BARDSTOWN ENGAGEMENT—I “SWAP” HORSES WITH A FEDERAL.
The object of General Bragg’s advance into Kentucky was to form a
nucleus for Kentuckians to rally around, our War Department having been
importuned by leading Kentuckians to do this, claiming they would have a
hundred thousand men to join us as soon as we could reclaim their
territory. On this point, however, they were mistaken, as we gathered
only about six thousand recruits and they all wanted to serve in
cavalry. They joined us largely about half equipped for cavalry service,
many of them with citizen’s saddles and shotguns or squirrel rifles and,
while on the subject, I might mention here that over half of them
deserted us before we passed through Cumberland Gap and soon after they
found that we were unable to hold Kentucky. Gen. Bragg moved in there
with about thirty thousand men, exclusive of General Kirby Smith’s force
of about twelve thousand, which moved on Cincinnati and fought the
battle of Richmond, where they completely defeated the Federal Army of
about twenty-five thousand strong, capturing, killing and wounding
nearly half, with the balance driven into Covington and Cincinnati.
While at Bardstown, General Bragg, finding that the real object of his
campaign was a failure, decided to turn it into a raid; to collect
valuable stores and move out again, through Cumberland Gap.
When Colonel Wharton took command of the brigade, succeeding General
Forrest, General Wheeler with another brigade occupied the Taylorsville
Pike, both brigades holding the enemy in check in their advance as best
they could. Our little force at Taylorsville was drawn over to the
Bardstown and Louisville Pike, where they met the balance of the brigade
at Mount Washington. While at Mount Washington, drawn up in line, eating
our lunch, a large force of Federal cavalry made a dash on us but were
soon repulsed and driven back. In this engagement a messmate of mine,
Roland Chatham, received a pistol ball right in the center of his
forehead, just over the eyes, the ball penetrating his skull and burying
itself in the brain. This however, did not knock him off his horse and
he remained with us until after the enemy was driven back. Passing to
the rear with his wound bleeding, he was noticed by some ladies in Mount
Washington, displaying his pistol, when they were heard to remark, “Just
look at that poor Texas Ranger; shot through the head and still he wants
to fight.” In this connection I would state that Chatham was sent to the
hospital and finally to Texas, never having been completely disabled on
account of this wound, and with this ball imbedded in the brain, lived
to a good old age, dying only a few years ago at Bryan, Texas, where he
raised a large family. Here he started and operated a cotton gin
manufactory, which proved a great success and enabled him to amass a
considerable fortune. During all his lifetime his wound remained open
but never affected his mind. This was, perhaps, one of the most
remarkable cases on record.
The Federal advance through Mount Washington and Taylorsville continued
daily as soon as it was light enough to discern anything. The enemy’s
skirmishers would advance and, supported by their line of battle and
artillery, would drive us from positions we had taken up. We would then
fall back to another good position, perhaps a mile, and defend that as
best we could, again to be driven from it in the same manner. I forgot
to mention we had with us in this brigade, the First and Second Georgia
and the Tennessee Battalion, under Colonel Baxter Smith, who is still
living at Nashville, Tennessee.
When within nine miles of Bardstown, one morning (dark and drizzling
rain) the enemy failed to make its appearance at daylight. Waiting until
about nine o’clock, Colonel Wharton got suspicious, and sent a scout in
our rear, who struck a large cavalry force of the enemy of about eight
regiments, occupying the pike near the Fair Grounds. Returning, full
speed, the scout reported to Colonel Wharton this condition. Immediately
placing himself at the head of our regiment, drawn up immediately across
the pike, Colonel Wharton sent couriers to the balance of our regiment
and to a section of little brass six-pounders (originally the property
of the Arkansas Military Institute) commanded by Captain Pugh of our
regiment, a western Texas cowman, instructing them to come on and catch
up with our regiment as fast as they could. Wharton at the head of the
regiment in column of fours, struck a lope and soon arrived in sight of
this body of the enemy’s cavalry. He then ordered a charge and when at a
junction of a dirt road with the pike, about two companies of this
cavalry formed in an orchard behind a rail picket fence, which are rails
stuck in the ground, picket fashion, and fired on our flank point blank.
About thirty or forty of us turned on them, halting in front of this
picket fence with our bridle reins thrown over the horns of our saddles,
and with a six-shooter in each hand, began to empty saddles. This caused
them to break and enter a lane in their rear, having already let down
the fence to provide for such an emergency, and fled up the lane in a
northerly direction from whence they had come. Colonel Wharton with the
balance of the regiment dashed into the solid body of the enemy in his
front and scattered them. It soon developed that they were panic
stricken and were driven over the open country, interspersed only by
rail and rock fences, in detached bodies of twenty and fifty, and so on,
by only a few Rangers, driving them like cattle on the prairies. Here
was one of the most brilliant cavalry engagements we were ever in and
resulted in our capturing a great many prisoners.
When the regiment passed through Bardstown somewhat hurriedly, passing
by the Newman residence, Miss Josie Newman, who was standing at the
gate, watching them go by, saw a Major Jared Gross, a former
acquaintance, loping up the column. She recognized him, clapping her
hands and calling out, “Good-bye, Jared; I’m glad to see you running,”
when the next moment she recognized a Federal, Major Watts, riding
behind one of our boys, a prisoner, his face badly bruised and his
clothes torn and soiled, having had his horse killed under him. This
sight immediately brought her tears and she went back into the house,
crying. She was a kind hearted, good young lady, full of spirit in her
Union sentiment.
Now, to go back to the party of Federals in the orchard, fleeing up the
lane from the direction whence they came: Captain Mark Evans, commanding
one of our Western companies, and I, were the first ones to enter the
lane and drive these fellows. We were followed by quite a number of
others, who stopped at the fence with us when first fired into. In
running up the lane we ran over a number of six-shooters and belts with
sabre and six-shooters attached. The six-shooter was always a valuable
capture for us, as we could readily sell it to men in the army who had
money, which we were always in need of, and although we were virtually
maintaining ourselves without the aid of the Government, we could not
afford to stop and pick up these pistols, as everything depended on
crowding these Federals, who outnumbered us at least ten to one; but, as
before stated, they were panic stricken, which sometimes happened to the
best of troops.
After passing about a mile up this lane, I noticed a very fine pistol. I
recognized it as a Tranter, an English pistol, self-cocking, of which
Colonel Terry had four, and I was always anxious to secure a pair of
them. My first impulse was to stop and get this pistol; then again
concluded not to stop, as so much depended on our crowding them, but,
after passing it perhaps thirty or forty yards, I decided I would go
back and pick it up, anyway. For this purpose, I wheeled and as my
horse’s position was across the lane, in turning, one of our men just
behind me, struck my horse’s neck and broke the headstall of my bridle,
dropping the bit out of the horse’s mouth. He wheeled and ran after
Evans and the Federals, running faster than ever I had known him to run
before, and he would soon have carried me right in among them. But, when
near Evans I called to him to stop my horse; at the same time one of the
Federals dismounted from his horse and surrendered. He and Evans
together stopped my horse, and as there was no time for swapping
bridles, I slipped over on his horse, handing him my bridle rein which
was still around my horse’s neck with the bit attached; grabbing his
pistol, I went on my Federal horse and told the Federal to wait and turn
mine over to some of the boys behind.
Continuing up this lane we discovered a bunch of about twenty-five or
thirty, some hundred and fifty yards to our right, in a field, headed by
an officer riding a magnificent horse and in magnificent uniform. We
soon arrived at a big gate on our right, just beyond where another fence
connected with the lane fence, this fence running due east, and which
this bunch of Federals had to cross. When we reached this gate Evans
said to me, “Run through that gate and head off this bunch,” which I
did. I forgot to mention that this party was driven by only about a half
dozen of our men. After passing through the gate I stopped, took
position almost immediately in front of them and when the officer got
near the fence I threw my pistol down on him and demanded his surrender,
to which he paid no attention, but threw off the top rail, the rider of
the fence, and made his horse leap the fence, passing right in front of
me, running through an orchard and I have never been able to understand
how he succeeded in avoiding the limbs of the trees without butting his
brains out.
When the balance of his men came up and attempted to jump the fence, the
first man broke it down and furnished an easier way for the balance to
cross but, being headed off by me, they were forced to take right down
the fence east, followed by our boys, whom I cautioned several times to
hold their fire until the Federals would bunch up. To this, however,
very little attention was paid and with my additional pistol, my shots
held out longer than theirs.
Now, it must be understood that having to load our pistols with loose
powder from the powder flask, which had a gauge attached, then ramming
down the ball with a ramrod attached to the pistol, then putting a cap
on the nipple, it was necessary to stop and reload, as an attempt at
reloading, running, would have spilled the powder and caused confusion;
hence, one after another of our boys dropped behind to reload. This
found me alone, just after the Federals and I had turned the corner of a
stone fence, starting due north again. When about a hundred yards from
this stone fence I fired my last shot, when one of them looked around,
discovered I was by myself, called on the others to “turn on him; there
is only one by himself; give him h—.” I wheeled and the Yankees
wheeled. When we had run back only about fifty yards, two of our men,
who I think were Geo. W. Littlefield and Beardy Miller, turned the same
corner of the stone fence. When this bunch of Federals saw this, they
again wheeled, running north. When Littlefield and Miller came up to
where I was they said, “Come on; come on.” I said, “No, I have got to
stop and load my pistol,” which I proceeded to do, they continuing after
this bunch of Federals. Having about three or four chambers of my pistol
filled with powder and standing about fifteen yards from the fence,
seven more Federals came around the same corner of the fence, running
between me and the fence, after I had drawn back my horse about ten
steps, giving them more room. If I had had one load in my pistol, I
would have demanded their surrender, which I believe they would have
done, but they never said a word to me nor I to them, and went flying
after Littlefield and Beardy Miller, who were after the first bunch.
I forgot to mention that before we had reached this far, we heard heavy
firing of infantry and artillery. We knew it was infantry by their first
volley; then a very rapid, scattering fire, as also rapid cannonading in
the direction of the Fair Grounds, which we concluded to mean that the
balance of our brigade were passing down into Bardstown, around this
infantry and artillery, which had been sent in support of their cavalry.
After having completed the loading of two of my pistols, I discovered a
bunch of about eighty or a hundred Federals running towards me, cut off
by the long fence running east. When they struck the fence, in place of
crossing it, continuing in their course north, they turned right down
the line of fence east, on the south side of it. By this time the firing
at the Fair Grounds had become more scattered and distant, and the
artillery had ceased firing, but I was afraid to venture back the way I
came, by myself, therefore, decided that I would let down the fence,
getting on the south side of it, follow this last bunch east, until I
was about four or five miles east of Bardstown, then turn due south and
strike the Springfield Pike, on which I knew our infantry were moving
from Bardstown to Perryville. I finished loading my pistols, then
crossed the fence and started east in the wake of these Federals,
keeping a sharp lookout ahead and, after riding about three or four
miles, passing through woods-lots and fences, I emerged from the woods,
up on a ridge, and discovered these fellows about a quarter of a mile
below me in a field, drawn up in a line, facing in my direction. I
resorted to a ruse, taking off my hat and waving it behind me, then
started at them, but this would not work and immediately they started
after me. I turned south and put my Federal horse to his best and soon
got out of sight.
Having run in this direction some three or four miles, coming out of a
woods-lot through a big gate to a large, white house I stopped and
called, hoping to get some information about the best way to get to the
Springfield Pike. After calling some little time, an old gentleman came
out of the door, to the front porch, when I called to him that I was a
Confederate soldier and wanted some information about striking the
Springfield Pike, four or five miles east of Bardstown. Having heard the
firing of the infantry and artillery, which no doubt greatly alarmed
him, he talked so fast and rambling that I was unable to understand him,
and I begged him to come to the gate, which he started to do. When about
half way, I heard the woods-lot gate creak, looked around and here were
my Federals, coming single file, which of course started me again,
running south into a short lane running east, and when at the mouth of
this lane, only about three hundred yards long, I looked across the
corner of this man’s field and found about a dozen or more of these
fellows bunched up at his gate, talking to the old man. I immediately
turned south again, putting my horse to his very best. When about three
miles from there, I struck a lane with a dirt road running towards
Bardstown. I kept a sharp lookout for the Federals behind me, whom I
never saw again and don’t believe they followed me any further. Looking
up the lane east, I discovered five Confederate cavalrymen coming in the
direction of Bardstown and when they got up to where I was waiting for
them in the lane, having crossed the fence, I found that they were three
Georgians and two of our own regiment. I then tried to get them to go
back with me, telling them that I believed that we could pick up quite a
number of prisoners, but the Georgians were unwilling; they too, had
heard the firing at Bardstown and did not think it safe for us to go
back in the direction of where I left these people scattered over the
different fields.
I now suggested we strike south again until we reached the Springfield
Pike, which we did in due time and struck Anderson’s Division of
Infantry, reporting to General Anderson our engagement and telling him I
was satisfied we could pick up many prisoners if he would only send back
with me a couple of companies of cavalry. He stated he did not have a
man to spare and was unable to do so, but told me to wait there, that
General Hardee would come up pretty soon and might act on my suggestion.
In about half an hour General Hardee, with his staff, came up, and I
reported the engagement to him and found he had had no particulars.
Being unable to tell him whether the balance of the brigade with the two
little popguns had got through safely to Bardstown, made him somewhat
apprehensive, but he was, nevertheless, gratified to know that the
Rangers had come through all right.
General Hardee, in response to my request to send some cavalry with me
to pick up these stragglers, said that he did not have a man to spare
and told me we had better stay at his headquarters that night. The next
morning we would find our command at a certain point on this pike, he
said. This we decided to do, being very hungry and tired. The next
morning we started for our camp and, on my arrival there, found my horse
with the saddle, everything all right, but no one in the company could
tell who delivered him or where he came from. Captain Evans, I suppose,
being too much engaged in collecting his scattered forces, had not made
any report on my exchange of horses. I never found out what became of my
good Federal who held him for me and swapped with me. My comrades, who
had concluded that I was perhaps killed, shot off of my horse, had given
me out and, when I rode in on my Federal horse with the Federal overcoat
and other equipments, you can imagine their surprise.
Miss Josie Newman, just before Major Gross passed her house, had called
to some members of our company to know where I was and their answer was
that I was left on the field, either dead or wounded and this caused her
and her mother, with friends, to look over the field for several days,
hunting me or my body, so Mrs. Cannon reported after a visit to her
home, several years after the war.