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 29
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W'm. Smith, the latter of whom soon after lost his mind and died. Near the foot of the mountain we encountered Gen. Foster's command of ninety-days Indiana troops, and after a sharp skirmish drove them from their position. As the enemy were retiring under a heavy fire from the Tenth Tennessee, they were charged by the Fourth Tennessee, led by the Colonel of the Eighth, supported on the left by the Eleventh, and a lively fight ensued. We charged upon a strong force intrenched behind rail-works. In this charge the Colonel of the Eighth was severely wound- ed twice and had his horse shot, and Dixon A. Allison, of Nashville, as true and gallant a soldier as ever flashed a blade, was killed. After the first repulse the Fourth, Tenth, and Eighth dismounted, made a dash at the enemy, and drove them across the Clinch River. The loss of the Eighth was several severely wounded and several horses lost. That night we moved back to Maynardville, bringing all of our wounded and the dead body of D. A. Allison. The wounded were cared for as well as they could be. The weather continued extremely cold and the roads terribly ent up and frozen. The next night we learned of the rais- ing of the siege at Knoxville, and that our army was falling back in the direction of Virginia. We camped at the residence of a Mr. Crawford, in Grassy Valley, and there buried our comrade Allison. From there we moved on into Upper East Tennessee. The Eighth was actively engaged in the battle at Bean's Sta- tion, and several other engagements at Mossy Creek and in that vicinity. At Mossy Creek Capt. McGinnis, who was commanding the regiment, was severely wounded, and in the last fight at that place about twenty of the Eighth were capt- ured on the skirmish line, among them George Judd, of Company C. From the raising of the siege of Knoxville up to this date-the last of December-the Eighth was almost daily engaged in a skirmish or picket fight, and lost quite a number of good men. From Panther Springs we moved over to near the Bend of Chucky, and on the 17th of January participated in a movement upon Dan- dridge. This was a cold time-snow upon the ground, and our men poorly shod and clothed. It is well to state here that the supplies for the Tennessee brigade had been sent to the Army of Tennessee, and were not received by the brigade until in March, 1864; consequently many of the soldiers suffered for lack of shoes and winter clothing. Orders were given for every man able for dnty to go. I saw several men on the march without shoes, with their feet tied up in pieces of blankets or other cloth; and in this condition we moved upon the enemy, sup- ported by a small infantry force, and drove them into their fortifications around Dandridge, from which they retreated during the night via Strawberry Plains to Knoxville. Early next morning the cavalry started in pursuit, but for some cause unknown were halted and not allowed to press on until the second day, which enabled the enemy to reach Strawberry Plains and cross the Holston River. We arrived just in time to see them quietly moving off across the river to Knox- ville. That night about 12 o'clock, with the mercury below zero, a courier an- nounced that the enemy's cavalry in large force was camped opposite Dandridge. and near and within striking distance of our supply-train. The Tennessee bri- gade was ordered to immediately move back to Dandridge and resist any effort to cross the French Broad River, which we did, but suffered greatly from cold. The Eighth Tennessee took a prominent part in this battle and expedition, and as in all other contests, the officers and men did their whole duty.
On the 26th of January, 1864, having crossed the French Broad with all of the
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cavalry, and moved in the direction of Sevierville to meet the enemy's cavalry under Gens. Sturgis, Elliott, McCook, Woolford, and others, Gen. Armstrong's division was sent in the direction of Grassy Valley and Pigeon River. The Ten- nessee brigade, of which the Eighth was a part, soon met the brigade of Col. Woolford, and a lively fight ensued, lasting until after night, in which we drove him three or four miles. Ile retired and joined his command, and we marched to Birchfield's and camped for the night and most of the next day. The Eighth took an active part in this running fight, and did good service. Our loss was a few wounded. From a diary captured two days after, the enemy must have lost at least one hundred in wounded and captured.
On the 27th Gen. John T. Morgan's division, under Gen. Martin, with Harri- son's brigade, met the enemy near Fair Garden, and sustained a repulse. At night we all moved back to near Cowan's ferry, on the south side of French Broad River, with the Tennessee brigade camped in the rear. We were certain of an attack next morning, knowing the superior force of the enemy, and that they were flushed with their victory of the day previous; but we were ready for them, were up, saddled, and ready at 4 o'clock A.M .; but they did not come until 10 o'clock. The Fourth Tennessee brought them back in fine style to the ground selected for the battle, where we had made temporary preparations by throwing together logs, rocks, etc., making the best breastworks we could in so short a time. The Ninth Tennessee, under Col. Biffle, was placed in front, on the right of the road, with the Eighth Tennessee upon the left of the road and to the left and rear of the Ninth; the Tenth and Fourth to the left of the Eighth; and the Elev- enth and the Third Arkansas on the right of Bitlle and the road. The position was a strong one, but if abandoned, the chance of escape was bad. The instructions giv- en to the Eighth Tennessee were under no circumstances to abandon their posi- tion unless ordered to do so by the brigade commander; if they did the Ninth could not escape. During the hard struggle against the combined forces of Gens. Sturgis, Elliott, MeCook, Woolford, and others, the left at one time gave way, and word was passed to the Eighth to retire, but they gallantly said: "No! we were put here to stay, and we will never retire until ordered to do so by the bri- gade conunander." And so they did gallantly hold their lines until the others retook the position from which they had been driven; and night coming on found us victorious, the enemy retreating during the night to Blount county, thirty-five miles from the battle-field. The Federals were severely punished. Their loss was currently reported at not less than three hundred, while our entire loss was two killed and eighteen wounded. Although the Eighth was in the front and in the thickest of the fight, they did not waver or lose a man; and it was one of the hardest-fought battles the regiment was ever engaged in. They fought a force greatly superior in numbers, flushed with their victory of the day before, and most gallantly won the day. When night came on and the battle ended the brigade was about out of ammunition. Not a single straggler was seen during the battle. Brig .- gen. Armstrong, who was in the rear witnessing the fight, remarked to the writer after the contest was over that it was the first battle he had ever wit- nessed that he did not see some stragglers, but this fight had not shown one.
We were much exhausted and out of ammunition, so no pursuit of the enemy was made. On the next morning Lieut .- gen. Longstreet, Gen. Bushrod Johnson, and Gen. Martin rode over the battle-ground, and were loud in their praise of our
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brilliant victory. This battle was fought on the road leading from Sevierville to Newport, near the residence of a Mr. Blant, and was styled in the report as "Blant's Hill," but the soldiers called it " Dibrell's Hill."
Maj .- gen. Martin, commanding cavalry in East Tennessee, issued the following complimentary order relating to the battle:
"HEAD-QUARTERS CAVALRY FORCES IN EAST TENNESSEE, "Feb. 5, 1864. "Colonel: I wish you to express to the men and officers of the Tennessee bri- gade and the Third Arkansas Regiment, my high appreciation of their gallantry on the 28th ultimo. Their success on that occasion was indeed a triumph. It showed what a few determined men can do when opposed by a cloud of opponents.
"Very respectfully,
WILL T. MARTIN, Maj .- gen."
The Eighth was commanded by Capt. J. M. Barnes, of Co. H, and every officer and soldier did his whole duty. From this place we moved to Pigeon River, be- low Sevierville, where we remained several days scouting down in sight of Knox- ville, with frequent skirmishes with the enemy. On the last move down. around and in view of Knoxville, as we were retiring the Eighth was bringing up the rear, when they were charged by the enemy, their line broken, and Adjt. Small- man, Wm. Reavis, Lambert Hickman, and a few others, were captured. Reavis was wounded-his leg broken. Adjt. Smallman put him upon his horse, and was conveying him to the rear, when he was surrounded, overpowered, and taken to prison, where he remained until after the close of the war. Reavis was never heard of afterward. Hickman was exchanged as a sick soldier, and died in Rich- mond soon after.
From this point we moved to near Newport, in Cocke county, and across to the bend of Chucky, doing a great deal of picket duty and scouting. While at New- port, in March, the brigade received their winter clothing, etc. The winter hal been unusually hard and cold. We had no tents, and the soldiers were poorly clad and shod, but they bore it all. While encamped at Newport the entire bri- gade reënlisted for the war.
About the 28th of February, 1864, Maj .- gen. Martin, who had been command- ing the cavalry in East Tennessee, was ordered to the Army of Tennessee with his division, commanded by Gen. John T. Morgan, leaving Armstrong's division. with Huggins's battery, in East Tennessee, commanded by Col. Dibrell. Before . leaving the department of East Tennessee, Gen. Martin issued and published the following order:
"HEAD-QUARTERS CAVALRY OF EAST TENNESSEE, "Newport, Feb. 28, 1864.
"SPECIAL ORDER NO. 1.
"In leaving East Tennessee, and parting with the soldiers and officers of Arm- strong's division, the Major-general commanding cannot permit the opportunity to pass of commending the zeal, patience, and gallantry of the division. In our short campaign-full of incidents, of battles and skirmishes, of privation and want, conducted in mid-winter, in a mountainous country-the division has cov- ered itself with glory. At Maynardville, Mossy Creek, Dandridge, MeNntt's mill, and Blant's Hill, and always opposed by superior numbers, it has fought with distinguished gallantry. In the campaign this division, with that of Gen.
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Morgan, has contended with immensely superior force-the well-known Twenty- third Army Corps. It remained for Armstrong's division to close the contest in a hard-fought battle in which the enemy was routed, and fled far from the field in utter defeat. Thanks to the gallant officers and men, we will all be proud to have been of the cavalry of East Tennessee in this campaign.
"By order of Maj .- gen. Martin:
" DOUGLAS WALWORTH, A. A. G."
The Eighth Tennessee Cavalry was a part of the division, and of course shares the honors of the command. After Gen. Martin left East Tennessee, Maj .- gen. Robert Ransom was assigned to the command of all the cavalry in that depart- ment. Gen. Wheeler was asking that Armstrong's division should be ordered back to the Army of Tennessee, and Lieut .- gen. Longstreet was trying to retain it so long as he remained in East Tennessee; but on the 27th of March, 1864, the following order was issued:
"HEAD-QUARTERS CAVALRY OF THE ARMY OF EAST TENNESSEE, "March 27, 1864. "SPECIAL ORDER NO. 13.
"By direction of the Lieutenant-general commanding the department, Col. Dib- rell's division of cavalry is relieved from duty in this department, and the com- manding officer will march the division to Dalton, Ga., without delay, and report to Gen. J. E. Johnston.
"In severing official connection with this division of gallant and tried soldiers, the Major-general commanding expresses his deep regret at the separation, and tenders to all his own and the thanks of the Lieutenant-general commanding the department for their unflinching devotion to our country during the past winter, and especially for their crowning act of heroism in reenlisting for the war. Such acts reach the sublime, and make men immortal.
"By command of Maj .- gen. Ransom:
"JAMES T. BROWN, Capt. and A. A. G."
During the East Tennessee campaign the entire command was badly supplied, and suffered greatly for clothing. They were constantly on duty, bore it all, and well deserved the complimentary orders issued by Maj .- gens. Martin and Ransom, for they had rendered distinguished service. They richly merited all the praise they received, and much more. Many of our horses had become unserviceable from hard service and want of forage. Lieut. Allen G. Parker, of Co. B, Eighth Tennessee, was sent with a detail with the disabled horses to North Carolina, where they were recruited and returned to the brigade.
Leaving East Tennessee about the last days of March, we moved via Asheville, N. C., Greenville and Anderson, S. C., to Marietta, Ga., and thence to Resaca, where by order of Gen. Wheeler the division was broken up, and a new division formed with Brig .- gen. Kelly commanding. The Tennessee brigade remained as before. We had but a few days rest until we were ordered to the front above Dalton and about the 7th of May the Eighth Tennessee was on picket duty above Varnell's Station, where they were attacked and driven in by MeCook's division, U. S. cavalry. They were met by the Fourth, Ninth, and Eleventh Tennessee, and checked up until the Texas brigade charged and routed them, capturing Col. La Grange and two hundred and fifty men. We lost several. A few days after, Gen.
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Wheeler moved on the enemy, supported by Gen. Hindman's infantry. He ex- cused the Tennessee brigade because of their severe fight a few days before, but it was not long until the Tennessee boys were sent for to move the enemy in Wheel- er's front. The Eighth was deployed, and moved up the line on Gen. Wheeler's right, and soon captured fifteen or twenty prisoners. Going on, they drove the enemy back. The Ninth and Tenth came in the rear, and charging the enemy drove them rapidly back, causing the whole line in Gen. Wheeler's front to re- tire. As the Ninth and Tenth were re-forming, an officer and twenty men. re- turning from a scout, came near the Eighth, when they fired a volley into the scouting party, who fled at full speed. Coming up in the rear of the Ninth and Tenth, they poured a volley into them, killing and wounding every one of the party save one, and he feigned death for awhile. Every horse was killed or totally ruined. We did not lose a man, and the enemy was driven from the field. One man of the Ninth was killed by accident. In the first engagement with MeCook's cavalry last above, Hugh Carrick, acting as courier, was mortally wounded.
On the retreat of Gen. Johnston's army from Dalton to Atlanta the cavalry was in the rear, and there was scarcely a day during the long march that the Eighth, with some of the Tennessee brigade, was not engaged in a skirmish, picket fight, or regular battle. At Dalton they had a hard skirmish with overwhelming numbers. At Calhoun and at Resaca they had a hard fight, losing some men. Kelly's division, of which the Eighth was a part, was the last to cross the river. After the infantry had retired and destroyed the bridge, they moved up the river seven miles, and crossed just before day without loss. During the day they re- captured the hospital of Gen. Hindman's command that had been captured by the enemy. The charge was led by Biffle and the Ninth supported by the Eighth. In this charge the gallant and handsome Jack Nicholson, son of Hon. A. O. P. Nicholson, charged through the enemy's lines, and was killed in their rear. He was a member of the Ninth.
The Eighth acted a conspicuous part in all the skirmishes along the line of re- treat-at Calhoun; at Cartersville; at New Hope Church, where Montgomery Lowry was killed; at Dallas; in front of Kennesaw Mountain. In retreating from Marietta the Eighth was engaged in a very severe contest, and lost several men. At Chattahoocheeiver they were among the last to cross, and were in a lively skirmish for several hours before crossing. After crossing, the Eighth. with the remainder of the Tennessee brigade, was ordered up the river to resist the advance of the enemy, who had effected a crossing near Roswell factory. We moved up in the night, placed out strong pickets, and secured two pieces of artil- lery that had been abandoned by the Georgia militia, and prevented any advance or marauding by the enemy. Our camp was at Poplar Springs, on the Peach-tree road, until ordered back across Peach-tree Creek on the day Gen. Hood super- seded Gen. Johnston in command of the Army of Tennessee.
We moved back and out to Dallas just in time to see the enemy driven from this place and to take some action in the skirmish. From here we went to Stone Mountain, and there had quite a lively fight, in which our friend Col. Minty, who had twice fought us near Sparta, was engaged. We were holding the enemy at bay, and would have repulsed them, but Gen. Kelly notified us of a large force moving toward our rear, and directed us to fall back to Conyers. In this engage- ment the Tennessee brigade and Huggins's battery participated, and all fought
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bravely. While at Conyers Gen. Stoneman, with his command, passed around us in the direction of Macon. We reported the facts, and begged for permission to pursue, which was denied us, and twenty-four hours after he passed Gen. Will- ianis started in pursuit, and captured his command. We could have come up with him much sooner.
On the 10th of August, 1861, the Eighth Tennessee, reduced from nine hundred and twenty-one men when mustered into service in September, 1862, to one hun- dred and forty effective men mounted and ready for duty, marched with the bri- gade and Gen. Wheeler on his contemplated raid into Middle Tennessee. We had no serious trouble until we reached Dalton, where we had a lively fight. We captured the town, with a number of prisoners and a large quantity of supplies, and drove the enemy into their fort, a very strong position. The brigade charged the fort, and would have captured it but for Gen. Kelly's order to stop the charge and retire. The enemy in the fort, hearing the order to retire, poured a murder- ous fire into our ranks, doing considerable damage. While this fight lasted it was severe and the result doubtful, but we have always believed that if Gen. Kelly had not checked the charge we would have captured the fort and the entire gar- rison. Our loss was not very heavy, considering the hazardous undertaking. After destroying the railroad-track, ete., we moved in the direction of Tunnel Hill the next morning, and were met by a heavy force of infantry. After skirmishing awhile, Gen. Wheeler ordered us to move on in the direction of Spring Place and the Hiawassee River, which we crossed above Charleston. We sent scouts to see if we could ford the Tennessee River at Cottonport. Capt. McReynolds, of the Eighth, reported that we could; other scouts sent by Gen. Wheeler reported we could not. After consultation, Gen. Wheeler decided to move via Maryville and Strawberry Plains, and did so. The Eighth insisted on crossing at Cottonport and going in advance, but this was denied them. The garrison at Maryville was captured, and near Strawberry Plains we met the enemy and ran them back to Knoxville.
At Post Oak Springs the Eighth Tennessee was allowed to move in advance, and that day marched to Sparta, fifty-five miles, and the men allowed to visit their homes, to report back within three days. On Cherry Creek a few of the men met with a company of Col. Garret's regiment, who charged them, and shot one of our boys eight or ten times, but did not kill him. They learned from him what command he belonged to, when they beat a hasty retreat to Carthage. They were of Capt. Pennington's company, who had terrorized over the people of White county, their home, in a shameful manner. Hence their flight. In passing Sparta, Gen. Wheeler authorized the Eighth to remain two days longer to gather up ab- sentees and recruits and get such supplies as they could, and promised that if he was compelled to fall back from in front of Nashville he would fall back toward the mountains and would meet us.
At the expiration of the two days nearly all the men met at Sparta, according to promise, with a great many absentees and fresh recruits, when we took up the line of march to overtake Gen. Wheeler, expecting to meet him between Lebanon and Nashville. We gathered up the strugglers from the entire command, which, with the recruits and absentees, increased our entire force to about eleven hundred men, not more than three hundred of whom were armed. The absentees were greatly rejoiced at the chance of rejoining their old regiment. Many of them
-
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had been hunted for like wild beasts. Some had been killed, the houses of some had been burned and their families insulted and abused, and they had longed for a chance to get back into the army to avenge their wrongs.
At Lebanon we learned that Gen. Wheeler had been repulsed in front of Nash- ville, and had fallen back via Franklin and Columbia; that Gen. Kelly, our di- vision commander, had been killed. We turned across, intending to try to cross the Nashville and Chattanooga road west of Murfreesboro. Sending scouts to as- certain the force in our front. they reported all the crossings strongly guarded. The enemy had been advised of our force being in the rear and of our condition. We then moved in the direction of Woodbury, intending to try to cross the rail- road near Tullahoma and join Gen. Wheeler before he crossed the Tennessee River. After marching until about one o'clock at night, and having had great trouble to keep up and together the command of recruits unarmed and stragglers from all of the other commands, we went into camp just south of Readyville, placing out pickets, and feeding our horses from a field near MeBroom's. The picket on the Murfreesboro pike was from the Fifth Georgia. After we had gone into camp it is said a Union citizen went rapidly to Murfreesboro, ten miles dis- tant, and notified the commanding officer. It is said he estimated our force at twelve hundred, with one-fourth only armed. Just about day, as orders were given to saddle and move, the enemy-Col. Jordan, of the Ninth Pennsylvania Caval- ry, with others-charged into our camp, having surrounded and captured the pickets without firing a gun. The surprise was complete. Scarcely a horse was saddled, and the utmost confusion ensued. The charging enemy came in from up the pike with drawn sabers, and immediately surrounded McBroom's house and searched it for the Colonel of the Eighth, who had slept under a sugar-tree in the grove. Our men scattered in every direction. Capt. Bilbrey and Capt. Gore. of the Eighth, and others, formed on the hill-side, and others formed on the opposite side, which checked and alarmed our foes. Only a few followed our stampeded force to Woodbury, where they were met by Capt. George Carter and several of his men, and many killed and several prisoners captured. The enemy hastily gathered up the prisoners and returned to Murfreesboro. Had they continued their pursuit, they could have destroyed our command, as we had but three hun- dred armed men, with but little ammunition, and about eight hundred unarmed men, mostly raw recruits. Our loss on this occasion from the entire command was two killed and about one hundred and twenty captured. Several were wounded. We captured about fifteen prisoners and killed seven. We gathered as many to- gether as possible, and moved across the Caney Fork, below Rock Island, where nearly all of those who had escaped were together again. From there we went across the river into Van Buren county, and were preparing rations, etc., to more across the mountains next day, intending to try to cross the Tennessee River about Cottonport, when we received a dispatch from Gens. Williams and Robertson that they had been cut off from Gen. Wheeler and were marching to join us. This was good news to us, and we gladly awaited their coming.
On stopping at Sparta, as we came into Middle Tennessee, the Eighth Tennes- see had but one hundred and forty men for duty; as we were going out now we had nearly five hundred men, many of whom were unarmed, but all eager to be equipped and to do duty for their country. They had become desperate at seeing
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