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The weather was now quite cold and
the Regiment having drawn tents and
equipments went to work to get things in
order, and rest from the recent hard
service and disaster. Stragglers and
many who had been dismounted and cut off
the night of the stampede, and had been
reported captured or missing came into
camp nearly every day. Adjutant Scott
whose horse had been killed at
Russellville and who in company with his
orderly, John S. Hilton, and a
dismounted Eighth Tennessee cavalryman,
made their way to Morristown on foot
that night, came into camp on the, 24th.
Reaching Morristown the morning after
the retreat just at daylight Adjutant
Scott and his orderly Hilton started to
go into town, supposing the troops they
could see there were our Brigade. Upon
nearer approach he found they were
rebels, or from appearances suspected
they were, and reached a woods some
distance north of the town without being
discovered. Young Hilton, who was only
about 16 years old, and small for his
age, not being able to find pants small
enough for him had on citizens' pants
and also a citizens' hat. He concealed
his cavalry jacket and went into town to
find out the situation. Not returning
Adjutant Scott arid the cavalryman (who
was still with him) remained in
concealment all day and that night, the
-14th and the morning of the 15th, made
their way to the Holston river, crossed
it in a canoe and went down the river to
the house of a Union man whose name he
has forgotten, who lived in the vicinity
of Rutledge. On the way there the two
men narrowly escaped capture trying to
get something to eat. The country was
full of rebel soldiers, many of their
homes being in this locality and at
every house these men went to they would
either see horses tied up, or stepping
up to the window, see soldiers in the
house. One place they were discovered
and pursued but the house was near a
woods and they escaped. Finally reaching
the house of the Union man referred to
they were fed and kindly treated.
Adjutant Scott being too much fatigued
and worn out to attempt to reach
Strawberry Plains, 20 miles away,
besides the danger of being captured as
the rebels were now all through the
country hunting for men who had been cut
off, remained with this Union man until
the 23d of November, his comrade of the
Eighth finding quarters with another
Union family in the vicinity. This
friend in need furnished him with a suit
of butternut jeans and an old straw hat
and he hid his uniform in a straw pen.
In this way he was completely disguised.
While here Adjutant Scott heard of a
copy of the "Knoxville Whig" giving an
account of the stampede and went to a
house about two miles away, in the
night, to see the paper. He found the
full account of the stampede with his
own name among the killed or missing.
On the night of the 23d he started for
Strawberry Plains going with a pilot
through the hills until reaching our
pickets the next morning. At Strawberry
Plains he was kindly treated by Col.
Trowbridge and soon found an opportunity
to go to Knoxville on a pay car. Going
up Gay street he met Col. Ingerton on
horseback going out to camp, but who
returned with him to the Franklin House,
where he met Mrs. Ingerton and also Mrs.
Gen. Gillem. That night Adjutant Scott
went out to camp where he joined "the
boys" in drinking each others' health in
a few bottles of excellent wine procured
for the occasion, and in mutual
rejoicing that we were all alive.
The following day, Nov. 25th, witnessed
the saddest event that had yet befallen
our Regiment. Gen. Gillem's headquarters
were at the Franklin House in the city.
Mrs. Gillem and their little daughter
were with him and Mrs. Ingerton was also
a guest of the hotel. Col. Ingerton
spent as much of his time as he could
spare from his duties as commanding
officer of the Regiment would permit
with his wife.
On the 25th of November Col. Ingerton
with a number of others were sitting in
the lobby of the hotel, the Colonel
holding Gen. Gillem's little daughter on
his knee.
H. Walker, who had been a Lieutenant in
the 2d Tennessee Cavalry, came into the
hotel and took a seat near Col. Ingerton,
and acting as if intoxicated leaned
rudely over against him. Col. Ingerton
pushed him away from him to protect the
little girl, and then recognizing the
man as an ex-Federal officer who had a
grudge against him told him if he had
any grievance against him that he
(Walker) could find him at any tittle,
and if he would come to him in the
proper condition he would settle this
matter to his satisfaction. Col.
Ingerton then set the little girl down
and started to walk across the corridor
of the hotel suspecting no danger from
this man. Hearing some one behind him he
turned and confronted Walker, who had
drawn his pistol and was in the act of
firing. Ingerton hastily sprang towards
his assailant, caught hold of him and
partially turned him around but Walker
succeeded in firing the pistol, the ball
taking effect in Colonel Ingerton's
abdomen, inflicting a fatal wound. With
some assistance he walked to his room on
the second floor of the hotel. On the
receipt of this news in camp the
officers and men of the Regiment were
greatly enraged, as were the entire
Brigade. Immediately after the shooting
Capt. D. M. Nelson of Gen. Gillem's
staff, who was a warm friend of Col.
Ingerton, and a brave and resolute young
officer, procured a shot gun, repaired
to the hotel and attempted to shoot
Walker, but just as he was in the act of
firing some one knocked the muzzle of
the gun up and its contents were
discharged into the ceiling of the hotel
office.
Walker was arrested and placed in jail.
There was great excitement and
indignation in the Regiment and threats
of lynching were heard on all sides. The
officers of the Regiment went in a body
to Gen. Gillem's rooms in the Franklin
House and asked that the assassin be
turned over to them, stating if it was
not done them would bring the Regiment
into the city, break down the doors of
the jail and drag the murderer out and
hang him. Gen. Gillem told them he would
pledge his honor as an officer that
Walker should be tried at once and it
not properly punished they could take
the matter into their own hands.
Col. Ingerton lingered in great agony
until December 8, when his spirit took
its flight. During this time he was
often delirious from the inflammation
that had set up from the wounds, and
would fight over the recent battles in
which he had been engaged at
Greeneville, Morristown and Bull's Gap;
calling on his favorite officers to
charge the enemy.
His remains were embalmed and taken
charge of by his wife and faithful
friend Lieut. James Reese, who had been
his associate in the Fourth U. S.
Cavalry, and taken to Zenia, Ohio, the
home of his wife for burial.
Lieut.-Colonel Ingerton was a born
soldier, brave, discreet and with
capacity to grasp a situation in an
instant, and the intelligence to act at
the proper time. He was no boaster, and
was always watchful of his men and made
no needless sacrifice of life. A
Brigadier's star would have been a most
graceful acknowledgment of his service
in East Tennessee, and he would have
worn it with credit to himself and honor
to the service.
Previous to joining the Thirteenth
Tennessee Cavalry Col. Ingerton was
Acting Provost Marshal on the Staff of
Gen. W. Sooy Smith in the Mississippi
campaign in the Spring of 1864. It was
alleged by Col. Ingerton's friends he
had preferred charges against Lieut.
Walker for cowardice in the presence of
the enemy at the battle of Okalona,
Miss., and that Walker was convicted and
dismissed from the service. The friends
of Walker claimed that the charges were
preferred against him for drunkenness
and disorderly conduct while at Memphis,
Tenn. In either case it was a cowardly
assassination, Col. Ingerton having only
done his duty as Provost Marshal in
preferring charges against an unworthy
officer. Walker escaped from jail and
was never prosecuted. We have been
informed that about ten years ago
(1892), while in an intoxicated
condition, he met a tragic death near
his home in Sevier county, Tenn.
Returning from his saw-mill to his home
in a vehicle drawn by a mule, he fell
out of the vehicle and frightened the
animal. His clothing was caught and he
was dragged to his death. Walker's name
does not appear upon the rolls of the 2d
Tennessee Cavalry.
After the death of Lieut.-Col. Ingerton,
Major George W. Doughty being next in
rank was, according to military usages,
entitled to promotion to the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel of the Thirteenth.
The officers and men had the greatest
respect for Major Doughty and believed
him in every way capable of commanding
the Regiment. The friends of Captain B.
P. Stacy, who had now been promoted to
Captain of Company F, vice Captain
Frederick Slimp, who had resigned on
account of physical disability, claimed
that owing to greater experience and
longer service in the army, he would
make the most efficient
Lieutenant-Colonel, and insisted on his
promotion over all the Captains who were
his seniors in rank, and over the Majors
to this position. This created a serious
disturbance in the Regiment and came
near ending in insubordination and riot.
Major Doughty had cheerfully submitted
to the promotion of Col. Ingerton over
him, and even favored it, believing at
that time the good of the service and
the best interests of the Regiment would
be promoted by having a commanding
officer of Ingerton's experience to
train them for service. But he felt now
that he himself had had considerable
experience and was justly entitled to
the position.
Major Doughty had many friends in the
Regiment and the men and officers who
had served under him during the siege of
Knoxville and many others, including
Captain Dervin, of Company K, and
Lieutenants Walker and Freels, were
warmly attached to him. Major Doughty
and his friends firmly and openly
protested against the appointment of
Captain Stacy and threatened to revolt
in case it was done.
Captain Stacy also had many warm friends
in the Regiment and was exceedingly
popular, and through the influence of
Col. Miller and Gen. Gillem he was
commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel. Major
Doughty, who was hi command of the
Regiment since the shooting of Col.
Ingerton, feeling deeply mortified and
angry at what he considered a great
wrong done him, refused to submit to it.
He called on the officers and soldiers
of the Regiment who were his friends to
form in line and assist him and he would
openly resist. A number of his friends
signified their willingness and a
serious conflict seemed imminent. The
Regiment was called to arms and the
disturbance finally quelled. Major
Doughty was arrested but was soon
released. He refused, however, to take
command of his battalion, and sent in
his resignation. The command was now
ready to start on the raid into
Southwest Virginia under General
Stoneman. On this raid Major Doughty
acted as Chief of Staff by appointment
on General' Gillem's staff and did
excellent service in that memorable
campaign. |
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