SMITH COUNTY, TN - MILITARY - N.C. Pope and Clabe West, Civil War Story
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Contributor's Nte:  This story was written by my grandmother, Ella Frances 
Miller Highers.
It is unedited for spelling and punctuation.
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A true story of civil war

 I remember a story told me by N.C. Pope who seen service with
Forest Cavelry during the dark days of civil war.  After
destroying block houses and capturing quite a lot supplies
along the railroad, leading through the southern part of the
state of Tennessee and nearing the Ala. line, information
was recorded by scouting parties that a fleet of Yankee
gun boats was ascending the Tenn. river.  I regret very much
that I do not remember the point on the Tenn. river.  Forest
hastened by forced March to reach the river at a suitable
location above the place where the boats was located they
reached the desired location at about sundown and planted
his batteries and heavy field guns with the intention
capturing or destroying the fleet.
 While the preporations was going on, the unsuspecting yankee
boats could be heard a considerable distance down the river, and
it was thought would not reach the point where Forest had located
for his attacked before daylight next morning. It was there that
Clabe West then a beardless boy but one, who survived the dangers
and hardships of these great conflicts and lived to a ripe old
age an honered citizen of Smith county, planed an expidition on
his own act, that for daring, is one of the many daring feats
of those stiring times. Clabe reasoned to himself, that when
these batteries opened up if the steamers was disabled, they would
naturally steam across to the opisite side of the river and moor
or sink as the case would be determined, by the damage done, and that
the crew would escape capture. So acting on this decision he slipped
out late at night, got by the sentries, and wended his way about
a mile up the river as he often recited, secured an old slab and
swam the Tenn. river, concealed himself on the oposite side
of the river for any thing that should happen.
 The fleet did arrive, at a point just oposite the concealed
batteries, at just about daylight and when the batteries
opened up on them they made for the other shore in a badly
disabled condition. it seems that the officers and crew were at
breakfast when forced to escape from the disabled boats to
avoid capture and the story goes when Forest seen that the crew
would escape capture. He detailed officers and men to cross the
river to take possession of the disabled boats and any thing in the
way of supplies, especially any arms amunition or food stuff.
When these officers and men reached the Forest vessle and boarded
it, they found the breakfast table all spread with endless
amount of food ready to be served. and in the center of the table
a 2 gal. jug of good old apple brandy and one lone guest, sitting
at the table and helping himself to the best. No doubt you have
already guessed that this lone guest was the same Clabe West,
who had swam the Tenn. river on a slab in order to the the first
rebel to sit at that table.
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NOTE:  John Waggoner, Jr. of Smith County, TN, provided this information
concerning N. C. Pope and Clabe West, the two men mentioned in this civil war 
story:

" Clabe West would be Claiborne West who lived in the Difficult area of Smith
Co.. He and Nathan C. Pope were both members of 22nd Barteau's Cav Co  and
served in the Mississippi and West Tennessee area most of the time.  They were
serving with Nathan Forrest when N.C. Pope was wounded at Paducah, Ky on March
25, 1864. Clabe West was wounded July 14th 1864. The book " Hancock's Diary or
a History of the Second Tennessee Cavalry CSA" mentions both these men several
times and records their units military action."


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