Brigadier-General Alfred E. Jackson, in 1861, was
quartermaster of Zollicoffer's brigade, and very active in
collecting supplies for the soldiers and whatever things
needed for their full equipment, in which duty he was very
efficient. During 1862 he served in the department of East
Tennessee under Gen. E. Kirby Smith, and proved himself so
capable that he was commissioned brigadier-general, and on
February 9, 1863, was assigned to the military department of
East Tennessee, then commanded by General Donelson.
In this region he had command of a brigade under Donelson and
Maury, and was kept on the alert against raiding parties of
the enemy. In September, 1863, when most of the Confederate
troops had been ordered to Bragg at Chattanooga, and Burnside
with a Federal army corps had occupied Knoxville, Jackson,
with his own small command and that of Colonel Giltner,
advanced to Telford's depot, and there defeated a Federal
advance force, capturing 350 prisoners.
On the theater of Jackson's operations there was a good deal
of this sort of detachment work in which there was plenty of
marching and fighting, but very little chance for renown,
because the great battles so obscured the small affairs that
in many parts of the country they were never even heard of.
In October, under Gen. John S. Williams, he took a gallant
part in the victory at Greeneville, east Tennessee. His
command was included in Ransom's division during Longstreet's
operations in east Tennessee. On November 23, 1864, being
unfit for active service in the field, he was ordered to
report temporarily to General Breckinridge.
After the war had ended, General Jackson, like the thousands
of other citizen-soldiers, returned quietly to the pursuits of
peace. On October 30, 1889, he died at Jonesboro, Tenn.
Source: Confederate Military History, vol. X, p. 315
Company D Union 2nd Tennessee Cavalry drilling (supposedly near Gatlinburg, Tenn)
Second Cavalry
TENNESSEE
(3-YEARS)
Second Cavalry. --
Col., Daniel M. Ray, Lieut.-Col., William
R. Cook Majs., George W. Hutsell, Charles Inman, William R.
Macbeth, William F. Prosser.
This regiment was organized at Cumberland Gap in the months of
Aug. and Sept., 1862, and was composed of loyal citizens of
Knox, Blount, Sevier and surrounding counties, numbering in
the aggregate about 1,175 men.
Shortly after the organization of the regiment, Gen. Morgan
began his retreat to the Ohio River and the 2nd cavalry,
although dismounted, rendered efficient service in protecting
the flank and rear of the retreating column. Not long after
its arrival at Gallipolis, Ohio, it was ordered to Louisville,
where it was mounted and armed, and pushed on to join
Rosecrans at Nashville.
It arrived in time to participate in the battle of Stone's
River, where it lost several officers and men. From that time
until June 23, 1863, with the remainder of the Federal cavalry
under Gen. Stanley, it was employed on the front and flanks of
Rosecrans' army, doing severe duty. At the latter date it
moved with the army from Murfreesboro to Tullahoma and pursued
Bragg across the Cumberland Mountains.
About July 10 it was ordered to report to Gen. Sheridan for
special duty, and was employed in the vicinity of Bridgeport,
Ala., and Chattanooga until the early part of September when
it rejoined the cavalry under Gen. Stanley and participated in
the battle of Chickamauga. After doing some escort duty it
was ordered to Washington and Kingston and assisted in the
defense of the latter place against Gen. Wheeler.
It was then ordered to Nashville, hastily refitted and
forwarded to Gen. William S. Smith at Memphis for an
expedition into Mississippi, in the course of which it
participated with credit in engagements at Okolona, West
Point, the Tallahatchie River and elsewhere.
In June, 1864, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th regiments of Tennessee
cavalry, with Battery A of the 1st Tenn. light artillery, were
ordered to northern Alabama and remained on duty in that
district until the end of the year.
In the numerous engagements with the Confederate cavalry
during that time the 2nd cavalry displayed great gallantry and
received the commendation of all the general officers under
whom it served. In the pursuit of Hood's retreating army from
Nashville the command to which it was attached marched 280
miles in 7 days and nights of unusually severe weather, and
during that time were engaged in six different actions,
capturing a large number of prisoners and material of every
description.
From Jan. to July 1865, the regiment was on duty at Vicksburg
and New Orleans, and was then mustered out.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 382
Colonel Daniel M. Ray
Union Army's Joseph C. Gray Rank: 2nd Lieutenant Company: F 2nd Tennessee Cav. Resigned May 8 64 to accept the rank of Captain in the newly formed Union 3rd TN. Mtd. Infantry Co.H. Son of John Gray Jr. and Susannah Land of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Enlisted 1 Aug 1862 at Maryville, Blount CO, TN into CO F, 2nd TN Volunteer CAV. He was appointed 2nd LT, but on 8 May, 1864 he resigned. He later enlisted into the 3rd TN MTD INF REGT, Union Army and was commissioned a Captain. He served as a recruiter and Captain of CO H. He was killed by Kirkland bushwhackers on 15 Jan 1865 while home on leave.
Many years after the war, Capt Gray's widow, Rachel McCall Gray, was summoned to the
deathbed of the bushwhacker who actually killed her husband. Rachel was asked to come
to the home of the man who killed her husband in 1865, because he was then dying. As a
last request, he wanted Rachel to visit in order to tell her he was sorry for killing
her husband. Indeed, Rachel decided to go see him. When she arrived at his home and went
to his bedside, the man said he was very sorry for killing her husband during the war and
asked her to forgive him before he died. Rachel bent over him, looked right in his face,
and "****ed his soul to hell." Then, she raised up, and saying nothing more, she left his
house and went home. She died years later, without ever forgiving him.
Captain Gray is my 2nd cousin, 4 x removed.