Aot - 1865

[larry_cockerham]

March 1, 1865

Headquarters Mar 1, 1865 General Robert E. Lee wrote:

General Johnston reports that Hardee’s infantry, without artillery or wagons, has reached Cheraw. No information of progress of Stewart or Cheatham. The enemy has been stationary for a few days. Our Calvary on their right think he is moving upon Florence or Cheraw; that on his left suppose he is advancing on Cheraw or Charlotte – R.E. Lee

Mar. 1, 1865

Skirmish at Wilson's Store, S.C.
Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox, U.S. Army, assumes command of the District of Beaufort.

On this day Forrest moved his headquarters to West Point, Mississippi and began reorganizing his command. He placed his remaining Texas troops under the command of Gen. William Henry Jackson and the Mississippi regiments under Gen. James R. Chalmers. The Kentucky brigades (formerly under Gen. Abraham Bufford) were assigned to Gen. Dan W. Adams in the district of Alabama. Forrest kept his Escort and the 2nd Missouri under Col. Robert McCulloch. At best, his command numbered around 10,000 men at this time.

[larry_cockerham]

March 2, 1865 Cheatham’s Corps in Unionville, South Carolina

From Jeff Weaver’s regimental history of the 58th North Carolina:

The Army of Tennessee was shifted on March 2, 1865 by train to Smithfield Station, now Selma, North Carolina, where General Joseph E. Johnston had been reinstated in command. Johnston was trying to consolidate his shrinking army.

The men of the 58th North Carolina and of Palmer's Brigade were by now nearly naked -- each soldier only a single blanket -- or less. Rations were very scarce. The Army of Tennessee passed the severe winter of 1864-65 in active field service. Despite severe exposure of the men and officers, there were no complaints. The men knew complaints would do no good and if they did complain, they did it with their feet and deserted.

In Whitfield Monroe Parker’s pension application he claimed that he served until the end of the war. That would mean he was still with this command. His injury probably meant that he needed assistance and could not tolerate long marches. The war for Whit Parker was not over.

[larry_cockerham]

March 3, 1865

J.L.M. Curry, Lt. Col., commanding, Fifth Alabama Cavalry, reported to Brig. Gen. Roddey, that the Union Fourth Corps is moving to the east toward Stevenson and Chattanooga. He also reports an embargo has been placed on the citizens of Huntsville and none are allowed to come out or cross the river until further notice. Wilson is beginning to spread his tremendous cavalry to place a death grip on Confederate Alabama. Forrest can do little but watch.

[larry_cockerham]

March 4, 1865 Salisbury (written to Robert E. Lee)

I am on my way to Hardee via Fayetteville. Lee’s Corps will start today by rail by the same route and Stewart and Cheatham from Chester tomorrow. General Beaugregard will bring them on.

– J.E. Johnston, Gen.

[larry_cockerham]

March 5, 1865 Charlotte

Three brigades of Stewart’s Corps left Chesterville today. The rest of his and Cheatham’s will arrive here today in time to follow remnant of Stevenson’s Corps from here – G.T. Beauregard, Gen.

From the History of the 33rd Mississippi:

They then marched to Chester, S.C., reaching it on 5 March.

[larry_cockerham]

March 6, 1865 Cheatham’s Corps in Chester, South Carolina

Note: Chester was on the route of the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta Railroad which was used to transport much of the Army of Tennessee from Augusta to Charlotte. Towns on the rail were Graniteville, Batesville, Lexington, Columbia, Winnsboro, Youngsville, Chester, Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Charlotte.

An exhausted and battered army, the AOT, finally had a chance to ride. A bumpy one, leading in many cases to their deaths at Bentonville, but a ride, nonetheless.

[TerryB]

March 6, 1865 Cheatham’s Corps in Chester, South Carolina

Note: Chester was on the route of the Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta Railroad which was used to transport much of the Army of Tennessee from Augusta to Charlotte. Towns on the rail were Graniteville, Batesville, Lexington, Columbia, Winnsboro, Youngsville, Chester, Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Charlotte.

An exhausted and battered army, the AOT, finally had a chance to ride. A bumpy one, leading in many cases to their deaths at Bentonville, but a ride, nonetheless.

Ed Buford, 3rd Tenn Inf, was exchanged from Rock Island at City Point about March 6. One of his bios says he fell off a moving train in NC, I guess in March or April, and thus his return home was delayed until July 7. I'm distantly related to Ed and his son, Capt. Eddie Buford, Nashville's WWI air "ace." Ed's obit says he was paroled in May, but his records pretty much end with his exchange.

[larry_cockerham]

I assume your 13th TN Cav is CSA? not to be confused with my ancestor's 13th TN Cav US?

[TerryB]

The 13th Tenn CSA is the official tag for Dibrell's old regiment, which he always referred to as the 8th Tenn.

[Nathanb1]

Ed Buford, 3rd Tenn Inf, was exchanged from Rock Island at City Point about March 6. One of his bios says he fell off a moving train in NC, I guess in March or April, and thus his return home was delayed until July 7. I'm distantly related to Ed and his son, Capt. Eddie Buford, Nashville's WWI air "ace." Ed's obit says he was paroled in May, but his records pretty much end with his exchange.

Did Ed look anything like this guy?

[TerryB]

Did Ed look anything like this guy?

He may have before he "fell off." I sometimes wonder if Ed really jumped, but I'll never know. BTW, that's such a good movie that I'm gonna have to try to find a copy in DVD.

[larry_cockerham]

March 8, 1865

On March 8-10, 1865 the 63rd Virginia and others met the Federals in another rear guard action at Wilcox's Bridge near Kinston, North Carolina. This would cost the still dwindling Army of Tennessee 1500 more casualties.

[larry_cockerham]

March 9, 1865

Confederate Army began leaving Charlotte for Raleigh via rail. At Charlotte the Army of Tennessee boarded the North Carolina Railroad for Concord, Salisbury, Lexington, Greensboro, Graham, Hillsborough, and Raleigh.

From the History of the 33rd Mississippi:

At Chester they "took to the cars" northward to Charlotte, North Carolina, and on through Salisbury, Greensborough, Raleigh and Smithfield to reach Goldsboro. They arrived on 9 March 1865 and were marched to Kinston, North Carolina, that same day. These movements were in response to Gen. W. T. Sherman's march northward from Savanna, Georgia, into South Carolina, and his campaign to link up with other Federal forces. The problem for Gen. Johnston was that he did not know exactly where Gen. Sherman was heading. Gen. Sherman had divided his forces into two columns. This caused Gen. Johnston to keep his forces divided also.

[TerryB]

The war ended for my ancestor Lt. Col. Marcellus Pointer at Williston, SC, on Feb 9th, 1865. He was wounded in a cavalry charge near there and put out of action. I just recently got some docs from the archives that confirm his promotion to full colonel on April 1st. Had the war not ended when it did, he would have commanded the 12th Ala Cav.

[larry_cockerham]

The war ended for my ancestor Lt. Col. Marcellus Pointer at Williston, SC, on Feb 9th, 1865. He was wounded in a cavalry charge near there and put out of action. I just recently got some docs from the archives that confirm his promotion to full colonel on April 1st. Had the war not ended when it did, he would have commanded the 12th Ala Cav.

I'm betting he somehow was happy the war was over, nonetheless.

[larry_cockerham]

The 10th TN Cavalry (US) was at Natchez, Mississippi. Well fatigued from their efforts in the pursuit of the AOT into Alabama in late December, the 10th was about to let themselves be dismounted in an effort to build Wilson's 4th Cavalry Corps for the pending invasion of Alabama.


From the History of the 33rd Mississippi:

The 33rd Mississippi had withdrawn from Kinston on 10 March and transferred to Smithfield, North Carolina.

[larry_cockerham]

March 11, 1865 Sherman’s army spent the night at Fayetteville, NC

March 11, 1865 Lieut. Gen. Richard Taylor abolished the District of North Alabama. All of the State of Alabama, except that portion in the District of the Gulf, becomes the District of Alabama, Brig. Gen. D.W. Adams, commanding. This same day Mar 11, Cheatham’s Corps in Charlotte, North Carolina by rail.

[larry_cockerham]

March 14, 1865 near Smithfield (written to Joseph E. Johnston)


I encamp at Smithfield tonight. Tennessee troops are all up. My own will be here tomorrow. The enemy had not advanced on Kinston last night. – Braxton Bragg, Gen.

Smithfield, North Carolina

I left Ashe County, North Carolina in 1965 and attended school at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. I remained in Raleigh after school except for a couple of years in Charlotte 73-74. I returned to Raleigh until 1978 when I moved to Nashville. During that time I became acquainted with the towns surrounding Raleigh, one of which is Smithfield. This city of about 10,000 is located on the Neuse River just a fifteen minute drive down US 70 from east Raleigh. A sleepy southern town of three story buildings it retained many of the vestiges of the old south. The remnants of segregation were still evident in the 1970s. The sister city of Selma was predominately black; Smithfield was predominately white. As you approached downtown, the bridge over the Neuse was guarded by a large billboard depicting a hooded Klansman mounted with sword drawn sporting the caption: “Welcome to Smithfield, Home of the KKK, United Klans of America.” Smithfield is in Johnston County named for Gabriel Johnston, Governor of North Carolina, 1734-1752. General Joe is far better known! ldc-2004

Today, I'm betting, and sincerely hoping, that billboard is long gone.

[TerryB]

I'm betting he somehow was happy the war was over, nonetheless.

Whether he knew it or not, he was one lucky man to have survived five wounds, three of which got him sent home. I'd say his number was up. Some of his close escapes are right out of a Hollywood script.

[Nathanb1]

The 10th TN Cavalry (US) was at Natchez, Mississippi. Well fatigued from their efforts in the pursuit of the AOT into Alabama in late December, the 10th was about to let themselves be dismounted in an effort to build Wilson's 4th Cavalry Corps for the pending invasion of Alabama.


From the History of the 33rd Mississippi:

The 33rd Mississippi had withdrawn from Kinston on 10 March and transferred to Smithfield, North Carolina.

Thanks for posting that...that's why my relative had the opportunity to walk home from North Carolina. Yippee.

[Nathanb1]

He may have before he "fell off." I sometimes wonder if Ed really jumped, but I'll never know. BTW, that's such a good movie that I'm gonna have to try to find a copy in DVD.

Got mine in the $5 bin at Wally World--a 2-DVD set with Chaplin's "The Kid". Good hunting!

[larry_cockerham]

The left wing of Sherman’s army met Hardee’s Corps in battle at Averasboro, NC

General Joseph Johnston appointed Lt. Gen. A.P. Steward to assume command of the Army of Tennessee.

Palmer's Brigade did not take part in the hard fought battle of Averasboro, North Carolina on March 16, 1865. Other events were awaiting them, and the battle-worn soldiers of the brigade were no doubt glad they were not called into action. (as per Jeff Weaver in his history of the 58th North Carolina). Whit Parker may have sat the next few week out, or he more likely stayed close to his comrades in the 63rd Virginia. The is much family tradition about his arriving home via railroad after the war. I suspect he hung around until all the papers were signed a month later. His pension application states "served until end of war". I suspect that's what happened.