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22. Stoneman's Last Raid
- Louisiana State University Press
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1. Scott and Angel, Thirteenth Regiment, 231–33; TICW, 1:231–33, 344; House, Very Violent Rebel, 18; Ramsey, Autobiography and Letters, 166–68. 2. Ellis, Thrilling Adventures, 360–61. CHAPTER 22 Stoneman’s Last Raid F ollowing the Saltville raid, Miller’s brigade of the 8th, 9th, and 13th Tennessee camped just east of Knoxville. Some men died from exposure experienced during that expedition; others resigned because they “felt uneasy about . . . affairs at home.” Because of these losses the brigade recruited and reorganized. Its men erected winter quarters, cleared surrounding grounds to prevent surprise attacks, and its officers enforced “discipline and . . . drill.” Despite “Southern ladies”—as Dr. Ramsey called the better classes of proConfederate females—being “proverbially aristocratic in their social relations,” cavalrymen formed friendships with some of the city’s young women. This allowed the men a chance “to attend . . . parties and places of amusement and make pleasant evening calls.” Where possible families from the upper counties where Rebels still roamed joined their solder husbands, sons, and brothers.1 General Gillem moved the 9th Tennessee east to Dandridge to combat guerrillas and outlaws. Recruiter Daniel Ellis briefly joined the 13th Tennessee as captain of Company A, “composed of old friends and neighbors from Carter County.” But he soon received orders to lead a detachment to the mountains of Carter and Johnson counties and offer deserters from the regiment a pardon if they would return to the ranks. In mid-February 1865 Ellis returned with what he called “a motley assemblage” of 125 individuals and forty horses. His group included ex-Union officers and soldiers, Rebel deserters, members of the “hated [Confederate] home guards” hoping to avoid a worse fate than what they might receive at home, and blacks wishing to enlist.2 348 East Tennessee and Beyond 3. Starr, Union Cavalry, 3:560–61; OR, 49(1):330, 616, 777. 4. Scott and Angel, Thirteenth Regiment, 233; F. H. Mason, “General Stoneman’s Last Campaign and the Pursuit of Jefferson Davis,” MOLLUS, Commandery of Ohio, Sketches of War History of 1861–1865, 7 vols. (Cincinnati, 1888), 2:23; Van Noppen, Stoneman’s Last Raid, 1; H. K. Weand, “Our Last Campaign and Pursuit of Jeff Davis,” in The History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry , ed. Charles H. Kirk (Philadelphia, 1906), 492. In spring 1865 Stoneman commanded the District of East Tennessee; Gillem , the district’s cavalry; and Tillson, an infantry division at Knoxville. With input from Generals Grant and Thomas, Stoneman aimed to execute his original plan by raiding into the Carolinas, cutting the enemy lines of communication , and freeing prisoners at Salisbury. But he modified his plan because of Sherman’s march north from Savannah and the anticipated retreat of Lee’s army from around Richmond. Stoneman intended to again destroy stretches of the East Tennessee & Virginia Railroad, supplying Lee from southwestern Virginia and offering him a route of retreat. Then he would turn back into western North Carolina to burn undisturbed enemy supplies such as those at Salisbury. Grant advised the general to travel as “light as possible” since he went “to destroy and not to fight battles” and to stay “between garrisons in East Tennessee and the enemy.”3 Stoneman spent weeks during the winter collecting three thousand cavalrymen and enough mounts for the long raid. Grant finally issued Thomas an order on March 19 to start Stoneman on his way. Two days later the expedition set out from Knoxville and rode slowly toward Strawberry Plains in a rainstorm that intensified into a “furious hailstorm” that night. The next day Stoneman concentrated his command at Mossy Creek and on the twenty-third moved to Morristown, where his horsemen received five days’ rations of mostly bacon and coffee, one day’s forage, and an additional set of horseshoes. Each company received two pack mules, one for ammunition and another for cooking utensils. Each cavalryman carried sixty-two rounds of ammunition. No extra baggage was allowed except for an overcoat.4 Gillem’s cavalry consisted of three brigades: Colonel Palmer’s First (10th Michigan, 12th Ohio, and 15th Pennsylvania); Brig. Gen. Simeon B. Brown’s Second (11th and 12th Kentucky and 11th Michigan); and Col. John K. Miller’s Third (8th and 13th Tennessee). Along with Gillem, Stoneman traveled with Lt. Theodore Mallaby and a Lieutenant Rice, both members of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, who helped the general communicate with his commanders. [54.227.136.157] Project MUSE (2024-03-19...