another plowed through his right-shoulder, and a fragment of shell inflicted a painful wound upon one of his knees. Yet though thus severely wounded, he did not leave the field, but remained with his command and conducted it on the perilous backward march. His horse during this time was shot in three places. Col. Palmer's wounds physically incapacitated him for service for about four months. at the end of which period he rejoined the army at Tullahoma, and accompanied his regiment in the tentative movement to Fairfield in May. An erysipelatous affection of his still unhealed wounds troubled him very much at this time, and at last became so serious he was compelled to leave the army again at Chattanooga, whither it had in the meantime retired. He was able, however, to return to his regiment at Loudon, where it had been sent with other troops after the evacuation of Chattanooga, and conducted it in the various movements which preceded the battle of Chickamauga.
In this memorable conflict the Tennessee troops bore themselves with their
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accustomed valor, and won deserved praise from their leaders. Throughout thetwo long and dreary days of death and destruction, Gen. John C. Brown's brigade of Tennesseans was unsurpassed in valorous achievement, and the Eighteenth Tennes- see Regiment vied with the bravest in fortitude and heroism. Early in the action Col. Palmer, while leading a brilliant and successful charge and waving his sword for the encouragement of his men, fell dangerously wounded. A ball again tore through his right-shoulder, this time severing a large artery. He lost a great quantity of blood, but death was happily prevented by the application of an im- provised tourniquet. He was borne in an almost lifeless condition to a less exposed part of the field, where a faithful surgeon and a few attendants did all in their power to make him comfortable. After suffering intensely during the chilly night which followed, he was taken to an old stable, and there he remained until he was able to be removed to more suitable quarters. For a long and painful period ke was disabled by this wound. Meanwhile the army had operated around Chatta- nooga, suffered the defeat at Missionary Ridge, fallen back to Dalton, and passed the winter; then, under command of Gen. Johnston, had followed the famous re- treat with its every-day fighting, its incessant harships, and its notably and re- verely contested battles.
Col. Palmer was sufficiently recovered to rejoin the army at Chattahooche River, and upon his return he was at once assigned to the command of a brigade with the rank of Brigadier-general, a well-deserved promotion, which was warmly approved by the General of the army and the corps and division commanders as a just recognition of his ability and bravery. His brigade was composed at this time of the Eighteenth, Third, Thirty-second, and Forty-fifth Tennessee regi- ments, each one of which had been many times tried in the fires of battle and had won signal honors in the dangerous school of war. His staff consisted of the following-named officers: Capt. W. T. Powers, Assistant Adjutant-general; Capt. Gid. H. Lowe, Assistant Inspector-general; Capt. F. R. Burns, Aid-de-camp; Capt. B. P. Ray, Quartermaster-general; Capt. S. F. Carter, Commissary-general; Dr. J. F. Grant, Brigade Surgeon. Lieut .- col. W. R. Butler, who had some time before succeeded Lieut .- col. Carden, resigned, was promoted to the Coloneley of the Eighteenth Tennessee.
When the army fell back to Atlanta, Palmer's brigade was placed with its right resting on Peach-tree street, one of the most exposed as well as one of the most important positions in the line of defense. Here, under a continuous tire which daily lengthened the list of killed and wounded, it remained for twenty- six days. It was during the siege of Atlanta that the Eighteenth Tennessee, while on special duty, had a desperate passage at arms with a greatly superior force. The regiment was outflanked, and the greater part of it captured. Col. Butler escaped with a remnant of the regiment, which was afterward consolidated with the Third Tennessee, and the whole placed under his command. While in this position, which fronted at short range the frowning fortifications of the ene- my, a special scout one night reported to Gen. Palmer that some extraordinary movement was being made by the Federal forces in front, the nature of which he could not definitely determine. Gen. Palmer promptly reported the fact to Gen. Hood, and being instructed by the General-in-chief to make further investigation, he took steps which that night discovered the complete withdrawal of the enemy from his front, and reported accordingly. Next morning the army woke to find
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the Federal intrenchments deserted all along the line. For several days the bri- gade moved from point to point about Atlanta, until Gen. Hood learned that Sherman's forces were threatening Jonesboro, some thirty miles to the sonth. A. foreed march was made by the brigade, and on the afternoon of August 30 it par- ticipated in the engagement at Jonesboro. This battle, fought when the Confed- erate troops were in an almost exhausted condition, served only to check Sher- man's flanking column. After the engagement, Palmer's brigade was marched, with the remainder of the corps, half-way back to Atlanta, in order to be avail- able in case an attack were made upon the outer wing of our army, which was retreating from the Gate City. Atlanta having been abandoned, Geu. Hood with- drew his army to Lovejoy's Station, below Jonesboro, where it was permitted to remain some time, the Federal army having in the meantime retired to Atlanta. From Lovejoy's Station the Army of Tennessee was marched to Palmetto, a small town on the Chattahoocheeiver. It was here that Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States, reviewed the army.
From Palmetto Gen. Hood started with his army upon his famous and unfort- unate march into Tennessee. After capturing several points along the railroad between Atlanta and Dalton, in Sherman's rear, he marched through Gadsden, Ala., on his way to Florence, on the Tennessee River, which point was reached about the first of November. Provoking delays in securing supplies for the cani- paign prevented the advance into Tennessee until November Ist, at which time Gen. Palmer's brigade headed the column of infantry which crossed the pontoon bridge constructed for the passage of the army. The army remained at Florence about twenty days. The march was then continued daily, and on November 27th the brigade entered Columbia, driving out the rear-guard of the Federal force, which had retired across Duck River. The flank movement made on the 20th by Stewart's and Cheatham's corps for the purpose of intercepting the enemy at Spring Hill caused Schofield to retreat precipitately, and on the morning of the 30th Lee's corps followed rapidly from Columbia. The Spring Hill movement proved a failure, and the Federal forces succeeded in reaching their intrenchments at Franklin, where they were attacked by Hood, and where was fought one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Palmer's brigade made a rapid and orderly march of nearly thirty miles, and reached Franklin at dark, toward the close of the day's engagement, and was placed in the front line, with orders to renew the fight at daylight. The enemy, however, silently withdrew in the night. The retreat of Schofield and advance of Hood to Nashville followed.
At Nashville Pahner's brigade and Bate's division were detached to operate with Gen. Forrest around Murfreesboro, which was strongly fortified and garri- soned by the enemy. The forces under Gen. Forrest made a demonstration be- fore the formidable intrenchments at Murfreesboro. On the 7th of December a large body of Federals marched out of their fortifications and were met by the Southern troops. Palmer's brigade became hotly engaged with the enemy, and was pushing resolutely forward when his support upon the left gave way in dis- order, their left being turned, and necessitated a general abandonment of the field. For several days in the December cold and sleet Forrest maneuvered about Mur- freesboro, and finally started his command around to the north of the town, when the movement was stopped by a courier from Gen. Hood bearing information of the commencement of the battle at Nashville, and directing that Gien. Forrest
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hold his force in readiness for emergencies. The command then returned to a po- sition east of Murfreesboro, where the thunder of the artillery at Nashville could be distinctly heard. The news of the disaster which had overtaken our army at Nashville was received on the night of December 16, and a rapid march was be- gun over the wretched roads toward Columbia. Duck River having been swollen by recent rains, no crossing could be made nearer than Columbia, and the com- mand had to be hurried forward over the almost impassable dirt-road along the river. Columbia was reached in the night, and Gen. Palmer finding that no pro- vision had been made for feeding his exhausted men, spent a great part of the night in making necessary arrangements, which were effected with the greatest difficulty on account of the confusion and demoralization in the routed army. Be- fore Gen. Hood continued his retreat, Gen. Palmer reported to the commanding General in person, and was instructed to remain with Gen. Forrest and Gen. Walthall, and, bringing up the rear of his disheartened army, protect it from the advancing columns of the victorious enemy.
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