THE SOUTH CAROLINA CAMPAIGN.
Gen. Wade Hampton assumed command as chief of cavalry, although
General Wheeler retained command of his old corps. The Fourth
Tennessee was sent up the east side of the Savannah River to protect
the citizens and prevent the destruction of a large number of rice
mills. Their first station was at the plantation of Dr. Chisholm,
about thirty miles above Savannah, where we remained several days.
The large rice mill immediately on the Savannah River was an immense
frame structure, four stories in height, and afforded an unobstructed
view of the country on the other side, including Sherman’s line of
march to Savannah. The smoldering débris of mills from which smoke
was ascending could be seen. There were two or three crops of rice
in the mill, to which we were told to help ourselves, for the sheaves
of rice made fine feed for our horses after placing it in water the
night before. While here the enemy made several attempts to cross the
river, but were repulsed. After we had been there several days, at
nightfall a young soldier rode up to our camp fire with a lady (whom
we presumed to be his mother) riding behind him on his horse. The
young man said that he had been informed that we had orders to leave
that night. When we informed him that we had and expected to leave
at daylight the next morning, he and the lady had a consultation and,
approaching the camp fire, removed a lighted fagot and, going over
to the mill, applied the torch and burned the mill and its contents,
which we were told was worth half a million dollars. The only word he
spoke afterwards was that they had “concluded to burn it rather than
leave that pleasure to the Yankees.”
At Aiken, S. C., we had quite a battle with the enemy. We had just
reached the place when a large force unexpectedly appeared at the
foot of one of their broad and beautiful streets. We charged them
at once and drove them back into the suburbs, where we fought for
an hour, finally driving them off with loss. We, too, lost a few
men, among whom was Jo Rushing, of Company E. He was a relative of
our much esteemed and most efficient Sergt. Maj. W. A. Rushing, who
remained with his relative till he died a few days afterwards. Our
Sergeant Major is still living, as honorable and worthy a citizen
as he made a brave and sturdy soldier during the war. He has been
the representative of his constituency in the State Legislature.
After reaching the State of South Carolina, it seemed as if the
enemy were invading the State from all directions--north, south,
east, and west. It was a difficult matter to calculate when and
where we would meet the next marching column. We would meet and check
them temporarily, when we would be threatened by another. It seemed
that the enemy were making an effort to cover every community in the
whole State, still exhibiting their propensity to burn and destroy. I
remember having seen some correspondence between General Sherman and
General Hampton that appeared in some of the local papers. Sherman
had sent a note to Hampton informing him that if his men murdered
any more of his after they had surrendered he would retaliate by
killing a like number of his prisoners. Hampton replied that when
his men found the enemy burning the houses of citizens, as they were
in the cases referred to by him in his note, when the women of the
house were following his soldiers through the rooms, putting out the
fire they had thrown upon the beds and other inflammable objects,
no orders would restrain them; and to Sherman’s threat to retaliate
Hampton replied that he would kill two of his soldiers for every one
he executed. I heard no more of the correspondence, but must say that
the enemy’s destruction still continued.
We moved across the Slate to the eastern shore, where we had frequent
skirmishes with the enemy, sometimes with parties who would come
ashore from their blockading ships, notably from a point that we
called the Summer House. Late in December, 1864, we found ourselves
at Grahamville, S. C., about forty miles below Charleston. I remember
that we spent Christmas day there. A few days before General Wheeler
gave the men permission to go to the coast and get the wagons filled
with oysters in the shell, which we did. I suppose that was the first
time an army was feasted upon oysters. The soldiers would sit out
in the open before a log-heap fire, throw the shells into the fire,
toast them sufficiently, then break them open and eat the delicious
bivalve. This reminded us of Christmas time before the war, “when
life ran high and without a ripple upon its surface to disturb
its happiness.” It was there that we learned for the first time
of General Hood’s disastrous campaign into Middle Tennessee.
General Hood marched to Sherman’s rear at Atlanta, Ga., and, going
north along the railroad, attacked the Federals at Allatoona, Ga.,
in a well-fortified fortress, with General Cockrell’s brigade,
who, after a most gallant fight, was repulsed with heavy loss.
Hood then deflected to the left and north, reaching the Tennessee
River at or near Decatur, Ala. Crossing the river, he moved north,
passing through Mt. Pleasant and on to Columbia, Tenn. There, after
considerable cannonading and musketry, he flanked the place and,
reaching the neighborhood of Spring Hill, stopped for the night.
He gave specific orders to attack the enemy if they attempted to
move along the pike toward Nashville. General Hood, in his book of
campaigns that he has written styled “Advance and Retreat,” says that
“General Frank Cheatham was assigned to this duty, which he failed
to do, and the enemy was permitted to pass on to Franklin without
interruption.” This has been denied in most positive terms by General
Cheatham and his friends. Many strong articles have been written by
soldiers whose opportunities to know were good, denying the fact as
charged.
The next morning Hood resumed his march. Upon reaching Franklin,
eighteen miles from Nashville, he found the enemy strongly intrenched
behind a long line of breastworks. He immediately made his
preparations to attack across an open field where one would conclude
that a bird could not have survived the storm of shot and shell
that swept across it. The divisions of Cleburne, Cheatham, Stewart,
Bate, and Brown with their brave soldiers charged up to the enemy’s
breastworks, some of them reaching them and others going over them.
They had done all that mortal strength and bravery could do, but had
failed. Men were shot down on the field of Franklin, and while they
lay in a helpless condition were shot again, some of them as many as
three or four times. In a few moments General Hood had lost several
thousand of his soldiers. More general officers were killed and
wounded at Franklin than in any battle of our War between the States.
Five of his generals were killed. Gen. Pat Cleburne was killed within
a few feet of the works, with many of his division. Brigadier General
Stahl, with his horse, was found dead on top of the enemy’s works.
Brigadier Generals Granbery, Carter, and Adams were also killed, and
five or six other generals were wounded. A more daring exhibition of
soldiers’ courage was never made on any field or by any army than
that of the Army of Tennessee at Franklin on that chilly afternoon
in November, 1864. General Hood was an eyewitness to all this, and
I regretted and was surprised to read in his book the assertion
that the Army of Tennessee had been so accustomed to fighting behind
breastworks under General Johnston that they would not fight any
other way. It is charitable to conclude that this was made while he
was laboring under the sore disappointment occasioned by the failure
to obey his orders at Spring Hill the night before, to attack the
enemy if they attempted to move from Columbia. A Federal officer
who commanded a brigade at Franklin, and now a member of Congress,
General Sherwood, took occasion to say at the funeral obsequies of
the late Gen. G. W. Gordon, Representative from the Tenth District
of Tennessee: “Franklin was the fiercest, the bloodiest, and the
most signal battle of the entire war.”
The war histories tell us more of the two days’ battle at Nashville,
fifteen days later; but Nashville was a dress parade compared to
Franklin. I was at the front in both battles. General Gordon was a
brigadier general in command of a brigade at Franklin, and he was
abreast of the front line of bayonets in that mad, wild, desperate
charge. He was wounded and captured on the Federal breastworks. I
quote the following from Colonel Vance’s war history: “There was
greater loss, greater sacrifice, and more bloody fighting on the part
of old Frank Cheatham’s men on that beautiful Wednesday afternoon,
November 30, 1864, than took place on any field of the Crimean War.
While thirty-seven per cent of Lord Cardigan’s 673 men were killed
or wounded in the memorable charge of the 600 at Balaklava, more than
half of General Cleburne’s and Brown’s divisions were left dead or
wounded in the fields and gardens of that little Tennessee town.”
In summing up, General Sherwood said: “More generals were killed and
wounded in that six hours’ struggle in front of Franklin than were
killed and wounded in the two days’ fight at Chickamauga or the three
days’ fight at Gettysburg, where three times as many soldiers were
engaged. I have seen many battle fields, but never saw evidence of
so terrible a conflict as at Franklin.” I am glad that I have been
able to use what General Sherwood has so truthfully, forcibly, and
recently said in refutation of what General Hood has so unfortunately
and unthoughtedly said in regard to the Army of Tennessee.
The Federals evacuated Franklin that night, falling back to
Nashville, where General Thomas had collected a large army. General
Hood followed in a few days, and by the 15th of December had placed
his little army in front of Nashville, when a two days’ battle
ensued. It is sufficient to add here that after some hard fighting
on the different parts of the long line presented by the Federals the
Confederate lines were broken, and they were driven from the field in
disorder.
The weather was exceedingly cold, creating much suffering among the
soldiers. They were thinly clad, and many were barefooted, leaving
bloody footprints upon the frozen ground. Many of them went to their
homes to get clothing, some of whom never joined their columns again.
Nothing like a vigorous pursuit was made, except between Pulaski and
the Tennessee River. Quite a battle was had between the Confederates
under Generals Walthall and Forrest and the advance guard of the
enemy, in which the Federals were driven back with heavy loss.
General Hood crossed the Tennessee River near Corinth, Miss., with
his broken and disorganized troops. In a short while he tendered
his resignation, and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston was again called to
the command of the Army of Tennessee. Thus General Johnston was
reinstated by the same authority that had so summarily dismissed
him a few months before. If anything could have relieved the gloom
that was hanging over that army then, it was the reinstating of
General Johnston.
Gen. John B. Hood was a brave and gallant officer. None made more
reputation than he did while in command of a division in the Army of
Northern Virginia. He had resigned from the United States army. He
was elected colonel of the Fourth Texas Infantry, which was among the
first troops that were hastened to Richmond on the breaking out of
the war. He served through all the campaigns and battles of Virginia
till he came with Longstreet to Chickamauga on the second and last
day of that great battle, September 20, 1863. His division and that
of General McLaws, numbering less than ten thousand, were all the
troops of General Longstreet’s Corps that arrived in time. He lost
a leg at Chickamauga; and as soon as he had convalesced sufficiently
he was given the rank of lieutenant general and assigned to the
Army of Tennessee, which was then at Dalton, Ga., commanded by Gen.
Joseph E. Johnston, just before the opening of the Atlanta campaign
by General Sherman. I do not think that he was of the temperament to
command an army or direct its campaigns. He was a tall, handsome man
of commanding appearance, fully six feet in height, before he lost
his leg. I have heard his couriers say that he would never dismount
in battle, but would frequently call upon his staff and couriers
to do so when balls were falling thick and fast about them. It was
necessary for the commanding general to remain stationary close up
to the battle line in order to receive and give the necessary orders
as the fight progressed. At such times he would sit on his horse as
calm and serene as though he were viewing a dress parade. Some years
ago General Hood died in New Orleans of yellow fever. He had been in
successful business there since the close of the war, and died one of
its best and most respected citizens.
But to recur to the encampment of General Wheeler’s command at
Grahamville, S. C. We had not exhausted our Christmas supply of
oysters before the enemy became very busy again, and we were ordered
away to meet them. We had some fights at Pocotaligo and other places.
They gradually forced us to the north and west. When we reached
Columbia, they were hot on our track.
I have seen some controversy in late years about a fight that was
had at a bridge on that side of the river. I do not remember about
this; but I do remember passing over the bridge and going into
the city, when the Fourth Tennessee was detailed as provost guard.
We remained there all night, patrolling the place, with orders to
leave at daylight, which we did. There was considerable excitement
among the citizens; and at the depot, where we had a picket, a large
amount of household goods were awaiting transportation. When we
left, everything was quiet and orderly. Very few stragglers were
found in the city, and we had them move on ahead of the command. The
enemy came into the city as we moved out. We took the road leading
north. When we had gone probably a mile from the corporation line,
I looked back and saw dense smoke arising from the city. I remember
that the sun was rising at this time. As we went on we could see
the smoke thickening, and I supposed then, as I have concluded since,
that Sherman’s men did the burning, as it was in “accordance” with
their purpose and acts after leaving Atlanta. It may be added that
this has been a matter of controversy with some who have denied
the fact. I only give my conclusions from what I consider the more
reasonable evidence of the case. Why should the citizens of Columbia
have burned their own property? If it was accidental, why did not a
common feeling of humanity induce the Federal officers to order their
soldiers to extinguish it?
General Wheeler continued to move northwardly toward Chester, Cheraw,
and Winnsboro, S. C. We had some skirmishing and fights with the
enemy’s cavalry in which we held our own, giving as much as we
received. A short time after this I remember that General Hampton
assumed in person the command of our forces, and that he and Gen.
M. T. Butler, both of whom were afterwards United States Senators
from the State of South Carolina, riding at the head of the column in
a forced march all night long, halted the column for a few minutes as
the word was passed for all to stand still and make no noise. We had
been there only a little while when we heard footsteps; and looking
up the road, we saw some of our men passing us, having in charge
a large picket of the enemy. We knew at once that something of a
wakening character was at hand, and this was a signal for the men
to arouse from their sleep on the ground and to mount their horses.
We were soon in a rapid charge, and as daylight opened we found
ourselves in Kilpatrick’s camp.
The battle of Fayetteville, N. C., occurred on the 16th day of
February, 1865, in the early morning. The battle field was some ten
miles from the city. The soldiers who fought the battle speak and
know of it as the Kilpatrick fight near Fayetteville, N. C. Many
of the Federals had not arisen from their sleep; when we charged in
among them, we concluded that we had the entire thing in our hands.
Kilpatrick made his escape in his night clothes from a log house near
the encampment; but we captured everything about his headquarters--a
dozen horses, several carriages, and a number of attendants about
the place. A few of his soldiers escaped on foot. Some of them
commenced to fire upon us, and then there was a scattered fire for
some little time. One column of our command was to make a charge and
enter the encampment on our left. Unfortunately, they encountered a
swamp, which occasioned a delay and some confusion, which caused the
enemy to fire on us. Some infantry coming to the enemy’s assistance,
quite a battle took place, lasting for an hour or more, till, with
further assistance from their infantry, they were able to drive us
out of their encampment. We took with us five hundred horses and
four hundred prisoners. The enemy lost a good many in killed and
wounded. General Hume, in command of our division, Colonel Harrison,
of our brigade, and Capt. Billy Sayers, his adjutant general, were
so seriously wounded that they did not report for duty again during
the remainder of the war. Lieut. Col. Paul Anderson, of the Fourth
Tennessee, was also among the wounded. Lieutenant Massengale, of
Company B, was killed with others, and quite a number of the Regiment
were wounded. My opinion of this affair is: We did very well under
the circumstances; but we would have done better had not the men
commenced too soon a distribution of the captures, or had the other
half of our command succeeded in crossing the swamp.