30, "Cust [sic] if ever he sleeps in my bed again." Lysistrata at Powell's River, East Tennessee
Tennessee Female Tories.
The editor of the Henderson (N.C.) Times has recently made a visit through East Tennessee to Cumberland Gap. Upon his return, he fixed up the following story for the edification of his readers.
At Powell's river, I stopped and engaged more milk, at an old Lincolnite jade, keen as a brier, and mother of three (and I don't know how many more,) rather nice looking gals. She complained to me of having been rudely treated by a North Carolina officer, the morning previous. Arriving at camp, I informed the officer of the old lady's story, and he told me that knowing their political status, he had placed a guard around the house, to keep any of the family from going to the Gap, while our army was crossing the river, and in the meantime, the following conversation took place:
Officer.—(Entering the house,) Good morning ma'am. No answer. "Where is your husband, ma'am?"
Old Woman.—None of your business, you rebel you.
Officer.—I know. He is in the Yankee army.
Old Woman.—Well he is. What are you going to do about it? He is in the 1st Tennessee Federal regiment at Cumberland Gap, and will take off your rebel head, if you go up there.
Officer.—Yes. But we have him and your General Morgan's whole command completely surrounded—hemmed in—with an army on both sides of the Gap, and in a few days they will be starved out, and have to surrender on our own terms.
Old Woman.—We know all that, and are easy. But Lincoln will send an army through Kentucky, which will wipe out your General Smith, just like a dog would lick out a plate, and then you and your army of barefooted, roasting ear stealers, will have to leave here in the dark again, and badly scared at that. Besides this—
Officer.—That's your opinion, but you are deluded. Where were you born?
Old Woman.—Born! Why I was born and raised in Tennessee. I am an Old Hickory Tennessean—dead out against Nullification, and its bastard offspring, Secession. But where are you from?
Officer.—I am from North Carolina, but a native of South Carolina.
Old Woman.—A South Carolinian—scion of nullification—double rebel, double devil.
Old Jackson made your little turnip patch of a State walk the chalk once, and Old Abe Lincoln will give you rebels hell before Spring.
Officer.—(Quitting the old lady, and turning to the eldest daughter, whom he recognized as a mother) Madam, where is your husband?
Young Woman.—That is none of your business.
Officer.—But it is my business. Where is he?
Young Woman.—Where I hope I'll never see him again. Where I hope you will soon be.
Officer.—Where is that?
Young Woman.—Why, a prisoner in the hands of the army at the Gap.
Officer.—What is that for?
Young Woman.—For being what you are, an infernal rebel.
Officer.—Oh, if that's all, I will send him back to you as soon as we take the Gap.
Young Woman.—No you need'nt. Cust if ever he sleeps in my bed again. I intend to get some Union man to father this child. Here, Bet, (calling a nurse,) take this little rebel and give him Union milk. Let us try and get the "secesh" out of him.
Officer.—(Turning to a Miss.) Did you find a beau among the Yankee officers?
Miss.—Yes, I did; a nice, sweet, gallant fellow. One who stepped like a prince. When you become his prisoner, give him my love, and tell him for my sake to put a trace chain around your infernal neck.
Officer.—When do you expect to see him again?
Miss.—Just after your General takes the next "big scare," which will be in ten days from this time.
Daylight having broken, and the army having crossed the river, the conversation I have given terminated.
Weekly Columbus [Georgia] Enquirer, September 30, 1862.[1]
30, Skirmish at Cotton Port Ford, Tennessee River
No circumstantial reports filed.
LOUDON, October 5, 1863.
Gen. BURNSIDE:
I respectfully state that the firing at Cotton Port took place on the morning of September 30, and not in the evening; that it was first reported to me by Col. Wolford in writing from the front, within two hours after it occurred, and that I immediately forwarded to you by telegraph the following dispatch:
SEPTEMBER 30.
Gen. BURNSIDE:
Col. Wolford informs that the firing which he reported this morning, and which was supposed to be his advance engaged with the enemy, was below any of his command, and is supposed to have been at Cotton Port, 15 miles below Athens, on the Tennessee River. He will move forward toward Athens.
J. WHITE, Brig.-Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 30, pt. IV, p. 115.
Excerpt from the Report of Col. Eli Long, Fourth Ohio Cavalry, commanding Second Brigade, relative to the skirmish at Cotton Port, September 30, 1863.
HDQRS. SECOND BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION CAVALRY, Camp near Maysville, Ala., October 20, 1863.
LIEUT.: In compliance with instructions received, I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my brigade in the pursuit of the rebel cavalry under Gen. Wheeler, from the time this force crossed the Tennessee River near Washington, Tenn., until they recrossed it near Rogersville, Ala. At the time the enemy crossed the river on the morning of September 30, the larger portion of my brigade was separated into detachments which were stationed along the river at the various fords. The enemy crossed a portion of them above where one battalion of the First Ohio Cavalry, under Maj. Scott, was stationed, and a portion of them at this place, first having fired on Maj. Scott's battalion with canister and thrown him into some disorder. He, however, succeed in escaping from a large force of the enemy, by whom he was almost entirely surrounded, and who had sent in a flag of truce demanding his surrender, with the loss of some 15 men captured
* * * *
OR, Ser. I, Vol. Vol. 30, pt. II, p. 690.
30, "Barber's Cotilion [sic] Party."
Barbers from time immemorial have been celebrated for their conicval [sic] mood, and many of the most attractive pages of Gil Blas, Don Quixote, and the Arabian Nights owe their zest to the liveliness of some devil-may-care barber, who would tal [sic] and play off pranks in spite of every obstacle. The Nashville barbers possess this flow of spirits to the fullest extent, and have an association which is social and jovial, as well as benevolent and self-protecting. On last night they held a select grant banquet and cotillon [sic] party in the Court House, which would have done credit to any association. Frank Parrish, by the way, who has travelled all over Europe, and shaved all the Generals, both Reb [sic] and Union, who ever stopped at the St. Cloud, is the President of the association.[2] The music was truly excellent, the colored banjoist, violenests [sic], and guitarists of this city being well known here and at all the noted watering places round about. The affair was conducted with great decorum and propriety. Long life to the Knights of the Razor, who perfume our locks and polish our faces!
Nashville Daily Times and True Union, September 30, 1864.
30, Massacre of Home Guards near Fayetteville by Blackwell bushwhackers and murder near Shelbyville
"Blackwell's Raid into Shelbyville"
From Colonel Joseph Ramsey, who arrived here from Shelbyville, we learn some further particulars of the raid into Shelbyville several days ago, by Blackwell.
Capt. Blackwell, he says, surprised and captured the Home Guards, thirty-two in number, and afterwards burned the Railroad Depot, containing about one hundred bales of hay, understood to belong to Robert Galbreath and Peter English. A lot of arms and munitions of war, in the depot, were also destroyed.
After this depredation, some of his men shot a negro [sic], and arrested several others, which were carried off with their prisoners above named. Shortly after leaving Shelbyville, and while near Fayetteville, he selected ten out of the thirty-two Home Guards captured, and had them shot, some say in retaliation for the hanging of Jordan C. Moseley at this place on Friday last, while others understood it was in retaliation for a man named Massey, who was shot some time previous by order of Gen. E. A. Paine, then commander of the Post at Tullahoma. Blackwell though that he had murdered all his victims, but in this he was mistaken, for one of the number was still alive when the bodies were found, and was able to give the particulars of the foul deed. Our informant was not able to learn the survivor's name, but understood that some hopes are entertained of his recovery. The citizens of the neighborhood where the infernal murder was committed, some seven miles south of Fayetteville, Lincoln county, were deterred for a day or two by threats from burying the bodies of the slain, but they finally got together in force, and interred them in the best possible manner. The man left for dead, but only badly wounded, was taken in charge by the citizens and properly taken care of. The twenty-two remaining prisoners were we understand, were afterwards turned over to Forest [sic] at Fayetteville, and six of that number had made their escape, and returned to Shelbyville before Col. Ramsey left.
A furloughed Confederate soldier named Bivins, made his appearance in Shelbyville soon after Blackwell left, and learned that there was a straggling Federal soldier in the place. He went to the Federal soldier, and demanded of him a surrender as a prisoner of war, which he did. The people of Shelbyville paid but little attention to the affair, from the fact that they suspected the man claiming to be a Federal soldier, to be in league with Bivins, and acting as a Confederate spy, Bivins then requested the soldier to go home with him to dinner, after which he took him off, and foully murdered him, as he is understood to have said, in retaliation for the murder of his (Bivins') brother. The remains of the soldier were found in the woods so badly disfigured by the hogs at to be scarcely recognized.
Nashville Daily Press, October 6, 1864.
TULLAHOMA, October 12, 1864--6.45 p. m.
Maj. Gen. GEORGE H. THOMAS:
Ten of the home guards captured at Shelbyville by Blackwell were taken out and near Fayetteville shot in cold blood. This was unprovoked and should be followed by a terrible retribution. Blackwell's wife lives in Shelbyville. I would recommend that she with the secesh women of that place be sent though the lines, and his house burned, and that I be given an adequate cavalry force and about ten days' time among the guerrillas of Lincoln County.
R. H. MILROY, Maj.-Gen.
OR, Ser. I, Vol. 39, pt. III, p. 238.
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