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 37
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When the battle of Belmont, Mo., began Gen. Pillow's division, including my battalion, were in line at Columbus, awaiting orders to march to Bowling Green, Ky., to join Gen. A. S. Johnston. When the battle opened I was ordered to take two of my companies and cross the river. Upon my arrival I joined Lient .- col. Miller, who had two companies of Mississippi cavalry with him. The Federal cavalry had flanked our forces, and with their right wing resting upon the river- bank, formed in line below some cut-down timber, and were delivering a galling enfilading fire upon the gallant Thirteenth Tennessee Infantry Regiment, com- manded most skillfully by Col. John V. Wright. There was only a narrow wag- on-way through the felled timber by which we could reach the Federal cavalry. Col. Miller and myself formed our commands into a column of twos, and charged with pistol and saber, not using our carbines. We drove the Federal cavalry from the field, and we saw them no more; but I was informed later in the day by a
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prisoner we captured that they rallied upon Gen. Grant, about a mile in the rear of the battle-field, where the bushes were so thick that no one could see the combat- ants. By this time the entire Federal line had broken, and was in full retreat to their boats, a short distance above. I passed around the felled timber, and struck the left flank of the retreating enemy, and cut off a Federal regiment of infantry, commanded by Col. Buford, brother of Gen. Abe Buford; but his command retired across a large wet, marshy swamp, where my horses could not follow, and we failed to "take them in." I then moved up and attacked the troops on my left, who were making for the boats. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow stopped the movement, and ordered us to push on several miles above and attack the troops upon the trans- ports as they passed up. Upon reaching the ground the command was dismounted, and we moved to the river-bank, when two transports soon came along close to bank, the decks and gnards loaded to overflowing. They had got away from our little army below, and were jollifying over their escape, although they had left many of their comrades upon the battle-field. A gun-boat was below them shell- ing the woods. My men were concealed along the bank, and at the word opened fire with carbines and double-barrel shot-guns upon the solid mass of Federal sol- diers upon the boats. The havoc must have been terrible, for we were at close range. The yells and screams of the troops on board were heart-rending, and I was really relieved when the boats got out of range. But by this time the gun- boats came in range and opened fire upon us, and, as we had not then learned to capture gun-boats with cavalry, we retired to our horses and back to Columbus. My battalion then went into winter-quarters at Moscow, Ky., ten miles from Co- lumbus, where we remained until Gen. Polk evacuated Columbus, when we cov- ered his retreat to Humboldt, Tenn. The battalion then took post at Union City near the Kentucky line. This was the last of my having command of the Sixth Battalion Tennessee Cavalry.
Gen. A. S. Johnston had written to the President that he was anxious to test the lance as a weapon for mounted men. The President favored his views, and called upon Gen. Johnston to select an officer to raise, organize, and command a regiment. Gen. Johnston ordered me to go to Richmond, and gave me a letter to President Davis, asking that I be commissioned. Gen. Johnston's letter was of such a complimentary nature to me that upon reading it the President indorsed on the back of it the following: "The Secretary of War will give this officer whatever he asks." I felt complimented, but it was because of the indorsement I received from Gen. Johnston, for I knew that the President had so high a regard for the judgment of Gen. Johnston that he was willing to heartily indorse his recommendation. I was authorized to enlist men whose term of one year's service was nearly out, and select all ten of the companies from the infantry; but while waiting for the battle of Shiloh to pass over, when Gen. Beauregard would trans- fer the men to me, Congress enacted the conscript law, which held every man in the regiment he was in, thus breaking up my proposed regiment of lancers.
THE FIFTEENTH TENNESSEE REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.
In the summer of 1863 I received authority from the Secretary of War to raise a volunteer regiment of cavalry in West Tennessee. I organized a full regiment, sent my muster-roll on to the Secretary of War, and I was commissioned Colo-
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nel of the Sixteenth Tennessee Cavalry. This regiment was enlisted, organized, and partly equipped in West Tennessee, which was called "inside of the lines," as a cordon of Federal troops were posted along the Memphis and Charleston railroad from Memphis to Huntsville, Ala. The Lieutenant-colonel of the Six- teenth Tennessee Cavalry was James H. Murray, of Fayette county, Tennessee, and the Major was Thomas S. Webb, then of Memphis, and now of Knoxville, Teun.
Early in December, 1863, Gen. N. B. Forrest arrived in West Tennessee, and took command of that department. He desired to raise as large a command as possible, and for that purpose he caused officers commanding regiments, battalions, and companies to send squads of their commands in different directions, with or- ders to conscript every man of suitable age they could find. While almost his entire command was thus engaged, I, with two companies of my regiment, was performing the service of watching the movements of the Federals at Memphis and down the railroad. . I soon gave information of a large force moving up the Memphis and Charleston railroad east, and strengthening every post and guarding every outlet on that line. It was a critical moment for Gen. Forrest, who had his . head-quarters at Jackson, Tenn. From other sources he learned of a simultane- ous movement of troops from the Tennessee River and other points upon Jack- son, and he was compelled to be stirring. He issued a last order for the comman- dants of regiments to collect their squads of men, and report at certain places to him as he moved toward Memphis. I received the order at day-break, when twen- ty-five miles from Memphis, and had to report, "with my entire regiment," that evening twenty-five miles farther east. My men were scattered over three coun- ties, and I was compelled to report to Gen. Forrest with only three hundred men, and went with him into Mississippi. Upon arriving at Oxford, Miss., there were none of the new regiments that had over three hundred men, all the rest being still in Tennessee. I regret to say that a very large portion of those so left could never be induced to come out. But without waiting to know about this, Gen. Forrest determined to reorganize all the regiments; consequently my regiment (the Sixteenth Tennessee Cavalry) and the Fifteenth Tennessee Cavalry, under Col. Francis M. Stewart, together with a battalion of Mississippi cavalry under Major Solomon Street, were consolidated into a regiment which was thereafter known as the Fifteenth Tennessee Cavalry; but it was in fact a regiment of mounted rifle- men.
The field officers of this regiment were: Colonel, F. M. Stewart; Lieutenant- colonel, T. H. Logwood; Major, Sol. Street, of Tippah county, Mississippi.
The regimental staff were: Capt. John Skeffington, Assistant Quartermaster; A. . B. Tabscott, Surgeon; A. Bruce, Assistant Surgeon; and John L. Barksdale, Lieu- tenant and Adjutant. There were two companies from Mississippi-D and E.
The Captains were: P. W. More, Co. A; James L. Garrison, Co. B; Hugh T. Hanks, Co. C; T. Nutt, Co. D; E. L. Hussey, Co. E; Thos. C. Buchanan, Co. F; R. B. Saunders, Co. H; Peter M. Williams, Co. I; John A. Williamson, Co. K.
The First Lieutenants were: W. R. Griffith, Co. A; Thomas F. Garrison, Co. B; A. B. Henry, Co. C; G. W. Yapp, Co. D; - Johnson, Co. E; J. P. Thur- man, Co. F; J. M. McCaleb, Co. G; J. M. Witherspoon, Co. H; T. W. Allen, Co. I; - Work, Co. K.
The Second Lieutenants were: R. S. Vandyke and Richard T. Gardner, Co.
تبيندجد ١٣ an يبت لي
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A; W. B. Nolley and Wm. D. Brown, Co. B; J. Ray and G. T. Baker, Co. C; L. C. Street, Co. D; F. G. Furgerson and E. S. Thurman, Co. F; P. H. Sutton, Co. G; Robt. Y. Anderson and John L. Seward, Co. I; R. Stone and Virginius W. Swift, Co. K.
At the time of this new organization at Oxford, Miss., not more than fifty of the officers and men had ever drilled an hour, and in this condition the command was ordered to march by Brig .- gen. R. V. Richards, and we proceeded to Gre- nada, Miss., and thence to West Point, where the command of Gen. Forrest met and repulsed a large cavalry force under Gen. Sony Smith. The Fifteenth (my regiment) was in that engagement, was dismounted, and in an hour after the line of the enemy broke and began the retreat. Richardson's brigade was ordered to move back to Grenada, and thence down the Yazoo River, to meet a raiding force that was advancing northward from Yazoo City.
When we arrived in the vicinity of Yazoo City we were joined by a brigade of Texas cavalry commanded by Brig .- gen. Ross. The two commands were united, and an attack upon Yazoo City and the forts surrounding it was determined upon. Gen. Richardson was senior officer, but he voluntarily yielded the command to Gen. Ross because Ross was well acquainted with the country, locality of the forts, and the proper points of attack, while he was not at all familiar with any of them. I deem it my duty to give as much of a detailed account of this battle as I can now remember incidents, inasmuch as Gen. Richardson, of our brigade, was relieved of command soon after this battle, and never made a report of the campaign to Gen. Forrest or any other officer; and Gen. Ross, not being a part of Forrest's command, never made a report to him; and from what I see of a little book published by one "Rose," of Texas, purporting to give a history of that battle, I fear Gen. Ross forgot to mention, in his report to Gen. S. D. Lee, the fact that any Tennessee troops were engaged in that battle.
On the morning of March 5, 1864, the two brigades of Confederate cavalry, dis- mounted, were placed in position for the attack. The Twelfth Tennessee, under command of Col. J. J. Neely, was placed on the extreme left, with directions to receive orders direct from Gen. Ross. In Neely's front was a strong redoubt. It may be proper to state here that Col. Neely was Colonel of the Thirteenth Ten- nessee Cavalry; but on that day there were no field officers of the Twelfth Regi- ment on duty, on account of the sickness of one, absence of another on duty in Tennessee, and the promotion of Col. Richardson. So Col. Neely was placed in command of the Twelfth for the occasion, and Maj. Gwynn Thurman commanded the Thirteenth Regiment in the battle. Two of Ross's regiments were in position to attack and storm the center fort or redoubt, which was upon the main road leading into the city from the east. A Texas battalion, commanded by Maj. Ross, a brother of Gen. Ross, was ordered to make a flank movement by the right of the latter redoubt and open the battle, while the Fifteenth Tennessee, under com- mand of Lieut .- col. T. H. Logwood, was ordered to support Maj. Ross. No pro- vision seems to have been made for attacking the Federal troops that were in the city beyond the forts at that time. The Thirteenth Tennessee, with Thrall's bat- tery, was held in reserve. About 10 A.M. Maj. Ross and myself received orders to move forward. The center fort soon opened a heavy fire of musketry upon us. for they had no artillery. After moving on about two hundred yards I discovered that my regiment was under a heavy enfilading fire from another fort or earth-
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حامد
work to my right. I at once notified Gen. Richardson of the fact, and he came to me and said: "Wall's Legion was sent by Gen. Ross to attack that redoubt, and some mistake seems to have occurred. Your regiment shall not be subject to this cross fire, and I will order both you and Maj. Ross to fall back for the present." I suggested that he permit Maj. Ross to go ahead and let me storm and silence the fort on my right, and thus relieve both Maj. Ross and my- self from the enfilade. He assented, and my regiment was wheeled by the left, and without firing a gun, or the slightest stop, we went over the breastworks with that notable yell for which the Confederates were so well known when they charged in battle. The fort proved to be manned with dismounted Federal cavalry, whose horses were in line in rear of the hill upon which the fort stood. As my men went into the front and side of the fort the Federals went over the rear side, and "stood not upon the order of their going;" but they poured a heavy fire upon us until we began to mount their works. They mounted their horses and fled into the city, which lay before us in a broad, beautiful valley. It is just to say that Wall's Legion, by mistake of a guide, had gone too far to the right, and did not reach the intended point of attack until a few minutes after the Fifteenth Ten- nessee had captured it.
Leaving Wall's Legion in charge of the captured fort, I formed line and pro- ceeded in the direction of Maj. Ross, with the view of executing the original or- der to support him. He was now in close proximity to the left flank of the cen- tral fort, on the slope of the hill, and under a heavy fire of musketry. When I got within supporting distance of him I halted my regiment, and in person went to Maj. Ross, when we at once concluded to jointly storm the fort. The other Confederate regiments were pouring a heavy fire upon the front of the fort, both with muskets and a battery which was attached to Gen. Ross's command. I gave order to load and hold fire, and be ready to storm the fort. The excitement ran high araong my young Tennesseans, and they were eager to get over the breast- works ahead of the gallant Texas veterans under Maj. Ross. I say young Tennes- seans because a large portion of my command were under twenty-one years of age. But before the order to charge was given Gen. Richardson came up, and ordered us not to storm but to fall back. We did so in good order but in sullen silence. It was a disappointment to the boys. I was then ordered to form on the left of Capt. Thrall's battery, the Thirteenth Tennessee Regiment on his right, and with these two regiments the battery moved into the city.
The Federal forces in the city were posted in line so as to front diagonally across streets, yards, lots, gardens, etc., and we had to approach them in their front or subject our flanks to a raking fire. We had to pass over and through fences di- agonally and drive the Federals from each one, for they took advantage of all obstructions, and fired upon us from the doors and windows of every house in our front; but we drove them through the city behind a breastwork of cotton-bales made near the river. It was discovered that the left flank of the cotton-works was not closed, and Gen. Richardson ordered Maj. Thurman to make a flank move- ment to the right and drive the Federals from the cotton. When the movement into the city began the Federal sharp-shooters were posted on the crags and point of the hill overlooking the city, and these at once began to enfilade my left flank. I called Gen. Richardson's attention to this, and he said Gen. Ross had agreed to
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drive the sharp-shooters away; but during the whole time we were going into the city the fire was kept up, and I lost some valuable officers and men.
When our line was confronted by the cotton-bales I asked permission of Gen. Richardson to have a skirmish line in front of the cotton-works, and by a flank movement capture the heights or crags. He assented, and in a few minutes we were on the crags, and we then made a charge on about one hundred Federals who were firing upon us from a rifle-pit about eighty yards in rear of the center fort above named, and took the position. This gave me the full command of the sally-port of that fort. I at once notified Gen. Richardson of what I had done, and of the advantageous position I had gained for storming the fort, and he re- . plied, "When Gen. Ross begins to storm the fort on the front you then charge upon the rear." At the moment I received this order I saw a flag of truce raised by Gen. Ross on the point of a hill or crag to my left, and Gen. Ross in person called to me across the deep ravine to cease firing and raise a white flag, as he was demanding a surrender of the fort. A great deal of time was consumed in negotiations. Although a white flag was fiying from every point on the hill, in- cluding the two forts, where either a Federal or Confederate force had possession, yet the gun-boats which were lying completely in my rear kept up a heavy shell- ing upon my command. The demand for surrender was not obeyed, and soon after firing began I received an order from Gen. Richardson to fall back into the city. I did so, and upon arriving near the place where I left my skirmish line I found the Federals, who opened fire upon me. I soon discovered that Gen. Richardson, with Thrall's battery and the Thirteenth Regiment, had withdrawn from the city, and my route of exit was completely cut off by the enemy, whe had formed a line of battle across my path. My regiment charged through their line and got into an open field, which was very level, and at the rear and north side there was a ditch or gully fifteen feet or more deep There was but one place where this ditch could be crossed except the bridge on the road lead- ing into the north side of the city, and that bridge was in the hands of the Fed- erals. There was a large fallen tree across the ditch, about four hundred yards from us. It was our only chance to escape, and we began to make a retreat across the field in the face and fire of two infantry regiments and a battery. The latter was firing grape-shot and shell.
Right here let me say that a wonderful feat in military maneuvers was per- formed. I determined to make the movement of the rear by echelon of compa- nies, notwithstanding the fact that the regiment had never drilled one hour, and that Maj. Street did not know what echelon meant. I ordered the regiment to form line by lying down, and to open fire upon the Federals, who were at that time only one hundred and fifty yards away and advancing, While the line was form- ing I explained to Maj. Street how I intended to move back. Finding that the troops under Ross were still upon the hill to my left, I did not fear an attempt to flank me by the Federals by the left, so I broke my company on the left by eche- lon to the rear. Maj. Street halted each company when it arrived at the proper place, and I remained at the front and started each company to the rear at the · proper time, with orders to report to Maj. Street. When the log across the ditch was reached a company at a time would cross and take possession of the hill just beyond, which overlooked the valley, and from which they could fire upon the Federals over the heads of my own men. The chase was thus stopped, and the
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Federals hastened to get out of range of our fire. The fight for the day was over, and we went into camp a few miles to the east. My regiment lost one officer, Lieut. Rainey, who belonged to another command and had reported to me the day before the battle. Lieut. Nolley, of Co. A, was wounded by a spent ball. Maj. Gwynn Thurman, who commanded the Thirteenth Regiment, was killed in the hottest of the battle while bravely leading his men. Capt. James Thrall, of the battery of artillery, was painfully wounded in the foot. The next morning I sent a reconnoitering party to the city, and it was discovered that the entire Federal force had left the place and gone down the river by steam-boat. I never knew why orders were not given to storm the two forts that were not taken; but one thing I believe is that if Gen. Ross had ordered a charge by all the troops invest- ing the forts at the time he made the demand for surrender, the central fort would have been taken in ten minutes, and then the other little works would have been at our mercy, as well as the steamer and gun-boats, as the hill commanded the en- tire city and river about it. I will do Gen. Richardson the justice to say that, aft- er he sent me the order by Lieut. Reno to fall back from the hill into the city, he then sent another officer with an order to move back rapidly, and then move out of the city by the route by which I entered it. The officer was too cowardly to come to me, for the shelling was severe from the gun-boats; and I, not thinking but I had plenty of time, moved my right carefully, so as to avoid the shells as much as possible.
The brigade after this moved north and entered West Tennessee at La Grange, and proceeded to Bolivar, where a part of the command had a running fight with a regiment of Federal cavalry under Col. Hurst. I say a running fight because Hurst's regiment was never known to make a fight standing, but it would invaria- bly be on the move and our boys chasing them. My regiment (Fifteenth) remained at Bolivar, performing the duty of scouting toward the Memphis and Charleston railroad on the south and Memphis on the west, until Gen. Forrest moved out of Tennessee. .
About this time Gen. Richardson was relieved of his command, and the brigade was then continued for several months by Col. J. J. Neely as senior Colonel. When Gen. Forrest moved his divison back to Mississippi in the spring, for the purpose of recruiting the horses, one brigade moved from Columbus to Tuscaloosa, , Ala., and on to Blue Mountain, when we reported to Gen. Gideon J. Pillow, and after resting awhile Gen. Pillow moved his command of two brigades into North Georgia, and made an attack upon the Federal forces posted at La Fayette, Ga. The attack was unsuccessful, for the reason that the Federals were protected by the brick walls of the jail and other buildings in which they were posted, with sand- bags in the windows. Gen. Pillow could have easily captured the whole of the Federal command had he possessed one piece of artillery, but those above him in command would not let him have a battery. Gen. Pillow returned to Blue Mount- ain, and our brigade returned to Mississippi by forced marches in order to rejoin Gen. Forrest, who was concentrating all the force possible to meet Gen. A. J. . Smith, who was moving with a large Federal force-twenty-four thousand men of all arms-upon Columbus, Miss., and Selma, Ala.
On the 12th of July, 1864, Neely's brigade arrived at Columbus, Miss., with horses unfit to march farther. The horses were left at that point, and the com- . mand went by rail to Okolona, where we left the train on the morning of the 13th,
-
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and marched on toward Pontotoc; but upon arriving within ten miles of that town we heard firing on our right, and were ordered to move back to the Mobile and Ohio railroad via the road to Tupelo. At ten o'clock that night we reached a point ten miles from Harrisburg, and went into camp, even officers and men being completely broken down. The sun had been intensely hot all day of the 13th, and our cavalry men had never done any marching on foot, and consequently the march of thirty miles was too much for them. But we were up at an early hour the next morning, and moved toward Harrisburg. We were all stiff and sore, and moved slowly and with pain. We got about half-way to Harrisburg, when we heard a few guns, and the boys then stepped out lively and we got the brigade up in time to take our position in line before the final onset. I refer you to the "Campaigns of Gen. Forrest" for a history of that battle. After that battle the command recuperated both men and horses in the prairie, and about the 4th of Angust Neely's Tennessee brigade reached Pontotoc and began to fortify south and east of that town. On the 10th we moved toward Oxford, and went into camp at sunset about ten miles from Oxford. At nine o'clock that night we were moved on. The Fifteenth Tennessee were thrown forward at a trot, and I was ordered to reach Oxford, if possible, before the Federal cavalry got there, but in fact they had arrived at that place at nine o'clock that night. I advanced into the town upon several streets on the east, while Gen. Forrest, who came up at the time with his escort, moved around to the south and entered on that side. That evening Gen. Hatch had got information that Forrest's whole command was at hand, and he moved out of the town with seven thousand cavalry as I moved in. I fed my horses on the forage which Hatch's command had left upon the ground uneaten by their horses. I moved through the town with the head of my column not one hundred yards in the Federal rear; and soon taking in the situation, I did not fire a gun, as our force was too small to fight them. After posting strong pickets on the roads leading north, I returned to town and reported to Gen. Forrest the situ- ation, and he commended me for not firing and letting the enemy know how small our force was, for the reason that none but Neely's brigade could get to us before twelve o'clock next day, and Gen. Hatch had seven thousand Federal cavalry im- mediately in our front. When Forrest's command all came up we took a position on a creek about half-way between Oxford and Abbeville when Gen. A. J. Smith was crossing the Tallahatchie River.
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