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Soon after our arrival at Camp
Nelson, Captain George W. Doughty, Henry
M. Walker and James N. Freels arrived at
that place with about 150 men that had
been recruited for the 17th Tennessee
Cavalry by Col. James A. Doughty, who
had been authorized to recruit a
regiment of cavalry, but did not succeed
in enlisting a sufficient number of men.
Captain George W. Doughty, Henry M.
Walker and James N. Freels (the two
latter not yet commissioned) with their
men, had rendered valuable service in
securing forage for Gen. Burnside's army
and floating it down the river to
Knoxville for its relief.
The Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry did not
yet have the requisite number of men to
complete its organization. Negotiations
were entered into by which this
detachment was attached to the
Thirteenth, giving Captain Doughty the
position of Major of the First
Battalion, H. M. Walker 1st Lieutenant
of Company K, and James N. Freels 2d
Lieutenant of Company H.
The Regiment being entitled to whatever
credit is due this detachment for
services rendered, we insert here an
account of this service for which
Captain Doughty received complimentary
notice from General Burnside.
George W. Doughty is a native of East
Tennessee, but resided several years in
Gordon county, Georgia, prior to 1861,
and was living there at the beginning of
the Civil War. He had the distinction of
being the only man from his adopted
county in the Federal army.
Between July and September, 1863, he
recruited a company of about sixty men
for the 17th Tennessee Cavalry, U. S.
A., at Glasgow, Kentucky. He took his
recruits to Nicholasville, Kentucky,
when, after much difficulty and expense
of a trip to Cincinnati, he succeeded in
getting mustered as Lieutenant.
By skillful management he finally
obtained arms and equipments and secured
horses to mount his company. He at once
started for Knoxville, Tennessee, by way
of Cumberland Gap. On the way he
recruited enough men to complete his
company, and at Knoxville was
commissioned Captain by Governor Johnson
and mustered into service with that
rank.
Many of his men had been conscripted
into the Con-federate service, and were
surrendered at the time the Confederate
forces surrendered to General George W.
Morgan at Cumberland Gap. These men, who
proved to be good soldiers to the end of
the war, were at first not disposed to
enlist in the Federal army, fearing if
they should be captured they would be
shot as deserters, as had been done with
others in like condition, who had been
captured a short time before at
Rogersville, Tennessee, and marched out
and shot down without trial. Captain
Doughty made them a solemn promise that
under no circumstance would he ever
surrender them, and this promise was
faithfully kept, as the records of the
regiment will show. It was generally
understood that men sent out under
Doughty would return if not killed, as
his motto was, "never surrender."
Captain Doughty with his full company of
well-mounted men reported in person to
General Burnside, just before the siege
of Knoxville. With the assistance of
Lieutenants Henry M. Walker and James N.
Freels, he continued to recruit men for
the 17th Cavalry until General Burnside
had ordered him to send a commissioned
officer with a strong detachment of men
to guard the United States mails from
Knoxville to Cumberland Gap. Lieutenant
Walker was detailed for this service,
with the greater part of the best
equipped men of the company, leaving
only a few, except new recruits, with
Captain Doughty. With this small force
he was ordered by Gen eral Burnsides to
go up the country, reconnoiter both
sides of the Holston river and ascertain
and report any movements of the enemy in
that direction, as it was expected that
a small part of Longstreet's command
would cross the Holston and French Broad
rivers and come down on the south side
of Knoxville, while the main body would
cross below the town and leave only a
small force to make a feint on the north
side of the city.
Some Michigan troops with about forty
flat boats were engaged in trying to
find supplies along the Holston and
French Broad rivers with which to feed
the army at Knoxville, but hearing of
the advance of the enemy towards that
place, they at once abandoned their
boats and returned to Knoxville without
orders. At this time Captain Doughty was
informed that Knoxville was completely
invested by Longstreet, that Burnside's
army was on one-fourth rations and only
enough to last a very few days, and if
his supplies were not replenished that
he would be compelled to surrender.
Captain Doughty was well-acquainted with
the country and many of the people in
Knox, Jefferson and Sevier Counties, and
as he was averse to the surrender idea,
at once sent couriers in all directions
calling on the loyal people of these
counties to send in, without delay, all
the subsistence for either man or beast
that could be found, to be loaded on
boats abandoned by the Michigan troops,
and he would send it down the river to
feed Burnside's starving army. Captain
Doughty with his handful of recruits and
such old men as he could press into the
service, at the same time guarding both
sides of the river from expected attack
of the enemy, loaded these boats with
flour, bacon, hogs, cattle and all kinds
of produce. He dropped the boats down
the river to within a few miles of the
enemy's picket line, and waiting until
just before day, with one steersman to
each boat, under cover of darkness and
fog floated them silently in the middle
of the river, and landed the boats
safely at the pontoon bridge within the
Union lines. It was the supplies
obtained in this way that saved
Burnside's army from starvation or final
capitulation. Captain Doughty through
his daring and energy and the loyal
farmers of this region should have full
credit for averting this catastrophe to
the Union cause.
In calling on the farmers to send in
everything they could spare, Captain
Doughty pledged his honor that every
dollar's worth of provisions loaded on
the boats should be paid for whether it
reached Knoxville or not, or whether the
parties furnishing it were loyal or
disloyal. This promise was sacredly
kept, and the farmers received their
pay. The great mystery was where all
these sup plies could come from, after
the country was supposed to have been
stripped of everything by the two
armies. It appeared to come down from
the heavens like the show ers of manna
in the wilderness.
Captain Rule in his History of Knox
County, and (incidentally the siege of
Knoxville), says : "As was well known
the object of General Longstreet was to
starve the Union forces into a
surrender, in which he certainly would
have succeeded had he been able to cut
off all sup plies from reaching the
Fort, but large quantities of provisions
were constantly sent down the Holston
river from the vicinity of the French
Broad and Holston, under cover of the
darkness and fog. At the close of the
siege there was within the
fortifications a sufficient supply to
last many weeks longer. These supplies
were contributed by the loyal citizens
in the immediate sections of the country
whose loyalty to the United States
Government never abated, and whose
faithfulness saved the city and caused
its final abandonment by the Confederate
forces. All these provisions were
secured and sent down the river by
Captain G. W. Doughty and his men who
remained on the river during the siege."
Speaking of the valuable services
rendered by Captain Doughty, General
Burnsides in his report of the siege of
Knoxville says : "When the siege was
raised we had five times as many rations
as when it commenced, and could have
held out at least a month longer !" He
gives great praise to Captain Doughty
and his little band of brave men for the
part they took in this desperate
struggle.
For ten days and nights the Captain and
his men were in the saddle almost
without intermission. As a matter of
fact more praise is due these men than
they ever received, for the indomitable
courage and energy they displayed can
only be equalled but never surpassed.
The suggestion of a possible surrender
continued to come from all directions,
and as before stated, Captain Doughty
had made a solemn promise to these men
that they should never be surrendered to
be shot, as they verily believed
"without Judge or Jury." He then sent a
dispatch to each captain of the one
hundred days men, of whom there were
several in Knox and adjoining counties,
notifying them of the situation, and his
determination to make his way through to
Cumberland Gap in the event of
Burnside's surrender, promising to take
them all through to that place. In less
than twenty-four hours about 400 armed
men had reported to the Captain at
Bowman's Ferry, twelve miles above
Knoxville. In the meantime he had
communicated with Col. John K. Mil ler
at Strawberry Plains, who was recruiting
a regiment at that place, giving him his
plans, which were approved and accepted
by Colonel Miller, with the assurance
that he would willingly co-operate with
him. Just before the final attack on
Fort Saunders, the Confederates
conceived the idea of destroying the
pontoon bridge. which was the only
communication between the Union forces
on the opposite side of the Holston
river. Several hundred men were put to
work on the North side of the river
above Bowman's ferry to prepare a large
loose raft of logs, which was designed
to carry away the pontoon bridge and
prevent communication between the
Federal forces on opposite sides of the
river, or reinforcements being sent from
one side to the other. Captain Doughty
from the south side of the river
immediately took in the situation and
divining their intention sent a courier
with a dispatch to Captain Poe, who had
charge of the bridge, and suggested the
idea of throwing a boom just above the
bridge to protect it from the raft.
Captain Poe acted upon this suggestion
and it saved the bridge. Captain Doughty
watched the soldiers work "like beavers"
but he knew a great many of the logs
would sink, as he saw they were green
beech, oak and sycamore and thought the
men must be from a country where it was
all pine woods or they knew very little
about rafting logs.
General Sherman, who had been sent from
Chattanooga to assist General Burnsides,
was coming up in Longstreet's rear,
which caused the Confederates to "fold
their tents and silently steal away."
In the latter part of December, 1863,
Governor John son issued an order for
all the unorganized Tennessee recruits
then in Tennessee to proceed at once to
Camp Nelson, Kentucky, where they would
be consolidated into regiments. Captain
Doughty and his men (then a part of two
companies) reached Camp Nelson on the
last day of December, 1863. After some
delay Captain Doughty and his detachment
was consolidated with what was then the
13th Tennessee Cavalry under command of
Colonel John K. Miller. In this
consolidation what was known as Company
A of the 17th became Company K of the
13th, under Captain John G. Dervan, and
Henry M. Walker, First Lieutenant. The
company known as Company B of the 17th
was consolidated with Company H of the
13th, under Captain Landon Carter, with
James N. Freels as 1st Lieutenant. From
this time forward the history of This
detachment is identical with the history
of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry.
In consideration of the valuable
services previously rendered by Captain
Doughty and the number of men brought to
the Regiment by him, he was by unanimous
consent promoted to Major of the 1st
Battalion of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry,
and being the ranking Major although
among the youngest men of his rank in
our command, he was by virtue of his
rank frequently in command of the
Regiment and gained the good will and
confidence of both officers and men.
The Regiment left Camp Nelson, Ky., on
the 25th of January, 1864, with orders
to disperse some guerrilla bands that
had been committing depredations in some
parts of Kentucky and Tennessee, its
final destination being Nashville, Tenn.
Those of the Regiment who were unable
for duty were sent by rail to Nashville,
via Lexington and Louisville, Ky., in
charge of Major J. W. M. Grayson and
Lieutenant S. W. Scott.
Captain R. H. Luttrell, one of our most
popular and highly respected officers,
died of pneumonia at Camp Nelson,
January 20, 1863. Further notice of this
officer will be found in the Sketches of
Officers.
The Regiment now presented a soldierly
appearance and gave better promise of
future usefulness.
This, our second march, though in
mid-winter, January and February being
considered, usually the most inclement
season of the year, was a pleasure trip
in comparison with our march from
Strawberry Plains, Tenn., to Camp
Nelson, Ky.
We were now well-clothed, mounted, had
good blankets and received our marching
orders gladly as our faces were turned
back toward dear old Tennessee.
We broke camp on the morning of January
25. 1864; and at the sound of the bugle
moved out in the direction of Danville,
Ky., passing Camp Dick Robinson, of
which we had heard so much, we reached
Danville that evening.
We cannot refrain from drawing a
contrast with the Regiment as it now
appeared and the forlorn aggregation
that reached Camp Nelson in December.
Think of a lot of men straggling along
the highway, illy clad, covered with
mud, weary with marching and gaunt for
want of food—with woe-begone
countenances and no sound of laughter or
cheer, and you have a picture of the
embryo Regiment on its march to Camp
Nelson. But now it was different ; the
men were all in new blue uni forms with
glittering sabres and shining carbines,
with rosy cheeks and smiling faces and
merry with songs and laughter.
Our readers will pardon us for observing
that these men being largely tall, young
and well built mountaineers, now
presented a fine appearance and inspired
their officers with confidence that with
a little training and experience they
would be able to cope with any equal
number of men they might meet, even were
they the boasted chivalry of the South.
Passing through Danville on the 26th we
camped near that town and on the 27th
reached the beautiful and far-famed
"Blue Grass" country of Kentucky and
camped on ground where Gen. John H.
Morgan's command had formally camped
when raiding through Kentucky. We did
not think then we would again cross the
path of this noted Chieftain with such
tragic result to him. Passing through
Lebanon, and near Campbellsville, and
Columbia, we moved on without special
incidents until January 31st, when we
reached the country infested by
guerrillas and were expecting to be
fired on. We traveled all day it the
rain and reached Burksville, Ky., on the
Cumber land river, and remained in camp
there February 1st, awaiting the wagon
train. February 2d we were ordered to
move early but the order was
countermanded. The weather was very
cold. The wagon train came up in the
evening.
We moved out to the river February 3d
and commenced crossing in a small ferry
boat only sufficient to carry 8 or to
animals at a time. We worked all day
this way, not succeeding in getting all
the stock across the river. On the
morning of the 4th a large steam ferry
boat came down the river, followed by
several small steamers loaded with
forage and protected by gun boats. These
were enroute for Nashville.
The steam ferry boat took the remainder
of our stock, and the entire Regiment,
stock and wagons and all were across the
river in a few hours.
On the 5th we marched only a few miles
and camped on the summit of a rough
ridge.
On the 6th we moved out early; the
weather was bad and roads exceedingly
rough. A detachment of 150 men was sent
out and had a skirmish with guerrillas
and found and destroyed a still-house.
On February 7th the Regiment left camp
at 3 A. M.; it was fearfully dark that
morning and we made poor speed—the scout
joined us near the State-line where we
went into camp.
On the 8th of February another scout was
sent out, and skirmished with guerrillas
and burnt another place where they
manufacture "Kentucky Bourbon."
On February 10th we moved out early,
with Co. G in advance. We sent out a
scouting party again to look for
guerrillas. The Regiment halted about 3
P. M. and sent out Joseph McCloud and
William A. Goodwin as advance guard;
McCloud went into a house, some distance
from the picket post, to get something
to eat, and a guerrilla sashed up, got
the drop on him, made him prisoner and
started with him to the hills. Learning
of this, Captain Wilcox, Sergeants S. P.
Angel, John M. Wilcox and Corporal John
G. Shell started after them in hot
pursuit. After an exciting chase the
guerrilla was captured and McCloud
re-captured, or released. The little
black mare captured from this guerrilla
was kept in the Regiment and rode by
John C. Scott, a Carter county Union
man, while on a visit to the Regiment in
the following sum mer. Six other
guerrillas were captured on this day,
including the notorious Capt Dorrity,
who had committed many depredations.
There were no further incidents of note.
The Regiment passed through Kirkville,
Putnam county, Tennessee, Carthage,
Smith county, Tenn., and cross ed the
Cumberland river at the latter place in
steam boats on February 13th, passing on
through the beautiful country in Middle
Tennessee, we reached Hartsville on the
16th, Gallatin on the same day and
Nashville on the 18th of February. |
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