More Miles Than Anyone Else
1864
General Humes marched Wade's Old Brigade to Oxford, Ala in February 1864, to recruit the ranks and rest the horses. Soon Humes was transferred to another brigade and Brigadier General W. W. Allen succeeded him. Wheeler had under him Generals Martin, Kelley, Humes, Allen, Robertson, Iverson and Dibbrell, and was undoubtedly well supported, as they were all good disciplinarians and men of high capacity. General John A. Whorton, at his own request, was transferred to General Richard Taylor in the Trans-Mississippi Department. After gathering together the remains of the Army of Tennessee at Dalton in November, General Braxton Bragg resigned, and for a time General W. J. Hardee remained its commander, then about the beginning of 1864, General Joseph E. Johnston took command.
He was very energetic and successful in reorganizing his army. Strict discipline, without harshness, was enforced. Soon everything moved or was conducted with clock-work precision; new life, with a new commander in whom this army had full confidence, as it had had in no other since the spirit of its beloved Albert Sidney Johnston had so unfortunately been wafted aloft from his victorious field of Shiloh, took possession of the whole military establishment. Buoyant hope and confidence in ultimate victory animated every breast from teamsters to the General Staff. Such was the magical influence of this quiet, self-poised, consummate Commander, this Genius of War incarnate. General Thomas, and, after him, General Sherman labored in preparations to begin the long and perilous descent upon Atlanta.
Cavalry outpost duty was thoroughly well performed by both sides until the first week in May, Sherman broke up his camps about Ringold, pressed Wheeler back from Tunnel Hill and while facing Dalton, proposed to move around under cover of Taylor's Ridge and through its gaps upon Resaca. In the meantime, the 8th Confederate was constantly active on the outpost. April 13th at dawn, the Regiment started out to surprise Colonel Brownlow, son of the celebrated Tennessee parson, editor and, by grace of the "Reconstruction Acts", afterwards yclept, Senator, from that doubly harried State. This son commanded a Regiment of East Tennesseeans in the invading host. The Confederates found the camp for which they searched, charged and captured all but two or three of the 40 men and horses. Colonel Brownlow, however, had taken his departure with most of his Regiment before the arrival of the 8th. Among the incidents of the picket lines about the same time was the arrest, by Private A.G. Beck of Talladega County, of Doctor Mary Walker, a surgeon with the army of the invader. Dressed in a semi-military "bloomer" costume, a short military cloak over her shoulders, she came riding astride down a cow trail that led from near a picket post of the 10th Confederate Cavalry over Taylor's Ridge where the bulk of Sherman's army was being mobilized. This female riding astride was something entirely new "under the sun" to a Southern soldier. Her approach to our outpost was ostensibly to deliver a letter from a Confederate soldier imprisoned at the North. Another excuse was that she was a physician and was doing some charity practice among the poor residing on the mountain. The sangfroid of her deportment and the fact that she had found a practicable way for a military expedition to cross the mountain aroused a suspicion lest she be a spy. The faithful picket detained and held her under arrest against her strong protest and bland beseechings, until his "relief" came, when she was marched to Headquarters and sent forward as a prisoner to the Secretary of War at Richmond.
Wheeler kept his forces ever on the alert covering General Johnston's front and flanks entailing daily combats with heavy reconnoitering parties sent out to "feel" our position. Finally by orders from Lieutenant General U. S. Grant, commanding all armies of the United States, General Sherman, in the first week in May, began his "on to Atlanta" march. He found preparations which checked him at Dalton. Dalton lies in a narrow valley flanked on the West by a high, mountainous ridge, extending from near Tunnel hill, some five or six miles North of the city in a Southwesterly direction to the Oustenala River. In this ridge was Dug Gap, almost due West from Dalton, and another some 12 miles to the Southwest made by Snake Creek cutting through the ridge. On the East side of the Dalton Valley a smaller ridge extends North and South and abruptly terminates in what is known as "Rocky Face" just Southwest of Tunnel Hill. One or two Divisions of infantry with several batteries of Artillery were thrown forward of the main body of the Confederate Army and occupied Rocky Face.
On the 7th of May there was some heavy fighting between the Confederates occupying "Rocky Face" and one corps of the three into which Sherman had divided his army of 90,000 of all arms. Wheeler had on the same day dispatched the Kentucky Brigade of his cavalry corps to occupy Dug Gap in the mountain ridge West of Dalton. Here on May 8th Colonel Grigsby commanding this Kentucky Brigade dismounted his men and held this gap against repeated assaults of the enemy, many times exceeding the Kentuckians in numbers. It was a desperate attempt of the enemy to come in on Johnston's left flank, and was gloriously frustrated by the hand-to-hand fight put up by one cavalry brigade. Having sent one Division of his cavalry on the morning of the 8th May to Snake Creek Gap, some 12 miles to the left rear of the army at Dalton to make observation as to whether or not the enemy was endeavoring to reach Resaca in Johnston's rear through that pass, Wheeler, with Kelley's Division and two or three Brigades additional, moved up the Dalton Red Clay road and, with a portion of his force, formed lines connected with our infantry at Rocky Face and extending thence Eastward and covering the Red Clay Road. Advance parties of skirmishers were thrown out until they came in contact with those of the enemy. The Federals did not seem to be pushing forward during the morning of the 9th of May, but were really throwing up breastworks expecting to be attacked. The day was growing apace and the sound of firing at Rocky Face and on our skirmish line became a roar of battle, when, from towards the skirmish line, General Wheeler and staff came dashing down the road to where Kelley's Division was "standing to horse". Orders were hurriedly passed down the column to "mount", and a staff officer, riding down from where General Wheeler had reined up, directed Col. John S. Prather, commanding the 8th Confederate Regiment, to move his regiment up the road at a gallop.
As the 8th passed General Wheeler he directed the Texas Brigade to follow our regiment at the same pace. We were in column of fours and Wheeler, and staff dashed off in a canter at our head. The mile or more to the skirmish line was swept over in a few minutes. Arriving near a cottage on the left of the road, we found our skirmishers dismounted, their line extending to the right and left at right angles to the road. That portion on the right of the road in the edge of a wood, with a half mile or more of open field in its front, filled with line after line of blue coated Federal cavalry; that portion of the left of the road was in open woods endeavoring to hold a ridge that extended Westward from, and at right angles to, the road. Half way up this ridge in their front was a heavy line of dismounted Federal skirmishers; at the foot of the ridge was a still heavier line of Federal cavalry, and, at the top of the next ridge, back of them, still another line, and back of all, the held horses of the enemy. By proper order Col. Prather put the 8th in line to the front on the left of the road, and , as the 8th cleared the road, the Texas brigade, pistols in hand and in column of fours, swept up the road charging in column. Simultaneously, the 8th Confederate, pistols in hand, passed in a gallop through our skirmishers and charged down the ridge with a wild yell, rode over the first line of the enemy, then, firing at close quarters, dashed on to the second line and crushed it, killing some, wounding others and capturing nearly all of the second line. The quick charge, the brief fight with pistols against both guns and pistols, the capture of prisoners, the casualties in our own ranks both in men and horses, and whirlwind of hand-to-hand battle disconcerted the splendid alignment, with which we threw ourselves upon the enemy, and the line became ragged and, for the time being, somewhat disorganized. The writer's squadron (Companies A and B) was near the left of the regimental line in the charge, with Captain John S. McElderry's company "H" on the right of Company A. In the charge over the enemy's second line, Private Edmund Ross Riddle of Company "A" fell from his horse shot through the heart. Orderly Sergeant James W. Hardie of the same company was grievously wounded, while some three other men together with horses were wounded. About the time that Riddle fell, the writer glanced to the right and saw near the top of the next ridge, Sergeant Baker Thompson of Company "H", wounded and unable to manage his horse which had carried him, in advance of his Company almost up to the enemy's last line on top of the ridge.
Just then his horse sank down with the wounded and helpless Sergeant still astride; but, though wounded and helpless, a Federal officer trotted out from his line and, rising in his stirrups at each stroke, was splitting the head of the wounded Thompson with his sabre. The writer still had a shot or two in his "navy six" and fired at the cowardly fellow, but being some forty yards to the right front the shot went wild. Captain McElderry, who was rallying his Company, seeing the dastardly action, dashed forward and shot the coward from his horse. Three or more of the dismounted Federals rushed out to the assistance of the officer and one of these shot Captain McElderry, who fell from his horse dead. The Federals in our front then broke into a run, and at this time General Kelley, sword in hand, came dashing up in front of our reforming line, ordered that portion of the writer's squadron that had lined up to make a left oblique wheel and to charge the enemy to our left, which was as yet unbroken and greeting us with a hot enfilading fire.
Up the ridge like a whirlwind in a sabre charge, Companies "A" and "B" went, but before we reached them the enemy broke and fled in wild disorder through the woods. Following them in their flight brought us again to the main road and a view of the open fields. Here a scene was presented that to the Confederates was exhilarating beyond expression. Over that open field, in wild disorder, hats dropping, canteens flapping, officers yelling, steeds dropping their riders, every man for himself and all for a place of safety, madly rushed, scrambled, hobbled, struggled and roared a mass of more than 2500 defeated, disorganized, demoralized Federal cavalry, while behind them with pistol, sabre or carbine in hand, yelling like Comanches, their long hair flowing behind them, their nimble fingers pulling the triggers of their trusty six-shooters, rode in indomitable, if not incomparable, Texans and Arkansans, not more than 800 in all told, but every man a host.
We pursued the discomfited, routed Federals until they found shelter behind their infantry and artillery entrenchments, when General Wheeler had "recall" sounded and we fell back to the line where we had first struck them, and unmolested held the field until nightfall and until we were called to another post of danger and battle. On the line where the 8th Confederate had struck its blow, within a few rods of each other lay cold in death Sergeant Thompson, shot twice through the body and with his skull split in three places by a poltroon's sabre; near him lay his Captain, John S. McElderry; close by was 18-year-old E. R. Riddle with other dead and wounded 8th Confederates marking the line of the superb charge and hand-to-hand grapple. Close by and corralled in and about the cottage were between 100 and 200 wounded Federal prisoners and among them a Colonel. Within a few feet of where Ross Riddle lay was the still, cold form of a red haired German giant, with a wounded German comrade close at hand so recently from the father-land that he could neither speak or understand but few words of English. Here was a group of figures on a battle field presenting, (as was frequently the case in the Confederate War) food for reflection. Captain McElderry was the son of Col. Thomas McElderry of Talladega County, who in 1813 was numbered among those gallant Tennesseans that volunteered with "Old Hickory" to do battle for Anglo-Saxon civilization in subduing the murderous Creek Indians in Alabama, and had gallantly fought at Talladega, Enitachopko, Emuckfau and Horse Shoe, and whose ancestors before him were numbered among the indomitable Scotch-Irish who had fought Tories at King's Mountain and British regulars at Guilford. Captain McElderry while a Lieutenant of Company "A", Brewer's Battalion, had ridden a wounded horse through a withering fire at the close of Shiloh's second day to carry the order from Beauregard to Bragg to withdraw his forces from the field; and who, while commanding his Company at Blackland on the 4th of June following, had been so desperately wounded that he thought himself permanently disabled and resigned his commission.
The same gallant trooper who, when recovered of his wounds, returned to his old comrades and offered his services as a private in the ranks, but who was unanimously called by the men of Company "H" to take the place of their old Captain, John Thompson, now resigned from age and wounds. Sergeant James W. Hardie was one of five brothers, sons of noble Scotch parents, who served most gallantly on Southern fields. Edmund Ross Riddle was the oldest son of S. S. and Maria Riddle who were among the pioneers of Talladega County from Pennsylvania and whose ancestors had fought Hessians at Trenton and Brandywine. The giant German lying dead within ten feet of young Riddle, and his wounded comrades gathered close by, could perhaps have traced their ancestry to some of the mercenaries who, fighting for British gold, had with their leader, Col. Rall, surrendered to Washington on a winter's morning at Trenton, New Jersey.
The fight on the Red Clay Road on May 9th, made by a Confederate cavalry force not exceeding a thousand, hurled back McCook's Division which, in a general order issued by Sherman a few days before, was designated as the command that was to press forward and occupy Athens, Georgia. The fight there made, protected Johnston's right flank and enabled him three days later to retire his infantry, artillery and supplies from Dalton to Resaca intact, whither we followed him, slowly and stubbornly, contesting the enemy's advance all the way. During those three days, a reconnaissance made by a portion of Wheeler's cavalry acquainted General Johnston with the fact that while Sherman confronted our army at Dalton and Rocky Face with two army corps, he had sent McPherson with his corps on a flank movement made under cover of the ridge lying West of Dalton, with Resaca, by way of Snake Creek Gap, as the objective point. This was in Johnston's rear and on his line of communication. A stubborn resistance in and through Snake Creek Gap developed the purpose and strength of the enemy, and by the 12th of May, most of our army had taken position at Resaca, where a two days' bloody engagement ensued.
When our forces were withdrawn from Resaca, the 8th Confederate was the rear guard and last Regiment to cross the pontoon over the Oustenaula, which was accomplished just before dawn. After crossing and with the enemy close behind us we came across a battery of 4 brass pieces that appeared never to have been fired, with their caissons, with no horses or men with them. A portion of our cavalry was dismounted and by hand dragged the guns and caissons several miles until men and horses could be brought up to take them on the retreat. All guns were saved. These guns had probably been sent up by rail for the use of the army and unloaded from the train by the roadside where we found them. Late on the same evening we found Hood not far from Kingston with his corps formed in line to check the enemy's advance. As the artillery on both sides began firing, an order came to our Regiment to move at a gallop to our left rear. As we climbed a pretty steep ridge of hills, the rattle of small arms was plainly heard in the direction we were going and becoming louder and more distinct as we swept on through the thick undergrowth.
A volley was delivered into the head of our column with several casualties to horses. It came from Gen. Ferguson's Confederate cavalry brigade, fighting dismounted, and who were being rapidly pushed back by Garrard's Federal cavalry. Our men mistook us for a flanking body of the enemy. We scarcely halted, but facing in line to our right, we went at the enemy in a sweeping charge, broke their left wing doubling it back on their center, when the whole force gave way and attempted what at first seemed an orderly retreat, but which soon turned to a rout and we pursued them a mile or more to the cover of their infantry.
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It was our old familiar enemy, the 4th Michigan, that we first struck and we captured its Major Grant with a goodly lot of his men.
The Major, a very handsome man, being overtaken by a small "tallow faced" Alabama private, hesitated about surrendering to him and asked for a Confederate officer to whom to deliver his sword. The Alabamian, coolly eyeing him, said: "Do you see this six-shooter? That is officer enough for you", and marched him to the rear. Lieut. Jeff M. Falkner, of Co. "B", graced the Major's splendid roan on many a well fought field for months afterwards.
The 8th Confederate participated with distinction in the entire Dalton-Atlanta campaign, so dependent on the Confederate side upon Wheeler's cavalry. The fighting was daily, at some points on General Johnston's lines or within Sherman's. On the 19th of May, General Johnston retired all his army except Wheeler's Cavalry across the Etowah River, Wheeler covering the crossing by stubborn fighting, and then retired his own forces and destroyed the bridges. On the 22nd, Wheeler, with three brigades, having posted the remainder of his corps to protect the flanks of the army, re-crossed the Etowah East of Sherman's main army and, by hard riding, was soon in Sherman's rear. Near Cass Station and also at Casville, we fell upon immense Federal wagon trains moving to the rear for supplies. The 8th Confederate in the lead struck this train at right angles about its center as it was strung out for several miles along the country road. Part of the regiment went down the train to the left while the remainder followed it up to the right. Most of the teamsters and wagon guards were captured and the wagons turned as rapidly as possible in the direction of the road by which we approached. By vigorous use of our flattened sabres on the mules, and with dire threats for the celerity of the drivers the whole train was soon under way; a Confederate supervising the movement of each wagon and its captives. Just as the rear of the captured wagons was passing off the field, a splendid body, with brigade front, of Federal Cavalry came thundering across the field. Before reaching our captured wagons, Wheeler had brought up the Texas Brigade, supported by a Regiment of Tennesseeans. On came the Federals in a sweeping charge. The dust raised by the advancing hosts and the smoke from the sharp rattle of small arms obscured the combat for a few moments. The Federals were hurled back in utter rout, pursued by the Confederates. We brought off more than 100 wagons with many prisoners, some of whom made their escape during a terrific thunderstorm that overtook us that night in the narrow mountain gorges. We safely re-crossed the Etowah and at once proceeded toward New Hope Church.
Sherman had by this time crossed over with the main portion of his army and was moving his right flank in the direction of Powder Springs, with the intention of getting in Johnston's rear. Wheeler's Cavalry detected and reported the movement and Johnston, to counteract the same, moved a large portion of his force and established his lines at New Hope Church, thus halting the enemy by offering battle which continued with great fury during the 25th and 26th of May, Wheeler occupying the right of our lines with most of his cavalry. Baffled in this attempt to turn Johnston's left, Sherman began to draw his forces back to the line of railway. On the 27th, Howard's 14th Corps fell upon our right occupied by the cavalry and with great celerity of movement massed the larger part of the Corps against Wheeler's line of dismounted cavalry, occupying a ridge parallel with Pumpkin Vine Creek. While the dismounted troopers were gallantly defending their line, Govan's and Granbury 's brigades of Cleburne's Division came to their assistance at double-quick, formed line immediately behind the cavalry, and then moved forward into line with the cavalry, and the unique spectacle was presented of cavalry and infantry fighting in mixed rank, and all lying flat on the ground with no breastworks for protection and repulsing charge after charge of Howard's hosts, covering the 20-acre field in their front with dead and wounded Federals, nearly destroying General T. J. Wood's Division, and hurling back the masses of the enemy without a momentary break in the mixed Confederate line. Our Cavalry horses were protected by being led into a ravine immediately in our rear. There were a number of casualties in the dismounted cavalry and many among the officers of the field and staff who remained mounted. General W. W. Allen commanding our brigade had his horse shot from under him while several of his staff and escort were wounded. On the 28th, Wheeler extended his line to the right, threw up hasty breastworks of dead logs and rails, and skirmished heavily with Howard's Corps supported by Stoneman's Cavalry.
Stoneman made one attempt to break our lines with a cavalry charge but the 8th Confederate met the effort with a counter charge which sent them back without "standing upon the order of their going". As Sherman gradually moved back to the railroad, Wheeler extended his lines to the right, covering Johnston's movement in the same direction. Wheeler's line extended and preserved a front of three miles and keeping up constant heavy skirmishing and daily moving to the right as Sherman moved to his left. This continued from May 30th to June 15th, thus preserving an unbroken front to the enemy at every point. About the 10th of June, Colonel R. H. Anderson with the 5th Georgia Cavalry, nearly 1000 effectives and well mounted and uniformed, came up from the coast where they had long served as coast guard but had engaged in comparatively little fighting. The Regiment was added to our Brigade, then commanded by Gen. W. W. Allen.
On the 15th of June a division of the enemy's cavalry advanced and attacked our right at Noon Day Creek. While the attack was in progress, Wheeler charged the enemy's flank at Noon Day church and one of the most stubborn cavalry combats of the war ensued. The enemy, armed with Spencer repeating rifles, were dismounted, a large body inside the church, with their lines stationed behind a high rail fence with a hedge of undergrowth concealing their position. The 8th Confederate charged down to the church in column, but was met by a withering and incessant fire from those of the enemy barricaded in the church and the concealed line behind the fence; a number of its horses were killed at the church steps, one of its lieutenants was killed in a few steps of the church and many of the men wounded and some killed. The charge failed to move the enemy, and the Regiment was rallied within 100 yards of the church under protection of the hill. One squadron of the 5th Georgia then made a most gallant charge on the church, some of the horses and riders being killed on the enemy's line behind the fence. The remainder of the 5th Georgia was dismounted, and with their Enfields charged the church on foot, while the 8th Confederate charge mounted to their right. At the same time, some other command charged through the woods on the left of the road and the enemy gave way and sought safety in flight. Their retreat led them through a marsh where many of the horses bogged and were abandoned by riders in their effort to escape. The 8th pursued them to the marsh, capturing a number of prisoners and horses. The 8th Confederate had again struck the 4th Michigan. Wheeler's Cavalry, mostly dismounted and behind breastworks, formed the right wing of Johnston's army while he held the line of Kennesaw Mountain. Wheeler's troopers were attacked daily now and did some of their most effective fighting.
On July 3rd, Johnston retired from Kennesaw toward the Chattahoochee, where he massed his infantry and artillery. Wheeler with his cavalry was left to cover the retreat, which was done in a most masterly manner and with severe punishment inflicted on the enemy in its many attacks. We had to do the most desperate fighting in securing the crossing of the cavalry and our wagon trains across the Chattahoochee at Pace's Ferry. The 8th Confederate was with the rear-guard and directly under the eye of General Wheeler, and had to make charge after charge on the troops of Howard's Corps, which were endeavoring to crush us. The dismounted men having, with horses, been safely passed to the South bank, Wheeler led us in one last desperate charge on the North bank, repulsed the enemy and then by a quick movement, rushed his rear-guard to the pontoon. The enemy had succeeded in placing artillery on an elevation that commanded the road as it wound down to the pontoon, and also the pontoon. Shells were bursting over our heads and close to our ranks when the Regiment started across, but with splendid discipline and composure, we wound our way over the narrow bridge of boats with shells bursting around and sprinkling us with water. Wheeler was among the last to leave the shore and before the entire Regiment had debouched on the southern bank, the pontoon had been cut from its fastenings and was swinging around to the Southern shore. General Johnston placed his cavalry on either flank, keeping himself well informed of the enemy's movements.
On the 8th of July, the enemy began crossing the river at Isham's Ford and advanced slowly throwing up lines of breastworks. By the 4th, almost all of Sherman's army was on the South bank and gradually pressed Wheeler's cavalry lines back to Buck Head. General Johnston had formed his lines on the West bank of Peachtree Creek, and by the 17th had laid his plans and prepared to give battle to the enemy. On the night of the 17th, he was relieved from command by President Davis and retired to Macon, while General John B. Hood was placed in command.
For 70 days Johnston, though outnumbered more than two to one, had so successfully retarded the invading host that its progress had not averaged exceeding a mile a day, with losses in killed and wounded equaling fifty per cent of Johnston's forces of all arms. Not once during those 70 days of battle on any portion of his lines, had those lines been broken or penetrated by the hosts that were hurled against them. Not a gun, caisson or wagon had been lost to the Confederates, while the losses in killed and wounded were absolutely insignificant when compared to those of the enemy. No army on which the sun ever shone had a higher morale, a greater confidence in its commander and in the firm conviction that he would lead it to a crushing defeat of the enemy. History will be searched in vain for more brilliant generalship than that displayed by Joseph Eggleston Johnston in that less than 70 miles retreat of 70 days, pressed by an enemy skillfully lead, of 90,000 men against less than 40,000 effectives. The effect of Johnston's removal on his buoyant and devoted army was simply appalling. Words are inadequate to properly describe it, and can never be properly or fully appreciated except by those who had the high distinction of being component parts of that devoted organization, so soon to be offered up in sacrificial shambles. On the 21st and 22nd of July, Hood rushed his infantry and artillery upon the impregnable fortifications erected by the enemy on the North and East of Atlanta, and used his cavalry on both days against the enemy's left wing resting on Decatur. Wheeler's men did their part well, drove back the enemy and captured many prisoners. For the next five days, Wheeler's cavalry was occupying the entrenchments from which Hardie's corps had been moved, and was incessantly engaged in fighting and repulsing the frequent attacks of Logan's corps of infantry and artillery. About the 26th of July, Sherman started his 9,000 cavalry, in three separate detachments, to strike and destroy Hood's lines of communication to the South and West of Atlanta. General Stoneman, with 2200 cavalry, started from the neighborhood of Decatur, some seven miles East of Atlanta, to go to Macon, 120 miles to destroy that depot of supplies; General Garrard, with some 3500 men, was started from the main body of the army by a still more easterly route, with instructions to destroy the railroad between Macon and Atlanta, which largely fed Hood's army in Atlanta, and which he was expected to accomplish while Stoneman was pressing straight on to Macon; General McCook with some 3500, simultaneously was to cross from the North side of the Chattahoochee, to strike the Atlanta and West Point railroad West of Atlanta, then to pass on to the rear of Hood's army and operate upon Hoods's wagon trains and his communications, North of where Garrard was to strike the Atlanta and Macon road. General Hood at first refused to allow Wheeler to withdraw his cavalry from the trenches to meet these formidable raids; but on the night of the 27th, Wheeler was released for that purpose. McCook crossed the river, tore up several miles of the Atlanta and West Point railroad, then bore around to Hood's rear and destroyed several hundred wagons and the teams belonging to them, mostly of Loring's Division. The enemy's plan was for these three bodies of cavalry, after destroying the railroads, devastating the country through which they rode, capturing Macon and its depot of supplies, to join forces and press on 50 miles from Macon to Andersonville and release the 30,000 Federal prisoners, arm them as far as possible, and return with them to the main army in front of Atlanta. Wheeler left a portion of his cavalry in the trenches assisting the infantry. With not exceeding 2500 men, he started forth on the night of July 27th to overtake and drive back the powerful raiders, the most dangerous menace to the Army of Tennessee it had thus far encountered. General Kelley, with his Division, was sent in pursuit of Stoneman. Kelley overtook Garrard at Flat Shoals on South River some 20 miles South of East from Atlanta, attacked and pressed him so hard that he turned back homeward via Stone Mountain, and found it less dangerous in the rear of Sherman's infantry. General Wheeler now joined Kelley in person and hearing of McCook's raid to the Westward, put himself at the head of Anderson's Brigade, composed of the 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th Confederate and 5th Georgia cavalry, and started after McCook.
The following extract from a letter written from near Newman, Ga., on August 1st 1864, gives an outline of what followed:
"Our brigade was again put in motion for Jonesboro 18 miles distant and 20 miles South of Atlanta, on the Macon railroad. We reached Jonesboro about 11 P.M. where we heard that a large cavalry force had crossed the Chattahoochee near Campbellton, and, passing around our left wing, had cut the Macon road, burned a large number of our wagons and was going towards Fayetteville (a village on the Macon railroad below Jonesboro) with Jackson's one Brigade and Humes with two, close upon their heels. Hearing this our brigade pushed on all night, reaching Fayetteville early next morning. There we found the enemy retreating towards Newman on the Atlanta and West Point railroad. We followed at full speed, under a broiling sun. Four miles brought us to the place where Ross' Texas Brigade had come up with and charged the enemy. Dead and wounded Yankees, with the usual debris of the battle field were scattered along. My squadron being rear-guard, and the road being filled with stragglers and men with broken down horses, I was necessarily delayed. Our forces drove the enemy along at a rapid rate; so fast that they had no time to damage the people much along the route. The Yanks intended to pass through Newman, where we had large hospitals, but on nearing the town found a force of infantry ready to receive them (It was really Roddy's dismounted cavalry) and turned around the town. Five miles from Newman we had pushed them until they were compelled to halt and give battle."
At the battle near Newman, General Anderson of our Brigade was wounded; McCook was routed and escaped across the Chattahoochee with about one third of the force he had led forth a few days before. Our forces captured between a thousand and two thousand horse, generally well equipped in regulation style and selected for this expedition. General Iverson, as we have seen, pursued Stoneman. As Stoneman approached Macon, General Howell Cobb gathered up a few hundred old men and boys of Joe Brown's militia, and in addition mustered in citizens and clerks of the town generally, hastily organized them with the aid of convalescent officers, commissaries, quarter-masters, etc., and arms from private houses, such as could be found. He took this improvised force two or three miles from town, met Stoneman on the way, fought him several hours and drove him back. General Iverson at this juncture came up with Stoneman's main force some 20 miles from Macon, and captured him and the larger part of his force, dispersing the others, which Col. W. C. P. Breckenridge pursued, capturing many. Thus terminated the effort of Sherman, with cavalry, to destroy the Confederate lines of communication, and to force Hood out of Atlanta.
Fully one third of Sherman's 9,000 cavalry were either killed, wounded or captured by Wheeler's troopers, numbering in all less than one half the entire well equipped force sent out by the enemy, with losses quite small comparatively on our side. General Hood now resolved to force General Sherman from the siege of Atlanta by destroying the Atlanta and Chattanooga railroad which fed him entirely and on which he depended for his supply of ordinance and other military supplies. Wheeler was ordered to rendezvous four thousand of his best cavalry, the horses in best order among them, where all were thin in flesh and jaded, at Covington East of Atlanta, and to start on August 10th on a raid in Sherman's rear along the Atlanta and Chattanooga railroad, thence across the Tennessee, along the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad. In the opinion of the writer, this was a most unfortunate and hazardous disposition of practically three-fourths of Hood's entire effective force. Sherman's and Hoods's armies faced each other in a comparatively open and level country. In the 70 days campaign from Tunnel Hill to Atlanta, Wheeler's cavalry were the eyes and ears of the army; always on its rear when retiring, its flanks when in battle line, and scouting in every direction, giving prompt and full information as to every movement of the enemy. In less than 20 days after detaching this efficient arm, with but a small cavalry force retained with the main army, Sherman had entrenched two corps of his army in front of Atlanta and, ere Hood was aware of the fact, had swung one corps from his left flank to Jonesboro, 20 miles in Hood's rear and on his main line of communication. Hardie's corps was hastened by piecemeal to attack this Federal force and undergo the terrible but fruitless slaughter of the battle of Jonesboro, and the surrender of Atlanta was thereby necessitated. Wheeler's men were assembled at Covington as directed; all baggage, even to a change of clothing, all wagons, except enough to transport an inadequate supply of ammunition, were left behind, and the expedition started on a raid that was to separate it entirely from the army, and inside of the enemy's lines, until late in September and, a portion of it, until the middle of October. Anderson not yet recovered from his wound, Lieutenant Colonel Felix H. Robertson, whilom Commander of Artillery, was promoted Brigadier General and placed over the Brigade of which the 8th Confederate, Lieut. Colonel Prather, was a part. General Wheeler captured, and for a few hours held, Marietta and one or two other small posts; captured Dalton, but not the forts overlooking the town, and held it one night, tearing up the railroad for a few miles, which we saw the enemy rebuilding the next morning, their engineer and construction force supported by a heavy infantry force under General Steadman, faster that Wheeler's men without appliances had been able to destroy it during the night.
Wheeler captured a large herd of Sherman's beef cattle, to secure which he had to detach Colonel Hannon and a large number of effectives from his own command and send them back to our own lines, thereby depleting his own force. Wheeler turned Northeastward from Dalton and destroyed many miles of railroad between Chattanooga and Knoxville, which road did not cut much figure in supplying Sherman as it was only under Federal control Eastward to near Greenville, Tenn., and East Tennessee was already stripped of supplies.
The excessive rains, causing the rise of the Tennessee, compelled General Wheeler to attempt its crossing well up to the neighborhood of Knoxville. Arrived in that section, he allowed or sent General John S. Williams, known as "Cerro Gordo" Williams, with what was known as the Kentucky Brigade and General Felix H. Robertson's brigade, to veer off the right of his course to capture Strawberry Plains, a post held by the enemy, while he was effecting a crossing with the remainder of his force. When General Williams reached his objective point, he found it too well protected by a strong force behind earth works to make a serious attempt to capture it and, after some heavy skirmishing, turned back to rejoin Wheeler as he had been directed, the next day. Wheeler had succeeded in fording the river but heavy rains had set in, and upon Williams' arrival at the same ford, the rise in the river had rendered the fording hazardous and necessarily slow. Williams succeeded in crossing with his two brigades and four pieces of artillery and pushed on after Wheeler, but fully 24 hours behind him. Upon reaching Clinch River at the point where Wheeler had crossed, Williams found it a raging torrent and past fording. This necessitated a ride of fully 30 miles further up that river before Williams could find a crossing. This threw Williams some 48 hours behind. Wheeler, with the remainder of his forces, had pushed on Westward with all speed by Sparta, McMinnville, and thence on to the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad, which he crossed and partially destroyed for a few miles between Nashville and Murfreesboro, thence on to near Franklin, where in a minor engagement, General Kelley, our brilliant Division commander, and other valuable and skillful officers were killed. Williams still pushed on after Wheeler, but crossed the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad South of Murfreesboro.
From near Murfreesboro, Williams was hotly pressed by a large force of the enemy's cavalry as far as Cornersville. The Confederate Brigade was in the rear and it was a continuous retreating combat, at times requiring the whole brigade to deploy in line of battle. This continuous fighting late in the day resulted in the exhaustion of the cartridge boxes of all the brigade armed with rifles, and squadron after squadron of the 8th Confederate had to be sent to one wing or the other of the brigade to make mounted charges, with pistol or sabre, to preserve the integrity of the brigade. The writer, by some chance, as Senior Captain, was during that day in command of the 8th Confederate. The detachment of company after company to the wings reduced the Regiment to one squadron on the main road. The enemy finally seemed to make a supreme effort in an attack on our entire line and came very near to putting us to rout.
At this juncture, General Robertson placed a piece of artillery in the main road, directed me to form my remaining squadron in column of fours, and prepare for the charge. The enemy came sweeping down the main pike in column of platoons, and when within one hundred yards of us, a shell from our gun was landed in the head of their column which did some execution and caused the enemy to endeavor to halt, and in so doing they naturally "bunched up" about where the shell had burst. Then General Robertson ordered us to charge and led us mounted on a lively little black mule. In a few moments, we dashed forward with well charged revolvers and at close quarters used them most effectively in hand-to-hand combat. My squadron did not number exceeding 50 men, but we struck them in such excellent and solid column that we soon had them on the run in their center, and their wings followed suit for about one half mile. General Robertson shot the Kentucky Federal Lieut. Colonel at the head of the column from his horse, but he was game and as he fell, threw his pistol at Robertson. We killed some, wounded more, and captured several in this stirring combat. We pursued our course after this at more leisure until we reached Cornersville, where General Williams had placed artillery, and now formed his two brigades in echelon of regiments and awaited the enemy's attack.
The enemy came to a ridge a few hundred yards from our front and, seeing the array, did not attack. Seeing that Wheeler and the rest of the command must turn South into Alabama before he could overtake him, General Williams, finding that there was still another strong force of the enemy between him and Wheeler that he could not hope to successfully drive with but a scant supply of ammunition at hand, the ordinance wagons being with Wheeler, determined to retrace his steps. He first moved South to Fayetteville, Tenn., thence Northeast to Shelbyville, which he captured with a large supply of subsistence for men and horses besides numerous sutler's stores, thence back East to Sparta and across the mountains via Wartburg, and regained our own lines near Greenville in East Tennessee. Having supplied himself with ammunition and some additional arms, he made preparations to attack General Gillom, who held Bull's gap with a division of East Tennessee Federal cavalry.
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The night before the attack was to be made, information reached Williams that General Burbridge with a heavy force, mounted, was pushing from Eastern Kentucky toward the Confederacy's principal salt supply at Saltville, East of Abingdon, Va. By marching day and night with out stopping except to feed horses, Williams reached Saltville about 2 o'clock A.M. on the night of about the 28th of September.
Burbridge, with his raiding column, had camped some 4 miles from Saltville, the evening before. There were two siege guns mounted on a hill and one Regiment of raw, hastily organized, militia as the only protecting force. Williams placed Col. John S. Prather of the 8th Confederate in command of this Regiment of it's militia, some of its companies were in command of officers from the same regiment, and one company had for its commander Private Marcus McElderry of the writer's own company. The Kentucky Brigade was placed on the left wing, the militia and all of Robertson's Brigade on the right, except the 8th Confederate, which was held mounted and in command of the writer on the main approach to the works and in support of the artillery.
Soon after sunrise on the 28th, the enemy began feeling our position and by 10 A. M. the battle was general all along our right and center. Our troops were all dismounted, except as indicated, the 10th Confederate, under either Major Rudolph or Captain Vanson, holding our extreme right. The main attack, which was several times repeated during the day, was made on our right and center, some of the attacking force being a brigade of negroes enlisted largely in Kentucky. Failing to break our lines by repeated charges of his dismounted men, as the day was past the meridian, Burbridge thought to pierce our left center by a mounted cavalry charge, and for that purpose assembled a finely mounted regiment of white troopers who approached our lines in fine array. The Confederates holding their fire until they had quickened their approach into a sweeping charge, when the gallant Kentuckians who had been lying prone upon the ground and partly behind fences, rose up and poured a volley into them at close range, causing their column to stagger, reel and then the 8th Confederate went dashing down upon them, but they did not wait but fled in confusion, followed by the parting compliments of the Kentuckians rifles and the shells from our artillery which was well served under the immediate direction of General Williams.
Night soon came on and we held the Salt works. The enemy retreated during the night, but had to make a wide detour around a range of mountains, so that on the second night after the battle they encamped but a few miles from Saltville with a mountain range intervening. On the day after the battle, Vaughn's Brigade came into the neighborhood, and General John C. Breckenridge, the Commander of that Department, having arrived on the ground, a plan was devised to surround Burbridge and force him to surrender. Vaughn's forces were to make a detour to the Westward and be posted on Burbridge's line of retreat while Williams, by a night march over the mountain by a cow trail, with his forces, was to fall upon Burbridge's camp at daylight. We crossed that mountain in the darkness on foot, each man leading his horse and holding the tail of the horse in front of him. We debouched into the valley at early dawn just in time to see Burbridge's rear-guard scampering away from their camp. The detour of Vaughn's forces was too great to get in position before the Yankees were on the road towards Kentucky. We pursued them hotly, caught up with and fought them until they abandoned their battery of beautiful mountain howitzers, which we were careful to take charge of as trophies. We captured a number of prisoners and released one officer and a few men they had captured on our skirmish line early in the main battle. After the pursuit ended, General Williams was placed under arrest, Robertson was put in command of the Division, and Williams was afterwards court-martialed for disobedience of orders in this campaign. I do not know the result, but at all events he did not afterwards command the Kentucky Brigade, but it was by reason of his presence in East Tennessee at the time, his terrible forced march and his admirable generalship in command of all the forces engaged in the battle for the Salt works, that this inestimable asset of the Confederacy was saved until the closing hours of its life.
On the 1st of October snow fell upon us at Abingdon, Va. As General Robertson led us back to the main army by way of Asheville, N.C., Greenville, S.C., and thence across Georgia to rejoin Hood at Gadsden while on his fatal move towards Franklin and Nashville. Wheeler's brilliant raid did not retard Sherman's operations in the least, but did give much work to his pioneers in rebuilding railroads supposed to have been destroyed, and in teaching the Federal officers how much an effective force of from 10,000 to 20,000 well mounted soldiers, led by competent officers, could accomplish in an enemy's rear. All accomplished by the raid did not compensate the Confederacy for the great loss sustained by the death of General John S. Kelley, to say nothing of the misfortunes sustained by the main army in the temporary loss of its "eyes and ears".
At Gadsden, General Anderson, having recovered from his wound at Newman, reported for duty and took command of his Brigade. The 8th Confederate was sent with other commands into Calhoun and Talladega counties, Alabama, to recruit their ranks and freshen their jaded horses.
On the long raid begun on August 10th, the men had not time given to even wash their clothing and had no change with them. From the time they started from Covington, they had ridden day and night with never more that a few hours rest in each 24, had lived largely on roasting ears hurriedly cooked in bivouac fires, and eaten as they rode. From exhaustion, from scant food and want of sleep and rest, men toppled from their horses as they marched along on gaunt and often shoeless horses. In East Tennessee they were fired upon from hill-tops and impenetrable jungles by hostile bushwhackers, while sons were captured and never heard from again. These conditions lasted from the time we struck the hills of extreme North Georgia until we approached the more hospitable lines of Virginia and had fought at Saltville for the integrity of her soil. The long ride in filthy and vermin infested clothing produced an epidemic of boils among the officers and men, while many of their horses had to be abandoned from exhaustion or want of shoes, with no means of being replaced except by captures from the enemy or impressment from citizens. In their distressful physical condition, some of the men abandoned their arms in order to lighten their burdens, while some of the wounded were transported two hundred miles in such vehicles as their devoted comrades could seize, rather than leave them to the tender mercies of the murderous bush-whackers.
Even after our cavalry had been gathered back into friendly and hospitable lines, discipline had been so shaken that some of our own forces had lost respect for the rights of property even among friends, and abused their privileges by killing milch cows and stock hogs of farmers and in other ways depredating on the country. But many of these troopers were from distant and inaccessible states, and their government not providing for them, they argued that it was depredation, or desertion and in devotion to the cause for which they had fought and bled and suffered for three years, they scorned the latter and chose the former to meet their actual or imaginary necessities.
The conditions attending the cavalry during the operations in the fall and winter of 1864 were such that they were ever in battle; desert they would not; fight they must and subsist they must. From the thoughtless, the heartless and those whom the exigencies of war were unknown, arose a cry against the men who were exposing their lives daily, if not hourly, for home, country and liberty; and this continued down to the very hour when, from utter exhaustion, they furled their banners and sullenly surrendered their arms. General Sherman first depopulated and then, with torch and explosives, utterly destroyed Atlanta, and with 65,000 splendidly armed and equipped men started on his "March to the Sea".
November 15th he rode out of Atlanta behind his caravan of wagons fifteen miles long. Five thousand of his force were cavalry under Major General Judson Kilpatrick, specially selected for the march. Orders from the commander were to live upon the county. Sherman says he destroyed ruthlessly on his march at least one million dollars of property more than his army could consume or carry off. General Anderson's Brigade was part of the force of 4,000 cavalry with which Wheeler hung upon the flanks and rear, and at times the front of Sherman's host. Wheeler's was the only opposition offered by the Confederate authorities to this devastating march. General Hood had marched all that was left of the Army of Tennessee, away into Tennessee.