Statewide County TN Archives Military Records.....Chapter XIII Civilwar 1st TN Cavalry (Union) ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 13, 2007, 5:08 pm Chapter XIII CHAPTER XIII. RAID BELOW ATLANTA—GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY— DEATH OF LIEUT. ROBERTS—BROWNLOW REFUSES TO SURRENDER—CUTS THE LINES—HARDSHIPS OF THE MEN— SWIMMING THE CHATTAHOOCHEE. DIVISION OP THE MISSISSIPPI, July 25th, 1864. SPECIAL FIELD ORDER NO. 42. General McCook and Colonel Harrison's cavalry will move rapidly on Fayetteville and the railroad beyond, breaking it if possible. General McCook will command the joint cavalry command, his own and Colonel Harrison's, but will use Colonel Harrison's fatigued command as a reserve, and his own to reach the road and break it. The railroad when reached must be substantially destroyed for a space of two to five miles, telegraph wires pulled down as far as possible and hid in water or destroyed. The cavalry will, unless otherwise ordered, move out at daylight of Wednesday, the 27th instant, and aim to reach and break the railroad during the day or night of the 28th, and, having accomplished this work, will return to their proper flank of the army. It will be seen from the above order that Sherman had resolved to break the two main roads running south from Atlanta. Stoneman, with five thousand men, was to move upon and destroy the Atlanta & Macon road, while McCook, with a force of about three thousand, five hundred men and one section of Lilly's Eighteenth Indiana Battery, was to break the Atlanta & West Point road. Before starting, Stoneman asked permission to make an attempt with his own division to release the two thousand Union prisoners at Macon and the twenty thousand at Andersonville. Before starting on this raid, the Fourth Kentucky Mounted Infantry was attached to the First Brigade, taking the place of the Second Michigan, which had previously been sent to Middle Tennessee, where the veteran portion of the regiment was doing guard duty along the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. General John T. Croxton, a young and gallant Kentuckian, and the former colonel of the Fourth Kentucky, was placed in command of the brigade and remained its commander until our muster-out. McCook's division was composed of three brigades. Croxton's brigade was composed of three regiments, and had an aggregate strength at that time of only nine hundred and forty officers and men. Everything was put in "trim" for the raid, and on the morning of the 27th, McCook moved his division back and crossed to the north side of the Chattahoochee River at Turner's Ferry. From this place the division was moved south to Campbellton, reaching the latter place at 3 p. m. From this point we still moved south about six miles to Smith's Ferry, which is almost opposite Palmetto Station. Here a pontoon bridge was laid, and we again crossed to the south side early on the morning of the 28th with but slight opposition. After crossing, the whole command mounted and moved rapidly toward Palmetto Station, on the Atlanta & West Point road, with the Second Brigade in the advance. About two and one-half miles from the river the roads fork. Croxton's brigade took the right-hand road and, with the First Tennessee in the advance, pressed on rapidly, encountering only small squads of the enemy, reaching Palmetto Station at sunset, simultaneously with the Second Brigade, which had moved on the left-hand road. At this place two hours were spent in destroying the railroad and telegraph line. We captured the mail, burned the depot, which contained a lot of cotton and a large quantity of salt, bacon and flour; tore up and destroyed the railroad track, cut and pulled down the telegraph wire, and at 9 p. m. mounted and moved toward Lovejoy's Station, on the Atlanta & Macon road, by way of Fayetteville, which was reached at daylight on the 29th, destroying at this place the mail and a lot of tobacco, whiskey and sacks. At 5 a. m. the First Tennessee was ordered forward, supported by a battalion of the Eighth Iowa under Major Root, capturing on the way about five hundred loaded wagons, which we turned over to the rear guard to burn, and in this way we were able to help many a distressed quartermaster to make settlement and "balance accounts." The most of the wagons belonged to Hood's army, and among them were several paymasters, with chests well filled with Confederate money. The boys filled their pockets, and on meeting a comrade who had failed to "suddenly become rich," would make him a present of a few thousand dollars by way of a joke. We were soon overstocked with quartermasters, paymasters, teamsters and camp-followers, and, to be truthful, we had all the good horses and mules that we needed. The sorry ones were ordered to be killed. As we approached Flint River, the Confederates fired the bridge, but the First Tennessee, led by Colonel Brownlow, charged across the burning bridge, captured the guard, extinguished the fire and saved the bridge. We reached the railroad at Lovejoy's Station at 7 a. m., after an ail-night march, and immediately cut the wire, and then commenced the destruction of the track, depot and cars. Major Thornburgh, First Tennessee, and Major Root, Eighth Iowa, were ordered to the Station with their battalions to destroy the depot, cars and all other property, which they did most effectually. They destroyed three hundred thousand dollars' worth of cotton and salt, one hundred dollars' worth of tobacco—so estimated by our officers —besides a large quantity of bacon, lard and some miscellaneous property. While this was going on, the road was lined with men, who were busy tearing up the track and rendering the rails useless by heating and bending them around trees or over a pile of cross-ties. When an army was pressed for time, the usual method of rendering rails unfit for use was the bending process, which was both simple and quickly done. A dozen or so ties were piled together, and across this the rails were placed side by side until it was thoroughly covered; on each end of the rails two heavy ties were placed, and when the rails got hot enough from the burning ties the weight on the ends would force them to the ground, while the raiders would be many miles away. General McCook expected to communicate with Stoneman from this place, as he was supposed to be at or near McDonough, and for that purpose kept his division waiting until 2 p. m. At times the troops had to cease the destruction of the road and take up their arms for battle. McCook, finding it impossible to communicate with Stoneman, decided that it was unwise and dangerous to wait longer and ordered his command to return to Moore's bridge, on the Chattahoochee River, by the way of Newnan, on the Atlanta & West Point road. The delay almost proved fatal, as his command was almost surrounded by Wheeler's cavalry before starting. McCook had not moved his division more than one mile when Croxton's brigade, which was in the rear, was cut off from the remainder of the division and attacked with great vigor from the front and right flank by Armstrong's division. The enemy rushed upon our little brigade with all the ferocity of savages, but after a severe hand-to-hand conflict they were handsomely repulsed, but not without severe loss to the brigade. Colonel Dorr, Eighth Iowa, was wounded, his adjutant and one lieutenant killed. The First Tennessee mourned the loss of Lieutenant John Roberts, Company C, who fell in this engagement, and like a true soldier died at his post of duty. He was brave, kind and courteous, beloved by all, and especially by the members of his company, who knew of his worth. His remains now rest in the beautiful National Cemetery at Marietta, Georgia. The writer visited the cemetery a few years ago and found his grave. The Fourth Kentucky lost two companies by capture, and several men killed and wounded. After this spirited engagement, Croxton was able to withdraw his brigade, and now moved rapidly forward and overtook the division. McCook now turned to the left and moved toward Newnan, with the Second brigade in the rear, until Flint River was reached. Here the division commander again placed Croxton's brigade in the rear, and during that July night it covered the rear. The command was kept moving as rapidly as possible, but the column was greatly impeded by the pack-train and prisoners, which at times completely blocked the road. The men and horses were quite exhausted, and it was no uncommon thing to find the men riding along sound asleep, regardless of the strict orders from the officers to keep awake and the column well closed up. All this time the rear guard was hard pressed and the keen crack of the carbine was heard ringing out on the midnight air, warning us that the enemy was close upon the rear, covered by the gallant Fourth Kentucky, under Colonel Kelly. The advance guard was fired upon several times during the night, and we momentarily expected to be attacked in flank, as there seemed to be a great many roads tapping the one over which we were marching. When Croxton's brigade reached the bridge over White Water Creek, the First Tennessee was halted and formed in line, covering the road where it crossed the stream, with orders to destroy the bridge and then cover the rear to Newnan, which was about ten miles southwest. The rear now became the place of honor, as well as danger, but the First Tennessee never asked for an easy place. A small train of wagons was captured and destroyed during the night. About 10 a. m. on the 30th, the advance guard reached the Atlanta & West Point road near Newnan, and immediately cut the telegraph wire and destroyed the road in three places. This accomplished, McCook pushed on to Newnan, where he encountered an infantry force that had been stopped on its way to Atlanta by the break he had made in the road at Palmetto on the 28th. McCook, finding the force at this place too strong and escape cut off by this route, moved to the left and rear of the town, with Harrison's brigade in the rear. He had moved his division but a short distance, when he found a heavy force in his front. This temporary check gave the infantry time to move up to the support of Wheeler's cavalry, which greatly outnumbered the Union troops. Wheeler had with him the divisions of Armstrong, Jackson and Roddy. The pursuing cavalry now had him completely hemmed in and he was compelled to drop his captives and fight. McCook's small division, which had been greatly reduced by death and capture, was in great danger of being captured. He ordered his command to prepare for action. Croxton was ordered to form his brigade in line of battle, covering a road to his right, with the Eighth Iowa on the left, the Fourth Kentucky in the center and the First Tennessee on the right. The troops were dismounted, and at the command charged forward under a hot fire, driving back the enemy on this part of the line and holding them in check. Just then a force was seen advancing in line of battle in McCook's front. Croxton was ordered to mount his brigade and move forward at once. This order was executed promptly and in gallant style by the Eighth Iowa, supported by the First Tennessee, in which Rose's brigade of Texas troops were driven back in great confusion, the general and a part of his staff being captured. McCook's division was almost surrounded and all avenues of escape nearly cut off. The fighting was severe; in fact, it was one series of brilliant charges and countercharges. Lieutenant Miller, who was in command of the section of Lilly's batery, had in the two hours of hard fighting used up all the canister, and had only a few shells left. The enemy was fast closing in upon his guns when the First Tennessee was ordered to charge and save them if possible. The regiment raised the "yell," and in a few minutes the enemy was sent flying to the rear. The regiment captured several prisoners in this charge, and after sending them to the rear, charged on after the flying enemy until their second line was reached. Here the firing was very heavy, and all that saved us was, they fired too high. The regiment was then ordered to fall back. The chances of escape now looked bad, and thoughts of a horrible prison life seemed close at hand, for only a short distance away were the well-known prison pens of Andersonville and Macon, where at that time twenty-two thousand Union soldiers were confined. McCook ordered Lieuteant Miller to destroy his two guns, which had been doing such deadly work, cut the harness to pieces and mount his men on the artillery horses. All this time the enemy was fast closing in on all sides and, so far as we could see, we were completely surrounded. McCook had put every man he had into the fight, even his escort, and then was unable to hold the advantage gained or even get through their line. McCook, finding his position completely enveloped by a vastly superior force, and when the day seemed lost and all hope of escape abandoned, called a council of his brigade and regimental commanders to decide what to do. McCook spoke of their calamity and the prospect of being made prisoners, when Colonel Brownlow remarked that he would be d____d if he would ever surrender. "What," said McCook, "will you do? How can you help it?" "Why," said Brownlow, "I can and will cut my way out. I would about as soon be killed in the attempt as to be sent to Andersonville or Libby. They treat Southerners worse in those prisons than they do you Northern men, and I am going to cut my way out if my men will follow me." When Colonel Brownlow returned to his regiment and told the men what he proposed to do, they raised a shout and said, "You are right, Colonel; by G—d, we will follow you!" Then Brownlow went in one direction and McCook another both reaching Marietta about the same time. Brownlow was ordered to lead the brigade in this forlorn hope. The route selected was through a large open field, but upon examination an impassable ditch was found, but, afer some little delay Brownlow's eagle eye caught sight of a small bridge, across which he led his regiment. Croxton rode out with Colonel Brownlow, and after crossing the ravine ordered Brownlow to form his regiment on the crest of a ridge, facing the enemy. Croxton ordered up the remainder of his brigade and sent McCook word that he was out and that the road was clear. McCook at once ordered Croxton to move south in the direction of LaGrange, but in a short time became separated from his brigade. Colonel Brownlow, supposing that he was captured, assumed command and moved in the direction of the Chattahoochee River. The command was badly scattered, and it seemed like the old-time adage was about to be fulfilled—"Boys, take care of yourselves, and the devil take the hindmost man." McCook came through with detachments of the Second and Third brigades, while a portion of the Second remained with Brownlow. It was about 5 p. m., July 30, when the command left the field near Newnan, and now began a race for life. The men and horses were utterly exhausted and worn out. The men had been constantly in the saddle day and night ever since the 27th of June, with almost constant fighting and no sleep except the "forty winks" snatched while on the march. But the men were nerved up to the supreme effort by the surrounding circumstances. The Chattahoochee River, with its steep, rugged banks and swift-flowing current, with no means of crossing, was in our front and must be crossed before morning. All prisoners and led horses were dropped before starting, and with a hostile army in our rear we made very good time during the night. Colonel Brownlow kept his weary column moving as rapidly as the circumstances would permit, and at 1 a. m. on the 31st reached the Chattahoochee River at Rotherwood. At this place Brownlow found two small canoes, and immediately commenced crossing his troops, which was necessarily a slow one on account of the limited means at hand. Colonel Brownlow displayed great energy and courage on this occasion and set a noble example to his men by swimming the river time and again, helping his men to cross. Scores of the men, becoming impatient at the slow process, plunged their horses into the river and succeeded in gaining the opposite shore, while others would "grab" a horse's tail and make the poor animal perform double duty. When from two to three hundred had succceeded in crossing, the enemy made an attack from both sides of the river and captured scores of men, who, from exhaustion and want of sleep, had laid down while the men in front were crossing, thinking they were in no danger. It was about seventy-five miles from this place to Marietta, and as the greater part of the men had lost their horses at the river, the journey had to be made on foot. The route was through a hostile country, and as the news had gone forth that the country was alive with "Yankees" every old Georgia farmer who had a gun was on the lookout for our men. The Confederate cavalry was divided up into small squads and kept the country through which we traveled thoroughly guarded, making escape exceedingly doubtful. Some of the boys were captured almost in sight of the Union pickets. Others were pursued through thickets and swamps, but at last reached the Union line at Marietta. Among the first to arrive was Colonel Brownlow and a small detachment of men from different regiments. On the 2nd day of August, the boys began to come into camp, some barefooted, others without hats, but each one with a story that would fill a volume. The regiment was greatly reduced before starting on the raid, and the writer is sorry that he is unable to give the strength at that time. The First Tennessee sustained the following loss on the raid, which is very light considering the amount of service rendered: Killed—Company C, First Lieutenant John Roberts. Wounded and Captured—Company K, Bugler James Ray; Company M, Private B. F. Hously. Captured—Adjutant John M. Harris and Hospital Steward S. H. Hendrix; Company A, Captain Moses Wiley, Privates Colby Payne and William Ward; Company D, Privates D. C. C. Brown and John Earls; Company I, Privates William Gharst, Hugh Davis, W. F. Williams and Jeremiah Rogers; Company C, Corporal John A. Potter; Company K, Lieutenant A. M. Smith and Private John Dunn; Company L, Private Jacob Collier; Company M, Farier S. R. Taylor, Privates S. J. Felknor and Jacob McNeese; Company B, Calvin Wolf. The officers were first taken to Macon and after a short stay at that place were sent to Charleston and from there to Columbia. The enlisted men were sent to Andersonville, where, after several months of suffering, some were exchanged, while others answered to the last roll-call on earth and passed over the river and joined the vast army beyond. "Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead! Dear as the blood ye gave; No impious footsteps here shall tread The herbage of your grave! Nor shall your glory be forgot While Fame her record keeps, Or Honor points the hallowed spot Where valor proudly sleeps." After a hasty review of the raid, no just criticism can be made of its management, for it was planned by an able general and promptly and faithfully executed by a skilful and brave general, backed and supported by gallant officers and men. It is exceedingly doubtful, however, if McCook had not waited so long at Lovejoy's Station to hear from Stoneman, that any misfortune would have overtaken his command. The valuable time lost was wisely improved by the enemy, who was rapidly concentrating his forces at Loveioy, with Wheeler between our command and that of Stoneman. When McCook left Lovejoy for Newnan, a large force was in his rear, as well as on his flanks, so by the time his division reached Newnan it was almost surrounded, and nothing saved it from capture but stubborn fighting. McCook, in his official report of the raid, says: "I regard the raid as a brilliant success, and had the forces of General Stoneman been able to unite with mine near McDonough, as I understood was contemplated by the general commanding the military division, I think we might have successively carried our arms wherever we desired, and accomplished more magnificent results than any raid in the history of the war. My whole loss, killed, wounded and missing, will not exceed five hundred. It is not improper here to refer to the fact that the rebel papers acknowledge a loss of from eight to nine hundred, and severely censure their generals for not having, with their vastly superior force, entirely destroyed our whole command. In concluding my report, I desire to make special mention of Colonel Brownlow, First Tennessee, and other officers of my command." * * * By the 10th, the most of the scattered troops had eluded their pursuers and made their way to our camp at Marietta. Stoneman's command did not fare so well. It seems that he moved direct to Macon for the purpose of releasing the Union prisoners confined there, but was unsuccessful. He went close enough to shell the town, but the place was too strongly fortified, and he withdrew a short distance, where he and several hundred of his men were captured. The remainder of his troops cut their way out and returned. Stoneman's troops, however, did considerable damage to the road. After the famous McCook raid in the rear of Atlanta, the First Tennessee lay quietly in camp at Marietta, enjoying for a short time the first rest since the opening of the campaign. This was a very long and active campaign, lasting for one hundred days. During a portion of the time there was almost a continuous downpour of rain, making the roads almost impassable, consequently all the movements of the army were slow and difficult. Magnificent forts and long lines of rifle-pits had been built by Johnson's army across our line of march to check the invading army. These works had cost weeks of hard labor, but were all wrested from the prudent and sagacious Confederate commander, General Joseph E. Johnson. These were the fruits of months of hard, patient service and were obtained at a cost to us of hundreds of brave men. When Sherman found the works too formidable to be taken by assault, he resorted to his well-known "flanking business," which usually produced the desired result. The following report will give the reader an idea of the cost of war and what we were doing all this time. General J. M. Brannan, chief of artillery, Army of the Cumberland, reported the following expenditure of ammunition from May 3 to September 3: Eighty-six thousand, six hundred and eleven rounds of artillery ammunition, and eleven million, eight hundred and fifteen thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine rounds of small-arms ammunition, used by the Army of the Cumberland alone. The official report of General W. L. Elliott, commander-in-chief of the cavalry, Army of the Cumberland, during the Atlanta campaign for the same period, shows a loss in McCook's division of eleven hundred and forty-eight officers and enlisted men, killed, wounded and missing. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF THE FIRST REGIMENT OF Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry IN THE GREAT WAR OF THE REBELLION, WITH THE ARMIES OF THE OHIO AND CUMBERLAND, UNDER GENERALS MORGAN, ROSECRANS, THOMAS, STANLEY AND WILSON. 1862-1865. BY W. R. CARTER, COMPANY C. ILLUSTRATED. KNOXVILLE, TENN.: GAUT-OGDEN CO., PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 1902. Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1896, by W. R. CARTER, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. TO THE SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE FIRST TENNESSEE CAVALRY; TO THE MEMORY OF OUR DECEASED COMRADES AND THEIR KINDRED; TO THE MARTYRED PATRIOTS OF EAST TENNESSEE WHO DIED ON THE GALLOWS AND IN PRISON, AND TO THE LOYAL AND PATRIOTIC PEOPLE WHO SYMPATHIZED WITH THEM, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, IN FRATERNITY, CHARITY AND LOYALTY, BY THE AUTHOR. 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