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 30
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REGIMENTAL HISTONES AND MEMORIAL ROLLS.
the manner in which they and the people of the country had been imposed upon, abused, and in every way insulted and degraded.
At Sparta a consultation of officers was had and the course to pursue in going out agreed upon. They moved up as if going into Kentucky, until they reached Sinking Cane, then turned and marched across the Cumberland Mountains, via Wartburg, Robertsville, Sneedville, etc., to Rogersville, and thence to Bristol, where we heard of Gen. Burbridge's move on the salt works at Saltville. We were ordered ont to Castle Woods to meet Burbridge, and while there were ordered to move rapidly to Saltville, as Burbridge was within twenty-five miles of the works with a large force, and the only troops in his front were Col. Giltner with two hundred and fifty men. We started, and marched all night, reaching Salt- ville, about 10 A.r., to find that Burbridge had arrived and was skirmishing with the troops under Gen. " Mudwall" Jackson. We had sent four hundred unarmed men, under Capts. Barry and Swearingen to Abingdon for arms. They had been ordered to Saltville, but refused to obey orders, as they said, from any militia of- ficers, but would await the coming of their regiment. When they saw their com- mand come in sight they gave a hearty cheer and fell into line, and without halt- ing the regiment was placed in line on the right, and in front of the residence of old Governor Sanders, where we could see Burbridge's efforts to drive in our lines in the center. Gen. Robertson's brigade was on our left, and the Eighth Tennes- see, commanded by Capt. Leftwich, was on Robertson's right, and the left of the Tennesseans. We finally saw four regiments move around to our front. We were on a high hill. Our vedettes heard Gen. Burbridge's speech to his soldiers, two regiments of whom were negroes. He told them that the destruction of the salt works was worth more to them than the capture of Richmond; appealed to the negroes to fight; and finally they moved in great confusion on our lines, firing as they advanced. Our boys had made some temporary defenses out of logs, fence- rails, etc., and had ample time for their coming, as they had to climb a steep hill-side covered with a thick coat of briers. The negroes were put in front, and driven through the briers. The Eighth had a good position, and as the enemy emerged from the brier-field they were generally shot down. The fight lasted several hours. Our ammunition was getting very low, and we sent repeatedly for a supply without getting it. For some unexplained reason Gen. Robertson with- drew his brigade farther up the hill, leaving our left exposed, which let the ene- my in upon our left flank and rear, compelling us to fall back a short distance to the ditches, where we again formed and opened upon them with MeClung's bat- tery, when they ceased firing, and night put an end to the battle.
As the enemy began to emerge from the brier-thicket, some of the Eighth became exasperated when they saw it was negroes in front. Lieut. John Webb, of Company F, leaped over his log breastworks, with pistol in hand, and was shot down. His brother, Lieut. Thomas C. Webb, Alex. A. Reagan, and several oth- ers, were badly wounded. The gallant Capt. George Carter was killed, and the soldier who shot him was riddled with balls. Capt. Jeff. Leftwich was command- ing the Eighth, and every officer and soldier fought bravely. Lient W. P. Cha- pin, afterward Major, was captured by his horse being shot and falling upon him so that he could not extricate himself. He took his captors to where he knew that Capt. Andrew C. Dale was stationed with a detachment, when they fired upon and killed several of those guarding Chapin, and released him. Early next
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morning we found that Burbridge had retreated during the night, leaving his dead and wounded upon the battle-field. We endeavored to intercept him by eressing the Clinch Mountain via an old Indian trail, where we could only march in sin- gle file. Night overtook us, and it was very dark, and before all of the command got across the mountain Burbridge had passed, and we returned to Saltville. Oar wounded were sent to Emory and Heury College, and kindly cared for, and our dead decently buried. The enemy's loss was over five hundred killed, besides a large number wounded. This was the first fight the recruits had been in. and they did splendidly; in fact, the whole command fought bravely. The Eighth was in the hottest place during the engagement, and did more execution than any other regiment, although the whole command did splendid fighting, and was com- plimented by Gens. Williams and Breckinridge, who arrived before the fight was over.
From Saltville we moved back to Georgia, and were marching to overtake Gen. Hood, who had started for Tennessee, when we received an order from Gen. Wheeler to return to the front of Atlanta, to meet Gen. Sherman on his march to the sea. This was a severe blow to the Eighth Tennessee, as they were very anx- ious to return to their native State and do their duty in trying to relieve our dis- tressed homes. A good soldier never disobeys orders, so we about-faced, and marched back to the front of Atlanta, near Griffin, and awaited Gen. Sherman's move. Very soon Gen. Sherman, with his immense army, was on the march. The cavalry could do very little to impede him; but we did what we could, and kept his stragglers up pretty well, and prevented much destruction of property. Although he "smashed things," as he, in his letter to Gen. Grant, said he would do, many of his men, captured in their acts of vandalism, met their fate, and eeased to depredate upon defenseless women and children. The tales of suffering of citizens in the line of Gen. Sherman's march through South Georgia and South Carolina were sickening in the extreme. We had some skirmishing but no seri- ous engagement until we had passed Macon, whither we marched from Forsyth, through the rain, after 12 o'clock at night, reaching Macon at daylight, where we fed, erossed the river, and had a sharp skirmish that afternoon about Macon. The next day we had a lively dash with Kilpatrick's cavalry near Griswoldville, which they had burned. We had several picket fights and skirmishes, and were in pursuit of Kilpatrick's cavalry. Coming up with them in the night of No- vember 28, Gen. Wheeler attacked them vigorously about daylight. The Tennes see brigade was in the rear; Gen. Wheeler was repulsed, and meeting this bri- gade gave orders for them to charge down the road, meeting the enemy. The escort was composed of boys selected from the Eighth. They gallantly led the charge, followed by the Fourth Tennessee (Col. MeLemore), and then the Eighth (Capt. Leftwich). We charged the enemy, drove them behind their rail-works. and were ordered back. We then moved around to our right and charged them again as they were retreating, and routed them. We killed and captured several of the enemy. Our loss was light. Every horse in the escort that led the charge was wounded, and several of the boys, among them Bud Dozier, the Bugler, and others.
At Buck Head church Gen. Wheeler overtook the enemy again, charged and routed them. They destroyed the bridge over Buck Head Creek in their retreat, but we soon had it repaired by using the seats which we took from the church.
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The Tennessee brigade was then ordered to take the lead and move to the rear of the enemy. We crossed and, from the information, had moved, as we thought, to the rear of the enemy, when we turned to the road and struck the enemy's pickets. Charging them, we had a running fight for about half a mile, when we struck Gen. Kilpatrick's entire command, strongly fortified behind rail-works, with a very strong position, our approach to which was through a large field, with- out any protection whatever. They had selected and fortified this position to re- main during the night. They poured volley after volley of small arms into us, and played upon us with several pieces of artillery; but we held the ground taker, and returned their fire, until reinforcements arrived upon our right, when Kil- patrick abandoned his works and beat a hasty retreat. We pursued him some dis- tance, until the night getting very dark we gave up the chase and went into camp; but Kilpatrick did not stop until he got back to Gen. Sherman's infantry. In this day's figliting we were actively engaged from daylight until nine or ten o'clock at night, the Eighth Tennessee sharing largely in the hard struggles of the day. They made the last charge upon the enemy's lines, meeting a perfect hail-storni of shot and shell from Kilpatrick's artillery, in which Houston Farley, Ander- son Copeland, and others, were killed, and Capt. A. C. Dale and several others wounded. Dr. Jo. C. Evans's horse had his head torn off with a cannon-ball just as he had dismounted to throw a fence down for the charge. Capt. Mounce L. Gore led this last charge in person.
In a few days after this Kilpatrick came back to Waynesboro, supported by a large infantry force. The Eiglith Tennessee was in advance and made a gallant resistance to the approach of the cavalry, but when the infantry came up to their support they charged the Eighth, broke our lines, and captured several of the Eighth Tennessee and killed several. Lieut. Pendergrass and John Williams were killed, James Hickey and Lient. Selby and several others wounded and capt- ured. We retired through the town, making a stand on its north side, where the Eighth, with Huggins's battery, made a gallant fight, and repulsed the enemy, until the Fourth Tennessee, who were dismounted, had ample time to mount and retire; then we retired at our leisure, and were not pursued. From this place on to near Savannah, Ga., we were almost daily in a skirmish with some of Gen. Sherman's army. Sometimes we were in his advance, blockading roads; then in his rear pick- ing up his stragglers; then upon his flanks, driving his maranders into line. We were constantly on the move, without rest, and frequently, when in the rear, scarce of rations and forage, as Sherman's army left nothing that they could carry away. They destroyed stock, grain, barns, cotton-gins, burned houses, and tried what de- struction they could make. The writer saw respectable ladies, who had always had plenty, in the deserted camps of Sherman's army gathering up the waste corn for bread.
Below Sister's Ferry, on the Savannah River, we came up with the enemy after they had gone into camp, and pressed them hard. Their infantry was camped in their rear and across a swamp; a part of the Eighth Tennessee, under Capt. Bilbrey, was in front, when their cavalry charged us up a long, pretty sandy road. Our boys stood and fired a volley into them and then retreated until we met Maj. Jo. Shaw with his gallant little battalion coming at full speed to our rescue. We wheeled and joined in the charge, and turned the enemy's charge into a regular stampede. As they went back, the Fourth Tennessee fired a volley into their right 43
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flank, they having moved around to get in their rear and failed because of a swamp they could not cross. This increased the stampede, and they ran through the swamp leaving as much sign as if a drove of wild cattle had stamped over it. In this battle the gallant Maj. Jo. Shaw was mortally wounded by a sharp-shoote: about dusk. The enemy retreated during the night, and we had no more serious fighting in Georgia. We followed Gen. Sherman's army across Ebenezer Swamp. and until he entered Savannah. During the pursuit, Gen. Sherman's army had so effectually destroyed every thing in their line of march that we were ten days without an issue of meal or flour, subsisting upon potatoes and such rations as we could get in the country. We crossed the Savannah River into South Carolina at Hendron's Ferry in a steamer, and passing through an immense swamp after night reached dry land. Then moved via Robertsville to Chevis's rice plantation, six miles above and opposite Savannah. Here we rested several days, foraging our horses upon rice. Then moved back by Robertsville to Grahamville and Henry Hill, where we scouted and picketed up Broad River as far as Bee Creek. Two gun-boats were in Broad River at Boyd's Neck, three miles from our camps, and twice the enemy from these gun-boats ventured out to attack our pickets, and were both times repulsed and driven back to their gun-boats. When Gen. Sherman crossed. into South Carolina, we were ordered back to Sumterville, where we re- mained about a week blockading the roads in Sherman's front. But when the Fit- teenth Army Corps moved upon us while blockading, etc., our little band-con- sisting of the Eighth and Fourth Tennessee, Shaw's battalion, Breckinridge's Kentucky brigade, and Wiggers's Arkansas battery-made a desperate resistance, and held the whole Fifteenth Army Corps at bay for five long hours, and until notified that Gen. Wheeler had been driven from the road in our rear, leaving our wagon-train greatly exposed and unprotected. We then withdrew, losing in all about fifty men wounded and killed in the engagement. Among these were B. B. Boyd, George Moore, Lieut. James Walker, and several others of the Eighth. Daring the night we retired in the direction of Barnwell, where we joined the remainder of the command the next day.
We were marching through rain and mud to Blackville, S. C., to support the First Alabama, Col. Hagan. When near that place, we met the First Alabama retreating in great confusion, and hotly pursued by the enemy. The Fourth and Eighth Tennessee immediately met the enemy and charged them back to Black- ville, killing and capturing several. We covered Gen. Stevenson's retreat from Branchville to Columbia, and had a very hard fight at Congaree bridge, below Columbia, losing in all fifty men-twenty front Tennessee and thirty front Ken- tueky brigades. Among those wounded at the bridge, William A. Officer is the only one of the Eighth remembered.
After Gen. Sherman's army had crossed the Congaree and come in sight of our infantry lines in a large open field, the Eighth Tennessee was ordered to charge their advance, which they did in splendid style, led by Col. M. L. Gore and others, losing several men and horses wounded. This was as unnecessary an exposure of men as was seen by the writer during the war, but it was an order from the officer commanding, and was promptly obeyed. That night our troops were all with- drawn through Columbia, and the Eighth was placed on picket between Broad and Saluda rivers, until they were shelled out of position by the enemy, who effectel a crossing of the Saluda just below the factory, and a large infantry force was soon
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across the river, and we were forced back to the bridge across Broad River, which to our surprise had been fired by Gen. Anderson's brigade, which was left to guard it, and our entire command had to pass through the burning bridge or suffer capt- ure. Many of the men were badly burned and several dangerously. The next morning the enemy began to cross Broad River in front of Deas's brigade of in- fantry, seemingly without opposition. Our cavalry division was ordered up to support the infantry, but was too late, as the crossing had been effected. We lost two men killed there. We then retired a short distance on the Winnsboro road, and made a stand, witnessing the enemy's march into the proud capital of the State of South Carolina and the burning of the town.
We tried in vain to get many supplies that our troops needed badly at Colum- bia, but failed, and they were nearly or quite all captured by the enemy.
Next day we moved via Winnsboro, etc., to Chesterville.
Gen. Sherman, when he left Columbia, crossed the Catawba River at Rocky Point. Gen. Wheeler put a raft in the river, breaking his pontoon and leaving Blair's army corps south of the river.
The Tennessee and Kentucky brigades were sent back from Chesterville to see what could be done for our sick and wounded at Columbia, and to harass and an noy Gen. Sherman's rear. At Black Stock we turned in his rear, and could tell by the smoke of burning houses where his troops and his advance were. On Sunday evening we sent a scout in the direction of the smoke, and soon they encountered thirty-five or forty Federals amusing themselves at Stroud's mills burning houses, cotton-gins, etc .; and our boys charged and captured the ent'te command.
Next morning we crossed Rock Creek and surprised the enemy, who were out in large force foraging over the country while waiting for the pontoon to be re paired. Col. Gore, commanding the Eighth, captured fourteen wagons and teams and a number of prisoners, while the staff and escort, with others, charged into their camp, greatly alarming them and effectually stopping all further foraging there. Our total captures were one hundred and fifty prisoners, one hundred and fifty horses and mules, and fourteen wagons with harness, loaded principally with forage taken from citizens. Our presence in that locality was a Godsend to the citizens, and they appreciated it greatly.
We then moved up and crossed the Catawba into North Carolina on the rail- road bridge, and passing Monroe and Wadesboro crossed the Great Pedee River at Grassy Island while it was raining hard and the river rising rapidly. We camped the next day and night, and marched sixty-five miles to overtake Gens. Hampton and Wheeler. We joined them just as they were ready to surprise Kilpatrick's camp, which they did just before daylight, capturing four hundred prisoners and releasing one hundred and seventy Confederate prisoners and eiti- zens held by Gen. Kilpatrick. Our division was held in reserve, and when Gen. Sherman's infantry came to the rescue of Kilpatrick's cavalry, Hampton and Wheeler were forced to fall back; and then the little Tennessee brigade, composed of the Fourth and Eighth and Shaw's battalion, was brought into action in a gal- lop, and for an hour and ten minutes made one of the best horseback fights made during the war. They effectually checked the enemy's advance, and held them at bay until all the disorganized cavalry had got together; and we then retired at our leisure, after losing several good men and horses. Among the soldiers
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wounded was Lient. Cass, shot through the lungs; but he recovered, and has since died from the effects of that wound. He was a gallant boy.
We had a skirmish in passing through Fayetteville, N. C., and participated in the battle at Averysboro, and were hotly engaged on the 18th and 19th of March at the battle of Bentonville, and on the 20th skirmished, protecting our right flank.
After the battle at Bentonville Gen. Sherman moved to Goldsboro, and we moved to Nahunta, near Pikeville, where Capt. York's company of scouts pickel up a number of prisoners during the ten or twelve days we remained at this place.
On the 10th of April Gen. Sherman moved on us from Goldsboro, and as we could not resist his crossing Nahunta Swamp, we had a hard skirmish, in which James Short and Tom Bass, of the Fourth Tennessee, were killed, being the last soldiers killed in action.
On the 11th of April, 1865, we made our last fight at Beulah, N. C., near Little River, the bridge over which we destroyed. This was a stubborn fight, with sev- eral wounded, but none killed. It was said that Isaac D. Reagan, of Co. C, Eighth Tennessee Cavalry, fired the last shot in this engagement.
On the 12th of April we crossed the Neuse River at Battle's bridge, and then learned the truth of Gen. Lee's disaster in front of Petersburg, which Sherman'- men had been hallooing to us for two days before, but we did not believe it. Mov- ing up to Raleigh that evening we were ordered to march as rapidly as we cooki to Greensboro, eighty-five miles distant, and report to President Davis. Starting just before sundown, with the little Kentucky and Tennessee brigade and Wis- gers's Arkansas battery, we made the march to Greensboro in two days and nights. a very hard march. Arriving at Greensboro, N. C., about twelve o'clock at night. we reported in person to Gen. Breckinridge, Secretary of War, and President In- vis, and received orders and instructions as to our future movements. Our men and horses were fatigued, and needed rest after the hard march. On the next day Greensboro was full of soldiers from Gen. Lee's army, together with a great many stragglers, State troops, and others, all of whom were greatly demoralized. and many soldiers were drinking. It was said there were some supplies in the town that the soldiers wanted, and the authorities in charge were destroying va-t quantities of alcohol and other supplies. In the evening some of the cavalry had got into the crowd, and to disperse them all a certain cowardly Lieut. Molloy. of the North Carolina State troops, ordered his men to fire npon the others, which they did, killing James Brown, of Co. D, Eighth Tennessee Cavalry, and wound- ing one other soldier. This was the last death in the regiment, and his death was a cold-blooded murder, perpetrated by order of Lieut. Molloy, and caused great indignation with the cavalry, as Brown was an extra good soldier and a popular young man, a brother of Lieut .- col. Brown, of the Sixteenth Tennessee Infantry. On account of this affair the command that evening, with President Davis and his staff, moved out six or eight miles and camped for the night. We then proceeded via Lexington, Saulsbury, etc .. to Charlotte, N. C., escorting President Davis and his Cabinet, and guarding his trains and picketing and scouting in every direction, causing heavy duty.
At Charlotte, N. C., Gens. Vaughn and Duke, with their brigades from Western Virginia, joined us, and soon Gen. Ferguson, with his brigade, also joined us, and
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we moved on, the Tennessee and Kentucky brigades doing the principal part of the scouting and picket duty until we reached Abbeville, S. C., where the last consul- tation was had at the house of Hon. Mr. Burt. There were present President Davis, Gen. J. C. Breckinridge, Gen. Braxton Bragg, Gen. G. G. Dibrell, Gen. J. C. Vaughn, Gen. B. W. Duke, Gen. Ferguson, and Col. W. C. P. Breckinridge. It was there decided to break up the command, let those who desired to accept the terms of Gen. J. E. Johnston's surrender do so, and those who wanted to go to the trans-Mississippi do so; President Davis saying he would take his staff, his per- sonal escort, and the company of Capt. Given Campbell's Kentucky troops we had assigned him, and look out for himself. It was farther agreed that on crossing the Savannah River the next morning the entire command would halt and some spe- cie belonging to the Government in our train should be divided among all the sol- diers present. At eleven o'clock at night we moved from Abbeville, S. C., and crossed the Savannah River into Georgia, and halted near Washington, where, as per agreement, one hundred and eight thousand dollars was divided among the soldiers, each soldier receiving twenty-six dollars and twenty-five cents. This was on the 3d of May, 1865, and on the 11th of May we were paroled by Capt. Lot Abrahams, of the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, and moved in a body for our homes in Tennessee.
From the day we reported to President Davis at Greensboro, N. C., until the surrender at Washington, Ga., the gallant Tennessee boys did splendid service, and never faltered in any daty assigned them. Notwithstanding thousands of pa. roled and badly demoralized troops were passing us daily, still they kept their or- ganization intact. During all this trying time only two young men of good fam- ilies left, and their names are withheld. It was frequently said that ours was the only organized command east of the Mississippi River.
The Eighth Tennessee Regiment went into service October, 1862, with nine hundred and twenty-one men, and her last report for muster when we stopped to surrender showed three hundred and eighty-one men present and accounted for on the roll, which was a good showing for three and a half years hard service, and the many difficulties the regiment had to encounter and the many hard-fought battles the regiment had been engaged in. After receiving our paroles on the 11th of May, we started in a body for Tennessee, and marched unmolested until we reached our native State of Tennessee, where we camped on the Connesauga River, in Polk county, and intended crossing the Tennessee at the mouth of the Hiawassee; but a squad of soldiers was sent out from Cleveland, Tenn., to meet us and bring us by that place, where, as soon as we marched into town, a guard was placed around us by the Provost-marshal and a rigid search made of the person of every soldier for a pistol, cartridge, United States belt or buckle, or any thing bearing U. S. While this search was going on several loyalists were putting up false claims for horses, cattle, and all kinds of property; and one Simeon E. Brow- der sued several officers of the Eighth for ten thousand dollars damages for camp- ing on him the previous night, and for all his losses during the war. We had be- gun to think we had fallen among a den of thieves, until Col. Smith, of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Illinois-a nice gentleman, and no doubt a gallant offi- cer, who had just assumed command of the post-came to our rescue and checked the Provost-marshal in his mad career, and stopped the annoyance of the citizens. We were very thankful to Col. Smith for his kindly interference and for informa-
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