On a Scout, LOA, or Raid?

Lubliner

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Chattanooga, Tennessee
On Bean Mountain or Chilhowie Mountain, just North of the Ocoee River and East of Benton Tennessee is a confederate encampment, with a marker giving its history. It says seven men were ambushed by a Federal scouting party on February 25, 1865. It says the seven men were returning from a LOA after visiting a member’s family in the Boyd Bottom area. I had the names and ranks written somewhere and misplaced it, but it included Captain P. L. Bible, a 1st Lieutenant McConnell, a 2nd Lieutenant, a sergeant-private medic, Tom Haney, and three privates, one being Stephen Crockett. Haney was killed, Crockett was shot four times in the leg but escaped, crawling six miles to Greasy Creek, one or two others were wounded and captured, and the rest got away.

That was on the marker, and a rock had been carved out bearing some detail about the time of the event. This left me with questions I cannot answer. Hogback Ridge was due south in the Cohutta Wilderness, a known hang-out for bushwhackers, similarly like Johnson’s Crook and Madden’s Branch. Seven confederates with organizational rank led by a Captain on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, visiting a family down in the valley that is picketed by Federal troops; does not make sense, Was it a reconnaissance patrol for Wheeler, who had the highest command in that area at the time? What about Hood’s Army already broken up, and Roddy and Forrest in Alabama; what was the true purpose of these seven men before getting waylaid on their return to where; Hogback Ridge? Another point of interest, is the well known names of Crockett and McConnell, and a present day Lawyer practicing in Jasper, Tennessee 10 years ago, under the name of Bible and Assoc. Is it possible someone has a copy of this marker with the full names, and possibly a slant on the purpose these men were pursuing? Thanks,

Lubliner.
 
Is it possible these were some of the men involved with the raids that February of1865, in Kentucky? The Federals had captured Robert Breckinridge in Kentucky in full Colonel's uniform, and others had said they were trying to get to the Eastern armies of Lee and Johnston, upon capture. So could this be some of the horsemen that harassed Federal troops there?
 
LOA is Leave of Absence from their command, it'sprobable they were allowed to go home to procure fresh horses and other supplies. If the Federals were "on scout" in a a known guerilla area and East Tennessee was a known guerilla and stampeder area as well as heavily Unionist in sentiment they were probably looking for guerillas or CS Conscription or Home Guard parties "harrasing" unionist.
CS Troops especially Mounted Units were often allowed to return home to procure Mounts and supplies as the Cs was poor in both and both 'never providing horses you either got one or hello infantfry
likely not a raid.
 
A memorial atop Chilhowee Mountain tells the story of a Feb. 15, 1865 skirmish. Union soldiers, pursuing Confederate bushwhackers, attacked while the Confederates camped atop Chilhowee Mountain. At least one Confederate soldier was killed. Today chiseled stones mark the campsite:
“T.B. Haney
A Confederate Soldier
Was Killed Here
Feb.15, 1865
Soldiers Campsite, Feb. 15, 1865
Capten P.O. Bible
• Lieutenant P.L. Bible
• Lieutenant A.D. Donaldson
Tom Haney killed
W.M. Crockets Leg Shot
Crawled to Grassey Creek
Jasper McConnell
George Renfro captured
Co B 62th Tenn. C.S.A.


SEE:
http://www.tcwpa.org/the-civil-war-in-polk-county/
 
A memorial atop Chilhowee Mountain tells the story of a Feb. 15, 1865 skirmish. Union soldiers, pursuing Confederate bushwhackers, attacked while the Confederates camped atop Chilhowee Mountain. At least one Confederate soldier was killed. Today chiseled stones mark the campsite:
“T.B. Haney
A Confederate Soldier
Was Killed Here
Feb.15, 1865
Soldiers Campsite, Feb. 15, 1865
Capten P.O. Bible
• Lieutenant P.L. Bible
• Lieutenant A.D. Donaldson
Tom Haney killed
W.M. Crockets Leg Shot
Crawled to Grassey Creek
Jasper McConnell
George Renfro captured
Co B 62th Tenn. C.S.A.


SEE:
http://www.tcwpa.org/the-civil-war-in-polk-county/
Thank you @connecticut yankee. I still have not found my notes I made originally. This will help put me back on track with local activity.
 
LOA is Leave of Absence from their command, it'sprobable they were allowed to go home to procure fresh horses and other supplies. If the Federals were "on scout" in a a known guerilla area and East Tennessee was a known guerilla and stampeder area as well as heavily Unionist in sentiment they were probably looking for guerillas or CS Conscription or Home Guard parties "harrasing" unionist.
CS Troops especially Mounted Units were often allowed to return home to procure Mounts and supplies as the Cs was poor in both and both 'never providing horses you either got one or hello infantfry
likely not a raid.
Yes, there was a Felix Prince Salm in Chattanooga running patrol operations for breaking up guerillas here and into Georgia, at this time mentioned. But a force of Cavalry had gone to Kentucky in the latter part of January, striking in Hartford, and in then in a circuitous rampage all through the central State. My reason for thinking of such a knit group per rank caused me to wonder about the origin. This following message is from Louisville, on February 24, 1865 from Major-General John Palmer to Hon. E. M. Stanton in Washington.

“Robert J. Breckinridge, colonel in the rebel army, was captured near Versailles, Kentucky on the 22nd instant, with orders from John C. Breckinridge. ordering all confederate officers and men out of the state, under the penalty of being reported to the Federal authorities as guerillas. Breckinridge came into the State secretly. When he surrendered was in uniform—probably put on for the occasion. What shall be done with him?” [Series 1, Vol. 49, Part 1, page 764].

Were these men involved?
Lubliner.
 
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