5, A Yankee Officer in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time During Forrest's Raid on Murfreesboro
A Federal Officer "Turned Up" in a Queer Place.
We learn, from a source deemed authentic, an interesting incident respecting Captain J. C. Rounds, of the 9th Michigan regiment, who, as provost marshal of Murfreesboro, was guilty of the grossest oppression toward the citizens, male and female, of that city and it vicinity, as well as Confederate prisoners falling into his hands. The tale, as told to us, is that, when Col. Forrest attacked the Federals at Murfreesboro, the captain exhibited gallantry of a kind indicating a nativity under the horoscope of Venus rather than of Mars. Shrinking from the fierce presence of the malignant god, he sought refuge under the influences of his benignant star-but not his lady's bower.
Laying aside metaphor and mystery-'tis said, that Capt. Rounds had been captivated the charms of a Miss____, of no particular age, residing at Murfreesboro', and she by his military title, gilt and brass-and a matrimonial alliance was contemplated-at least, on the lady's part. Pending the fight, several ladies of true Southern sympathies and spirit espied the captain, skulking, like a cowardly cur, from the presence of danger and dodging into the house wear dwelt his fiancé. They communicated that fact to our officers, and a detachment of soldier was sent in his pursuit. Search was made, but the soldiers left the house without fining him. The ladies who witnessed the captain's entrance into the house, insisted the he was there, and a second search was made, but in vain, and the soldiers again retired. The ladies urged a third effort, and the soldiers, yielding obedience to their importunities reluctantly prosecuted their search into "my lady's chamber," and there they found "my lady" sitting on the side of her bed, and her lover still invisible. Our soldiers deemed it a public duty to make a thorough search, and, to their surprise and gratification, found the captain sweating profusely between two mattresses. He was one of the officer brought here as a prisoner and sent on to Madison, Georgia.-Knoxville Register,
Memphis Daily Appeal, August 5, 1862. [1]
5, Pass to Lorenzo Sibert and three others from the Confederate Provost Marshal of East Tennessee allowing Lorenzo Sibert and three others permission to travel from Knoxville to Sweetwater Tennessee.
No. 7164
Head-Quarters, Department East Tenn.,Office Provost Marshal,
Knoxville, Tenn., Aug 5, 1862.
Permission is Granted L Sibert & 3 Men to visit Sweetwater,Tenn, upon honor, not to communicate in writing, or verbally, for publication, any fact ascertained, which, if known to the enemy, might be injurious to the Confederate States of America.
Valley of the Shadow[2]
5, Railroad accident between Nashville and La Vergne on the N&C Railroad
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, of the 7th [Friday], writing from this city, records the following terrible accident on the Chattanooga railroad, of which we had not learned:
A sad casualty occurred on the road between here and Lavergne [sic] last Wednesday [5th] last morning. There must have been great recklessness, or at least reprehensible carelessness on the part of the engineers, and the day well advanced-fully eight o'clock. Two trains were on the road, both moving in the same directions. These facts were known to all the employees on the road, and yet, ten miles from Nashville, the second train ran into the first with such force as nearly to lap one car over another. The excuse is that there was a short curve on that part of the road, and the speed of the second train was so much greater than the first, that it was not possible to "check up" in time to prevent the crash.
The place where the accident occurred has many sad remembrances. Here a large train was captured by guerrillas in April. Immense booty was obtained and the cars all burned. The dense cedars nearby had for a long time been the hiding place of McCann's robbers, from whence they frequently fired upon the trains of cars.
The cedars have been cut down and Dick McCann has been compelled to seek other fields for his prowess and robberies.
The guard, however, has been continued, and so intent were the eyes of our brave Ohio boys on the natural hiding and shelter places of the rebels, that no danger from any other source was apprehended, till the locomotive dashed into the forward train with such velocity and power, and the resistance of the slowly moving cars ahead was so great that couplings were all broken; and the car preceding that on which the guard sat, was instantly so raised up as to crush to death three fine young men who sat on the roof of the car with their feet and legs hanging down in front.
They all belonged to Company D, 52d Ohio volunteer infantry....
Lieut. David Neighbor, of the same company and regiment, was also severely injured, having suffered a compound fracture of the lower part of his leg. Two convalescent soldiers, going to the front, were among the sufferers....
Nashville Daily Press, August 15, 1863.
5, "What Tennessee Loyalists Have Done."
The State of Tennessee has in the service ten regiments of infantry, ten of cavalry and two batteries of artillery. Organized as many of them were of refugees beyond the limits of their own State, and at a time when there was no competent State authority to recognize their existence, they rushed into the fight regardless of the forms taken in such cases. The result was that six "first Tennessee" regiments appeared in the field from the East, Middle and West grand divisions of the State. Col. Alvin C. Gillem, of the 2st [sic] West Tennessee infantry, has lately been appointed Adjutant General under Governor Andrew Johnson, and general order "No. 2" from his office reads:
"In order to present confusion in adjusting the future claims of the Tennesseans in the service of the United States, as well as to remove a misunderstanding at the Adjutant General's office in Washington, it is ordered that the regiments from Tennessee bye designated as follows, to-wit:
1st Tennessee infantry. Colonel Byrd, late 1st Tennessee.
2nd Tennessee infantry, Colonel Carter, late 2nd East Tennessee infantry.
3rd Tennessee infantry, Col. Cross, late 3rd East Tennessee.
4th Tennessee infantry, Col. Stover, late 4th East Tennessee.
5th Tennessee infantry, Col. Shelby, late 5th East Tennessee.
6th Tennessee infantry, Col. Cooper, late 6th East Tennessee.
7th East Tennessee infantry, Col. Cliff, late 7th East Tennessee.
8th Tennessee infantry, Col. Reese, late 8th East Tennessee.
9th Tennessee infantry, Col. Rogers, late 1st Middle Tennessee.
10th Tennessee infantry, Col. Gillem, late 1st West Tennessee.
1st Tennessee cavalry, Col. Johnson, late 1st East Tennessee.
2nd Tennessee cavalry, Col. Ray, late 2nd East Tennessee.
3rd Tennessee cavalry, Col. Perkins, late 3rd East Tennessee.
4th Tennessee cavalry, Major Stevenson, late 4th Tennessee.
5th Tennessee cavalry, late 1st Middle Tennessee.
6th Tennessee cavalry, Col. Hurst, late 1st West Tennessee.
7th Tennessee cavalry, Col. Hawkins, late 2d West Tennessee
8th Tennessee cavalry, Col. Strickland.
9th Tennessee cavalry, Col. Parsons.
10th Tennessee cavalry, Col. Bridges.
With twenty regiments of loyalists becoming refugees from their own State to volunteer in the service of the Nation, Tennessee well maintains in this struggle, as she has in all the past, her right to the proud title of "Volunteer State." Is it not time that the redemption of her soil should be made complete by the liberation of long suffering East Tennessee?
Memphis Bulletin, August 5, 1863.
5, The murder of a Confederate soldier at Thompson's creek, Bedford county; the letter of Mollie Dean to her sister Ailey Dean
Thompsons Creek
Aug. 5th, 1864
Beloved Sister Ailey
I this golden evening lift my pen to respond to your sad yet thrice welcome letter which came duly to hand. Your missive found us yet liveing but still in great distress. Mother and my self are up but not well. Father has been very ill for several days. The medical attendants think with strict care he will recover. Though he never has seen one well hour since our great trouble and I fear he never will. I sincerially hope when [missing words] from your great thunderbolt of utter dispair. Though you may live to number the gray hairs of three-score and ten you can never out live the memorable year, 64, never, no never. Such is the fate of men. Sister as you request it I will as plainly as possible give you the detail in full. As to why your beloved was drest it was very neet but decently plane. I having made him clothes to return to you in. His vest was gray mixt his pants wee [sic] shoot-about [sic] gray and bright brown and made in the nicest order well lined and stitched. When I made them he told me to lay them by he would save them to meet Ailey in. And he would keep them as long as he lived to remember me. He would say when I go to see Ailey she will have plenty for me to wair so I need not take every thing only what I have on. His shirt as fine as you ever could wish to look at. His coat was black cloth, black kid gloves, white hose which sister Lizier had given him which he was saving to ware home. A white swis winding sheet and talton veil completed his burial attire. His coffin was black walnut raised lid lined with white a case of poplar. Sister it was the best we could do under existing circumstances. You also requested to know how many times he was shot and where. He was shot through the right arm, the left rist, the middle finger on his right hand, in his bowels by the right hip, four shots in his brest one in the hollow of his neck, four in the head three above the left eye one in the crown, two in the back, supposed to pass through his body. As to his talking after he was shot I am satisfied he never spoke. He never talked any thing much to me after he was arrested more than to ask me to get his clothes for him and to tell me not to grieve so hard about him for if they did not send him to prison he would be back in a few days. (Some words are missing) him which I did as soon as he was gone but all help came too late. The deed was done in hast. When he was ready to start I went to the road and huged and kissed him. He said dont be so foolish about me. I will come back some time if I live. They had told their orders was to shoot him, but I knew it not until he was dead. One of the detail told a cousin of ours that he pled inocince to the last and when they told him to dismount they were going to shoot him. He did so telling them they had the power but they would kill an inocent man. He raised his hat stroked his hare and dropped his hands by his side and fell a life less corpse. Thousands and tens of thousands must and will and has come and gone on--both sides since this bloody war began. Sister I centure not the men who did the deed, but those who reported and I have no idea on earth who did it for I dont think he had an enemy in this state that would have sought his ruin so harshly. He told me the night before his death he was going to wind up his affairs and start home in two or three weeks, he was always talking about you and t he children. CatherineÕs conduct seemed to distress him more than any thing in all his trials. I knew not the cause of her removal. When he heard of Dan starting so long a journey he said let him go I dont blame him for traveling for that was my one great passion. he left no evidence behind of his future welfare more than the smile on his face when we was dressing him he smiled as fair a smile as you ever saw in your life and it remained on his features until he was laid under the sod. I am perfectly satisfied in my mind his anglic form is flying around the throne of him who doeth all things well while we grieve. I am sending a lock of his hair and whiskers also. I will send you his degarotipe as soon as I can have one copied from it. I will keep yours if you have no objections and send you mine. Tell your babs to be good children try to live a pios life and make useful men and women. Sister call your baby Allen instead of Allice as that was the name I and him selected Mary Allen. Give our best regards to Samuel and family, tell them we have written to them. Father and mother send their compliments to you all and sais they would give everything in the world to see you and the children. What must I do with what is coming to you here? Write soon and fail not,
Your Affectionate Sister
Mollie Dean
MSCC/CWRC[3]
[1] As cited in PQCW.
[2] Valley of the Shadow.
[3] John Dean had been before the Union Provost in Shelbyville but had been cleared of whatever charge had been laid against him. However, orders were given for him to be killed. Some of the family thought that John Dean's son-in-law, James Jeffries, a Union soldier, had reported Dean to be a Confederate scout. His body had been left on the porch of a neighbors house and these neighbors sent word to Mollie Dean to come for the body. She and a female friend brought the body home in a wagon in the middle of the night.
John Dean is buried in the Bomar Cemetery in the Raus community on State Highway 130 in Bedford County, Tennessee. His epitaph reads
In Memory of John A. Dean son of John and Sarah Dean Born Feb 28th 1818 Departed this Life June 27th 1864 Aged 46 years 3 mons 27 days. MSCC/CWRC.
James B. Jones, Jr.
Public Historian
Tennessee Historical Commission
2941 Lebanon Road
Nashville, TN 37214
Public Historian
Tennessee Historical Commission
2941 Lebanon Road
Nashville, TN 37214
(615)-770-1090 ext. 123456
(615)-532-1549 FAX
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