LOST. Between Chattanooga and Murfreesboro, my boy Henry, light color, seventeen years of age, and will weigh one hundred and fifteen pounds. I will pay a liberal reward for his delivery at the 20th Alabama regiment, Garner's Brigade, Whetherin's Division
RUNAWAY -- TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD
RUNAWAY from the subscriber on Sunday the 16th of November, a negro [sic] boy called Carroll Neely, about twenty years of age, and one hundred seventy five pounds in weight. He is of a dark copper color; has on the left side of his face a mole, with a small bunch of hair attached. When he left he was dressed in a black frock coat and kersey pants. The above reward [will be paid for his return.] Any information concerning this boy can be addressed to me in the care of Gen. Jesse J. Wharton
Dr. J. W. Newly, Terry's Texas Rangers.
Murfreesboro Daily Rebel Banner, December 23, 1862.
23, "Our blankets is of a supereor quality I have slept with one of them over me in rain and keep perfectly dry they are yankey blankets." Letter of Captain Peter Marchant, 47th Tennessee Infantry, in Murfreesboro to Sousan Marchant
Camp Murfreesboro
December 23, 1862
Dear Sousan,
amongest the many uncertiantys and changes I have found it convient to right you a few lines in the out sit I must say with devout grattitude to the giver of all good that I am in as good health as I ever was in my life(I) weigh 148 Lbs, that is 3 lbs more than I ever weighed befour. The helth of soldiers is very good. I have rote three letters to you since I left Tupalo, one from Georgetown Ky. another from Shelbyville Ky another from Tullahoma Tennessee. I do not know that eny of them ever reached you and therefore I am at a loss to know how to right. We are now in 30 miles of Nashvill, it is not beleaved that their will be eny fight. Their has been two divisions of the army sent to Mississippi from hear and I beleave the yankeys will leve nashvill without a fight. ….since we left [Kentucky] and come back to Tenn we have all got fat. We get a plenty of meal flour bacon beef and pork. Salt is scarce though we have enuf . We have had two snows, one on the 26 of Oct, we war at Knoxvill, the other on the 5th day of this month, with that exception we have had very plesant weather. We are now very well fixed, we have a brick chimney to our tent, the fier place is large enuf for size to stay by and do our cooking by, allso we have bed ticks that we fill with dry grass or leaves and plenty of blankets. Gooch and myself sleep to geather we have a bed and 5 blankets and my same old coveler that I brought from home. Our blankets is of a supereor quality I have slept with one of them over me in rain and keep perfectly dry they are yankey blankets.
Our regiment has bin consolated making only five companies, I will get the position of Second Lieut. as I rote you in my last litter I have plenty of clothes for this winter I only want a par of boots which I think I shall get in a fwe days. I have over two hundread dollars now and about 150 is dieu me. I wold send some home but I do not suppose it will pass in Dyer yet and it may be that I can use it to a good advantage. I am in good spirits, I beleave it will not be long befour times will be better. I hope you have the fortitude to bar your trials. I remember you in my prayers daly and nightly. I have the little testament that John gave me before I left home, it is my daly companion (I have now more confidence in a special providence that I ever had in my life, I veryly and fully beleave that all things shall work togeather for good to them that love and serve the lord.)[emphasis added.]We left George Thurmond at Koxvill [sic] at the hospital and I have not herd from him since, it is likely though that you have heard from him. I beleve I have riten all that I know wold intirest you, I hope it will not be long befour I shall have the pleasure of being at home with you and tell of my travels at leasure. Give my love to pa and mother. Tell them I wish to be remembered in their prayers (I have often thought of them and prayed that they might find grace in this time. Tell Sabelia and family howde for me and all hoo my wish to hear from me) Kiss the children for me and when I get an answer from you I will know better how to right
Very affectionalily yours (to Sousan Marchant)
Peter [M]archant
Letters of Captain Peter Marchant, 47th Tennessee Infantry
http://www.geocities.com/bsdunagan/letters.htm
23, Skirmish with guerrillas, Mulberry Village, Lincoln County*
December 23, 1863.--Skirmish at Mulberry Village, Tenn.
Report of Col. Silas Colgrove, Twenty-seventh Indiana Infantry.
Tullahoma, December 26, 1863.
I have the honor to report that, on the 23d instant, I sent a forage train out into the neighborhood of Mulberry Village, Lincoln County. The train was accompanied by a guard of 70 men, under the command of First Lieut. Porter, Company A, Twenty-seventh Indiana Volunteers. Lieut. Porter was furnished with copiers of General Orders, No. 17, November 17, 1862, and General Orders, No. 30, December 30, 1862, Department of the Cumberland, and also Special Orders, No.__, of these headquarters, for instructions. At or near Mulberry Village, I am informed by Lieut. Porter, he divided his train into four detachments and sent the several detachments upon different plantations, sending an equal guard with each detachment. This, I understand, was done for the purpose of facilitating the loading of the train. It was about 7 o'clock in the evening when that portion of the train which Lieut. Porter was with finished loading and started to camp.
The lieutenant reports that while he was in house receipting for the forage a part of the train went ahead and went into camp, leaving three wagons in the rear. He started to camp with these three wagons, distance about 2 miles. He had with him 15 men as guard. When within one-half mile of camp he discovered that the foremost wagon had got about 300 yards ahead of the other two. He went forward for the purpose of halting it. When he rode up he found the wagon stopped. Two men immediately rode up to him and presented pistols at his head and demanded his surrender. With this wagon was the teamster and wagon-master of the Ninth Ohio Battery, and 2 men who had helped to load the wagons, all unarmed except Lieut. Porter. The guerrillas numbered but 4, and were armed. Lieut. Porter, the wagon-master, and 3 men were immediately mounted and taken through a gate, passing about 200 yards up a creek and then into a corn-field; from there they were hurried forward, avoiding roads, &c., until about 1 o'clock in the morning. They were halted on the bank of Elk River, about 1 mile below where the Mulberry [Creek] empties into it. A fire was built and their captors informed them that they were going to camp for the night.
Their hands were tied behind them; everything of value was taken from them. They were then drawn up in line 4 or 5 steps in front of their captors; one of them, who acted as leader, command "Ready"; the whole party immediately fired. One of the men was shot through the head and killed, as supposed, instantly; 3 were wounded. Lieut. Porter was not hit, and immediately broke and ran. He was followed and fired at by one of the party three times. He reports that he saw that he would be overtaken, and changed his course and ran to the river and threw himself over a precipice into the water. Having succeeded in getting his hands loose, he swam to the opposite shore; was fired at five or six times while he was the water. He secreted himself under the bank of the river.
His captors swam their horses across the and made search for him, but failed to find him. He afterward made his way up the river about three fourths of a mile and swam back again. He lay in the woods the remainder of the night and the next day. On the night of the 24th, he traveled about a mile and got to a house. The party sent out by me on yesterday brought him in. He is now lying in a critical condition owing to the exposure, cold, fatigue, &c.
He reports that he would know his captors should he see them again, one of whom is believed to be a man by the name of Tulley, living near Lynchburg; another a Bowne, who is a deserter from the rebel army and has been during the fall and winter with guerrillas. A third man rode a bay stallion and is known to the citizens of Mulberry; his name I have not yet learned. The men who were shot were immediately thrown into the river, one of whom was supposed to have been killed, and one from the nature of the wounds and his appearance after the body was recovered, is supposed to have been drowned. The hands of these two men were found tied behind them when taken out of the river; the other two men succeeded in losing their hands and got of the river, one of whom has died since; the hospital at this place; wound not considered necessarily mortal.
OR, Ser. I. Vol. 31. pt I, pp. 624 625.
GENERAL ORDERS, No. 6. HDQRS. DEPT. OF THE CUMBERLAND, Chattanooga, Tenn., January 6, 1864.
It having been reported to these headquarters that, between 7 and 8 o'clock on the evening of the 23d ultimo, within 1 1/2 miles of the village of Mulberry, Lincoln County, Tenn., a wagon which had become detached from a foraging train belonging to the United States was attacked by guerrillas, and the officer in command of the foraging party, First Lieut. Porter, Company A, Twenty-seventh Indiana Volunteers, the teamster, wagon-master, and two other soldiers who had been sent to load the train (the latter four unarmed), captured. They were immediately mounted and hurried off, the guerrillas avoiding the roads until their party was halted, about 1 o'clock in the morning, on the bank of Elk River, where the rebels stated they were going into camp for the night. The hands of the prisoners were then tied behind them, and they were robbed of everything of value about their persons. They were next drawn up in line, about 5 paces in front of their captors, and one of the latter, who acted as leader, commanded, "ready," and the whole party immediately fired upon them. One of the prisoners was shot through the head and killed instantly and three were wounded. Lieut. Porter was not hit. He immediately ran, was followed and fired upon three times by one of the party, and, finding that he was about to be overtaken, threw himself over a precipice into the river, and succeeding in getting his hands loose, swam to the opposite side, and, although pursued to that side and several times fired upon, he, after twenty-four hours of extraordinary exertions and great exposure, reached a house, whence he was taken to Tullahoma, where he now lies in critical situation. The others, after being shot, were immediately thrown into the river. Thus the murder of 3 men, Newell E. Orcutt, Ninth Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery; John W. Drought, Company H, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers, and George W. Jacobs, Company D, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers, was accomplished by shooting and drowning. The fourth, James W. Foley, Ninth Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery, is now lying in hospital, having escaped by getting his hands free while in the water.
For these atrocious and cold-blooded murders, equaling In savage ferocity any ever committed by the most barbarous tribes on the continent, committed by rebel citizens of Tennessee, It Is ordered that the property of all other rebel citizens living within a circuit of 10 miles of the place where these men were captured be assessed, each In his due proportion, according to his wealth, to make up the sum of $30,000, to be divided among the families who were dependent upon the murdered men for support, as follows:
Ten thousand dollars to be paid to the widow of John W. Drought, of North Cape, Racine County, Wis., for the support of herself and two children.
Ten thousand dollars to be paid to the widow of George W. Jacobs, of Delavan, Walworth County, Wis., for the support of herself and one child.
Ten thousand dollars to be divided between the aged mother and sister of Newell E. Orcutt, of Burton, Geauga County, Ohio.
Should the persons assessed fail, within one week after notice shall have been served upon them, to pay in the amount of their tax in money, sufficient of their personal property shall be seized and sold at public auction to make up the amount.
Maj. Gen. H. W. Slocum, U. S. Volunteers, commanding Twelfth Army Corps, is charged with the execution of this order.
The men who committed these murders, If caught, will be summarily executed, and any persons executing them will be held guiltless and will receive the protection of this army; and all persons who are suspected of having aided, abetted, or harbored these guerrillas will be immediately arrested and tried by military commission.
By command of Maj.-Gen. Thomas:
WM. D. WHIPPLE, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 32, pt. II, pp. 37-38.
TULLAHOMA, January 2, 1864--12.15 p.m.
Brig. Gen. W. D. WHIPPLE, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.:
The names, &c., of men murdered by guerrillas are Newell E. Orcutt, Ninth Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery; John W. Drought, Company H, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers; George W. Jacobs, Company D, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteers. Wounded, James W. Foley, Ninth Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Artillery. Guerrillas suspected are William Tully and Thomas or Jacob Brown; neither of these men can be found. John Tully a rich citizen, father of William Tully, Thomas Bailey, Philander Whittier, and Newton Whittier have been arrested and are in confinement for aiding and secreting guerrillas. George W. Richardson left here for the neighborhood of Tracy City before your dispatch was received.
H. W. SLOCUM, Maj.-Gen. of Volunteers Cmdg.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 32, pt. II, pt. 12.
HDQRS. TWELFTH CORPS, Tullahoma, Tenn., February 16, 1864.
Brig. Gen. WILLIAM D. WHIPPLE,
A. A. G., Chief of Staff, Hdqrs. Dept. of the Cumberland:
GEN.: Pursuant to instructions contained in General Orders, No. 6, headquarters Department of the Cumberland, I have caused to be collected within the district named the sum of $30,000, and have sent the amount to the families mentioned in said orders. I inclose a copy of the special order detailing Capt. Moseley to deliver the money to these families; also a copy of instructions given him. In order to render certain the collection of the full amount ordered, an assessment was made for a sum exceeding the amount, with the expectation that in many instances the officer to whom the duty was intrusted would fail in making collections. He was more successful, however, than I anticipated. This fact, together with the sale of some personal property [chiefly cotton] for a higher price than was anticipated, has brought into my hands the sum of $5,654.57 in excess of the amount ordered to be collected. A small portion of this sum, say $654.57 I desire to return to persons who should not have been assessed, some of whom have assisted in the collection of the amount and given valuable information. After returning to these men the amount paid by them, there will still remain in my hands the sum of $5,000.
It was my intention to have returned any excess of this nature, pro rata, but as the force sent to collect this amount was returning on Friday last, two soldiers about one-half mile in advance of the column were shot by guerrillas. They are both privates of the One hundred and fiftieth New York Volunteers, and both good soldiers. I would respectfully ask for authority to divide the balance now in my hands between the families of these men, and for authority to send the amount to them by Col. Ketcham.
Col. Ketcham is deserving of great credit for the manner in which he has discharged his duties in this matter, and is entitled to any favor that can consistently be granted him. He will present this letter in person and give you any information in connection with this matter that you may desire.
As soon as Capt. Moseley returns with receipts, I will send them to you, with any other vouchers that may be in my possession. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
H. W. SLOCUM, Maj.-Gen., Cmdg.
[Inclosure No. 1.]
SPECIAL ORDERS, No. 35. HDQRS. TWELFTH CORPS,
Tullahoma, Tenn., February 15, 1864.
* * * *
Capt. W. W. Moseley, aide-de-camp, will proceed to North Cape, Racine County, and Delavan, Walworth County, Wis., and to Burton, Geauga County, Ohio, for the purpose of executing so much of Gen. Orders, No. 6, headquarters Department of the Cumberland, as relates to payment to certain families therein named the money collected for their benefit pursuant to said orders.
By command of Maj.-Gen. Slocum:
H. C. RODGERS, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
[Inclosure No. 2.]
HDQRS. TWELFTH CORPS, Tullahoma, Tenn., February 15, 1864.
Capt. WILLIAM W. MOSELEY, Aide-de-Camp:
CAPT.: You have been detailed to convey to the families named in General Orders, No. 6, Department of the Cumberland, the money collected for their benefit pursuant to said order.
To avoid risk of loss you are advised to secure drafts payable in New York before leaving this department. The order contains instructions as to the parties to whom the money is to be paid. These instructions are based upon information furnished to the commanding general as to the families of the murdered men. Should this information, in either case, prove incorrect you will endeavor to carry out as nearly as possible the spirit of the order.
In each case you will do well to consult with one or more prominent and trustworthy citizens before delivering the money; and if necessary you will seek the advice and assistance of the judicial officers of the county or a judge of one of the higher courts. You will require triplicate receipts, which will be acknowledged before an officer authorized to take such acknowledgments.
If it should be necessary to pay any of the money to guardians or trustees, you will, before delivering it, require them to give sufficient surety for the faithful performance of their duties.
Should you fail to find either of the families, or for any reason be unable to carry out the spirit of the order, you will deposit the money, subject to your own order, and report the circumstances to these headquarters.
Yours, &c.,
H. W. SLOCUM, Maj.-Gen., Cmdg.
HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE CUMBERLAND, Chattanooga, February 16, 1864.
Maj. Gen. H. W. SLOCUM, Tullahoma:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of yesterday, with inclosure.
The major-general commanding directs me to express his gratification at the manner in which General Orders, No. 6, has been executed and concurs with you in commending Col. Ketcham for the manner in which he has discharged his portion of the duties connected with the matter. Your recommendation as to the disposition to be made of the $5,654.57 in excess is approved, and you are authorized to send Col. Ketcham to the State of New York with the $5,000, to be divided between the families of the 2 soldiers killed by guerrillas while returning collecting the tax imposed. The time of his absence will not exceed thirty days.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. D. WHIPPLE, Brig.-Gen. and Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 32, pt. II, pp. 405-407.
* Ed. note - Not all the fighting was of the colossal magnitude of the famous battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Island No. 10, Memphis, Stones River, Chattanooga, Knoxville or Nashville. Smaller encounters lack the romantic allure of giant battles but indicate even more powerfully the dehumanizing brutality of war, as the following report on the skirmish at Mulberry Village strikingly depicts.