USA > Tennessee > The military annals of Tennessee. Confederate. First series: embracing a review of military operations, with regimental histories and memorial rolls, V.2 > Part 28
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ry-boat, and marched rapidly to Louisville, Miss., in two days and one night-a distance of about eighty-five miles. Upon reaching Louisville we learned of the capture of Streight and his men, and after resting two days moved back via Pike- ville and Moulton.
'The enemy at Corinth hearing of our movements and our small force, sent out a strong cavalry force to cut us off, but our return via Pikeville avoided a col- lision. The officers and men expressed great regret to Gen. Forrest at having been sent off and not allowed to participate in the chase after Streight. Gen. Forrest's reply was that they had rendered much more efficient service by their strategy in causing Gen. Dodge to return hastily to Corinth than they could have rendered in the main chase. We marched back via Florence to Spring Hill, where we scouted and had several skirmishes before Gen. Rosecrans moved on Tullahoma. When Rosecrans started for Tullahoma the Eighth Tennessee Cav- alry was upon his right flank, watching and skirmishing. They came into Shel- byville after it was in the possession of the United States troops, but retired down Duck River in a heavy rain, crossed the river and fed at Lint's, south of Shelby- ville, and then moved to Tullahoma on Sunday evening. The writer, with two hun- dred of the Eighth, was ordered to scout to Hillsboro, within a short distance of the town. About one o'clock at night we were fired upon by the piekets of a large force at Hillsboro. There we learned that Gen. Wilder, with a large cav- alry force, had gone in the direction of Decherd. Pressing a guide, we moved rapidly to that point, but not before Wilder had reached it and burned the depot. From Decherd we were ordered to Pelham to resist the crossing of Elk River at that place, which we did successfully by destroying the bridge near the town. The stream at that time was much swollen. Gen. Bragg was then falling back on Chattanooga, and the Eighth Tennessee, with others of the brigade, was left at the University place for thirty-six hours, with instructions then to follow on across the Cumberland Mountains and protect the rear of Gen. Hardee's corps. This we did, and overtook the infantry near Jasper, where we remained until they had all crossed the Tennessee River; then we crossed at Kelly's Ferry, and moved to the vicinity of Chattanooga, where we rested a week or ten days, when the writer was ordered, with the Eighth Tennessee Cavalry, to recross the Tennes- see River and move to Sparta, and there scout and watch the movements of Gen- Rosecrans's army, and to report when they moved in the direction of Chattanoo- ga. We recrossed the river and the mountains without any trouble, opened and held election for Governor, members of the Legislature, and Congress, in White, Putnam, Jackson, and other counties adjoining. During this time there was a corps of infantry, with one or two brigades of cavalry, at MeMinnville, only twen- ty-six miles from Sparta. We scouted well, and kept our pickets well out in the direction of MeMinnville.
On the morning of the 9th of August, 1863, our pickets, eight miles from our camp on the road to Spencer, were charged by Col. Minty's brigade of cavalry. The picket was Capt. Leftwich's Co. D. A running fight from there to camp, two miles above Sparta, was kept up. Capt. Leftwich, being on a fleet horse, would check the advance until overpowered, would then press on and urge his men out of the way. When the firing was heard as they came running at full speed through Sparta, at least two-thirds of our horses were loose in a fresh pasture just opened, and by the time we could get our horses the enemy was very near us.
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MILITARY ANNALS OF TENNESSEE.
Capt. McGinnis, with Co. B, was sent to meet and check the advance, but they only did so for a few minutes, when, by superior force and numbers, they broke his line and came thundering upon our rear as we were moving the rest of the regiment into position across Wild Cat Creek, just above its month, where it emp- ties into the Calfkiller River, and below Fisk's mill on the creek. Capt. Dixon A. Allison took charge of the head of the regiment, and formed it upon the left bank of the river; while the writer took the companies of Capts. Mounce L. Gore and B. M. Swearingen, and formed them in front of the bridge over Wild Cat Creek. The enemy were allowed to reach the bridge before we opened fire on them, and in the space between the bridge and the creek there must have been one hundred horsemen when we began the attack. Our gallant boys never acted more bravely than upon this occasion. Being at their own homes, they fonghit with desperation, and repulsed every effort of the enemy to charge or dis- lodge us. After they had retired we moved farther up the river to Blue Spring Creek, where we thought we had a better position; but Col. Minty failing to par- sue ns, we took up the line of march after him, and pursued him until we learned he had recrossed the Caney Fork River and left the county. This being a hot August Sabbath, we could not overtake him. Our loss was two or three wounded and about eight of the pickets captured. Their loss was twelve killed and a num- ber wounded, with twenty-four horses killed. About this time or just before, they made a night attack on our pickets near Rock Island, thirteen miles off, and capt- ured Hugh Lowry and eleven others. This was on the night of the 4th of August.
On the 17th of August, 1863, Col. Minty was reenforced, and made another dash upon us in daylight and coming up the main road from MeMinnville. We had been reenforced by Col. W. S. MeLemore, with two hundred of his regiment, and were camped near the same place. Our scouts met them twelve miles from camp, when they charged the scouting party and pursued them hotly to camp. The Fourth Tennessee took our former position at Wild Cat Creek, and the Eighth Tennessee took position half a mile above at Meredith's mill, when the battle be- gan about four o'clock P.M., and lasted until after dark. They lost heavily in killed and wounded and in horses, while we lost two men killed and eight or ten wounded and a few captured. The battle was spirited and fierce until the dark- ness of the night put an end to the fray. Fearing the enemy would effect a cross- ing of the river above us, we left a strong picket and withdrew to the top of Cum- berland Mountain to a very strong position, and expected the fight to be renewed early next morning; but in this we were disappointed, as when morning came Col. Minty, with his command, moved across the mountain in the direction of Chattanooga, saying he would leave us in full possession of the country about Sparta.
- To prove the inaccuracy of many of the published statements about the war, the writer refers to a recent publication made by Gen. Rosecrans, who was con- manding the United States forces in Tennessee, in which he says "before moving on Chattanooga he sent Col. Minty, with his brigade, out on the Kingston road. where he met Col. Dibrell and his regiment, and drove them back across the Ten- nessee River handsomely," when the truth is we repulsed Col. Minty twice with a heavy loss, and remained in the vicinity of Sparta and the battle-ground for a week after Minty had crossed the Cumberland Mountains.
In the engagement of the 9th not more than two hundred of the Eighth Ten-
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nessee were engaged in the battle, and not more than three hundred in that of the 17th of August, 1863, while Col. Minty had not less than fifteen hundred or two thousand men well armed and equipped. Their loss in the last battle was very heavy in killed and wounded. They sent many of their dead and wounded to McMinnville, and we buried the dead left on the battle-field.
The support given us by Col. McLemore's reinforcements enabled us to repulse the enemy on the 17th, and no set of soldiers ever fought more bravely when they knew they were fighting against such large odds. But we were at home, fighting for our own dear ones, and we preferred death rather than defeat. Min- ty's men made various efforts to charge us and drive us from our positions at Wild - Cat Creek and Meredith's mill, but the true and gallant boys of the Eighth met every charge with a yell and a volley that sent them to the rear in great confu- sion. Of the wounded I only remember Lieut. James Walker, Rowland Terry, Evan Bartlett; of the captured, Lieut. Jesse Beck and others. Soon after this Col. Hamilton, with his battalion, joined us, and we were ordered to Kingston as rap- idly as we could move, receiving this order when a great many of the Eighth were at home on leave getting up their winter clothing (for it will be remembered that the cavalry generally had to mount and equip themselves). We moved late in the evening, and consequently quite a number of the men who were thus absent on leave getting up elothing, etc., were left. Some came on and overtook us, but the majority remained. At Kingston Gen. Forrest ordered Lieut .- col. Dougherty, with a detail of officers, to recross the Cumberland Mountains and gather up and bring out these absent soldiers. Col. Dougherty and his detail did return and get together most of the absentees, and had several skirmishes and battles in the enemy's lines. The most noted battle in which the detachment of the Eighth un- der Col. Dougherty participated was the Dug Hill fight on the 22d of February, 1864, with about an equal force of Col. Stokes's cavalry. They soon routed Stokes's cavalry, killing about fifty and stampeding the remainder, and greatly de- moralizing the crowd that had assembled in Sparta to listen to the 22d of Febru- ary oration being delivered by Col. Stokes. Lieut .- col. Dougherty and a number of his men were captured and sent to prison, and did not rejoin the regiment until just before the surrender. Many of the officers and men made their way through the lines to the regiment, and others rejoined us when we came back to Tennes- see with Gen. Wheeler in August, 1864.
Prior to the regiment moving back to Chattanooga, Maj. J. E. Forrest, having been elected Colonel of an Alabama regiment, left us to assume command of his regiment, and never rejoined us.
Gen. Forrest's order to move to Kingston was dated the 20th of August, 1863. Upon reaching Post Oak Springs we met Gen. Forrest; made an expedition up the Emory River; moved back via Kingston, crossed the Tennessee in a horse-boat at the mouth of the Clinch River; moved on down through East Tennessee to Dalton, Ga .; thence out to Tunnel Hill, where we met Gen. Wilder, with whom Gen. Forrest had been skirmishing all day. Wilder retired at night, and we fol- lowed via Ringgold and Leats's Tan-yard to Rocky Springs, without any serious trouble until the sanguinary battle of Chickamauga was begun; and referring to the report of the writer of this, who was commanding the brigade of which the Eighth Tennessee was a part and actively engaged, he adopts his report then made, as follows:
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MILITARY ANNALS OF TENNESSEE.
" HEAD-QUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE ARMSTRONG'S CAVALRY DIVISION, " Bird's Mills, September 25, 1803.
"CAPT. A. BURWELL, Assistant Adjutant-general.
"Sir: I beg leave to make the following report of the action of the Second Brigade in the recent battle of Chickamauga:
"On the morning of the 18th instant the brigade was ordered forward to guard the several passes at Glass's mills, Glome's bridge, and Owen's ford, which was done, driving the enemy from and taking possession of the mill and bridge, re- maining until next morning on the left of Lieut .- gen. Polk's corps.
"On the morning of the 19th we moved to the right of the infantry, and got up in time to join in a heavy skirmish then going on. We occupied the right of the infantry on the 19th and 20th, and were in several very hotly contested engage- ments.
"On the 21st we were ordered forward, and engaged the enemy in the gap of Missionary Ridge during the afternoon, losing several men in killed and wounded.
"On the 22d we moved forward again, and came up with the enemy near Rossville, and after skirmishing during the entire day succeeded in driving the enemy to the point of Lookout Mountain, losing several killed and wounded.
"On the 23d we skirmished all day with the enemy at the point of Lookout Mountain, theirs being a superior infantry force, and our orders being only to hold the ground we had.
"On the 24th we moved to this place.
"Our losses during the engagement are as follows:
"Fourth Tennessee, Maj. McLemore commanding: Three killed, twenty-two wounded, three missing.
" Eighth Tennessee, Capt. McGinnis commanding: Four killed, eleven wounded.
"Ninth Tennessee, Col. Biffle commanding: One killed, seven wounded.
"Tenth Tennessee, Col. Cox commanding: Three killed, six wounded, two miss- ing.
" Eleventh Tennessee, Col. Holman commanding: Three killed, three wounded, one missing.
" Hamilton's Battalion, Maj. Shaw commanding: Four killed, three wounded.
" Freeman's Battery, Lieut. Huggins commanding: Eleven wounded.
"Total: Eighteen killed, sixty-three wounded, six missing, fourteen horses killed or disabled. No saddles or equipments lost.
"The brigade captured at least one thousand stand of arms, a large lot of sup- plies, and fully five hundred prisoners. We were kept constantly on the more or engaged, and as fast as prisoners were captured (except the wounded) they were sent to the rear, and no account kept of them. The arms were gathered in wagons. The command armed itself completely with the Springfield and Entielt muskets. The estimates of capture are only made by me from what I saw my- self.
"It affords me great pleasure to say that the conduct of the men and officers of the brigade during the six days engagement was all that could be desired, and they fully sustained their previous good character for gallantry.
"G. G. DIBRELL, Colonel Commanding Brigade."
Of the wounded in the battle of Chickamauga several died, among them Mere- dith Sparkman, Nich. Carrick, and others. The Eighth Tennessee bore a con-
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spicuous part in the entire engagement. They began the battle on Friday morn ing, the 18th, and skirmished all day at Owen's ford, and with the aid of Hug- gins's battery were enabled to hold the position taken during the day. At night they were relieved by Gen. Breckinridge. Saturday they were in several assaults upon the enemy on the right of the infantry, always keeping up their end of the line. In Sunday's engagement the Eighth was very prominent, and aided in capturing one of the enemy's hospitals, with quite a number of our wounded who were cared for, besides a number of prisoners slightly wounded. In this capture the Eighth secured a fine set of silver medical instruments, which was afterward taken charge of by Gen. Cheatham's command, and never returned, thanks to ex- Gov. Porter.
In the last hard battle of Sunday morning, when the Eighth and other cavalry were near Gen. Thomas's lines in the midst of a perfect hail-storm of shot and shell, and so enveloped in smoke that you could scarcely see a soldier fifty steps, the infantry upon our left gave way, and thus exposed our left flank. Gen. For- rest ordered the cavalry to retire across the field in our rear. The roar of battle was so great and the smoke so dense that the officers of the Eighth did not hear the command to fall back until all the other troops had withdrawn some distance. Capt. McGinnis, Adjt. Smallman, and the other officers were gallantly cheering and encouraging their men, and if they had been properly supported the cavalry would soon have forced Gen. Thomas to retire. In retiring through the field and - bringing off Huggins's battery the Eighth was greatly exposed, and but for the heroic efforts of Adjt. Smallman, Capt. Huggins, and others, part of our artillery might have been left between the lines; but it is a pleasant reflection that not a piece of artillery was ever lost when supported by the Eighth. Huggins's com- pany of artillery used to say they had no fear of going into battle when supported by the Tennessee cavalry brigade, of which the Eighth was a part.
On the 21st of September, the enemy having retired during the night, the car- alry was saddled and ready to renew the fight at daylight. It was 10 o'clock, however, before they had orders to move, when Gen. Forrest sent Maj. Strange, his Adjutant-general, for the Eighth Regiment, and took one road toward Chatta- nooga with Shaw's battalion, and sent the remainder of the brigade on the main road to Chattanooga. In a charge ordered by Gen. Forrest in person the Eighth and Shaw's battalion lost several good men killed. During the six days we were engaged in the battle of Chickamauga and the pursuit to the point of Lookout Mountain the men and horses suffered severely for food, but they bore it all like veteran soldiers, and seldom was a complaint heard. We pressed the infantry back beyond Gillespie's, where we were in full view of Chattanooga and the ene- my ditching and fortifying. If the infantry had been promptly moved forward on Monday morning of that memorable battle, with all of the cavalry, the con- plete rout and destruction of Gen. Rosecrans's army would have followed; but Gen. Bragg said to the writer that the loss of life would be too great a sacrifice for us to make, and he preferred strategy, and said he would send the cavalry to the rear.
The cavalry was relieved by Gen. Longstreet's command late on Wednesday evening, and moved back after night to Bird's Mills, where they rested one day, and then moved on the U. S. forces at Cleveland and Charleston. under Cols. Wool ford and Bird. The Eighth was in this movement, and engaged in the running
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fight back to near London, but took no conspienous part in it. This was a very hard campaign, owing to the heat and dust and the rapidity with which they moved. Coming back from that expedition to Cleveland, Tenn., the brigade was put into camp; and there our gallant chieftain, Gen. Forrest, gave us his last or- der in regard to picketing, scouting, and the general management of affairs, and repaired to Chickamauga Station to confer with Gen. Bragg.
While stationed at Cleveland our scouts reported Col. Woolford's U. S. cavalry brigade encamped at Sweet Water, some twelve miles from their infantry support at Loudon. The writer conceived the idea that he could inflict a severe punish- ment upon Col. Woolford's command, and wrote to Gen. Bragg asking permission to make the move, and to allow Col. Morrison's Georgia brigade to take part in the expedition, the plan of which was given. Gen. Bragg approved the sugges- tion by sending the following note:
"HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE, "Missionary Ridge, Oct. 13, 1803.
"Colonel : In reply to your communication of this date in regard to your move- ment on the enemy at Sweet Water, the General commanding instructs me to say that he approves your suggestions, and desires that you will carry them into effect; but in so doing he wishes to impress on you to exercise the utmost caution and prudence. Col. Morrison has been instructed to spare all the available force to execute the part of the movement designed for him. He will report to you, be- fore he moves his command, for instructions, in order that your movements may be in concert and cooperation perfect. To your judgment and zeal the General looks for good results. All steps necessary to secure success will be taken by you. . . . I am, Colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
"GEORGE WML. BRENT, Assistant Adjutant-general.
"To COL. G. G. DIERELL, commanding cavalry, Cleveland, Tenn."
Owing to some misunderstanding with Col. Morrison, the brigade did not move until the 19th of October. In the meantime Gen. Bragg sent a second dispatch to make the move, and sent the division of infantry commanded by Major-gen. Stevenson up to Charleston to support the cavalry, and he to command the ex- pedition, although he remained at Charleston with the infantry, thirty miles from the battle-field. We crossed the Hiawassee River late in the afternoon of October 19, marched all night, and reached Sweet Water early in the day, to find the ene- my had withdrawn to Philadelphia, six miles farther, and within six miles of London, where they had a large infantry force. We pressed on, and soon met a flag of truce from Col. Woolford conveying several citizens of Knoxville through the lines. The officers in charge delivered us the prisoners (citizens), and wished to return; but we declined to let them do so, as it would have given Col. Wool- ford notice and caused serious damage to Col. Morrison, who had moved up the Tennessee River and was to get in Woolford's rear, between him and Loudon. We moved on, after leaving the officer with the flag of truce and his men at the house of Gen. Vaughn, in Sweet Water, and soon engaged Woolford in a skirmish. We did so lightly, until by the firing of Morrison's men we knew that he was in position. Then we opened on Woolford with Huggins's battery and charged him, putting his men to flight, and capturing seven hundred prisoners, six pieces of artillery, twelve ambulances, fifty wagons, near one thousand horses and mules,
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with all of their camp equipage and a large quantity of arms, ammunition, army supplies, etc. The Eighth Regiment was actively engaged in this movement, and shared in the captures. Great credit was due to the gallantry of the whole com- mand for their success. The Eighth was not in the final charge, but came in soon after, and was entitled to its share of the victory thus won. Upon reporting the result of the expedition to Gen. Bragg, he issued a general order compliment- ing the officers and men engaged in it.
Early on the morning of the 21st the infantry and cavalry from Loudon moved out upon us in strong force, but after a severe artillery duel and cavalry skirmish they retired. For several days they renewed this skirmish; but we held our ground until Gen. Stevenson moved to Sweet Water with his infantry. Then the cavalry moved over to the Tennessee River at the McGee farm, where we camped several days, and picketed and scouted toward Knoxville and Maryville. The Eighth lost several good men captured in Blount county, where the Union ele- ment was so strong that our scouts and pickets were never safe across the river. Col. Woolford had moved from Loudon over to near Maryville. Ascertaining his locality, and learning from citizens who had been started through the lines and had escaped, the true condition of the enemy in and around Knoxville, Gen. Long- street was ordered to move on Knoxville, up the railroad; and Gen. Wheeler, with part of his cavalry, sent by McGee's, where we were encamped, and together we moved on Col. Woolford, near Maryville. Making a night march, we sur- prised Woolford's camp about daylight, and had a running fight on to Knoxville, in which we captured two hundred and fifty prisoners, a number of horses, small arms, etc. The Eighth was actively engaged in the first attack. Moving rapidly to the rear, we charged the fleeing enemy on the flank, and captured a number of prisoners without losing a man. We then crossed the Tennessee River below Knoxville, and moved up and participated in the siege of that city. The weath- er was intensely cold, and forage and rations extremely scarce. We were com- pelled to subsist upon the country, and did so as best we could. Our lines were north of the city and across the road leading to Cumberland Gap. A few nights before Gen. Longstreet's fatal attack npon Fort Sanders, the cavalry was ordered to make a demonstration in their front to test the strength of the enemy's lines. A part of the Eighth was engaged in this demonstration, which was handsomely done, and showed a very weak line in our front. The result was reported to Gen. Longstreet, but to the surprise of all he made the attack upon the enemy's strong- est fortified position.
On the morning of the 1st of December Gen. Armstrong's cavalry division was ordered out on the Cumberland Gap road to meet a force said to be moving to relieve Gen. Burnside from his siege. Near Maynardville the advance met the enemy and had a slight skirmish with them near night. The Tennessee bri gade was ordered to move around Maynardville during the night and get in rear of the enemy. They moved around to the Cumberland Gap road about daylight, and learned that the enemy had retired during the night. We started in pursuit, the Eighth Tennessee in advance, and were soon fired upon from an ambuscade. The regiment immediately charged the party firing upon them, and captured them all (twenty-one) before reaching their support. This charge was made down Lone Mountain, over a narrow wagon-way covered with ice. A number of the horses fell and seriously injured several soldiers, among them Stub Whitley and
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