They
finished crossing the river. The other four companies of McNairy's Battalion
crossed also.
SOURCE:
Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 133
They
finished crossing the river. The other four companies of McNairy's Battalion
crossed also.
SOURCE:
Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 133
McNairy's
Battalion took up the line of March again, following the division in the
direction of Murfreesboro. As it rained nearly all day, and brother Ben was
unwell, he and I remained at one Mr. Coffee's, where we had been boarding for
several days.
SOURCE:
Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 133
Crittenden's
Division, to which McNairy's Battalion still belonged, took up the line of
march again for Corinth Mississippi. Passing on through Murfreesboro, we went
into camps about ten miles beyond, on the Shelbyville pike. Johnston also put
the rest of his command in motion southward.
SOURCE:
Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 135
Captain Allison's
Company crossed Caney Fork at Trousdale's Ferry. Thirteen more of his company
joined him. The rest of McNairy's Battalion moved from Chestnut Mound down to
where Colonel Statham's Brigade was camping on the east side of Caney Fork.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 132
By daylight all of
Colonel Statham's Brigade had crossed Caney Fork except a few wagons. Before
night General Carroll's Brigade, except two regiments (Stanton's1
and Murray's, that were yet behind), had crossed. Four companies of McNairy's
Battalion were still on the east side of Caney Fork waiting for those other two
regiments.
Seven regiments of
Crittenden's Division had crossed and moved out in the direction of Nashville
by the way of Lebanon. Allison's company was still boarding among the citizens
near Trousdale's Ferry.
The following
explains itself:
HEADQUARTERS Western DEPARTMENT,
Edgefield, February 17th, 1862.
Major-General
Crittenden, Commanding Chestnut Mound:
General
Johnston directs you to move your command to Murfreesboro (instead of
Nashville) without delay. Press all the wagons you need. Fort Donelson has
fallen, and General Floyd's army is captured after a gallant defense.
Respectfully,
W. W. MACKALL.2
_______________
1 Stanton belonged to Statham's Brigade.
2 Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., p. 889.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 132-3
When within five
miles of Gainesboro we met the advance of the First Brigade, now under the
command of Colonel Statham, going in the direction of Carthage by the way of
Chestnut Mound.
Captain Allison, I
and four others went on to Gainesboro. There we found General Carroll's
Brigade, and Colonel McNairy with a part of our battalion. Colonel McNairy said
we had better go back to Mr. Allison's, or in that neighborhood, in order to
get forage for our horses. We went back and remained in the Allison
neighborhood until [Friday, February 7.]
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 130
As Colonel Statham
passed Mr. Allison's he ordered our company to go on in advance of his brigade
toward Carthage. Going six miles, where the brigade camped for the night, we
were overtaken with a dispatch from Colonel McNairy ordering us back to
Livingston.
Going back to Mr.
Allison's, we there met another dispatch from Colonel McNairy ordering us to
halt, as the order for our battalion to go to Livingston had been
countermanded. So we put up for the night with Mr. Allison. The rest of the
battalion passed us, some of them going as far as Chestnut Mound.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 130
Colonel McNairy
started home on a furlough on account of ill health, leaving Captain Allison in
command of the battalion.
Allison received
orders to cross the river and report to Zollicoffer's headquarters as soon as
his men could cook three days' rations. We did not have three days’ rations,
but we cooked what we had, went to the river and commenced crossing, when, on
learning that we did not have the requisite amount of rations, Zollicoffer
ordered Allison to go back to camps and cook the rations, which he ordered the
brigade commissary to furnish. As soon as we had cooked our rations Allison
crossed the river and reported to our General that the First Battalion was
ready to move. Our Captain soon after returned and reported that the order to
cross the river was countermanded.
Mr. Andy Bogle, from
Cannon County, Tennessee, came in a carriage after Clabe Francis, a member of
Allison's Company, who was sick.
Two companies of
Brazelton's Battalion, fifty men from McNairy's, and about five companies of
infantry went about ten miles up the south side of the river to guard and load
a forage train. While the wagons were being loaded our infantry exchanged a few
shots with some Federals who were on the opposite bank of the river, without
any damage on our side.
All returned to camp
a little after dark with thirty-four wagons loaded with corn and oats.
W. C. Hancock,
brother to the writer, and four others from Company E started home on “sick
furlough.”
According to orders
from our General, McNairy moved from Camp Hall. Leaving his wagon train and
camp equipage two or three hundred yards north of Mr. A. R. West's, and within
one mile of Mill Springs, he crossed the river with the main portion of his
Battalion, and took headquarters for the night with Branner's Battalion.
Zollicoffer had
ordered a steamer to ascend the Cumberland to Celina, and if deemed safe to
press on to Mill Springs with army stores for his command. In order to make a
diversion in favor of this boat Colonel McNairy was ordered to go down the
north side of the river in the direction of Burkesville, with his own,
Branner's and McClellan's Battalions, in all about six hundred and fifty men. Setting
out from Beech Grove, as above directed, with First Battalion, under Captain
Allison, in front, McNairy moved at the head of the column until he neared
Jamestown, the county seat of Russell County, when, on learning that he would
meet the enemy at that place, he halted to hurry up Branner and McClellan, who
in the meantime had dropped somewhat behind.
When the head of our
battalion got within about two hundred yards of town the enemy opened on us,
but without doing any damage except the killing of one man (James Tate, Company
B) and one horse belonging to Adamson, who was a member of Allison's Company, and
F. W. Horn's horse was wounded and fell. Allison then fell back a short
distance and awaited the arrival of McNairy with the other two battalions. As
soon as our Colonel came up he ordered one battalion to move round rightward
and attack the north side of town, while he would move forward and attack the
east side of the place with the other two battalions. A messenger from the
battalion moving to the right reported to McNairy that the town could not be
approached from that direction. Therefore, as it was now about nightfall, the
Colonel withdrew the troops without making an attack. Falling back about two
miles, we halted and fed, after which we scattered along the road about four
miles further, where we remained till morning
1 Johnnie was a white man, but I do not
remember his surname.
McClellan's and
Branner's Battalions returned to their camps at Beech Grove. Our battalion
recrossed the river and went into camps near Mr. West's, where we left our
wagon train the 25th.
At nine P. M.,
Colonel T. E. Bramlette (First Kentucky Infantry), who was at that time in
command of General Boyle's Brigade at Columbia, wrote as follows to General
Thomas:
The
enemy is at Jamestown, eighteen miles from here, some three thousand strong.
He
has ascertained the strength and position of Colonel Wolford's camp, and
threatens to destroy that before moving further. He has one thousand seven
hundred mounted men, armed mostly as infantry.
I
would not be surprised if the whole of Zollicoffer's forces were to be on us in
two or three days.
We
will, however, strike a blow, even if left to ourselves, that shall terrify the
rebel hell-hounds wherever they hear of us. Retreat we will not, and if they
come upon us we will fight the fight of desperation to win.1
Notwithstanding
McNairy did not go so far down the river as Zollicoffer had instructed him to
go, yet it would seem from the above communication that the object of the
expedition, at least to some extent, had been accomplished. That is to say, the
attention of the Federals had been attracted from the river, and Colonel
Bramlette was now holding his brigade in readiness at Columbia, awaiting
an attack from Zollicoffer.
The long looked for
“reserves” are coming in at last. Colonel William B. Wood, with a battalion of
his regiment (Sixteenth Alabama), and Captain H. L. W. McClung, with his
battery of artillery (six guns), have arrived. Colonel Samuel Powell's Regiment
will be here soon, having started from Knoxville the 24th instant, Colonel
Moses White's Regiment, of General Carroll's Brigade, is also on the way from
Knoxville.
1 Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., P: 517.
According to orders
previously mentioned, McNairy, having set out from Camp Hall with his battalion
early in the morning, got to the river opposite Rowena in advance of the
detachment from Beech Grove, and ordered Sergeant McLin to cross the river with
Company E and enter the town of Rowena, if he did not meet a superior force.
McLin crossed and boldly entered the town with about thirty men dismounted; but
he found no organized force of Federals there, and if any home guards were
there they did not make any show of resistance. About this time our cavalry
from Beech Grove came dashing into Rowena from an opposite direction, and a
warm collision was now about to ensue, but both parties happily discovered
their mistake just in time to prevent any damage.
After McLin's squad
had recrossed the river McNairy destroyed the ferry-boats and canoes which the
enemy had collected at that place.
Our Colonel
complimented McLin and his followers for having so boldly entered the enemy's
town, unsupported, and without knowing any thing about what force they might
have met.
I suppose that it
was only "home guards" that had been annoying our scouts at Rowena,
and that they fled on hearing of the approach of our men.
According to orders
from Zollicoffer, McNairy moved his battalion back to Camp Hall, where he
remained for about nine days longer.
COMMENTARY.
It would seem that
while at Richmond, in the latter part of last month, Major-General George B.
Crittenden was directed by President Davis to proceed to East Tennessee, assume
command of all the forces under Zollicoffer, and with ten additional regiments,
to be furnished by the President, move into Kentucky at once. Accordingly
Crittenden arrived at Knoxville and assumed command “about the first day of
December.1
On the 6th he
dispatched for the ten regiments,2 and on the 8th he received the
following from the Secretary of War:
The
President desires that you return to Richmond and report to him without delay.3
On the 16th he wrote to the Adjutant and Inspector-General, S. Cooper, at Richmond, as follows:
General
Zollicoffer is threatened by a much superior force in front and one nearly
equal on his left flank. He has been ordered by me to recross the river.
He
asks for six pieces, twenty-four pounders or eight inch howitzers. Colonel
Powell's regiment has been ordered from the railroad to join Zollicoffer
immediately, and Colonel Leadbetter informed, so that he can replace the guard
it withdraws.
To
make General Carroll's brigade effective it is necessary to obtain eight
hundred muskets, which are known to be in ordnance office at Memphis. Please
order William R. Hunt, ordnance officer at that point, to forward them
immediately to this place, subject to my order.4
1 Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., p. 763.
4 “So ordered same day.” Rebellion
Records, Vol. VII., p. 770.
Having received a
dispatch from Zollicoffer during the past night stating that Wolford's Cavalry
was reported to be crossing the river at Creelsborough, some twenty miles below
Camp Hall, McNairy sent a scout in that direction early this morning. On returning
to camps, about half after eight P. M., our men reported the rumor to be false.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 100
I started to
headquarters with a dispatch for Zollicoffer, but, finding Colonel McNairy at
Mr. A. R. West's, I put up there for the night, according to orders from the
Colonel.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 100
Colonel McNairy,
Captain Allison and I crossed the river and went to our General's headquarters,
which we found in a tent about one mile from the river. It rained nearly all
day. We recrossed the river and put up with Mr. West again.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second
Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 100
McNairy's Battalion moved up to “Camp Hall,” within seven miles of Monticello and within sixteen miles of Mill Springs, where it remained several days.
Having learned that one of my brothers, W. C. Hancock, was sick at headquarters, I went to see and wait on him. On reaching Mr. West's I found that J. W. Kennedy, E. L. Ewing, B. F. Odom, and John Herriman, all belonging to Allison's company, were sick, as well as my brother. Notwithstanding Mr. West was a “Union man," he was very kind to us, especially to our sick boys.
SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p. 89
General Zollicoffer
now had with him. six and a half regiments of infantry, a six-pounder battery
of eight guns, and McNairy's, Branner's and McClellan's Battalions of cavalry;
also two companies of Brazelton's Battalion, and two independent companies,
commanded by Captains Bledsoe and Sanders. Total, about five thousand five
hundred present for duty. Two regiments of infantry, two pieces of artillery
and McNairy's Battalion were left on the south side of the river; all the other
troops were now encamped on the north bank, opposite Mill Springs, intrenching
as rapidly as possible.
General D. C. Buell
was now in command of the Department of the Ohio, with headquarters at
Louisville, Kentucky. General G. H. Thomas was in command of First Division of
Buell's army, with headquarter's at Lebanon, Kentucky.
Thomas's Division,
which was now in front of Zollicoffer, was composed of five brigades, four
regiments each, distributed as follows: The First Brigade, under
Brigadier-General A. Schoepf, was now at Somerset; the Second, under Colonel M.
D. Manson, and Third, under Colonel R. L. McCook, were posted at Lebanon; the
Eleventh Brigade, under Brigadier-General J. T. Boyle, at Columbia; and two
regiments of the Twelfth Brigade, the First and Second East Tennessee, under
Colonel S. P. Carter, set out from London on the 7th, and arrived at Somerset
on the 9th instant, leaving Garrard's Kentucky Regiment at London. Carter's
other regiment, the Thirty-first Ohio, was at Camp Dick Robinson.1
1 See Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., p. 461,
467, 479 and 480.
2 See Rebellion Records, Vol. VII., pp. 479,
484 and 486.
All of our company, except eight, had rejoined the battalion at Camp Hall. Our sick boys and wounded prisoners—still at Mr. West's—were improving
McNairy's scouts, on the south side of the river, continued to be annoyed by the enemy's firing across the river at them from Rowena, some thirty miles below Mill Springs. Zollicoffer having now “determined to punish the enemy” at that place, ordered McNairy to go down the south side of the river the next day to a point opposite Rowena, while another detachment of cavalry was to go from Beech Grove* down the north side to the same place.
* This was the name of Zollicoffer's camp on the north side of the river.