The Lone Star Defenders 25

The Lone Star Defenders 25

Going

on some little distance I heard the word “Halt!” I halted, and was soon

gratified to learn that I was confronting a small Confederate scouting

party. Informing them of my object, they proposed showing me what I

was looking for, and I was therefore able to return and report to my

general, sound in body and much easier in mind.

 

During this long rainy spell we rarely slept two nights on the same

ground and never had a dry blanket to sleep on. On the 3d day of

July we fought General Schofield’s Corps nearly all day, fighting

and falling back (as they were pushing down a road leading to Sand

Town, a crossing on the Chattahoochee River), passing through a line

of breastworks on the crest of a ridge crossing the road at right

angles, erected and occupied by the Georgia Militia, about the middle

of the afternoon. As we passed into the breastworks one of our men was

killed by a long-range ball. The militia had never been under fire

and had never seen a man killed before. We were instructed to form a

line immediately in their rear and rest, and to support them if the

enemy should come; but beyond throwing a few shells over the works and

skirmishing at long range, we had no farther trouble with the enemy

that afternoon. Our men were very much amused at the sayings and doings

of the militia at this time, but subsequently the Georgia militia were

commanded by General G. W. Smith, an experienced officer, and after

this they acted very gallantly in battle. They retired at night and we,

leaving skirmishers in the works, went into camp. The next morning the

Third Texas went into these breastworks, and while Captain Germany and

myself were out in front deploying skirmishers he was severely wounded

just below the knee, and was unfit for duty for several months.

 

General Schofield’s Corps advanced in solid line of battle, and were

allowed to take the works while we fell back a short distance into

the timber and heard them give three cheers for Abe Lincoln, three

cheers for General Sherman and three cheers for General Schofield! We

then fought them again back through the timber until we came to a lane

leading between farms across a little valley nearly a mile wide. On

the hill beyond was our infantry in breastworks, and just beyond the

breastworks was the narrow river bottom and Sand Town crossing, and

down in this little bottom were our horses. As we entered the lane the

enemy ran a battery up to the edge of the timber and shelled us every

step of the way as we pulled through the long lane, tired and dusty,

about noon, that hot 4th of July. Passing through the breastworks we

mounted our horses in a shower of shells and crossed the river. Here we

rested for twenty-four hours.

 

I went into Atlanta on the morning of the 5th, and skirmishing across

the river again began in the afternoon. Here for some days we had a

comparatively easy time, only picketing and skirmishing across the

river. As this seemed void of results, the men on the north and south

side of the river would agree upon a truce and go in bathing together.

They would discuss the pending race for President between Lincoln

and McClellan. The Confederates would trade tobacco for molasses and

exchange newspapers, and when the truce was at an end each side would

resume its respective position, and the firing would be renewed.

 

There continued to be more or less fighting north of the river until

July 9, when General Johnston fell back into the defenses immediately

in front of Atlanta. General Sherman’s army also crossed the river and

confronted General Johnston’s lines near the city. On or about the 19th

General Johnston was superseded by General John B. Hood, and then began

a series of hard battles around Atlanta, which were continued on the

20th, 21st, 22d, and other days, in which the losses on both sides were

heavy. The Federal general, James B. MacPherson, was killed on the 22d.

On the 28th was fought the battle of Ezra Church. On this day Companies

C and D of the Third Texas were on picket in front of our command, and

in the afternoon were driven back by overwhelming numbers, John B.

Armstrong being slightly wounded and R. H. Henden very severely wounded.

 

We were soon met with orders to mount and move out to Owl Rock church

on the Campbellton and Atlanta road, to assist Colonel Harrison, who

was understood to be contending with General McCook’s division of

cavalry. General McCook had crossed the river near Rivertown, not far

from Campbellton, for the purpose of raiding in our rear, and General

Stoneman, with another division, had simultaneously moved out around

the right wing of our army. The purpose was for these two commands to

co-operate and destroy the railroad in our rear. General Wheeler’s

cavalry was sent after Stoneman. As General McCook had at least twelve

hours the start of us we were unable to overtake him until afternoon

of the next day. In the meantime, before daylight, he struck the wagon

train belonging to our division, burned ninety-two wagons and captured

the teamsters, blacksmiths, the chaplain of the Third Texas, and the

inevitable squad that managed under all circumstances to stay with the

train. We came up with McCook’s command near Lovejoy Station, which

is on the railroad thirty miles below Atlanta. We learned with joy

that General Wheeler had overtaken Stoneman, captured him and a large

portion of his command, and was able to come with a portion of his

troops to assist in the operations against McCook. McCook now abandoned

all effort to destroy railroad property, and began a retreat in order

to get back into the Federal lines. We followed him until night when,

as we had been in our saddles twenty-eight hours, we stopped, fed on

green corn and rested a few hours. Some time before daylight next

morning we mounted and moved on briskly. Early in the day we came close

upon the enemy’s rear and pressed them all day, during which time we

passed scores of their horses, which from sheer exhaustion had been

abandoned. Many of our horses, too, had become so jaded that they were

unable to keep up.

 

[Illustration: LEONIDAS CARTWRIGHT

 

Company E, Third Texas Cavalry; Member of Taylor’s Scouts, Ross’

Brigade]

 

About the middle of the afternoon, when near Newnan, the Federals

stopped to give us battle. They had chosen a position in a dense skirt

of timber back of some farms near the Chattahoochee River bottom, and

here followed a battle which I could not describe if I would. I can

only tell what the Third Texas did and sum up the general result. We

were moved rapidly into the timber and ordered to dismount to fight. As

many of our men were behind, instead of detailing the usual number of

horse-holders, we tied the horses, leaving two men of the company to

watch them. Almost immediately we were ordered into line, and before we

could be properly formed were ordered to charge, through an undergrowth

so dense that we could only see a few paces in any direction. As I was

moving to my place in line I passed John Watkins, who was to remain

with the horses, and on a sudden impulse I snatched his Sharpe’s

carbine and a half dozen cartridges. On we went in the charge, whooping

and running, stooping and creeping, as best we could through the

tangled brush. I had seen no enemy in our front, but supposed they

must be in the brush or beyond it. Lieutenant Sim Terrell, of Company

F, and myself had got in advance of the regiment, as it was impossible

to maintain a line in the brush, Terrell only a few paces to my right.

Terrell was an ideal soldier, courageous, cool, and self-possessed in

battle. Seeing him stop I did likewise, casting my eyes to the front,

and there, less than twenty-five yards from me, stood a fine specimen

of a Federal soldier, behind a black jack tree, some fifteen inches in

diameter, with his seven-shooting Spencer rifle resting against the

tree, coolly and deliberately taking aim at me. Only his face, right

shoulder, and part of his right breast were exposed. I could see his

eyes and his features plainly, and have always thought that I looked at

least two feet down his gun barrel. As quick as thought I threw up the

carbine and fired at his face. He fired almost at the same instant and

missed me. Of course I missed him, as I expected I would, but my shot

had the desired effect of diverting his aim and it evidently saved my

life.

 

Directly in front of Terrell was another man, whom Terrell shot in the

arm with his pistol. The Federals both turned around and were in the

act of retreating when two or three of Terrell’s men came up and in

less time than it takes to tell it two dead bodies lay face downwards

where, a moment before, two brave soldiers had stood. I walked up to

the one who had confronted me, examined his gun, and found he had fired

his last cartridge at me. Somehow I could not feel glad to see these

two brave fellows killed. Their whole line had fallen back, demoralized

by the racket we had made, while these two had bravely stood at their

posts. I have often wondered what became of their remains, lying away

out in the brush thicket, as it was not likely that their comrades ever

looked after them. And did their friends and kindred at home ever learn

their fate?

 

We moved forward in pursuit of the line of dismounted men we had

charged, and came in sight of them only to see them retreating across

a field. Returning to our horses we saw them stampeding, as Colonel

Jim Brownlow, with his regiment of East Tennesseans, had gotten among

them, appropriated a few of the best ones, stampeded some, while the

rest remained as we had left them. We charged and drove them away from

the horses and they charged us three times in succession in return,

but each time were repulsed, though in these charges one or two of the

best horses in the regiment were killed under Federal riders. These

men were, however, only making a desperate effort to escape, and were

endeavoring to break through our lines for that purpose, as by this

time General McCook’s command was surrounded and he had told his

officers to get out the best they could. In consequence his army had

become demoralized and badly scattered in their effort to escape. The

prisoners they had captured, their ambulances, and all heavy baggage

were abandoned, everything forgotten except the desire to return to

their own lines. General Stoneman had started out with 5000 men and

General E. M. McCook had 4000. Their object was to meet at Lovejoy

Station, on the Macon Railroad, destroy the road, proceed to Macon and

Andersonville and release the Federal prisoners confined at those two

places. This engagement lasted about two hours, at the end of which we

were badly mixed and scattered in the brush, many of the Confederates

as well as Federals not knowing where their commands were.

 

General Ross summed up the success of his brigade on this expedition

as follows: Captured, 587, including two brigade commanders, with

their staffs; colors of the Eighth Iowa and Second Indiana; eleven

ambulances, and two pieces of artillery. General Wheeler’s men also

captured many prisoners. Our loss on the expedition was 5 killed and

27 wounded. Among the wounded I remember the gallant Lieutenant Tom

Towles, of the Third. The command now returned to its position in

General Hood’s line of battle, the prisoners being sent to Newnan,

while I was ordered to take a sufficient guard to take care of them

until transportation could be procured to send them to Andersonville.

I had about 1250 enlisted men and 35 officers, who were kept here for

several days. I confined them in a large brick warehouse, separating

the officers from the privates by putting the officers in two rooms

used for offices at the warehouse. I made them as comfortable as I

could, and fed them well. I would turn the officers out every day into

the front porch or vestibule of the warehouse, where they could get

fresh air. They were quite a lively lot of fellows, except one old man,

Colonel Harrison, I believe, of the Eighth Iowa. They appreciated my

kindness and made me quite a number of small presents when the time came for them to leave.