Middle Tennessee Chronology winter 64-65

[larry_cockerham]

November 22, 1864

AOT:

Cheatham's corps and army headquarters were in motion at sunrise, and after a march of eighteen miles, army headquarters were established near the intersection of the Natchez and Waynesborough roads.

Cheatham's corps encamped one mile south of headquarters.

Buford and Jackson’s divisions of Forrest’s cavalry were moving via the highway through Lawrenceburg, TN. Gen.

Chalmers camped at West Point, TN on the 21st and had his horses shod on the 22th.

US:

The 1st Brigade, 5th Division US reported “the enemy moved up their infantry in front and on our right flank. The fight this day was severe, and we continued to bold our position, the enemy falling back at night”.

[larry_cockerham]

November 23.--Cheatham's corps and army headquarters took another early start this morning, and after a march of eighteen miles arrived and established headquarters at the Furnace No. 96, four miles north of Waynesborough, on the Mount Pleasant and Waynesborough road. Chalmers moved to Henryville where he joined Forrest in battle near Mt. Pleasant on the 23rd.

[Insert – from General George Thomas in his Jan 20 1865 report: “On the 23d, in accordance with directions previously given him, General Granger commenced withdrawing the garrisons from Athens, Decatur, and Huntsville, Ala., and moved off toward Stevenson, sending five new regiments of that force to Murfreesborough, and retaining at Stevenson the original troops of his command. This movement was rapidly made by railroad, without opposition on the part of the enemy. That same night General Schofield evacuated Pulaski and moved toward Columbia, reporting himself in position at that place on the 24th”]

1st Brigade, 5th Division US ordered to fall back toward Pulaski and reached Campbellsville on the 24th. Here the enemy was again encountered in force with both cavalry and infantry. A severe engagement followed, in which the 12th Missouri lost 50 men.

From Judge Frank H. Smith in 1904:

But by night fall on the 23rd, the advance of the Confederate infantry was in the Central Basin, on good roads, seventeen or eighteen miles southwest of Columbia, and by eight or nine o’clock that night, Caprons Cavalry was being driven out of Mt. Pleasant by Forrests advance, led by Col. (now Rev.) David C. Kelley, who is so well known and loved in Columbia. Hatch’s cavalry had also been driven from the old Military road, and had withdrawn east to Campbellsville. (In the command of Edward Hatch this night was James Patterson Cockerham, farrier 10th TN Cav. Private Whitfield Monroe Parker was moving north with the 63rd VA Inf under the command of Joseph Palmer]

[larry_cockerham]

November 24, 1864

Army headquarters nine miles south of Mount Pleasant, on the Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant road. Cheatham's corps continued the march on the Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant road, camping twelve miles south [of] Henryville, in the rear of Lee's corps, which came into Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant road from the Pinhook (a country road). Stewart's corps camped in rear of Cheat-ham's corps, having also come into Waynesborough and Mount Pleasant road from the Waterloo and Lawrenceburg road. Buford and Jackson’s cavalry brigades were approaching Linnville. Jackson encountered Hatch’s Cavalry at Campbellsville. Hatch withdrew and moved to eight miles northeast of Columbia.

Farrier James Patterson Cockerham must have spent Thanksgiving day 1864 in Columbia, Tennessee about 500 miles from his family near Benham, North Carolina. At age 31, he was much older than most of his comrades in the 10th Tennessee Cavalry. Thinking of his wife and five children at home must have occupied much of his time when he wasn’t hard about the work of maintaining his company’s horses. His youngest son, James Elbert Cockerham, was almost a year old and had never met his father. James Patterson certainly must have dreamed of the time that would eventually happen.

[larry_cockerham]

From Judge Frank H. Smith in 1904: [Continued information gleaned from a series of 1904 articles written by Judge Smith and published in the Columbia, TN paper. Forty years after the war, his memory and his flair for a good story may have taken effect, but here was man who lived in the place and may have had a glimpse of the action.]

The Race for Columbia.

The Federal Army had retired north from Pulaski and most of it had been moved that afternoon around Lynnville, about 18 miles south of Columbia, but Gen. Jacob D. Coxs had been pushed on over the Elk Ridge and was encamped that night at McCains, seven miles south of Columbia on the Pulaski Pike. So it was to be a race between the two armies for Columbia, which a brigade of Rugers Division, in all about 800 men. These occupied Fort Mizner on Mount Parnassus, and had begun fortifying the town bridge and ford, and the railroad bridge.

The couriers bearing dispatches of Caprons disaster at Mt. Pleasant, did not reach Lynnville until about one o’clock the next morning (the 24th) As soon as Schofield knew that the advance of the Confederate Infantry had got off the Highland Rim, and that Capron had been driven out of Mt. Pleasant, he sounded the reveille, and in about an hour his jaded troops were on a force march for Columbia, the artillery park and wagon trains leaving a little later. Schofield also at once dispatched a courier to Gen. Cox who was 11 miles nearer to Columbia, to march immediately; the troops were awakened, and by four o’clock these were also on the march for Columbia.

When within three miles of town, Cox moved his column to the west. Taking the Pond Bridge road and going through the woods and fields, as most of the fences had been destroyed. By seven or eight o’clock he was on the Mt. Pleasant pike, on the east side of Little Bigby, and immediately began making barricades of rails and timber to protect the bridge. And he was just in time, for in a short while Caprons Cavalry came rushing down the pike from Ashwood, closely pressed by Forrest, but the Confederate advance was checked by Cox’s infantry and had to retire, after which the bridge was destroyed. Gen. Stanley says in his official report that Cox’s rapid march to Little Bigby Creek saved Caprons command from annihilation, and probably Columbia from being captured by Forrest.

Death of Col. W. A. Dawson [More from Judge Smith in 1904]

In this pursuit, the gallant Col. W. A. Dawson of the 15th Tennessee Cavalry was killed while leading the command. He had galloped ahead of his men, and after emptying his revolver he rode up to the color bearer of one of Caprons regiment; while trying to wrest the flag from the Federal soldiers grasp, he was shot and killed in his hand-to-hand fight. Gen. Cox made his headquarters at the Martin place (now A. N. Akins) and as fast as the troops came up, they began making entrenchment, timber barricades, and rifle pits on the east side of the creek, The beautiful grove at Mrs. Wilsons, now E. H. Hatchers, and most of the other trees across the Mt. Pleasant pike were spared, but the lawns had rifle pits covering the entrenched works on the hills east of the Garnett Rainey place. The Confederates planted some artillery on the bluff on the west bank of the creek; north of the old fair grounds, which did but little damage.

[larry_cockerham]

November 25.--Army headquarters at Mount Pleasant. Lee's corps camped just beyond town, on Columbia road; Cheatham's corps, five miles south of town, and Stewart's corps at Henryville.

November 25th, 1864

As Hatch was approaching Campbellsville, Forrest forced a battle on him, however Hatch thoroughly and soundly whipped him and without further molestation Hatch moved his troops to Columbia. The cavalry was ordered to the north side of the river and distributed above and below Columbia for the purpose of guarding the fords and watching Schofield's flanks. Croxton's brigade and a portion of Hatch's division held the fords above Columbia. At this place, Croxton's brigade was assigned temporarily to the Sixth Division of Cavalry, commanded by General R.W. Johnson and remained in his division until Nashville was reached.

[larry_cockerham]

More from Judge Frank H. Smith in 1904:

It began raining that Friday night (the 25th) and all day Saturday it was a hard, steady downpour, But the Federals and Contrabands had commenced building other works on the interior line, one beginning about half a mile below the railroad bridge connecting the Holland Mill and Fort Mizner, with detached works east to the river, This was to protect the river crossing, and placed most of the town between the two lines, and if the outer line should be taken, the Federals could ball back to the Fort and the interior line, and the battle would be fought from the streets and houses.

About fifty yards form the top of Mount Parnassus another entrenchment was made of rocks and dirt, almost encircling the Fort. What timber that remained on The Knob was cut down as close to the ground as possible, so as to prevent even a stump being used by a Confederate sharpshooter. The logs were used to strengthen this encircling line of breastworks and an abates made of the lines; this chevaux de frise or shiver and freeze as it was called in the cold weather, was made with the outward points sharpened, and all were fastened together with telegraph wire, making an obstruction that it seemed impossible to get over.

Telegraph Wire Spiked.—

I have heard but do not myself remember that the telegraph wire was spiked from stump to stump so as to trip any advancing troops; this was a Yankee Invention that had been first used at Knoxville just a year before, and which saved that city from capture by Longstreet and Hood. In 1862 the Federals under Gen. Negley had made a small entrenchment on West Market Street at the corner of the Female Institute lot, which was only intended to be sufficient for attacks from Dunc. Coopers and other similar bodies of Cavalry. This was now enlarged into a strong redoubt, occupying part of the lot afterwards sold to George L. Thomas, and right on the bed of the Old Military Road to Florence. A smaller entrenchment was made just across the street where G. T. Hughes now lives, and about fifty feet west the street was cut and entrenched, leaving the usual turn out for vehicles; these works were connected with Fort Mizner by rifle pits and abatis. The artillery in this redoubt commanded the street west to the junction of the Mt. Pleasant and Hampshire Pikes, as well as the Old Military Road. Good approaches were prepared for the pontoon bridge at the Santa Fe Pike, and the railroad bridge was floored over for the passage of troops and teams.

[larry_cockerham]

Entrenchments at Riverside,-- [Judge Smith continued]


The Federals and impressed Negroes also dug strong entrenchments and rifle pits in the peninsula where Riverside is now, especially to guard the town ford and bridge. But there was still so much timber there, and the peninsular being commanded by the bluffs on the south side of the river from above Ashtons Mills down to Whites Spring, that another and stronger line was built by Gen. Cox on the higher ground about a mile north of town, which the Brown residence was near the center. The rain and cold did not stop this work, night or day, and those soldiers and darkies worked on in the rain and mud like beavers; the soldiers with guns stacked close at hand ready to return to the entrenchments in case of an attack, and the Negroes badly scared at the prospect of a battle. Time has obliterated many things connected with the Civil War, but some of these entrenchments yet remain and are silent reminders of the times that tried mens souls. Fort Mizner, with its underground magazines, which was considered impregnable from any direct assault, has given way to the reservoir which supplies the city with water. But the redoubt near the Mooresville pike east of the present Fair Grounds, the breastworks on the hills south; the entrenchments at Col. Allen Browns; the fort at the railroad bridge these and many others, are still plainly visible.

[larry_cockerham]

November 26. 1864 (CONFEDERATE)

Army headquarters at Col. Andrew J. Polk's, five miles south of Columbia, on Mount Pleasant pike. Lee's corps continued the march on the Mount Pleasant and Columbia pike, going into position near Columbia, the right resting on the pike. Cheatham's corps followed Lee's, camping near army headquarters, between the Mount Pleasant and Columbia and the Pulaski pikes. Stewart's corps camped two miles beyond Mount Pleasant, on the Mount Pleasant and Columbia pike. Chalmers’ cavalry was at Webster Mills, 10 miles southwest of Columbia while Buford was at Berlin on Lewisburg Pike. Jackson’s brigade camped on Fountains Creek on the Shelbyville Turnpike.

November 26th, 1864 (UNION)

Heavy artillery firing and some very sharp skirmishing in front of Columbia. General James H. Wilson, Chief of Cavalry reached the division and took command.
This was the debut of James Harrison Wilson as a leader of cavalry. He was to learn much in the following months concerning this craft. His teacher would be Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest of Tennessee, a man lacking Wilson’s military training, but who had acquired a few tricks of his own.

[larry_cockerham]

From Judge Frank H. Smith in 1904:

The Confederates Invest Columbia.—

Owing to the hard rains and the conditions of the roads, it was the 27th before the Confederate forces were all in position in front of Columbia. On that day Cheathams Corps was sent east to the right win, his headquarters being moved from E. H. Hatchers to John M. Francis; Stewarts headquarters at Nimrod Porters (now Mrs. Major Joe Dobbins) while Army headquarters had been moved by Hood from Andrew J. Polk, at Ashwood, to Mrs. Cornelia Warfields. [Not exactly being a part of the high command, Pvt. Whit Parker would have been lucky to have tent cover on this brutal night.]

The Federals Evacuate.—

Most of the Federal forces had been withdrawn to the interior line in Columbia on the night of the 26th, leaving however a strong force of infantry and some artillery in the outer works. On Sunday night, the 27th, all were placed on the north side of the river, the outer line being quietly abandoned by the Federals after midnight. The Fort and Magazine were then fired but the destruction was only partial; The pontoons were taken up or scuttled, and the town bridge burned; the railroad bridge was fired at both ends, but like the magazine in the fort, was not entirely destroyed.

Burning of Citizens Houses.—

That Sunday afternoon under orders from Gen. George D. Wagner, the homes of Col. Trotter and Col. Sanford, at the intersection of the Campbellsville Pike and Shun Street, and the residence of Rev. Jon F. Hughes and Judge Wm. S. Fleming, between the Pulaski Pike and Campbellsville Pike, were burned. These were large prominent houses between the picket lines, and their destruction was deemed a military necessity by the Federals. The officers notified these people an hour or so previously, and permitted the families to remove such of the contents of the houses as they could, but with no conveyances at hand and none of the men at home, but little was saved. The whole community suffered in the loss of Judge Flemings library and historical data. [And people wonder why there’s still no love lost for yanks in the South?]

[larry_cockerham]

November 27.

Army headquarters moved from Polk's residence, on the Mount Pleasant and Columbia pike, to Mrs. Warfield's, on the Pulaski pike, three miles south of Columbia.

Lee's corps remained in same position it occupied last night.

Cheatham's corps crossed over from Mount Pleasant and Columbia pike across the Pulaski pike, going into position with its right resting on Duck River and the left on the Pulaski pike.

Stewart's corps continued the march on the Mount Pleasant and Columbia pike, going into position with its right on the Pulaski and its left on the Mount Pleasant and Columbia pikes.

Forrest was called this night to Hood’s headquarters and ordered to cross to the north side of the Duck River.

The Warfield home is still standing and in good condition in 2007. Located on US highway 31 in the south edge of Columbia, it is easily located.