Thursday, October 3, 2013

10/3/13 - Tennessee Civil War Notes

3, Knoxville paper mill
Home Made Letter Paper.—We have seen a fine specimen of letter paper made at the new paper mill established at Knoxville, Tenn., which is very creditable to the manufacturers. Whatever may be the great detriment to our country in the way of commerce, occasioned by the present war, there is no denying that so far as manufactures are concerned, it is doing more to call forth the enterprise and energy of our people than whole years would have done under the system of dependence upon the North, which had already made us too subservient and dependent upon their people. 
Daily Constitutionalist [AUGUSTA, GA], October 3, 1861.



3, Unsuccessful guerrilla attack on a passenger train near Bethel
No circumstantial reports filed.
BETHEL, TENN., October 3, 1862.
Maj.-Gen. GRANT:
Passenger train back here; freight train supposed safe through. Three hundred rebels came in to the railroad; freight got by them; rebels then took up rail and cut telegraph; our force, Seventeenth Wisconsin, ran them off. No killed reported as yet.
I. N. HAYNIE, Col., &c.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 17, pt. II, p. 257.



3, 1863 - Skirmish at Therman, Sequatchie County, recapture of 500 mules
Report of Col. William J. Palmer, Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry (unattached), relative to skirmish of October 3, 1863, near Therman, and capture of 200 mules.
HDQRS. ANDERSON CAVALRY, At Robinson's, on Pikeville Road, 2 Miles N. of Hinson's (Or foot of Mountain at Poe Road), October 4, 1863-5 p. m.
GEN.: I have my men picketing and guarding the two roads in the Sequatchie Valley, at points north of the Poe road and the trails leading up the Cumberland Mountains, between the Robinson trail (9 miles north of Dunlap), which was taken by Gen. Crook's division and Wilder's command, and the Hill road (opposite Dunlap), taken by Gen. Mitchell with Col. McCook and Col. Campbell.
I caught up with Gen. Mitchell on the last-named road on top of the mountain 2 miles from the brow, at 2 p. m. to-day. He had just reached that point with the head of his column, the rebels having over a day the start. The rebels began going up the same road at 3 p. m. on Friday [2d] after the fight, near Anderson's, and kept going all night. At daybreak the next morning [3d] Col. McCook caught up with them on top of the mountain, and, after a slight skirmish, recaptured 200 mules. The pursuit was not continued, and our men returned. Some of the rebels took the Therman road. Gen. Crook went up the Robinson trace, evening before last, so that he should have headed off Wheeler's party that destroyed the trains.
I do not think over 2,000 came down the Sequatchie Valley; they had no cannon. Gen. Mitchell thinks Forrest went with the rest over the mountain from Pikeville toward McMinnville.
The loss of the rebels in the fight near Anderson's on Friday afternoon was 120 killed and wounded (60 killed, chiefly with saber) and 87 prisoners, including Wheeler's assistant adjutant-general and some 8 other officers.
The Second Indiana and First Wisconsin were the only regiments up at the time, and they charged them boldly with the saber.
The obstructions to the Poe road have been removed, and I think half the wagons should be sent around by this route to save time. From Robinson's northward, on both sides of the river, there is abundant forage; none south of it in this valley. The rebel cavalry had not time to feed their horses while in it.
Col. McCook recaptured, in all, 300 mules. The rebels got very drunk on the liquor they captured; some of them must be clothed entirely in our uniform now. I saw lids of boxes on the mountain marked "uniform, trousers," &c.
I shall remain at Robinson's for the present, and as we have no wagons left to haul forage, would it not be best for the regiment to be stationed here until the deficiency can be supplied? Please answer. My men have no subsistence, but are living on the country. We had but one day's rations in Chattanooga when ordered out, and could not take three, as directed.
I have a lieutenant and 20 men in the Tennessee Valley at and near Poe's Tavern.
I am, general, yours, &c.,
WM. J. PALMER, Col., Comdg.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 30, pt. II, pp. 696-697.



3, 1863 -  Death of Major-General W. T. Sherman's son in Memphis
MEMPHIS, TENN., October 4, 1863.
[Via Cairo, 6th. Received 6.35 p. m.] Maj.-Gen. HALLECK, Gen.-in-Chief:
....My eldest boy Willie--my California boy--nine years old, died here yesterday, of fever and dysentery contracted at Vicksburg. His loss to me is more than words can express, but I would not let it divert my mind from the duty I owe my country....
W. T. SHERMAN, Maj.-Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 30, pt. IV, p. 73.

"Melancholy Affliction in Gen. Sherman's Family."
Many who visited General Sherman during his command here, observed with interest a bright-eyed, happy boy of nine years, whose cheerful ways gave an unwonted cheerfulness to headquarters. Such will learn with deep sympathy that that merry voice is still, and those active limbs are at rest forever. William T. Sherman [sic] died at 6 P. M. yesterday, aged nine years, is the melancholy record of a life which promised to his parents honors and lengths of days.
William was a fine, stout, healthy lad. He was taken with a slight fever on the Atlantic, having come from his father's camp on the Big Black, the day before he boat left Vicksburg. He sank rapidly. Immediately on his father's arrival on Friday night he was brought to the Gayoso House, and every attention paid him, but in vain. His mother, with her remaining children, will have a melancholy journey home with the remains of little William [sic] and his precious memory.
The military and citizens are invited to accompany the remains to-day at 10 ½ A. M., as they are borne from the Gayoso House to the steamer War Eagle.
Memphis Bulletin, October 4, 1863.

"FUNERAL OF WILLIE SHERMAN."
No better evidence can be afforded of the popularity which the gallantry and amenity of Gen. Sherman have secured, than the appearance of the mourning group who attended the remains of his little son on Sunday from the hotel to the steamer. His staff officers and the regimental officers of the 13th regulars wore mourning badges and the countenances of all present gave token how much every one felt for the afflicted parents. Little Willie was a sergeant in fanciful appointment, of the 13th, and the roughest soldier of that regiment wept when his death was announced. The lad had shown great aptitude for military affairs accompanying the General on every occasion and taking part in all the concerns of the camp with an inquiring mind, that promised in future years a distinction rivaling the fame of his father. We tender our sympathies with those of the great number who mourn with him.
Memphis Bulletin, October 6, 1863.
       


3, 1863 - "…we took and cleaned out the whole pile." Corporal George Hovey Cadman's experience at the Memphis Saturday night ball: an excerpt from a letter home
* * * *
….I don't think I told you in my last letter, but I went to a Ball last Saturday night. There were some six of our Company there. Unluckily the parties at the Ball were all Secesh and as saucy as the Devil. There were a few Soldiers there beside the Co B's [sic] and after they had paid a Dollar for admittance they were not allowed the privilege of dancing. They boys bore it patiently for about two hours, but finding that forbearance had ceased to be a Virtue, they or rather we took and cleaned out the whole pile. It aint [sic] often I mix in a fuss, but I thought the confounded rebels had gone far enough, for the reason assigned for not permitting the men to dance was because they were Union Soldiers [sic]. You never saw a place emptied so quick in your life. One fellow trying to get out in a hurry fell into the Wood Box stern first and got jammed, his head stuck out on one side and his heels on the other. We had to pull him out of the Box for he was a prisoner there.
* * * *
George Hovey Cadman Correspondence.



3, Correspondence relative to railroad destruction by Forrest, Carter's Creek to Spring Hill
COLUMBIA, October 3, 1864.
Maj. POLK:
Forrest passed through Mount Pleasant this morning. He paroled all his prisoners. Their report is that he was moving on Northwestern railroad. About five miles of railroad is destroyed between Carter's Creek and Spring Hill, including three small bridges. Have a force repairing, and it can be finished this week. Forrest lost 6 killed here yesterday. We had no loss. Can hear of no rebels near us. Nothing from below. The railroad is probably damaged near Culleoka.
WM. B. SIPES, Col.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 39, pt. II, p. 59.



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