LINCOLN COUNTY TN - MILITARY - WILLIAM LOTON SHOFNER Pension *************************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Lucy Adams McLean *************************************************************************************** WILLIAM LOTON SHOFNER'S ACCOUNT OF CONFEDERATE SERVICE: 1861-May 6, 1865 Company K: The Mulberry Riflemen (Infantry) Escort to Gen. Nathan Bedford Forest (Cavalry) [The following is taken from TENNESSEANS IN THE CIVIL WAR: A Military History of Confederate and Union Units with Available Rosters of Personnel: Part I. Published by the CIVIL WAR CENTENNIAL COMMISSION, Nashville, Tennessee, 1964.] 8th TENNESSEE INFANTRY REGIMENT. Company K. "The Mulberry Riflemen." "A report from Company 'K' dated January 9, 1864, stated that this company was organized April 24, 1861, at Mulberry Station, Lincoln County; was received into state service at Camp Harris, Franklin County; and organized as part of the 8th Tennessee Infantry Regiment at Camp Trousdale; mustered into Confederate service July 31, 1861 at Big Springs, Virginia. It took part in the Cheat Mountain Campaign, fought at Corinth, Mississippi, Munfordville and Perryville, Kentucky, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. It reported a cumulative total of nine killed, 51 wounded, 12 died of disease, 48 deserted, 28 honorably discharged, nine transferred to other commands, and two furnished substitutes who had deserted." The following Confederate soldier's narrative is taken from a questionnaire sent to surviving Confederate soldiers in the 1920's: WILLIAM LOTON SHOFNER Pension No. S3155 Confederate States of America "I will give you a short sketch of my Soldier Career during the Civil War between the States. I enlisted in Company K of the 8th Tennessee Regiment of Volunteers, commanded by Col. Alfred Fulton. I was elected Second Lieutenant for the twelve months. At the reorganization at Corinth, Miss. I was no candidate for re-election my first experience in the War was in the Cheet Mountain Expedition, when my Company left Fayetteville, May 14, 1861 for Camps we landed at Estill Springs and we drilled some at that place, three months and then had orders to move to Camp Trousdale near Gallatin, Tennessee, in Sumner County. There we went through a scourge of measles and lost a good many Soldiers. We were there some time, and were ordered from there to Petersburg, Va. Here we remained some time. Our next move was to Huntersville, Va. and from there to Marlin Bottom, Va. and then to the Big Springs, getting in trim for the Cheet Mountain Expedition. After running all over Cheet Mountain we landed at Dublin Depot on the railroad and back to Petersburg, Va. and from there we were ordered to Pocotaligo, S.C. and went in camps there and remained until April 1862 and from there to Corinth, Miss. to be at the Shiloh Battle but did not get there in time to participate in said Battle and then went into camps and remained for some time or until Bragg's Expedition into Kentucky. From Corinth we went to Chattanooga, and prepared for our march into Kentucky…landed at Munfordsville, Ky., captured the Post at a great sacrifice to our army, here was made the greatest blunder and mistake made during the entire War. We had Buel's Army cut off from Louisville and could have crushed him out before he could get any assistance from Louisville when Bragg switched off to Perryville and the Yankees licked him up and he had to make his way back to Tennessee. So we came out of Cumberland Gap. This winds up my experience with the Infantry. I will relate some of my experiences with the Calvary Service under Gen. Forest. I came home from Cumberland Gap and went to Gen. Forest's Escort at Spring Hill at the home of Maj. Cheairs. I done Guard duty and Courier duty until we were ordered to Alabama to meet the YANKS and meet them during this time General Strait had organized a picked force to make his raid into Georgia. He had some twenty four hours the start of us, but it was not long before we were on his heels and we kept them hot for seventy two hours and finally we ran him down. Gen. Forest was the only man living at that time that could have captured Strait. When he surrendered to Gen. Forest, Forest played the Poker Game on him and bluffed him into surrender. When Strait surrendered we had something like 600 effective soldiers and Strait surrendered 1800. I saw them stack their guns in the bottom not far from where he capitulated the surrender. I wish to make some additional remarks about the Strait Raid, I wish to call attention to the part that Miss Emma Sanson played. Her mother lived near a bridge on Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama. The banks were steep and the Yanks had burned the bridge, when Gen. Forest rode up and asked the question, "Is there any ford that I can cross with my forces?" Miss Emma spoke up and said she could show him a ford where cattle used to cross. He said to get up behind him and go and show him the ford. There was a pine log lying beside the yard fence. She got up behind him from that pine log, with a white sun bonnet on. I being a Courier that day had the honor of accompanying him and Miss Emma. We rode out into the bottom…a quarter of a mile. There we all dismounted and I held the horses until they made their inspection. They went down to the house, where Miss Emma dismounted and Gen. Forest went to work to get his army across the creek and wasn't long about the task. I wish to say to the public that that Pine log that Miss Emma mounted on is still lying there to day and in a perfect state of preservation." [Contributed by Lucy Adams McLean, great-granddaughter of William Loton Shofner.]