Hatchee Scouts?

[tony_gunter]

"The bearer, B. D. Hurley, a prisoner taken by the rebels at Corinth, and who has escaped from Jackson jail, wants to join his company, the Hatchee Scouts. He may be able to give you valuable information." Porter to Grant, Feb 13 1863.

What were the Hatchee Scouts? Sounds like a Confederate unit, but this guy was taken prisoner by the Confederates and imprisoned in Jackson, Mississippi. I don't see a B. D. Hurley in the soldiers and sailors database.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

From the description given, makes sense that Hurley was likely joining a Federal unit of mounted scouts.

In the context used, 'Hatchee' here might have been meant by Porter as a reference to a place name, rather than as a proper noun possibly representing a unit commander's name. For example, it could have been a misspelling and abbreviated reference to the Tallahatchie river. (See Grant's correspondence to Hurlbut on Feb. 13, '63, at 'OR': Vol. 24, Part 3, @ p. 50, where he says, ...'our cavalry can go to the Tallahatchee without difficulty'.... It's a long shot interpretation possibility, but maybe.

 

[Ben Ford 987]

"The bearer, B. D. Hurley, a prisoner taken by the rebels at Corinth, and who has escaped from Jackson jail, wants to join his company, the Hatchee Scouts. He may be able to give you valuable information." Porter to Grant, Feb 13 1863.

What were the Hatchee Scouts? Sounds like a Confederate unit, but this guy was taken prisoner by the Confederates and imprisoned in Jackson, Mississippi. I don't see a B. D. Hurley in the soldiers and sailors database.

I feel sure that the unit's name come from the Hatchie river.
After the battle of Corinth Miss in October 1862 they had to fight another battle named Davis Bridge. This was their crossing of the Hatchie river.
The scouts obviously were raised in that area.
Their name did not come from a person and the Hatchie river does not have any connection with the Tallahatchie river.
This could have been a Tennessee or a Mississippi unit.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

"Hatchee" is the Mvskoke word for river, hence the many rivers in Alabama and Florida with that as part of the name.

"Hatchie" is the Choctaw equivalent. So the Hatchie River is the river river.