Tuesday, May 20, 2014

5.20.14 Tennessee Civil War Notes

MAY 20


        20, Major-General Gideon J. Pillow's General Orders No. 3
The seizure of Boats and Cargoes at Memphis, &c.-The following is Gen. Pillow's order directing the seizure of boats and cargoes belonging to citizens of Northern States:
GENERAL ORDERS No. 3[1]
Headquarters, Provisional Army of Tennessee
Memphis, May 20, 1861
The authorities and people of the military despotism at Washington having illegally and in violation of plain provisions of the constitution of the United State, seized large amounts (in value) of the property of the people and government of Tennessee, and reprisals being recognized by the law of nations as a right of redress for such wrongs, therefore, the Major-General commanding the Provisional Army of Tennessee, orders and directs that all good and supplies, and property belonging to the government and people of the North, be seized and confiscated to the use of the State of Tennessee. For the purposes of carrying this order into effect the military commanders at Memphis, Fort Harris and Randolph, will stop all upward bound boats, ascertain  their destination, owners and consignees and will take possession of all boats owned by the enemies of Tennessee, and all goods consigned to the ports of her enemies, and hold the same subject to the orders of the commanding general for the supply of the army of the State. The commanding officers at the forts above mentioned will not allow any wrong or violence to be done to the boat or cargo of a friendly people or State, viz: Missouri or Kentucky, except where the owners are known to occupy an attitude of hostility to the State of Tennessee. They will in all cases report seizures to these headquarters, and until further orders will place proper guards over boats and cargoes seized. Commanding officers will be expected to give personal supervision to the proper execution of this order.
By command of Major-General Gideon J. Pillow
Commander P. A.[2] Tennessee
The Daily Picayune, May 27, 1861. [3]


        20, Murder Near Memphis and Auxiliary Actions of the Memphis Committee of Safety [a.k.a., Vigilance Committee]
~ ~ ~
[From the Avalanche of Tuesday Evening (May 14)]
FKATAL AFFAIR-A MAN SHOOTS AND KILLS HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW.
A sad and fatal affair occurred on the Pigeon roost road leading to this city, seven miles from Memphis by which Mr. T. Wood was shot and instantly killed by his brother-in-law, Dr. Holmes. Wood married a sister of the Doctor's, and it is said, ill-treated her. The Dr. Met Wood at the second toll gate, fired at him with a double barreled gun. The whole load of buck shot entered Wood's right breast and he fell dead.
Dr. Homes is well known in this community, and generally esteemed as a gentleman of mild manner, and the terrible affair is the more regretted on that account.
PERSONAL
Gen. Pillow, in company with Inspector Gen. Carroll, left Randolph, for the purpose of inspecting and mustering into service the volunteers stationed at that place.
A HEAD SHAVED.
Yesterday [May 19] the St. Francis brought in two pieces of ordinance and fifty shot from Helena. The same oat had on board a man named John West, who had his head shaved in Wittsburg, Poinsett Co., Ark., for tampering with niggers. He was consigned to or safety committee [i.e., Memphis], by whom he was last night placed in the calaboose, and will to-day be sent further on his travels up river.
ON HIS TRAVELS.
Edward Pucket, an Abolitionist, charged with tampering with negroes, was on the 6th of May, at Grande Glaize, Ark., put on board the steamer Admirable, done up in a box described in the bill of lading as "one live abolitionist." He was afterwards transferred to the Kanawha Valley, which boat yesterday delivered the live article over to the Memphis safety committee, by which body he was yesterday shipped on board the Bell Memphis for Cairo.
Milwaukee Morning Sentinel, May 20, 1861. [4]


        20, "'Blood Hound' Harris"
Another of the Lebanon prisoners [May 5] is Captain W. H. Harris of the 1st Tennessee rebel cavalry. This man has acquired an unenviable reputation as a brutal and inhuman persecutor of Union men throughout the state, and it will afford gratification to not a few who have been the victim of his beastly passion to know that he is on the high road to retribution. During the rebel reign of terror, this Harris was employed to hunt down Union men, drive them and their families from their doors and desecrate or destroy their homesteads and property. Some of the men thus hunted, unable to cope with him in strength, took the redress of their wrongs into their own hands and visited it upon his plundering and murderous followers. Unwilling to brave the danger he had incurred manfully, he resorted to a mode of warfare which even a Comanche would scorn, and with brazen impudence promulgated the following notice in the public newspapers; (Cut from the Nashville Gazette of Dec. 1st, 1861.)
NOTICE EXTRAORDINARY
We, the undersigned, will pay Five dollars per pair for fifty pairs of well bread Hounds [sic], and Fifty Dollars [sic] for one pair of thorough-bred Blood Hounds that will take the track of a man. The purposes for which these dogs are wanted is to chase the infernal cowardly Lincoln bushwhackers of East Tennessee and Kentucky (who have taken the advantage of the bush to kill and cripple many good soldiers) to their dens and capture them. The said Hounds must be delivered at Capt. Hanner's Livery Stable by the 10th of December next, where a mustering officer will be present to muster and inspect them.
E.W. .McNairy, W. H. Harris
Camp Comfort, Campbell Co. Tenn. Nov. 16
And yet this cowardly man hunting with bloodhounds, Harris, is one of the [illegible] of Tennessee! What would be their verdict upon a Union Officer who should advertise for blood hounds to hunt up the male and female traitors and "bushwhackers" of Murfreesboro? Truly, their lamentations would out vie poor old Jeremiah, and their indignation turn into red hot wrath. But they can lionize and cheer, throw boquets [sic] and kissed to "Blood Hound" Harris with a sanctimony and grace which [they] deem irresistible. What an astonishing degree of chivalry [sic] this rebellion is developing among the people of Tennessee!! Kisses and tears for "Bull Dog and Blood Hound" Harris-May kind heaven avert the deserved retribution for such crimes against humanity.
Murfreesboro Union Volunteer, May 20, 1862.

        20, A West Tennessee woman's concerns about the future
It has rained incessantly since last night. All day rain, rain, it will keep the rivers up to float the Yankee gunboats, and stop our farmers' ploughs and perhaps injure the wheat crops. I feel gloomy and depressed-nothing is more calculated to cast a cloud over us than a rainy day. But when we feel that a rainy day is bad for our country on the brink of ruin, Oh! How sad our hearts feel, none but who suffer can tell.
We are ever inclined to murmur at God's providence. We must be patient and prayerful, never losing faith in Our Father for He doeth all things well.
The scarcity of provisions in the South makes it a fearful thing to think of our crops of grain failing. Our enemies have ever boasted that they "will starve us out," and if our bread crops fail they will succeed. Salt is not but thirty dollars a sack and scarce at that. Heaven only knows how we will manage to save our meat another Fall [sic], but there is time enough to grieve over that. Let us get our Army through the Summer before we dread the Fall. "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Estes' Diary


        20, Skirmish[5] at Collierville
MAY 20, 1863.-Skirmish at Collierville, Tenn.
REPORTS.
No. 1.-Col. John M. Loomis, Twenty-sixth Illinois infantry, commanding brigade.
No. 2.-Col. R. McCulloch. Second Missouri Cavalry (Confederate).
No. 1.
Report of Col. John M. Loomis, Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry, commanding Brigade.
COLLIERVILLE, May 21, 1863.
SIR: The attack of yesterday evening was made on picket post Nos. 4 and 5, directly in our front, in three columns, by different roads, and of larger forces than I supposed last night. Cavalry and infantry supports arrived at the line before the enemy were out of sight of the next post, but, as they scattered in the woods, our cavalry did not overtake them. Neither post was surprised. The guard fought well, and held their posts too long to be able to retire, they being surrounded. My force at these two posts was 15 men and 2 non-commissioned officers. My loss was 1 killed and 9 missing. The balance did not come on, but held the vicinity of their post until they were re-enforced. I am not aware of the damage to the enemy, though some is reported. I can attach no blame to the officers or men of the guard. All were at post, and in proper order. They discovered the enemy at once, and made such disposition as the officer in charge thought best. Duration of attack probably not fifteen minutes. The guard fired an average of three rounds.
The lieutenant in charge of the left wing of the picket guard, who spends the whole tour of the guards on its line, was at post No. 3, and saw the affair, and speaks in praise of the conduct of the men, as do the citizens who saw the fight.
JOHN MASON LOOMIS, Col., Commanding Brigade.
No. 2.
Report of Col. R. McCulloch, Second Missouri Cavalry (Confederate).
SENATOBIA, MISS. May 21, 1863.
GEN.: The enemy advanced yesterday from Collierville, 1,000 strong, to Coldwater; returned in the evening. Capts. White and [W. H.] Couzens sent Lieutenant [Z. D.] Jennings with 10 me as far as Collierville; here the lieutenant killed 2 and captured 10 Federal prisoners. Arrived here this evening.
R. MCCULLOCH.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 24, pt. I, p. 425.

        20, Skirmish at Salem
MAY 20, 1863.-Skirmish at Salem, Tenn.
Report of Col. Edward Hatch, Second Iowa Cavalry, commanding Cavalry Brigade, Sixteenth Army Corps.
HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY BRIGADE, LaGrange, Tenn., May 20, 1863.
CAPT.: I have the honor to report that the scout sent out this morning, consisting of two companies Second Iowa Cavalry and two companies Sixth Iowa Infantry, found the enemy, about 300 strong ([W. R.] Mitchell's, Sol. [G.] Street's, aid others), at Salem. A skirmish ensued and the enemy fled, and, being freshly mounted, got away from our men. One horse was killed on the rebel side. No loss on ours.
I am, respectfully, your obedient servant,
EDWARD HATCH, Col., Commanding.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 24, pt. II, p. 424.[6]

        20, The imprisonment of Mollie Hyde as a Confederate spy
MILITARY PRISON, Alton, Ill., May 20, 1863.
Col. W. HOFFMAN, Commissary-Gen. of Prisoners, Washington, D. C.
COL.: I have the honor to report that another female prisoner, a Miss Mollie Hyde, of Nashville, Tenn., has been sent to this prison "for spying and other misdeeds," to be confined during the war or until released by competent authority. She was sent here by order of Gen. Rosecrans.
I have the honor to be sir, with much respect, your obedient servant,
T. HENDRICKSON, Maj. Third Infantry, Commandant of Prison.
OR, Ser. II, Vol. 5, pp. 684-685.


        20, Railroad accident at the Elk River bridge
Railroad Accident in Tennessee.
Cor. Cincinnati Commercial.
Elk River Bridge, Tennessee
May 20th, 1864.
About 8 o'clock this morning a terrible collision took place in the curve of the deep cut immediately south of Elk River Bridge, between a train from the south, loaded with prisoners and wounded from Resaca, and a train from the north, loaded with forage, and a portion of the 2d Ohio. Three soldiers of Company I, Captain T. A. Stevenson, were killed outright, and nine or ten wounded
It is alleged that the accident was caused by the train from the south running out of time, and at the reckless speed of thirty or forty miles per hour, on this very dangerous part of the road. There is no doubt of the fact that the conductor and engineer both jumped from the train and skedaddled as soon as they discovered that a collision was inevitable and have not been heard of since. No blame is attached to the managers of the train from the north, who succeeded in bringing it to a stand before the blow was received. The two locomotives and tenders were badly smashed, the standing train; being knocked back fully fifty yards, and running one platform car completely on top of another, on which the soldiers were sleeping on sacks of corn. Between these cars were the killed and wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Ewing, Captain Stevenson, and Lieutenant Johnson, of the Heavy Artillery, were conspicuous in their exertions to extricate the sufferers from the wreck.
By two o'clock, P.M., the road was clear, and the trains commenced running as usual.
Memphis Bulletin, May 31, 1864.[7]

Railroad Accident in Tennessee-Licking County Soldiers Killed.
Elk River Bridge, Tennessee,
May 20, 1864
About 3 o'clock this morning a terrible collision took place in the curve of the deep cut, immediately south of Elk River Bridge, between a train from the south, laded with prisoners and wounded from near Resaca, and a train from the north, loaded with forage, and a portion of the 2d Ohio Heavy Artillery. Three soldiers of Company I, Captain T. A. Stevenson, were killed out right, and nine or ten wounded….
~ ~ ~
…four were sent back to Murfreesboro, and placed under the care of Surgeon Turney. The others wee slightly injured, and went on with the command. The dead were decently buried in  box  coffins, with the honors of war, just over the hill about 150 yards north-west of where the accident occurred, south of east, in range of with four graves….The religious services were conducted by the Rev. A. L. McKinney, Chaplain of the 71st O. V. I. The headquarters of this regiment are now at this place, and every assistance possible was freely given the sufferers by both officers and men.
It is alleged that the accident was caused by the train from the south running out of time, and at the reckless speed of thirty or forty miles per hour, on this very dangerous part of the road. There is no doubt of the fact that the conductor and engineer both jumped from the train and skedaddled as soon as they were discovered that a collision was inevitable and have not been heard of since. No blame is attached to the managers of the train from the north, who succeeded in bring it to a stand before the blow was received. The two locomotives and tenders were badly smashed, the standing being knocked back fully fifty yard, and running one platform car completely on to of another, won which the soldiers were sleeping on sacks of corn. Between these cared were the killed and wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Ewing, Captain Stevenson, and Lieutenant Johnson, of the Heavy artillery, were conscious in their exertions to extricate the sufferers from the wreck.
By 2 o'clock P. M. the road was clear, and the trains commenced running as usual.
W. J. Hawthorn.
Newark Advocate, June 3, 1864. [8]

        20, More counterfeit money in Nashville
Counterfeit one hundred dollar greenbacks have made their appearance in this city. They are much better executed than the counterfeit twenties, and are well calculated to receive those who do not scrutinize them closely.
Nashville Dispatch, May 20, 1864.


        20, Restoration of civil government in Madison County and assessment of the result of civil war by Robert H. Cartmell
Heard the Court house bell ringing this morning....The object...was for a meeting of the citizens to take into consideration the New Order [sic] of things & [to] organize a civil government. The war is over [sic] & may date its end when Genl. Lee surrendered....By this war the South has lost all, gained nothing. It would have been wise in her never to have begun it. How many lives lost, millions upon millions [of dollars'] of property lost, all for nothing but a fate most abject and humiliating.
Robert H. Cartmell Diary.

        20, Observations made by an ex-Confederate soldier from the Army of Tennessee while on his way home to his home in Dyersburg
....This morning found us on the train in sweetwater [sic] valley. We arrived at Chattanooga about 12 oclk [sic]. [sic] every [sic] important place along the entire route is strongly fortafied [sic] with strong block houses and guarded by U. S. troops White and Coloured [sic]-on arrival at the Depot we were ordered off the train and marched up near the center of town and halted where we drew one days [sic] rations of bacon and hard bread and sit [sic] and stood about until 5 oclk [sic]. [sic] when we were marched to the Depot and pretty soon got aboard the Cars [sic] which left for Nashville about 8 oclk [sic]. [sic] and run out about 9 miles and switched off and halted for the night
Arthur Tyler Fielder Diaries.




[1] This order is not reflected in the OR.
[2] Abbreviation for "Provisional Army."
[3] As cited in PQCW.
[4] GALEGROUP - TSLA 19TH CN
[5] According to Dyer's Battle Index for Tennessee this was an affair.
[6] There was indeed guerrilla activity in and around Clarksville, some of which had resulted in the taking of Clarksville in August 1862. In a letter to the Chief of Staff in Nashville dated August 1, 1862, Major W.H. Sidell, Acting Assistant Adjutant General of the Fifteenth U. S. Infantry, spoke of Military Governor Andrew Johnson's determination to keep Nashville safe from Rebel assault. He added the following post script concerning the presence of guerrilla bands near Clarksville. His note is interesting in that it points out class differences between the poor and rich in regard to support for guerrillas.
P. S.-Gen. Mason writes Governor Johnson by letter received to-day and sent to me that there is no doubt of the organization of guerrilla bands near Clarksville, and that the wealthier part of the population is disloyal and humbler classes the reverse; that it would be difficult to raise a cavalry regiment there, but there are sufficient horses belonging to the secessionists to mount as many men as needful. He wants Governor Johnson's order to "possess and occupy" the horses.
Gen. Mason says he has but 250 men near Clarksville, on the opposite side of the river. He says further that he is advised by Col. Bruce that he has sent 400 men to Russellville.
I am, respectfully,
W. H. SIDELL, Maj., Fifteenth U. S. Infantry, Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 16, pt. II, p. 243.
[7] As cited from the Cincinnati Commercial, May 20, 1864.
[8] GALEGROUP - TSLA 19TH CN .

James B. Jones, Jr.
Public Historian
Tennessee Historical Commission
2941 Lebanon Road
Nashville, TN  37214
(615)-532-1550  x115
(615)-532-1549  FAX

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