Howesville Area Orders

Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure No. 8.]

HEADQUARTERS,

Clifton, Tenn., March 31, 1864.

Maj. OWEN HANEY,

Comdg. Detachment Second Tennessee Mounted Infantry:

MAJOR: Your courier reached here a few moments ago. Inclosed you will find copy of a letter I was just sending to Columbia. It will give you all the information I am in possession of. Show it to General Veatch. They pushed the scouts so closely they could not go in the country as far as I desired. Forrest had not passed Jackson when they left the neighborhood of Decaturville. I am told you have not M. Shipman with you.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant.

J. MURPHY,

Major Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, Commanding Post.

[Sub-inclosure.]

Lobelville, [Perry County], not found in atlas (about 5 miles NNE of Beardstown, 149:A-3).

-----skirmishes at Beardstown and, Sept. 27, 1864, 77:Ev4. Union troops engaged per battle lists (a) (b) 2d Tenn. Mtd. Inf. NOTE:This entry was derived through battle list (a) from the record of events on the Field and Staff muster roll, which indicates that a detachment of the regiment, numbering 250, under the command of Col. [John] Murphy, fought and defeated a Confederate force under Col. Biffle at Lobelville and at Beardstown on this date.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND TENNESSEE MOUNTED INFANTRY,

Near Johnsonville, Tenn., November 19, 1864.

Lieut. S. H. HUBBELL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to report that a scout which I sent down the river to-day proceeded down the river about eight miles without seeing any signs of rebels or gaining any information with regard to any. A citizen who lives on Bear Creek, and who is supposed to be reliable, reports to me to-day that Captain Phillips, who has command of some thirty-five guerrillas, is now conscripting on White Oak and is to be at Magnolia on Tuesday next. Magnolia is some eighteen miles from this place.

I am, lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

OWEN HANEY,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

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LEXINGTON, TENN., April 2, 1863.

SIR: Pursuant to your instructions, I left Lexington on the morning of the 31st ultimo, with Companies C and B, commanded, respectively, by Lieutenants Wirts and Bingham, to scout the country in the vicinity of the mouth of Duck River, and ascertain the truth of the report as to the crossing of any force of the enemy in that vicinity. Passing through Buck Snort, I reached a point on the Camden road some 8 miles from the river, where I learned with certainty that no force had crossed in that vicinity; but ascertaining that McClanahan had crossed near Rock Quarry with some 30 men, I proceeded in that direction, passing through Howesville, and thence east to the house of a noted secessionist named Conrad. I arrested him and his three brothers on the evidence of Dr. Ganess, who states that they have been aiding and abetting the parties of guerrillas in the vicinity.

In the morning I proceeded toward the river, upon reaching which I sent parties in different directions. One squad of 4, under Corporal [Samuel P.] Harvey, of Company C, met 7 of McClanahan's men, well armed with pistols and carbines (dismounted), going to the river with the intention of crossing. The corporal succeeded in capturing the entire party. We also discovered three large fiat-boats, which we destroyed completely, as also a small skiff, and on searching some houses in the vicinity found three shot-guns, two rifles, some belts, several boxes of caps, &c., which had been secreted by the guerrillas. The men captured had been in the direction of Clarksburg, with McClanahan and some 20 more. The rest had gone to Trenton, with the intention of conscripting and seizing horses, &c., as McClanahan had received authority to raise a regiment from General Forrest. All those captured had left their horses some 5 miles east of the Tennessee, at the houses of citizens. <ar36_489>

I learned from reliable sources that there were parts of two regiments of cavalry (some 600 of Van Dorn's command) at Linden, and scattered in small parties near the river, consequently I did not think it best to run the risk of crossing over to secure the horses. Returning to Conrad's, I found that Lieutenant [Melvin] Stillson, whom I had left there with 10 men to scout that vicinity, had met a couple of guerrillas, and after a long chase captured one, with complete equipments, and the horse of the other. I then moved my command toward Lexington, on the Broady's Ferry road, scouting the country thoroughly for some miles on both sides of the road, arresting one man named George Moore, armed with rifle and pistol, and mounted. I also arrested his brother, James Moore. Both of the men bear bad characters, and are strongly suspected of being connected with the guerrillas. I staid for the night at the house of Los. Moore, and reached Lexington next day at noon, according to instructions. The result of the scout is the ascertaining with certainty that there is no force within 25 miles of the vicinity scouted, excepting some 30 of McClanahan's men, and a squad of 15 who had been robbing in the vicinity of Decaturville; the capture of 9 guerrillas and 5 citizens, 2 horses and saddles, 4 carbines, 4 revolvers, 2 single-barreled pistols, 5 shot-guns, and 4 rifles. I append a list of the prisoners' names.(*)

I am, sir, respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. C. ADAMSON,

Captain Third Michigan Cavalry.

Maj. THOMAS SAYLOR,

Third Michigan Cavalry.

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HEADQUARTERS SECOND TENNESSEE MOUNTED INFANTRY,

Near Johnsonville, Tenn., November 19, 1864.

Lieut. S. H. HUBBELL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General:

I am, lieutenant, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

OWEN HANEY,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.

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HEADQUARTERS SIXTH DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS,

MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

Pulaski, Tenn., April 21, 1865.

Brig. Gen. W. D. WHIPPLE,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Cumberland:

I have the honor to invite the attention of the major-general commanding to the following statement of facts, submitted to me by a citizen, in whom I believe reliance may be placed: On Sunday, the 9th instant, three soldiers, Brewer, Stutts, and Kiddy by name, with two Confederates, who would not show themselves, and cannot therefore be identified, belonging to a company of the Second Tennessee Mounted Infantry which is stationed at Clifton, came to the house of Mr. William Johnson, living on Sugar Creek, some eighteen or twenty miles southwest of this place, and demanded of his wife, he not being at home, $12,000. She told them she had no money, when they hung her and her daughter several times, completing their diabolical work by each of them outraging the person of Mrs. Johnson. From Johnson's house these men went to the house of John D. Wade, Johnson's brother-in-law, living in the same neighborhood, and by the same process of hanging and threats extracted $50 from him. From Wade's the scoundrels went to P. P. Powell's, where they repeated the operation of hanging upon him. From Powell's they went to John Guest's, whom they beat nearly to death, and upon his entreating one of them by name to spare his life they, finding they were known, killed him; three shots were put into his body. From Powell's they went to Dr. James McDougal's, at <ar104_428> Wayland's Spring; the doctor being absent, they demanded money of Mrs. McDougal, who gave them all she had, and they then left, and are supposed to have gone back to Clifton. The full names of these outlaws as given me are Thomas Brewer, Wall Stutts, and Thomas Kiddy. It is stated to me that Lieut. James J. Bromley, of the company or command at Clifton, knows all of these soldiers and all of the witnesses by whom the facts can be proven, and that he discountenances, and so far as he may, represses all such proceedings. He is suggested as a proper person to be placed in charge of the investigation of the matter and the arrest of the offenders. The facts above recited can, I am informed, be established by the following witnesses: William Johnson, wife, and daughter, heretofore residing on Sugar Creek, in Wayne County, but now moving to Bedford County, between Cornersville and Shelbyville; John D. Wade, William Danley, John McClearin, James Guest (or Gest), son of the murdered man, Richard Olive, John Wash. Brewer, William Brewer, commonly called Budd Brewer; all living in the neighborhood in which these outrages were committed.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. W. JOHNSON,

Brigadier-General.