- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Location
- Collierville, TN
I didn't want to post this here as this isn't my ancestor. The name of Thomas Berry appears in the history of the Battle of Fort Pillow as a member of the 9th Texas Cavalry. I have not found any records that show the 9 Texas Cavalry was serving under General Forrest in early 1864. That made me wonder why he was even with Forrest.
I looked at Service Records for Thomas G. Berry, age 32, under the 9th Texas Cavalry and this file only covers some details up to September 1864. However, there is very little info for the year 1864.
He wrote a biography entitled "Four Years with Morgan and Forrest". This book seems to have a lot of colorful stories but I'm not sure how much it is on Facts.
Link to Biography.
It says he started in Artillery and soon was an officer in the 9 Texas Cavalry. But it wasn't long before he was riding with Morgan. He seemed to have joined Forrest at Chickamauga but it doesn't say what he did. Was he on Forrest's staff? Or did the 9 Texas Cavalry serve with him?
He then goes back to Morgan and then returns to Forrest. It says he was wounded several times and captured twice.
Here is another brief Biography of Lt-Col. Thomas Berry. But it only covers the first 2 years.
Col. Thomas G. Berry, by Tarrant County TXGenWeb, 2008
My question is: What did he do? What was his command or duty?
Was he just a guerrilla---which he goes to length to describe their role in the war. In his biography, he says he decided to join up with Forrest but he never gives any details except to say he was there as an eye witness to Fort Pillow and other battles. Another scout, Dewitt "Clubfoot" Fort, wrote about being present at Fort Pillow. He never said that he was in the fight. If Berry was a guerrilla or a scout/spy, he was certainly the highest-ranking one I have heard about.
I looked at Service Records for Thomas G. Berry, age 32, under the 9th Texas Cavalry and this file only covers some details up to September 1864. However, there is very little info for the year 1864.
He wrote a biography entitled "Four Years with Morgan and Forrest". This book seems to have a lot of colorful stories but I'm not sure how much it is on Facts.
Link to Biography.
It says he started in Artillery and soon was an officer in the 9 Texas Cavalry. But it wasn't long before he was riding with Morgan. He seemed to have joined Forrest at Chickamauga but it doesn't say what he did. Was he on Forrest's staff? Or did the 9 Texas Cavalry serve with him?
He then goes back to Morgan and then returns to Forrest. It says he was wounded several times and captured twice.
Here is another brief Biography of Lt-Col. Thomas Berry. But it only covers the first 2 years.
Col. Thomas G. Berry, by Tarrant County TXGenWeb, 2008
My question is: What did he do? What was his command or duty?
Was he just a guerrilla---which he goes to length to describe their role in the war. In his biography, he says he decided to join up with Forrest but he never gives any details except to say he was there as an eye witness to Fort Pillow and other battles. Another scout, Dewitt "Clubfoot" Fort, wrote about being present at Fort Pillow. He never said that he was in the fight. If Berry was a guerrilla or a scout/spy, he was certainly the highest-ranking one I have heard about.