ROBESON COUNTY, NC - MILITARY - Brief War Record of Major Thomas Jones Wooten
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Brief War Record of Major Thomas Jones Wooten 
              1861-1865

Selections from War Correspondence published during and since Civil War.

General Lee Compliments the Sharpshooters of Lane's Brigade

It is due the corps of sharp-shooter of my brigade to state that after the
flank movement on the 12 of May, General Lee sent for me and told me that he
had witnessed the gallantry of these brave men, as well as the cheerfulness
with which they had endured the hardships of the day, and that he had such a
high appreciation of their services as to make him unwilling to order them
forward again, but as they had thoroughly tried and wished to make another
very important reconnaissance on the Fredericksburg road, he would be glad if
they would make it for him.  I at once told him that however tired they might
be I knew they would go wherever he wished them.  To which he replied, " I
will not send them unless they are willing to go."  I went for Capt. W. T.
Nicholson, at that time commanding them, and introduced him to General Lee,
who repeated what he had just said to me.  In a few minutes afterwards our
sharpshooters passed General Lee with cheers, and again pushed vigorously to
the front."

After the last interview Captain Nicholson and I went back to the corps, and
the captain told his officers and men all that had occurred between General
Lee and ourselves, and I added that I knew in complying with General Lee's
request, they would not forget that they had already covered themselves with
glory and had an enviable reputation to sustain. General Lee presented a
magnificent appearance as he sat on "Traveler, " just where the works crossed
the road immediately in front of the courthouse.  As the crops of
sharpshooters passed that grand old chieftain your brother, who was at the
head of the column, raised his cap as the signal and the whole command wildly
yelled-yelled as only brave men can under such circumstances.  General Lee
simply but gracefully removed his hat and remained uncovered until the whole
command was well to the front.  The brave fellows who were holding the lines
witnessed it all, and they, too rent the air with shouts and continued their
cheers until the corps had rapidly deployed to the right of the road and was
lost to view.  It was a grand sight and made my heart swell with love and
pride.

At that time General A. P. Hill was sick and General Early was in command of
his corps.  On the 18th of the month your brave brother and his sharpshooters
were resting in the inner line and the re-entrant angle, where we had a
battery plated.  As soon as the Yankees espied us they opened upon us with the
artillery in front of that memorable salient, and forced all of us to seek
shelter behind the inner line.  As we were doing so I saw them taking some one
to the rear, and on asking who it was, I was told that it was Captain
Nicholson, who had been wounded with a fragment of one of the many shells that
were flying over us.  

After your brother was thus wounded, I put Major Thomas J. Wooten, of the 18th
North Carolina-another brave hero, but as modest as a blushing girl in charge
of our corps of sharpshooters, and he continued in command until the surrender
at Appomattox Court House.  Under him the corps continued to add to its
already splendid reputation, especially in its first dash at the enemy's
picket line at the Davis House in front of Petersburg, which called forth
complimentary official communications from superior headquarters; in its
double-quick deployment, advance and captures in the battle of Jones Farm in
the presence of a large number of general officers; in its sudden dash into
the works at the Pegram House, after Brander's Artillery had thrown the enemy
into confusion, and where its captures exceeded its own strength; an in the
part it bore in the recapture of the hill in front of our quarters which had
been taken from us on the day of Gordon's attack on Fort Stedman.  It also
behaved with conspicuous gallantry when Grant broke our lines at Petersburg,
and on the retreat to Appomattox Court House, as it was frequently thrown
forward and fought the enemy when the brigade was not engaged.

On the 20th of May General Earley, (who was in command of A.P. Hill's Corps)
General Lane and Wilcox and a number of staff officers were standing talking
in the field near the brick kiln and not far from the right of the corps of
sharpshooters.  The enemy espied them through the opening in front of the
salient, and honored them with a short but rapid artillery salute.  The group
was scattered but no one was struck.  Nicholson, however, who was on the right
of his line was badly wounded and was borne from the field.

Major Thomas J. Wooten, of the Eighteenth Regiment was then ordered to take
charge of the corps, and he continued in command until the surrender at
Appomattox Court House.  Young, cool, brave, but modest as a girl, Wooten was
worthy to succeed two such dashing, fearless and efficient commanders as Knox
and Nicholson.  He soon won the confidence and affection of those brave
sharpshooters.

This corps rendered splendid service from Spottsylvania to Petersburg.  It
began its brilliant career around Petersburg by surprising and capturing the
enemy's videttes and reserves at the Davis House without losing a man.  In
recognition of its gallantry on this occasion, the following complimentary
letters addressed to Wooten, were embodied in a general order and read on
parade to all the regiments in the brigade:

                     Headquarters Lane's Brigade
                                    September 9, 1864
    General Order No. 21

    The following communications are published to the brigade, not only as an 
act due the distinguished merit of this gallant recipient, but whit "the hope 
that it may encourage officers and men to emulate this noble example:
               
                    Headquarters Wilcox's Light Div.
                                   September 7, 1864
  
   Major:-The major-general commanding desires me to express his gratitude in 
transmitting the enclosed letter from Maj. Starke, A.A. G. Third Army Corps, 
conveying the congratulations of Lieutenant General Hill to you upon your 
handsome capture of the enemy's videttes at the Davis Home, and also to 
acknowledge his own appreciation, not only of this affair, but of the valuable 
service rendered by you and the gallant officers and men under your command 
during the arduous campaign of the last four months.

    I am, Major, yours respectfully,

            Jos. A. Englehard, A.A. G.

            
         Headquarters Cane's Brigade
                    September 9, 1864

Major Thomas J. Wooten, Commander Sharpshooters

Major:  The Brigadier General commanding feels a proud pleasure in 
transmitting to you the congratulatory notes of Lieutenant General Hill and 
Major General Wilcox.  And while he added to these well-earned compliments his 
own hearty congratulations upon the brilliant accomplishment of your well-
conceived purpose, he rejoices that you have furnished him this fitting 
opportunity of formally thanking you and your gallant command for the steady 
performance of every duty- whether of dangerous enterprise or laborious 
watching-which has distinguished your actions since the campaign began.

   With great respect, your obedient servant,   E.J. Hale, Jr., A.A.T.

Wooten adopted a tactics of his own which was known as "Wooten's Seine 
Hauling."  With the whole or a part of his command, he would move by the flank 
in double ranks toward the enemy's line, taking advantage of all natural 
features; and sometimes the command would crawl until within running distance.  
Then they would quietly rush forward.  Wooten would halt on the lines of pits, 
and when the rear of his command reached him, he would order both ranks to 
fact outward and wheel. Wheeling on Wooten as the pivot they would return at a 
run in single rank, empty every pit before them, and never fire a gun.  The 
major was never so happy as when engaged in "seine hauling." After prowling 
around the enemy's line, he would repair to brigade headquarters for 
permission to make another "catch."  Whenever the general reminded him that 
nothing definite was to be accomplished by such attacks, that he was 
endangering the lives of his men, and that he (the general) would not give one 
of those noble fellows for a hundred Yankees.  Wooten would assure him that no 
one could love his men more than he did, and he would promise not to let any 
of them get hurt.  It was always on this condition that permission was 
granted, with the further understanding that his exploits would cease just as 
soon as he lost a man, killed, wounded or captured. Not a man was ever lost.

On the morning of the 30th of September, troops were ordered from the right of
Petersburg by General Lee to the south side of the James to re-enforce those
already engaged there, and the new works at the Pegram House were left to be
defended by a weak skirmish line of dismounted cavalry.  After crossing the
Appomattox and marching beyond Ettricks the order was countermanded as the
right was threatened.  That afternoon Lane's Brigade was ordered to form line
on right of the road leading to the Jones House.  The enemy was forcing the
cavalry skirmishers back so rapidly that Wooten was compelled to deploy his
sharpshooters at double quick and push hurriedly forward.  He did it so
dexterously- so quickly, and with the capture of so many prisoners, it
elicited the out shaken administration of a group of general officers who
witnessed the movements and brilliant dash.  One of the group remarked to
General Lee that it was the handsomest thing of the kind he had seen during
the war.  

Next day, the first of October, Brander's  Artillery infiladed  the works at
the Pegram House while a demoralizing and destructive fire, and as the enemy
sought shelter in a depression, the Watchful Wooten rushed over the works with
his brave sharpshooters and captured twice as many prisoners as he had men.
Brander's Artillery, seeing dimly through the smoke, to many prisoners going
to the rear, thought the enemy were advancing and turning their guns on them
fired several times before they discovered their mistake.  Some of the
prisoners were wounded, and a few were killed, but strange to say all the
sharpshooters escaped.  General Wilcox, who was near, also made a narrow
escape.

After Gordon's attack on Fort Stedman, the enemy swept the whole Confederate
picket line from Hatcher's Run to Lieutenant Run, and got possession of a hill
from which they could fire into the winter quarters of Lane's Brigade.
General Wilcox was sick at the time and Lane was in command of the division.  

Early next day General Lee, sent for General Lane to inquire whether he had
re-established that part of the line.  When he told that he had, except the
hill, the old Confederate asked if he could take that. "Yes sir! I will take
it tonight if you say so, " was the reply.  General Lee then ordered him to
reconnoiter the line and determine when and how to make the attack.

As General Land and Major Wooten inspected the line that beautiful Sunday
morning, and were pointing out and discussing how best to accomplish the work
before them, some of the observant men were heard to remark: "Look yonder,
fellows, at the General and the Major_____."

The hill was taken next morning without losing a single man.  Later in the day
a squad of Yankees were seen pulling something through the bushes, and when
one of the men yelled to them to know what they were doing, he received the
ready answer:"Your Major Hooten is so fond of running up the hollows and
breaking our lines, we are putting a gun here to give him warmer welcome next
time he comes."  The major had used that ravine or hollow in making the
attack.  This brave officer was generally known on the enemy's skirmish line
as "Major Hooten."  On two or more occasions when there was a real flag of
truce between the contending armies, some of the Federal officers asked for
"Major Hooten." And requested an introduction to him. 

During that winter General Lane received a note from General Wilcox asking if
he would "catch a Yankee" that night for General Lee, as some of the enemy
were in motion, and General Lee had not been able to get the desired
information through his scouts.  Wooten was sent for at his hands. After
sitting in silence for sometime, with his eyes upon the floor, he looked up
with a bright face and said: " I can get him."  The whole corps wanted to go
"seine hauling" that night but it was thought best to take only part of the
command.  It was a moonlight night, the woods proved to be further from the
enemy's line than was expected, and the men had to crawl some distance through
the grass and weeds.

When Wooten, at the head of the small crawling column, sprang to his feet, he
excitedly uttered a questionable ejaculation, a most unusual thing for him.
The men laughed and said: "Listen at our Major." And away they all rushed for
that promised Yankee.  Early next morning Wooten, followed by a crowd of
laughing ragged rebels, marched seven prisoners to the brigade headquarters.
With a merry good morning he remarked: " I couldn't get that promised Yankee,
General Lee, but I caught seven Dutchmen." Not one of the seven could speak a
word of English.  They were at once sent to division headquarters with a note
from the brigade giving the credit of the capture to Wooten and his men, and
stating that if General Lee could make anything out of their "foreign
gibberish" it was more than he could.

After the line had been broken by Grant in the spring of 1865, and the Brigade
driven from the works, this corps fought in the regular line, and helped clear
the works as far as the Jones Farm road where the brigade was confronted by
two lines of battle, and a strong line of skirmishers.  To escape destruction
or capture, the brigade retired under order to Battery Gregg and Howard's
Damn.

In the retreat to Appomattox court House the crew was necessarily kept very
busy, and on several occasions it bravely encountered the enemy when not a
single shot was fired by any of the regiments.

Where is Major Wooten for whom his old commander has the greatest admiration? 
He ought to let North Carolina in peace know what he and his brave and well-
drilled corps of sharpshooters did for her in war.  As already stated, a finer
body of soldiers the world never saw.
                                             James H. Lane