|
Civil War Bushwhackers in the Mountains and Cumberland
Gap
Civil War Bushwhacker Battles and Activities
Smoky Mountains and Cumberland Gap
| Civil War Cumberland Gap Map |
|
| Cumberland Gap was vital to both Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War |
Thomas' Legion of Cherokee Indians and Mountaineers
Skirmishes with Bushwhackers in Winter 1863-64
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
(Commonly referred to as OR)
(Bushwhackers and Bushwhacking Activities)
| Page 610 |
KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N. GA.
Chapter XLIV. |
commanding general desires that you will endeavor to gain definite information
on the subject, and let us know as soon as possible. I am directed to say also that you had better move up near Mooresburg
and endeavor to forage on the other side of Clinch Mountain.
A case of small-pox has recently appeared in the army, and is directly traceable
to the use of Yankee clothing. Please be cautious about using any of it.
I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. M. SORREL,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
Please send the accompanying letter to General Vaughn.*
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Russellville, Tenn., January 25, 1864.
Brigadier General A. E. JACKSON,
Commanding Brigade:
The enemy appears to be operating on the south side of the French Broad against
our foraging trains. They are reported to have already captured some thirty of our wagons. The commanding general desires
that in addition to your operations against the bushwhackers you should give your attention to these parties and endeavor
to capture them and protect the trains. The enemy is reported to have gone as high up as Newport.
I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. M. SORREL,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Russellville, Tenn., January
25, 1864.
Brigadier General M. JENKINS,
Brigadier General B. R. JOHNSON,
Commanding Division:
As the enemy's cavalry on the south side of the French Broad is not yet disposed
of, the commanding general directs me to say that it will be unsafe for the present for your trains to go across the river.
I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. M. SORREL,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Russellville, Tenn., January
25, 1864.
Captain T. H . OSBORNE
Commanding Scout:
I am obliged to you for the information you give of the movements of the enemy
against our trains. Do all you can in your vicinity to check them, and give us further information. Brigadier General
---------------
*See p. 612.
---------------
| Page 611 |
Chapter XLIV. CORRESPONDENCE, ETC.-UNION. |
A. E. Jackson is above in the country, with his brigade, operating against the bushwhackers. Please send him the accompanying note.* The
lieutenant-general commanding desires that he should protect our trains there, as well as capture any parties that he may
encounter.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. M. SORREL,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Russellville, Tenn., January
25, 1864.
Major General W. T. MARTIN,
Commanding Cavalry:
I am in receipt of your communication of 5 and 7 p.m. yesterday. A note from
Colonel Palmer, as Asheville, informs me that some 300 of the cavalry, late of General Vance's command, have been sent to
Newport. I have sent orders for it to remain in that vicinity and scout toward Sevierville. This information is sent you that
you may be able to use this cavalry in co-operation with you. The commanding general desires you to get your force across
the French Broad as soon as you can and scout toward Sevierville. The enemy appears to have a considerable force on the south
side, and it is necessary that you should meet it at once.
I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
G. M. SORREL,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
Russellville, Tenn., January
25, 1864.
Colonel J. B. PALMER,
Commanding Western District, North Carolina, Asheville:
I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your communication of the 20th
instant.# The information that you convey relative to the capture of General Vance gives us the only authentic particulars
we have yet had. The commanding general is gratified that you have sent your cavalry to the vicinity of Newport. He desires
that it should remain there and scout in the direction of Sevierville. As the enemy has now a large force on the south side
of the French Broad, it will be necessary for your operations and movements to be conducted with great caution. You will have
to be very watchful and alert. Some of our wagons have already been captured, twenty-eight in number, and I hope your cavalry
will be active in the protection of our trains.
I am, colonel, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
G. M. SORREL,
Lieutenant-Colonel and Assistant Adjutant-General.
---------------
*See p. 610.
#Not found; but see Palmer to Brent, Part I, p. 76.
---------------
Related Reading:
Recommended Reading: War at Every Door: Partisan Politics and Guerrilla Violence in East Tennessee, 1860-1869.
Description: One of the most divided regions of
the Confederacy, East Tennessee was the site of fierce Unionist resistance to secession,
Confederate rule, and the Southern war effort. It was also the scene of unrelenting 'irregular,' or guerrilla, warfare between
Union and Confederate supporters, a conflict that permanently altered the region's political, economic, and social landscape.
In this study, Noel Fisher examines the military and political struggle for control of East Tennessee
from the secession crisis through the early years of Reconstruction, focusing particularly on the military and political significance
of the region's irregular activity. Continued below...
Fisher
portrays in grim detail the brutality and ruthlessness employed not only by partisan bands but also by Confederate and Union troops under constant
threat of guerrilla attack and government officials frustrated by unstinting dissent. He demonstrates that, generally, guerrillas
were neither the romantic, daring figures of Civil War legend nor mere thieves and murderers, but rather were ordinary men
and women who fought to live under a government of their choice and to drive out those who did not share their views.
Recommended Reading:
Bushwhackers, The Civil War in North Carolina:
The Mountains (338 pages). Description: Trotter's book (which could have been titled "Murder, Mayhem, and Mountain Madness") is an epic backdrop
for the most horrific murdering, plundering and pillaging of the mountain communities of western North Carolina during the
state’s darkest hour—the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as Southern Appalachia, the North
Carolina and East Tennessee mountains witnessed divided loyalties in its bushwhackers
and guerrilla units. These so-called “bushwhackers” even used the conflict to settle old feuds and scores, which,
in some cases, continued well after the war ended. Continued below...
Some bushwhackers
were highly organized ‘fighting guerrilla units’ while others were a motley group of deserters and outliers,
and, since most of them were residents of the region, they were familiar with the terrain and made for a “very formidable
foe.” In this work, Trotter does a great job on covering the many facets of the bushwhackers, including their: battles,
skirmishes, raids, activities, motives, the outcome, and even the aftermath. This book is also a great source for tracing
ancestors during the Civil War; a must have for the family researcher of Southern Appalachia.
Recommended
Reading: East
Tennessee and the Civil War (Hardcover: 588 pages). Description:
A solid social, political, and military history, this work gives light to the rise of the pro-Union and pro-Confederacy factions.
It explores the political developments and recounts in fine detail the military maneuvering and conflicts that occurred. Beginning
with a history of the state's first settlers, the author lays a strong foundation for understanding the values and beliefs
of East Tennesseans. He examines the rise of abolition and secession, and then advances into
the Civil War.Continued below...
Early in the conflict, Union
sympathizers burned a number of railroad bridges, resulting in occupation by Confederate troops and abuses upon the Unionists
and their families. The author also documents in detail the ‘siege and relief’ of Knoxville.
Although authored by a Unionist, the work is objective in nature and fair in its treatment of the South and the Confederate
cause, and, complete with a comprehensive index, this work should be in every Civil War library.
Recommended Viewing: The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns. Review: The
Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns is the most successful public-television miniseries in American history. The 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation,
reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When
people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters
and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with
still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era
he depicts. Continued below...
The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew
only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller,
and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the
words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained
photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. "Hailed
as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling." "[S]hould be a requirement for every
student."
Recommended Reading:
North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster (Volume
XVI: Thomas's Legion) (Hardcover) (537 pages), North Carolina Office of Archives and History (June 26, 2008). Description:
The volume begins with an authoritative 246-page history of Thomas's Legion.
The history, including Civil War battles and campaigns, is followed by a complete roster and service records
of the field officers, staff, and troops that served in the legion. A thorough index completes the volume. Continued
below...
Volume XVI of North Carolina Troops: A Roster contains the history and roster of the most unusual
North Carolina Confederate Civil War unit, significant because of the large number of Cherokee Indians who served in its ranks.
Thomas's Legion was the creation of William Holland Thomas, an influential businessman, state legislator, and Cherokee chief.
He initially raised a small battalion of Cherokees in April 1862, and gradually expanded his command with companies of
white soldiers raised in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and Virginia. By the end of 1862, Thomas's Legion comprised
an infantry regiment and a battalion of infantry and cavalry. An artillery battery was added in April 1863. Furthermore, in
General Early's Army of the Valley, the Thomas Legion was well-known for its fighting prowess. It is also known
for its pivotal role in the last Civil War battle east of the Mississippi River. The Thomas Legion mustered more than
2,500 soldiers and it closely resembled a brigade. With troop roster,
muster records, and Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) this volume is also a must have for anyone interested in genealogy
and researching Civil War ancestors. Simply stated, it is an outstanding source for genealogists.
|
