Rienzi. Went through the usual routine of drill and
camp life. Received my first mail since my arrival, consisting of two letters
and a [Milwaukee] Sentinel. Changed mess. The 2nd Missouri Infantry left. Wagons
moving, fires burning all night.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 4
Rienzi. Was begun with another of the "strategic
moves". We were told to hitch up with the greatest speed—all our baggage,
knapsacks, etc. were put in a wagon, nothing was left to encumber us from a rapid
and a desperate fight [in] which we were expected to share. The 3d Section, two
regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, started at 3 A. M. But all rumors of the
enemy's presence proved false, and after lying in the shade, horses hitched,
for an hour, we returned, unharnessed and lay quiet all day. The 3rd Section
returned at 4 P. M. without seeing any enemy.
SOURCE: Jenkin Lloyd
Jones, An Artilleryman's Diary, p. 5
This afternoon, when riding down to Huttonville, I met three or four hundred sorry-looking soldiers. They were without arms. On inquiry, I found they were a part of the secession army, who, finding no way of escape, had come into our lines and surrendered. They were badly dressed, and a hard, dissolute-looking lot of men. To use the language of one of the soldiers, they were "a milk-sickly set of fellows," and would have died off probably without any help from us if they had been kept in the mountains a little longer. They were on their way to Staunton. General McClellan had very generously provided them with provisions for three days, and wagons to carry the sick and wounded; and so, footsore, weary, and chopfallen, they go over the hills.
An unpleasant rumor is in camp to-night, to the effect that General Patterson has been defeated at Williamsport. This, if true, will counterbalance our successes in Western Virginia, and make the game an even one.
The Southern soldiers mentioned above are encamped for the night a little over a mile from here. About dusk I walked over to their camp. They were gathered around their fires preparing supper.
Many of them say they were deceived, and entered the service because they were led to believe that the Northern army would confiscate their property, liberate their slaves, and play the devil generally. As they thought this was true, there was nothing left for them to do but to take up arms and defend themselves. While we were at Buckhannon, an old farmer-looking man visited us daily, bringing tobacco, cornbread, and cucumber pickles. This innocent old gen[tle]man proves to have been a spy, and obtained his reward in the loss of a leg at Rich mountain.
SOURCE: John Beatty, The Citizen-soldier: Or, Memoirs of a Volunteer, p. 30-1
Commenced
skirmishing early, falling back slowly; fought through Triune and beyond Mr.
Perkins. Rained on us all day. After passing Mr. P's, we took up line of march,
came up three miles and turned off for Murfreesboro. I stopped and spent the
night in a kitchen; came on Sunday 28th and overtook the Regiment. M. Met the
wagons, unloaded them days' rations, but were ordered to meet the Yankees. A
false alarm. Staid out until near midnight. Came back to where we left the
wagons but they were not there.
We came in five
miles of and prepared to cook three saddle up and get out to
SOURCE: Ephraim
Shelby Dodd, Diary of Ephraim Sh elby
Dodd: Member of Company D Terry's Texas Rangers, p. 5
General Johnston
directs you to move your command to Murfreesborough (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.
SOURCE: The
War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 7 (Serial No. 7), p. 889
Ben and I went on
home by the way of New Middleton and Alexandria, taking the wagon on home with
us. We were about the last of the company getting home. It had been seven
months since we first started into service from Auburn, Cannon County,
Tennessee.
Crittenden moved on
from Monticello, Kentucky, by the way of Livingston, Tennessee, to Gainesboro,
There some of the
regiments that were near home were disbanded for a few days, while a few tents
and cooking vessels were procured for the rest. Captain Parrish's Company and
J. R. Dougherty were furloughed for twenty days.
We remained at home
until [Sunday February 2nd.]
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 129
About twenty-eight
of Captain T. M. Allison's Company left home to rejoin the command at
Gainesboro. Had one wagon with us, in which we had rations to last us to camps.
Passing Alexandria, about eight of us stopped for the night about one mile
beyond, with Mr. Davis, while the rest went one mile further and stopped with
Mr. Smith.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 129
As our wagon broke
down, we had only marched about twelve miles, when we stopped at the Widow
Allen's, on the bank of Caney Fork River, and had our wagon repaired.
SOURCE: Richard R.
Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee
Confederate Cavalry, p. 129
On the 20th General
Early reported one division of enemy's cavalry, under General Custer, coming up
the Valley, and two divisions, under General Totbert, moving through Chester Gap,
with four pieces artillery and thirty wagons. On the 22d Rosser attacked
Custer's division, nine miles from Harrisonburg, and drove [him] back,
capturing forty prisoners. This morning Torbert attacked Lomax near
Gordonsville, and was repulsed and severely punished. He is retiring and Lomax
preparing to follow.
SOURCE: The
War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 43, Part 1 (Serial No. 90), p. 679-80
GENERAL: I received your letter of the 29th with the map. Have made arrangements to move as light as possible, and hope to get started to-morrow, although with raw troops and raw mules I fear there will be some difficulty. I have but few wagons over and above the regimental wagons. The provisions will have to be hauled with hired teams until Captain Mackay can have time to break in his raw mules, which I fear will delay us much longer than we should be delayed. I have been told that the country we are going to is very poor, and it will be necessary to pass through speedily should we attempt to penetrate to Knoxville. I will therefore submit for your consideration if it would not be a better move for my main force to go down the river (should we succeed with Zollicoffer) as far as Burkesville, take to that place subsistence enough to last us to Nashville, place the subsistence on flat-boats, and march with a light train in two columns, one on each side of the river; the provisions and extra forage being floated down the river in boats under a strong guard.
The enemy being thus threatened on their rear and right, would greatly aid your advance in their front, and should they make a determined stand at Bowling Green, I might with my column cut off their retreat at Gallatin.
SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 7 (Serial No. 7), p. 524
Going seven miles
further Allison met the wagons within eighteen miles of Livingston. Turning
back, he camped within one mile of where he camped the night before.
Our wagons made a
very good drive that day, about twenty-two miles. We camped within five miles
of Monticello.
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.”
GENERAL: The people, even the good Union people, circulate the most devilish lies in regard to the enemy, and our own scouts, without they are selected with care, are not reliable. We have had every form of rumor in the last two days, and nearly the whole of them are false. The rebels were at Rowena, and shot two or three men, but killed none. They wounded old man Williams and took him off. They robbed several stores and houses in Jamestown and took off a good deal of clothing. They took off a number of horses with them, and it is reported took off eleven of the citizens.
The scouts and people from Monroe and Allen Counties say there is no enemy in that direction. I keep scouts out for from 12 to 25 miles and even farther. I think it likely the enemy have 350 Texas Rangers in Metcalfe County to-night. They intend to defeat the election. I had purposed to send more cavalry down to enable the people to hold the election. I may send a force to one precinct in the morning.
Colonel Hindman is still at Bear Wallow, so far as I can learn. I cannot hear of any advance in this direction; he cannot be far from the railroad and not very distant from Munfordville. I believe it is a feint, to deceive his men with the idea that they are to fight.
Captain Flynt addressed a note to the colonel of the Fifty-ninth Ohio in regard to their wagons. I ordered the colonel to retain the wagons, and he is in no sense to be blamed. I did it for the reason that they have not the necessary transportation, and that there was reason to believe it would be required here.
This morning companies C, G and H, commanded by Major Estabrook, go out on a foraging expedition. We go about three miles—load our wagons with corn, fodder and sweet potatoes, and strap all we can to the mules, and then start for camp. Entering camp the detachment reminds us of what might be called a moving "fodder panorama."
This morning a wagon with rations arrives from the column-quite a welcome arrival. We discover that we are now some distance from the main command. The regiment is soon moving; we continue to pass through a hilly and rocky country, interspersed with springs and running brooks. We arrive at Pulaski, Tennessee, by dark; find the division already up and in camp. Pulaski is a beautiful town on the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad, running from Nashville to Stevenson.
Col. Rains had
learned that Col. Brown, who was in command of the Home Guards that had fled to
Wildcat the evening before, lived some two or three miles beyond London, and,
thinking that perhaps Brown might have some supplies for his men stored away at
his home, he (Rains) ordered Col. McNairy to take his battalion, go to Brown's
and search for the supposed supplies. Swinging ourselves into the saddle,
before I o'clock A. M., we went by the way of London, and searched Brown's
dwelling and premises, but found only a box of shoes.1 As soon as he
was satisfied that there was nothing more to be found in the way of army
supplies, our Col. called out, “Mount your horses!” and we were soon on our
way back to London. Arriving at that place about daylight, we halted until
McNairy treated the whole battalion on brandy, after which we returned to camp
and took another breakfast.
Besides the three
prisoners and the shoes (twenty-five pairs) already mentioned, Col. Rains
captured 8,000 cartridges, 25,000 caps, three kegs of powder, several guns, six
barrels of salt, two wagons and teams, loaded with the last of their camp
equipage, and three other horses.
Soon after
breakfast, our picket came dashing into camp and reported that they had
been fired on just beyond London. Major Malcomb was immediately sent out in the
direction of London with two companies of McNairy's Battalion to meet the enemy
and bring on the engagement, while Col. Rains deployed his men into battle line
ready to receive the enemy should Malcomb be forced back. The Major returned,
however, and reported no enemy found, so we concluded that it was only a scout,
or “bush-whackers,” that had fired on our picket.
1 It would seem that the panic struck Col.
Brown's family just as they were ready to take supper last eve, for we found
their supper still on the table when we entered the house this morning before
day, but I did not say that it was on the table when we left.
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| Receiving supplies at Chickasaw Bayou for the army around Vicksburg. |
