ÿÿto raise a Regiment. I at once raised a Company of ninety-six men, of which I was elected Captain. We went into camps at Camden, where with other Companies assembled, we were organized into a regiment, of which J. M. Gee, an old Mexican soldier, was elected Colonel, myself Lieutenant Colonel, and P. Lynch Lee Major. We were armed with muskets, shot guns, rifles of every caliber, all muzzle loaders; indeed every kind of gun to be found in the country.
Several months were spent in camps at Camden, waiting for orders to march. Ben W. Johnson, an old schoolmate and a lawyer, was appointed Adjutant of the Regiment. Dr. James M. Holcomb of El dorado, another close friend, was appointed Surgeon. Upon the reorganization of the Regiment, when released from prison, Ben was elected Colonel and served in that position until the close of the war.
While in camps at Camden, the time was employed in drill practice, but we had no drill officer, nor was there a man in the Regiment who had ever seen a Company drill, unless it was Colonel Gee, and he did not attempt it. However, we studied Hardee s Tactics, and by constant practice we soon became quite proficient in Company drill.
About the first of November, we were ordered to Memphis. We marched overland to Gaines Landing on the Mississippi River, and thence by boat to Memphis, where we remained several days in camps on the levee. While there the building in which the Quarter Masters stores were kept, caught fire and would have burned, but for the prompt and efficient work of our Regiment.
From Memphis we went by rail to Danville on the Tennessee River, where we camped a few days, and then marched overland to Fort Henry, on the river twenty miles below. We were crossed to the West bank and camped on a high bluff, ovCHNKWKS føÿÿÿÿTEXTTEXT¼XFDPPFDPP\FDPCFDPC^STSHSTSH` STSHSTSH `2SYIDSYIDP`SGP SGP d`INK INK h`BTEPPLC l`BTECPLC „`FONTFONTœ` DOP DOP ìc" CHAPTER II
Early in April, a company of young men were enrolled in El dorado. It was composed of the elite of the young manhood of Union County: lawyers, Doctors, Editors, Merchants, mechanics, Farmers and students. Many of them competent to full, creditably, any position in Civil or Military affairs.
My name was enrolled amongst them, but as one of my brother (George) and James and Tim Newton and Asa S. Morgan, my brothers -in-law, belonged to the Company, it was decreed by the family that I should remain at home and look after the interests of those who were leaving.
Asa Morgan, who had been active in enrolling the company and had contributed largely of his means in fitting the men for service, was made Captain. Dr. John Carrington, Donny Bussy and Oliver Richardson (young lawyers) were elected Lieutenants. The citizens supplied them with whatever was needed, except arms, and donated a thousand dollars in gold for emergencies. Hundreds wee present to see the boys start to the war; hundreds of women to tell them good bye.
The company marched overland to Little Rock and was made Company of the 1st Arkansas Infantry, of which James F. Fagan was elected Colonel. From Little Rock the Regiment was sent directly to Virginia, where it served one year and as the term of its enlistment had expired, it was reorganized and sent to Tennessee in time to take a conspicuous part in the battle of Shiloh.
In the reorganization of the Company, James Newton had been elected Captain and it was while leading the Company in a charge, in this battle, that he was mortally wounded.
After this company left home, I was restless and dissatisfied. My heart was with my friends at the front. During the Summer, E. N. Hill, of Camden, returned from Richmond with authority erlooking Fort Henry, where some earth-works had been thrown up and named Fort Heiman.
There were no guns and had been abandoned until now reoccupied by the 15rh Arkansas and the 4th Mississippi Infantry, Colonel Drake commanding the Brigade. It was naturally a very strong position, but as the forces at this place, commanded by General Lloyd Tilghman, were not sufficient for the defense of both places, on the 4th of February, Drakes Brigade was crossed over the river to Fort Henry, so that in case of disaster, the way would be open for a retreat to Fort Donelson, twelve miles distant on the Cumberland River.
The enemy, in large numbers, Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry, began to land from transports at Bailey s Landing, three miles below, accompanied by seven Gunboats. On the 4th, he made a demonstration in force, on either bank, while the gunboats, for an hour, bombarded the Fort at long range, to which the guns in the Fort replied. But little damage was done on either side. On the 5th, no demonstration was made, either by land or water, but large bodies of cavalry was seen reconnoitering the country, in the rear of both positions. It will be best to stop here and describe local conditions.
General Tilghman says: (Series I, Vol. VIII, Page 139) The entire fort together with the entrenched camp spoken of, is enfiladed from three or four points on the opposite shore, while three points on the Eastern bank, completely commands them both, all at easy range. At the same time the entrenched camp, arranged as it was in the best manner possible to meet the case, was two-thirds of it, completely under the fire of the gun boats. The history of engineering records no parallel to this case. Points within a few miles of it, possessing great advantages and few disadvantages, were totally neglected and a location fixed upon without one redeeming feature of filling one of the many requirements of a site for a work such as Fort Henry .
The Fort itself was barely above water. But a narrow strip of land in rear of it was out of water to reach this it was necessary to pass through back water three or four feet deep. It was nothing more than an area of about an acre, enclosed by levee of dirt some eight or ten feet high. The armament of the Fort consisted of one 10 inch Columbiad, one 24 inch rifled gun, two 42 pounders and ten 32 pounders, manned by Captain Taylor and seventy-five men. The Infantry , 2,600, commanded by Colonel Heiman of the 10th Tennessee - Irish - was posted about half a mile below the Fort with a light Battery of four six pound guns. A Battalion of Cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel Gannt on the right flank on the road to Fort Donelson .
This was the condition of things at 10 o clock on the morning of the 6th. A short time before this, while the command was waiting in line, Dr. Holcomb and myself had ridden to the front to reconnoiter and while sitting on our horses about a mile down the river, saw an immense number of troops disembarking and forming on the bank and seven gunboats assuming position to advance. We ran our horses to the Fort and passing through fifty yards of water, which extended into the Fort and a part of it saddle skirts deed. I rode up near the guns where Colonel Heiman was standing and said: Colonel, the enemy is landing in heavy force just around the bend. He said ( he was a Dutchman): Vell, py tam, let um come. I is here fust .
At once the gunboats, four ironclads, abreast, and three wooden boats some distance in the rear, made their appearance, moving slowly up stream. This formation was kept during the whole bombardment, thus presenting their bows only, their least vulnerable point, to the guns of the Fort. Total armament of the gunboats was seventy-four heavy guns, which opened at seventeen hundred yards. The majority of the first rounds passed over the fort, many falling in the backwater. Our guns reserved fire until the boats were within one thousand yards opened with telling effect. Twenty eight shot struck the flag boat and twenty two the Essex, disabling both. Others were struck by twenty four shots and more or less damaged. Total casualties were seventy-three, amongst them one officer killed and one Captain badly scalded. When the Fort surrendered, after the terrific bombardment of one and a half hours, all the guns except seven were disabled and the walls of the Fort demolished. Five of the garrison were dead and sixteen disabled. General Tilghman surrendered himself and what was left of the gunners, about fifty men and officers and sixty sick in hospital.
After reporting to Colonel Heiman, as mentioned above, and sitting upon my horse watching the approach of the gunboats, clouds of smoke issued from the bows of the boats and the boom of my big guns shook the earth and water and the air was filled with shrieking shot and shell. A few struck the Fort, but the most of them passed over. Some very close, striking the water just beyond. This was a new experience to me, grant, impressive and interesting, but duty called me to the regiment and inclination led me in that direction as being at that time much the safer place. While passing through the backwater, shots were falling all around me, drenching me with water. Because of its depth, my horse moved very slowly and I thought he would never pass it.
In a short time Colonel Heiman rejoined the Infantry and ordered a retreat to Fort Donelson, which was begun at once, with Colonel Drakes Brigade in the rear. The day was warm and pleasant and we had gone on the field not only without blankets or overcoats, but a majority wearing only woolen over shirts. As the retreat was made from the field, all our baggage and camp equipment was left in camps and fell into the hands of the enemy. Because of this loss, the troops from Fort Henry suffered intensely in the snow and freezing weather during the siege of Fort Donelson, and as they were carried to Northern prisons, thinly clad, in the dead of winter and fed on scant rations while there, it is not to be wondered at that so few survived the ordeal.
When we had retreated three miles, we were overtaken by the enemies cavalry which was driven off by Drakes Brigade after a short fight, in which one on each side was killed. One man of the 15th, who had fallen in the rear, when overtaken and ordered to surrender, refused and was killed. About twenty of the command were captured while straggling in the rear, amongst them, Major P. Lynch Lee, who was sick and on foot. The Battalion of Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Gannt, behaved disgracefully when overtaken by the Yankees. They made no show of fight, but stampeded on sight of them and ran through and over the Infantry, doing more damage than the Yankees. Nor did they behave any better at Fort Donelson, but wee denounced for cowardice by Colonel Forrest. It was the only command that failed to do its full duty at either place. The battery of four-six pound guns was abandoned on the road, stuck in the mud, but the horses were saved. The enemy did not pursue us further and we reached Donelson before sunset, without further incident.
We were assigned a place on the line which had been located for rifle-pits and a few picks and shovels given us and told to go to digging. A detail from each company was made to cook rations which were furnished by the Commissary. The quartermaster furnished a few cooking utensils. We located a camp in a ravine, some two hundred yards in rear of the rifle-pits, where the cooking was done and where we got a few hours sleep, occasionally and by detail during the siege, lying around fires, without blankets or protection from the weather. We had an abundance to eat.
VWinterwinter and fed on scant rations while there, it is not to be wondered at that so few survifved the ordeal.
When we had retreated three miles, we were over "n”