We Become the 8th

​

Ten days later Colonel Philip H. Sheridan commanding United States Cavalry, had an experience with Chalmers. Referring to the affair, General Beauregard issued a special order for Tupelo under date 17th, June 1862:

​

"The general commanding takes pleasure in calling the attention of the armies of this Department to the conduct of Captain B. B. McCaa and his command, of Brewer's cavalry regiment, on the morning of the 14th inst., when by a bold and dashing charge, he put to flight a superior force of the enemy's cavalry. In this affair private John Graham was specially distinguished and will be rewarded by a badge of honor on some suitable occasion. This success should teach our cavalry forces what they can accomplish by bravery and daring and should incite them to like deeds of valor".

Prior to the time when Capt. McCaa, as senior Captain and in command of the regiment, was winning honors in Mississippi, Captain Falkner of Co. "B". had his hands full in his assigned duties on another field in connection with the evacuation of Corinth. The following report from him attest to some of the perplexities of his work.

"Camp near Clear Creek, Tenn. June 6th 1862. [ ] Report without address "On the night of 29th ultimo, I received an order in writing at Cypress Bridge, about 1 o'clock, directing me to take my company and Captain Elliott's and march immediately to Kossuth, and to leave Lieut. Prather and ten men; for him to wait until daylight and then to burn the railroad bridge and to do it effectually, and not to burn it until daylight as many trains would pass during the night. Having to send after my pickets and of other causes, I did not leave the camp until about daybreak. As I was about leaving, a man came and inquired for Lieutenant Prather, and informed him that Colonel Searcy had sent him to direct him (Prather) not to destroy the bridge at daylight, as there was yet a number of trains to pass, but stated that the order was not in writing, and the Colonel said it was not necessary it should be. Neither myself or Prather knew the man or whether he was a soldier or not. I then left.

"I think about one hour after sunrise I met a man on horseback inquiring the way to the bridge, and how to find Prather. I told him how to find him. He informed me he had an order for Prather, and it not being sealed, I examined and found it to be from Col. Lindsey. He went on and soon after he had time to get there, I saw the smoke ascending from the bridge. I afterwards saw as many as four trains passing the railroad in that direction. The only order I received was the order in writing above referred to".

"J. Falkner"

"Captain Chambers Cavalry".

There was much confusion relating to the destruction of this bridge and others on the Memphis and Charleston railroad at this time. On July 4th, General Chalmers led the 8th Confederate and two other regiments to attack the enemy, as strong or possibly stronger than himself, at Booneville, Miss. The fight was very warm for two hours, when the invader took to his heels in complete rout. Chalmers reported lost four killed and five wounded; he captured some 40, and prisoners reported as many as 40 killed and wounded. General

Beauregard retired from command on surgeon's certificate. Major General Bragg was immediately promoted to General and given the command. He was a rigid disciplinarian, even to harshness. He shot men for many causes; stealing chickens was avenged by death. The new commander sought to oust officers he did not consider satisfactory and supply their places by his own selections. The law in the premises was naught to him. He raised the lower above the higher arbitrarily and even in the ranks sought out men upon whom he might bestow commissions. An instance of this kind occurred when he appointed the writer, then 3rd Sergeant of Company "A", 8th Confederate Cavalry, much to his surprise, to be captain of his company, and Sergeant James F. Morris of the same company to be 2nd Lieutenant of the same. By resignations and promotion this company had but one commissioned officer on its roster; Col. Wade had no confidence in him, and the General ignored him in filling the company's complement. Bragg paid special attention to his cavalry and kept it constantly employed harassing the enemy and keeping them in constant apprehension. In all the last nine months of hard service, however, the Government had not paid a cent to, at least some of the companies of the 8th Confederate. The outpost duty, with no commissary in reach, reduced the men to the necessity of living off the country, both themselves and their horses, and to bear the expense, they were without means; to forage without orders was against General Bragg's strict rules. They were without needed clothing and the government furnished none.

General Bragg had been startled at the original promotion of 1st Lieutenant of Artillery, Joseph Wheeler, to be Colonel of the 19th Alabama Infantry and bitterly complained to the Secretary of War. Wheeler gained his confidence at Shiloh and since then had been specially ordered, by Bragg's influence, upon various important duties in command of cavalry. When Chalmers reported to General Bragg on July 19th his physical incapacity to discharge the duties of commander of cavalry, at least for the time being, the General of the Army without a moment's hesitation ordered Colonel Wheeler to take the place. Wheeler then lacked about two months of being 26 years of age. Thus began the career unsurpassed, in many respects, in the history of the world's cavalry leaders.

The commanding General ordered the cavalry on a raid into Western Tennessee. The Colonel had first to find his cavalry for it was scattered over a front extending from Ripley, Miss., to the Alabama state line, the men, with the exception of a portion of the 8th Confederate, were little disciplined, the horses generally jaded and very poor and many unshod. Owing to the situation of the 1st Alabama Cavalry, Col. James Clanton, for some weeks previous to the evacuation of Corinth, the horses of this regiment were markedly emaciated. Colonel Wheeler understood that General Bragg wished to invade Tennessee and Kentucky from Chattanooga, and that his expedition into West Tennessee was intended to deceive the enemy at Corinth and in Northern Alabama. He therefore set out to attack Grand Junction in Northern Mississippi. This strategy proved eminently successful. General McClernand hastened to Bolivar with 3,000 men. From Corinth large bodies of troops were hurried to Bolivar. Wheeler, seeing this, burned the railroad and destroyed the track behind Bolivar. He then sent out select and careful parties to burn cotton which the enemy had bought and in all destroyed about 300 bales.

Colonel Wheeler returned from West Tennessee to Holly Springs, Miss., and August 1st, 1862 reporting to Gen. Bragg said, in conclusion:

"With but 500 cavalry, much worn and jaded by previous service and privations, we penetrated 70 miles behind the enemies lines, destroyed the railroad bridges in his rear and met him in eight separate engagements, in all of which, except the skirmish with Captain Henderson he was thoroughly defeated, many of his horses and men being killed, or wounded or taken prisoners by our troops, who were only prevented from continuing their pursuit by the proximity of larger bodies of the enemy."

I am certain that the Colonel minimizes his force in this expedition. He had the 8th which numbered fully 500 effectives, besides other commands took part and we performed brilliantly in our executions and fright as to be referred to as the "skeleton cavalry".

About the 13th of August, most of Bragg's army having been transferred to Chattanooga, the 8th Confederate was withdrawn to the neighborhood of Aberdeen, had a partial reorganization of the field officers, and some of the companies, whose term of service of one year was expiring, elected company officers. Captain Jefferson Falkner of Company "B" was elected Lieutenant Colonel, Lieutenant John S. Prather of the same Company, Major, with Wm. B. Wade still retaining the Colonecy. Company "B" elected Robert J. Moor, Captain, Thomas Staples, 1st Lieutenant, Jefferson M. Falkner, 2nd Lieutenant, and Wm. Harwell, 3rd. Captain G. K. Miller was elected to the captaincy of Co. "A", with Mark S. Curry 1st, Jasper N. Wade 2nd, and Belton O. Nabors 3rd Lieutenant.

About the middle of August Wade's regiment, among the last of the organized bodies employed in masking the movements of Bragg's army, moved from near Aberdeen to Chattanooga from a part of Wheeler's Brigade in the invasion of Kentucky by General Bragg. Gen. Sterling Price commanding at Tupelo asked General Bragg not to take Wade. By some military convenience on the march, the 8th Confederate was left in Tennessee while Bragg entered Kentucky. While at Chattanooga the men of the regiment received some ten months, much needed, pay; a large portion of which they remitted to their families.

The regiment joined Wheeler, however, on October 10th, while fighting was in progress between Bragg and Buell about Perryville, Ky. Colonel Wheeler was not quite satisfied with Colonel Wade's excuse of not joining him earlier. This was perhaps the inception of that lack of cordiality between the two officers that eventuated in insubordination on the part of Col. Wade and materially affected the discipline of a portion of the regiment during its last year of heroic service. The next day, October 11th, Wheeler encountered the enemy in a severe engagement and in this conflict the Eighth participated heavily. Bragg began his retreat from Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap. The object of his expedition had failed. Three Kentuckians went to the United States army to one who engaged with the Confederacy. Wheeler was now designated by Bragg as Chief of Cavalry. John H. Morgan, Ashby and Wharton were under him.

Buell pressed Bragg closely on the retreat. Kirby Smith's forces, with the main body under Bragg, were retreating, for a large part of the distance to be covered before reaching the Gap, on parallel roads and stoutly pressed on both. Wheeler as chief had to so dispose his cavalry as to cover both and yet preserve communication between the two. This he did with consummate tact, and for nearly one hundred miles the cavalry had almost a continuous encounter through a barren and devastated country. On one occasion Wheeler reported:

"At this moment, receiving orders from Gen. Polk to clear the road of the enemy, we charged the enemy, throwing their entire force of cavalry into confusion and putting it to flight. We pursued them at full charge for 2 miles, capturing many prisoners and horses in single combat and driving the remainder under cover of their masses of infantry. The enemy also fled terrorstricken from a battery placed in advance of their general line and left it at our disposal".

Many of these hot and desperate hand-to-hand encounters were lead in person by Colonel Wheeler with a mere handful of men. After Gen. Bragg had placed his army, on its return from Kentucky, at Murfreesboro, Tenn., Wheeler's Brigade was reorganized to consist of 1st Alabama, Col. W. W. Allen; the 3rd Alabama, Major F. Y. Gaines commanding, for the time; the 51st Alabama, Col. John T. Morgan; the 8th Confederate, Col. W. B. Wade; the 1st Tennessee cavalry, commanded respectively by Major DeWitt C. Douglass and Major D. W. Holman. To the cavalry was attached an Arkansas battery commanded by Capt. J. H. Wiggins.

Preparations being under way both by Rosecrans and Bragg to join battle, Wheeler was on outpost at Stewart's Creek, some ten miles in advance of Bragg's head-quarters at Murfreesboro. The following letter is descriptive of the cavalry service preliminary to the bloody field of Murfreesboro yet many days in anticipation:

"Stewart's Creek, Tenn."

"Dec 7, 62".

"More than a week has elapsed since I last wrote and I am still very unwell and confined to camp, while my gallant boys are in front, engaged in picket skirmishing almost hourly with the enemy. Yesterday, I was by a log fire almost all day, listening to the heavy boom of cannon. The day before there was heavy fall of snow for 8 or 10 hours, covering the ground several inches deep and bending the tree tops around me with crystalline burden. On the same day, there was an advance along our lines, General Cheatham's Division passing up the pike, on which we were encamped, from Murfreesboro to LaVergne, 15 miles from Nashville. All that day and night the poor fellows were plodding past, in snow and ice, -- a silent march broken only by the rumbling of the heavy guns as they rolled over the hard, smooth pike. Yesterday the uninitiated were on tiptoe, expecting a general engagement, which seemed all the more probable, when the artillery opened at 12 PM. But it proved to be only the attack of our regiment and one other upon a large foraging party of Yankees, in the habit of coming out almost daily, 4000 to 6000 strong, driving in our pickets and skirmishing while their wagons in their rear despoiled farms of grain, poultry, meat, etc. Yesterday a stop was put to their proceedings by an attack from our forces just after they had got their usual supply. Several hours fighting resulted in the capture of 57 Yanks, 12 fine army wagons, 60 mules, several horses and the loads in the wagons, consisting of corn, turkeys, chickens, etc. I have not yet learned whether any of my company were hurt; but presume not by no one returning to camp. Company "B", in the same squadron with my own, had two or three slightly wounded. Lieutenant Nabors was in command of my company, the only one of my Lieutenants present; one being absent on special duty and the other detained in camp with some friends, visitors from home. Our visitors brought a wagon with clothing for several of the 'boys', the handiwork of anxious mothers, sisters and, in some instances, sweethearts.

"Having donned their 'Alabama wide cloth', as they term it, they present quite a tidy, comfortable appearance. How lucky they got these necessities before the last three days of snow and ice! It is bitter cold, and the suffering endured by the poor picket as he sits his horse, hour after hour, I fear will never find a page in history, but will be known only in the memory of him 'who suffers and is still'. But many prefer to be on picket rather than a stay in camp. In the former case, they often have an opportunity, when not on post, of stepping into a house and getting a good warm meal, and thawing their frozen fingers and toes. In camp there are no comforts, not even covering from the weather, and only half rations of beef and corn meal.

"I have met with quite a disappointment since I last wrote. I believe I informed you that I had applied for a leave of absence. Well, I had it approved by commander of the regiment and of the brigade, but it found no favor farther on and was yesterday returned 'disapproved' by Generals Wheeler, Hardee and Bragg. Of course, I was out-generaled and withdrew, defeated. ******* There have been ten furloughs granted in the Virginia army to two in the Army of the Mississippi. The cause is obvious. Here we are either preparing for an advance, when every man should be at his post, or making a retreat when none can be spared.

"This will account for the terrible orders that we have at almost every dress parade, such as:

"If any soldier or enrolled man be found one mile from his camp without written permission from his regimental commander, he shall be considered a deserter, and sent to the rear in irons. This is a specimen. It all results from the demoralizing effects of retreat."

The following is an extract from a letter written from Camp Nelson, on the same outpost, two weeks later:

"Sunday, December 21st :

" I am happy to see that General Bragg has, by a general order, dispensed as much as possible with military duties, such as drilling, drawing and issuing commissaries, etc. on the Sabbath day. This is a wise order and one that should have been issued long since. Men and beasts need the 'one day in seven' and although military duties often sadly interfere with its observance, there are times such as the present, with the Army of Tennessee, when necessity makes no such calls. The soldier should at least be reminded when the Sabbath comes but I know from experience that it is otherwise, often. ***

"I yesterday saw Parson Elliot of Nashville, who had just come through the enemy's lines. He says things look hopeful for us, viewed from a Northern standpoint. The great battle just fought on the banks of the Rappahanock (Fredericksburg) where our brave legions again repulsed the haughty invader, has caused a feeling near akin to despair among the more rabid of the North. They acknowledge a loss of 18,000 to 20,000 and say (one of the members of Congress from Kansas) that unless the greatest success attends their arms in the West, all is lost and the cause had better be given up. ***

"A few afternoons since, Maj. John S. Prather, of our regiment, went out with a small detachment, slipped into the Yankee lines and captured their entire reserve picket on the Murfreesboro and Nashville pike. Six were killed and about 40 taken prisoners, with their fine repeating rifles, horses, saddles, etc. this was quite a brilliant little exploit."

The next Sunday Wheeler's entire command was confronting the slow advance of Rosecrans' whole army upon Bragg, and Bragg was busy collecting his divisions in battle array upon Stone River, about three miles out from the town of Murfreesboro on the Nashville pike. The better to understand the field of battle, it will be remembered that several broad pikes ran out from Nashville in the general direction of Murfreesboro, some twenty-two or three miles Southeast; that the roads ran through the valley, a beautiful farming country, most of it cleared of forest but the forest remaining was, to considerable extent, comprised of cedar growth, the trees appearing in thickets and branching out from near the ground, so as to impede passage of men or horses, in some places, seriously.

Under date January 10, 1863, eleven days after the terrible clash of the armies, the following letter was written, giving a subaltern's description of what he saw of the Murfreesboro campaign, so desperate in its work:

"I spent a quiet Christmas (Thursday) in our camp at Stewart's Creek, not choosing to engage in the sports and pass-times resorted to by our officers generally drinking, gambling, horse racing, etc, etc. I felt much better than I had in several days and found pleasure enough in that feeling. The next morning 2 I was still weak but wanted to be with my boys in their work [ ] and accordingly reported for duty. We had a drill in the morning but about 12 o'clock heavy firing in the direction of LaVergne warned us that the enemy were not spending their holidays in festivities at Nashville. The cannonading gradually drew nearer and an order came for what of the Brigade was then in camp to come up to LaVergne in all haste. We were soon in the saddle and a trot of 5 miles soon brought us to LaVergne. In front of that place we found the enemy. It was now 3 o'clock and as they did not retire, as when merely out foraging, we knew pretty well that something more stirring than common was in the wind.

"Our regiment was sent forward to the left of the pike to support the 3rd Alabama, which the enemy was pressing pretty vigorously. After going about a mile we dismounted, left our horses under protection of a hill and dashed forward as skirmishers. A quarter of a mile brought us upon the enemy well concealed in a cedar thicket. They opened upon us at about 150 yards. Now the order came to us to charge. Forward we dashed, over two fences and to within 30 yards of the Yankees. We had as hot a little brush as one would want on a December day. The Yanks were well posted, and it was near dark and they had the advantage of the light on the field where we marched. Besides, their uniforms were so near the color of the cedars behind which they fought that it was almost impossible for our men to see them. For nearly an hour we fought them, each man to his tree. I was on foot and walked a little in advance of our line to find better ground for some of the boys, who were very much exposed, when kneeling at the foot of a tree and drawing a bead on a big rascal, a minnie ball grazed my trousers just above the knee. It cut the orange cord I wear for a stripe but did no other damage. Bark from stricken trees fell into my eyes from time to time but I was not hurt in the least.

"Finding the enemy well supported, we withdrew, inch by inch, until it grew so dark we could not distinguish one object from another. Nothing but the flash of the random gun remained to tell us that the enemy had taken his position for the night. We could see in the distance, the whole horizon lighted by his campfires. It required no ghost to tell that Rosecrans had begun his long expected advance from Nashville. And this view was confirmed by the fact that all day long we had heard heavy cannonading to our left on the Nolensville pike, showing his advance in heavy column on each road. The next day being our turn in course to go on picket, our regiment returned to camp to prepare rations. We got in about 10 o'clock, cooked until 12, laid ourselves down to be thoroughly drenched with rain and aroused by the bugle call at 3. At daylight we started for the field and had just thrown out pickets when the enemy advanced upon us. I commanded the pickets on the extreme left. As the enemy advanced we fell back slowly, skirmishing all the way. Our forces on our right, and between me and the pike, having fallen back faster than I anticipated, threw me, for a time, in the rear of a large body of the enemy, where I had full view of the heavy column as it rolled down the pike; infantry, cavalry and artillery. I saw one whole regiment of their cavalry mounted on white horses. I was so close that I could distinctly hear the commands of the different officers.

"Gradually we fell back, keeping parallel with the pike, and opposite to our two pieces of artillery, which moved slowly, shelling the advance of the enemy at intervals. "Stewart's Creek is a driving stream, with very steep banks, and our intention was to cross it at the bridge on the pike. But when we reached this point we found that our artillery had already crossed over and General Wheeler had destroyed the bridge and the enemy's artillery was then raking the pike. Fortunately we found a narrow path leading to a ford, about a quarter of a mile above the burnt bridge. Barely had we time to cross when the enemy came close upon our heels. Night came on and we established a picket line, for the night, on the south bank of the creek, on the ground where, a few hours before, our camps had been but were now removed backwards in the direction of Murfreesboro.

"A cold drenching rain had fallen all day and there was another cheerless night before us. My squadron formed the second relief and was to stand four hours, from 11 P.M. to 3 A.M. I was lying on a wet blanket, nearly freezing, when I was called to go on duty. I immediately aroused my wet and sleepy boys. The enemy's picket line was on the opposite side of the creek and so near we could hear them in low conversation. While I passed along the bank, going from one post to another, one of their pickets fired on me, not more than 50 yards distant. His aim was only a little wide of my head and I called to him, that he had little to do! I moved on.

"Our high position gave us a full view of the enemy's camp. As far as the eye could reach to the North, the whole earth seemed covered with their fires, from which a murmur rose, like a swarm of bees.

"I slipped down to within 50 yards of the burned bridge and could hear a hundred hammers on the pontoon being laid to replace it. I was certain that the morning would bring hot work for us, but nothing disturbed the scene except occasional shots exchanged between our pickets and the enemy's sharp shooters. The sun came out as genial as on a spring day, this last Sunday in December 1862.

"I took advantage of a house near the creek. There I stood and viewed the Yankee horde as it filled the woods and open fields in front of me. At 11 o'clock my relief came on again and I posted my boys behind trees and fences, where for hours they amused themselves shooting at the Yankee sharp shooters on the other side of the creek. One of my boys, John C. Duncan, a very jovial fellow, singled out a Yankee and the two fired away at each other for over three hours, all this time in speaking distance; abused each other heartily, incessantly. At last John bantered the other man to cease firing and make an exchange of newspapers. After considerable parleying the proposal was agreed to, an armistice was arranged and firing ceased. John succeeded in getting possession of a Confederate newspaper and walked down to the creek; the Yankee did likewise. While the two pickets were thus amusing themselves, the whole Yankee army about the place came to look on. Newspapers were exchanged and compliments passed. The enemy proved to be federal Kentuckians. They asked many questions about friends and acquaintances in our army. At sundown all returned to their places. But, true to their instincts, the foe took advantage of John Duncan's armistice to throw sharp shooters over the creek and drive our pickets from a hill which commanded the road. We soon double-teamed and sent them back, in Gilpin style.

"Another cold night on picket and Monday 29th dawned upon us. The sun was an hour high but all was yet quiet and we began to think the day might pass as Sunday had. Soon, however, we saw a column moving down to the ford at which we had crossed. A company was sent down to oppose the crossing. The enemy opened with artillery upon it. Our regiment was covered by a house, and when Col. Wade gave the order to fall back across an open field they turned their guns on us. In this firing a shell struck a horse and burst inside of him, tearing the animal up but injuring the rider not at all. The enemy crossed the creek in full force and we slowly fell back toward Murfreesboro.

"General Bragg's order to the cavalry came 'not to fight back the advance too steadily but to let them come on.'

"We reached our infantry lines about sundown and passing through crossed Stone River and drew up in line of battle not far from Murfreesboro. There we received orders to feed our horses and rest, prepared to take up the line of march at midnight. I was sure that the order meant the evacuation of Murfreesboro, but far otherwise did it mean, as will appear.

"Promptly at midnight we were aroused from our stolen slumbers and in a few minutes had saddled and mounted and were following General Wheeler up the Lebanon pike at full gallop. The rain was falling and the darkness so dense that a man could not see the comrade riding at his side. Two miles further on, we left the Lebanon pike and took the one leading to the little village of Jefferson, which was directly in the rear of the Yankee army. Daylight found us near that village, where we halted and fed our horses. Soon mounted and off again, we left the main road, took by-paths and by noon had come close up to the village of LaVergne. We dashed in, four or five regiments, at full speed, fired a few shots and we had possession of an army train of over three hundred wagons, richly laden with quartermaster's and commissary stores. The officers went quickly to work patrolling prisoners, while the men set fire to the train. It was a scene that would have rejoiced all rebeldom to behold! Mules stampeded, Yankees running for dear life; a multitude of appliances brought out to subdue us.

"We tarried only one hour at LaVergne and then turning in a westward direction had gone only a mile or two when we heard the Yankees in revenge shelling the innocent village of LaVergne, thinking no doubt they were scattering death in the rebel ranks.

"A liberal application of the spur for two hours, and down we swooped like a tornado upon quiet, little Nolensville. It was scarcely more than LaVergne repeated. We found scattered squads of Yankees, here and there, and 150 wagons, mostly loaded with ammunitions and medicines. Also several fine ambulances, which we took along. The rest of the spoils of war were consigned to the flames, and the Yankees sent on their way rejoicing, with paroles in their pockets. You could not have made them happier, by presenting them a western homestead.

"We tarried but a short time at Nolensville, pushing down a fertile little valley where we found large numbers of their wagons filled with corn, bed clothing, house furniture, eggs, poultry, butter, etc., etc., just plundered from the farms. We mounted their guards, bare back on their mules, burned their wagons and rode on. Our achievements for the day summed up 450 to 500 wagons, 600 prisoners and many mules; not a man lost on our side.

"Thus was spent my birthday, December 30th. We rested a part of that night, West of Nolensville, having made a circuit of Rosecrans' whole army in motion, 60 miles. "At daylight Wednesday the 31st , we found ourselves on the extreme left wing of General Bragg's army then fighting the great battle of Murfreesboro. As stated in my last, I was very weak when I went on duty. Four days of continuous riding, through drenching cold rains, completely exhausted me and on that morning I was so sick I could not sit my horse. So I got one of the boys to carry me back to a wagon train".

Bragg hurled Hardee, on his extreme left, against Thomas on Rosecrans' right, at dawn the last day of the year, 1862. The enemy were surprised at their breakfast, and by one o'clock had been driven four miles from the field. Thomas, however, reformed behind the other wing of army, at right angles to his original position of the morning. Bragg threw Polk and Hardee against the foe all that afternoon but could do nothing more. He captured from the field of the forenoon some 4000 prisoners and between 30 and 40 guns, with thousands of small arms.the foe all that afternoon but could do nothing more. He captured from the field of the forenoon some 4000 prisoners and between 30 and 40 guns, with thousands of small arms.