Genealogy Trails

"A Confederate Diary"

(A diary kept by G.W. Clemmer, giving records of Company C to December, 1862.)

Owing to the election of a Northern man with avowed antislavery principles to the Presidency of the United States, some of the Southern States, by a vote of the people, dissolved all connection with the United States as a government.

About April 12, 1861, General Beauregard bombarded and captured Fort Sumter, near Charleston, S. C, which fort the Federal forces under Major Anderson had occupied for several weeks. About this time Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, made a proclamation calling for 75,000 volunteers and commanding the rebels to disband and return home to their families. This proclamation aroused every true Southern mind, and in a few weeks they were flocking by thousands to the defense of Southern rights and Southern institutions.

In March and April, 1861, the excitement reached Polk County, and the like had never been seen before, nor has it since. Public speakers harangued the people; business was almost at a standstill; they had torchlight processions in Benton at night, with music, old gray-haired men, young men, young women, and boys all participating.

The first company organized for the Confederate Army in Polk County was organized about April 28 by electing the following:

Officers: John F. Hannah, Captain; David C. Haskins, First Lieutenant; William M. Bain, Second Lieutenant; P.L. Bible, Third Lieutenant.

Noncommissioned Officers: William L. Harbison, First Sergeant: J.W. Rymer, Second Sergeant; Paul Parks, Third Sergeant.

Descriptive Roll of Company C, Third Tennessee Regiment, C. S. A.: E.P. Douglas (or Douglass), Captain (enlisted May 16, 1861, relieved from duty May 15. 1862. and returned home); J.S. Hodge, First Lieutenant (relieved May 15, 1862); R.W. Haney. Second Lieutenant (appointed Commissary May 15, 1862); A.D. Donaldson, Third Lieutenant (elected First Lieutenant May 14, 1862); T. N. Lawson, Second Sergeant (discharged June 13, 1862, by furnishing Glass as a substitute); G.W. Clemmer, Third Sergeant (elected Third Lieutenant May 14, 1862): F.M. Longley, Fourth Sergeant (discharged May 16, 1862); J.B. Sloan, First Corporal (transferred by exchanging with-----. July, 1862); B. G. Holland, Second Corporal; S.H. Smith, Third Corporal (elected Second Lieutenant May 14, 1862); S.S. Matlock, Fourth Corporal (discharged in 1861, and died at Lynchburg. VA).

Allen, F.T.; Akin, E.B.; Barnett, A.C.; Blythe, Thomas: Bowman. W.R.; Brooksher, G.M.; Campbell, John; Campbell, Newton; Carter, William (deserted at Bristol. Term.. June 13. 1862); Davis, John; Deaver, G.P.; Deaver, J.C.; Denton, J.J.; Duke, John (deserted at Knoxville. Tenn., June 13, 1862); Dunn, L.C.; Dunn, Joseph; Ellison, B.W.; Flemming, S.G.; Franklin, D.D.; Goodin, J.A. (discharged September 4, 1862, being a nonconscript); Gray, W.H.; Grady, B.F. (discharged 1861, and afterwards joined the cavalry); Grady, William; Gragg, John; Green, LJ. (quit the service February, 1862, by furnishing F.M. Green in his place); Grisham, N.J.; Hannah, J.C. (discharged May 24, 1862, by furnishing Smith as substitute); Harbison, J.P.; Hicks, S.R. (elected First Corporal May 14,1862); Horton, Hiram (discharged); Lawson, John; Lawson, N.A.; Lea, G.M.; Lea, J.F.; Lewis, J.Q.A; Mahan, Joseph; McConnell, J.J.; McCleland, J.C.; McNelly, David; Morris, W.G. (elected Fifth Sergeant, September, 1861); O'Neal, A.J.; O'Neal, G.W.; Quinn, William (elected Second Corporal May 14, 1862); Russell, James (deserted June 3, 1861, at Bristol, Tenn.); Scroggins, M.V.; Selvidge, S.H. (elected Fifth Sergeant May 14, 1862); Sloan, W.E. (transferred by exchanging with Giddings August); Smith, Robert; Sweeny, J.H.; Thomas, G.W.; Vest, C.C.; Vest, John; White, Alexander; White, J.F.; Wilcox, Lewis (discharged September 20, 1862, by furnishing Reeder as substitute); Bates, Martin; Baldwin, H.L.; Dennis, Isaac (elected Fourth Corporal 1861, elected Second Sergeant May 14, 1862); Fields, W.W. (elected Third Corporal 1861, elected Third Sergeant May 14, 1862); Strain, J.B.; Crockett, William (elected Fourth Sergeant May 14,1862); Marrow, J. A.; Marrow, R. F.; Webb, Arthur (discharged and died at home); Rhea, G.J. (transferred from an Alabama Sergeant July, 1861 ); Grady, J.N. (elected First Sergeant May 14, 1862); Henry, T.B.; Holderfield, Brison; Reid, J.A.; Smith, G.W.; Browning, Thomas (enlisted July 21,1861); Lea, J.C.; Gothard, William (enlisted August 12, 1861); Smith, Casper; Smith, J.F.; McClellan, LL. (elected Fourth Corporal May 14, 1862); Ragan, William; Johnson, James; Pippinger, Isaac (discharged, and again enlisted in same company March 31, 1861); Cook, B.L. (died at Ocoee, Tenn., April 28, 1862); Gray, S.A. (enlisted March 1, 1862, transferred from Company D); Collum, Hiram (enlisted March 31, 1862); Reid, S.H. (elected Third Corporal May 14, 1862); Evans, Addison (enlisted April 5, 1862); Parker, L.R. (enlisted April 9, 1862); Adams, William (enlisted April 10, 1862); Campbell, Elijah (died at home July 7, 1862); Sharp, J.E. (died April 12,1862); Everett, William (died April 14, 1862); Vest, H.C.; Green, F.M. (enlisted March 24, 1862); Smith, C. C. (taken as substitute for J. C. Hannah, killed December 11, 1862); Glass, James (enlisted June 13,1862, taken as substitute for T.N. Lawson); Highlarger, Charles G. (exchanged with J.B. Sloan); Gidding, Ben (exchanged with W.E. Sloan) McClelland, T.T. (transferred from Twenty-Sixth Regiment June 27)

Other Polk County Companies

The third company made up in Polk County for service in the Confederate Army was made up at Ducktown and vicinity, and was organized about the 1st of June, 1861, and elected the following commissioned officers: J.H. Hannah, Captain; P.C. Gaston, First Lieutenant; Dr. Holmes, Second Lieutenant; J.M. Sims, Third Lieutenant.

This was an infantry company, and was organized into the Nineteenth Tennessee Infantry, with the following officers: J.H. Cummins, Colonel; F.M. Walker, Lieutenant Colonel; Abe Fulkerson, Major; V.Q. Johnson, Adjutant; H.M. Doak, Sergeant Major; Dr. Joe E. Dulaney, Surgeon; A.V. Taylor, Quartermaster; Rev. D. Sullins, Chaplain.

This company and regiment were in all the battles in which the Army of Tennessee was engaged, from Fishing Creek to Bentonville, N. C. At the reorganization of the regiment F.M. Walker was elected Colonel; B.F. Moore, Lieutenant Colonel; J.H. Hannah, Major. Walker and Moore were from Chattanooga.

Major Hannah was from Polk County. The Nineteenth Tennessee Regiment, after its reorganization, took part in the battles of Shiloh, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Resacca, New Hope Church, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Franklin, Nashville, and Bentonville. At the battle of Shiloh, Isaac Farner was killed and John Brock was severely wounded.

The fourth company made up in Polk County for service in the Confederate Army was organized at Benton in 1861, with the following officers: M.H. Hancock, Captain; William A. Bible, First Lieutenant; J.N. Reid, Second Lieutenant; Mike Barnett, Third Lieutenant. Noncommissioned officers: Jarvis Williams, First Sergeant; A. Chable, Second Sergeant.

This company was organized into the Twenty-Ninth Tennessee Infantry as Company B of said regiment: Sam Powell, Colonel; Rube Arnold, Lieutenant Colonel; Rice, Major; Jackson, Adjutant; and, like the Nineteenth Tennessee Infantry, was in all the battles in which the Army of Tennessee was engaged, from Fishing Creek or Mill Springs to Bentonville, N. C. This company at one time had one hundred and twenty-four privates and noncommissioned officers, and likely suffered a greater loss in killed and wounded than any other company from Polk County. In fact, at the surrender of Johnston's army in North Carolina there were only a few of the company left. Reubin Cardin, M.V. O'Neal, R.M. O'Neal, A.J. O'Neal, D.B. Goforth, Zach Pierce, Erb Pierce, Felix Arthur, Barney Arthur, Bill Davis, Arnette Shields, John R. Davis, Joe Deal, Reubin Ramsey, and J.L. Morgan were on parole. Harrison Ledford and Jim Ledford were in prison.

After the reorganization of the company, William A. Bible was elected Captain; J.N. Reid, First Lieutenant; A. Chable, Second Lieutenant; Seborn Williamson, Third Lieutenant. Bible and Reid soon resigned, and A. Chable was elected Captain; Seborn Williamson, First Lieutenant; R.M. O'Neal, Second Lieutenant; Jason Summey, Third Lieutenant. After the battle of Murfreesboro, Captain Chable resigned. Lieutenant Williamson and Lieutenant Summey were killed at the battle of Murfreesboro. R.M. O'Neal was elected Captain; Bob Reid, First Lieutenant; Hiram Pierce, Second Lieutenant; Robert Ferguson, Third Lieutenant. Rice was elected or promoted Colonel. John was elected or promoted Lieutenant Colonel. Blevins was elected or promoted Major. Reynolds was elected or promoted Adjutant.

The fifth company to enter the Confederate Army from Polk County was made up at Ducktown in the fall of the year 1861, and organized by electing the following commissioned officers: Dr. John Goodman, Captain; W.H. Wimberly, First Lieutenant; John Tonkin, Second Lieutenant; Charles Taliaferro, Third Lieutenant.This company was organized into the Forty-Third Tennessee Infantry, and was known as Company A. Colonel, James W. Gillespie; Lieutenant Colonel, D.M. Key; Major, Lawson Guthire; Adjutant, S.A. Key. At the reorganization of this company John Tonkin was elected Captain; Samuel Waters, First Lieutenant; J.M. Wallace, Second Lieutenant; John Officer, Third Lieutenant. John Officer was killed at Winchester, Va., in 1864.

About the same time that Goodman made up and organized his company at Ducktown, Capt. W.H. McKamy, of Bradley County, and Lewis Shamblin, of Polk County, made up and organized a company, and a little more than half of the company were from Polk County. The following commissioned officers were elected: W.H. McKamy, Captain; Lewis Shamblin, First Lieutenant; A.J. McClure, Second Lieutenant; Ben McCarty, Third Lieutenant. This company was known as Company I of the Forty-Third Tennessee Infantry.

This regiment saw service in the summer of 1862 with Bragg in the Kentucky campaign. After that campaign, the Forty-Third Tennessee Regiment was ordered to Vicksburg, Miss. Four East Tennessee regiments - the Third, Thirty-First, Forty-Third, and Fifty-Ninth - were placed in Taylor's Brigade of Gen. C.L. Stephens' Division.

These two companies were with the Forty-Third Regiment throughout the Vicksburg campaign, preceding the memorable siege, and went through the dangers and hardships incident to the siege. The regiment, for a while after the siege began, occupied the trenches next to the Mississippi River, at the lower end of the Confederate breastworks. The rest of the siege the regiment was on the reserve, but at all times exposed to the balls of the enemy, and was hurried to any part of the line of earthworks occupied by Stephens' Division when a charge was made by the enemy. After the men were paroled, they walked one hundred and sixty miles to Enterprise, Miss., and were ten days making the march. These companies went with the regiment to parole camp at Decatur, Ga., where they were exchanged about October 1, 1863, and went with Longstreet to Knoxville in November. 1863. and from there with Longstreet to upper-East Tennessee. They were mounted in January, 1864. and served with Vaughn's Brigade as mounted infantry. These companies were with the Forty-Third Tennessee Regiment - in all the battles fought by that brigade from New Market to Bristol, in Tennessee, and at Marion, Piedmont, Fisher's Hill, and Winchester, Va., and crossed the Potomac with Early in the fall of 1864.

John Shamblin, of Polk County, of Captain McKamy's company, was killed during the siege of Vicksburg. On the night of September 13, 1862, Lieut. Ben McCarty was killed in Kentucky by some one who accidentally let his gun go off in the excitement of the false alarm. On September 18, 1862, Lieutenant Shamblin resigned and returned home. His resignation and Lieutenant McCarty's death occasioned two officers to be elected. Lieut. A.J. McClure was promoted to First Lieutenant, and J.B. Grave was elected Second Lieutenant. Dick Henderson was elected Third Lieutenant, and John Moss was appointed Orderly Sergeant. This office was made vacant by the election of Dick Henderson as Lieutenant.

Polk County Cavalry

In the fall of the year 1861 Robert W. McClary made up and organized a company of cavalry in Polk County. The following commissioned officers were elected: Robert W. McClary, Captain; Bryant Coxey, First Lieutenant; Thomas Loderdale, Second Lieutenant; Third Lieutenant; Carder, First Sergeant.

This company was organized into the Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, and became Company E of that regiment. At the organization of this regiment Capt. G.W. McKenzie was elected Colonel; J.G.M. Montgomery, of Cleveland, Tenn., was elected Lieutenant Colonel; J.H. Blackburn, of Hamilton County, was elected Major; James Martin, of Meigs County, was appointed Captain and Commissary of the regiment; R.A. Sloan was made Adjutant of the regiment. R. A. Sloan was afterwards wounded and disabled from active service, and Lieut. W.G. Allen, of Rhea County, was appointed Adjutant.

At the reorganization of Company E, Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, J.W. Carder was elected Captain; Philip Woods, First Lieutenant; Sam Armstrong, Second Lieutenant; Wayne Harwell, Third Lieutenant-ant; Bob Armstrong, First Sergeant.

The Fifth Tennessee Regiment did hard service with Scott's and Allston's brigades, in their campaigns in Kentucky, previous to Bragg's invasion into that State, and was with General Bragg - or, rather, in front of his command - as he entered that State, skirmishing daily with the retreating Federals. It was at Perryville, in that hard-fought battle, and on Bragg's retreat the Fifth Tennessee Cavalry was in the saddle day and night, fighting back the Federal advance and protecting Bragg's rear. After the (evacuation of Kentucky by General Bragg, the Fifth Tennessee was left to assist in guarding mountain passes along the Cumberland Range and raiding across the mountains into Kentucky, and had several hotly contested engagements with Federal cavalry. When the evacuation of East Tennessee was decided upon previous to the battle of Chickamauga, the Fifth Tennessee was again called upon to assist in covering the retreat, skirmishing daily with the enemy's advance. This regiment fought the Federals at Loudon, Tenn., until the railroad bridge at that point was destroyed.

The Fifth Tennessee Regiment took active part in the battle of Chickamauga, losing heavily on Saturday evening, September 19, 1863, in the capture of the Federal battery. After this engagement the regiment became a part of the Tennessee Army, and was brigaded with the First and Second Tennessee Cavalry and the Ninth Tennessee Battalion, in Hume's Division. The other Brigade of Hume's Division was composed of the Eighth and Eleventh Texas, Third Arkansas, and Fourth Ten-Tennessee Cavalry, and was engaged at Tunnel Hill, Resaca, New Hope Church, and Kennesaw Mountain. At New Hope Church the regiment lost one hundred and twenty-three men, having dismounted, and were fighting on foot. Colonel Wheeler, of Middle Tennessee, who was in command of the brigade, had three horses killed under him. After the Confederate Army had fallen back to Atlanta, General Sherman ordered his cavalry to surround the city and cut off Hoods' supplies. General McCook went around Hood's left wing and General Stoneman around Hood's right wing. Gen. "Red" Jackson was on the leftwing, in command of his own and Hume's Division. General Wheeler was on the right wing of Hood - army, with the other two divisions of his corps. Jackson took after McCook and Wheeler after Stoneman. and Jackson began skirmishing with McCook's rear guard just after they crossed the Chattahoochie River and followed them on to Jonesboro, where they had a fight late in the evening of the second day. McCook gave up the idea of forming a junction with Stoneman, and turned back toward the river, marched all night, and came to Newnan just at daylight. General Roddy had been down in Alabama to recruit his horses, and had been ordered to leave his horses in Alabama and bring his brigade to the front on foot. They were on a train of cars drawn up across the public road. McCook's advance guard fired on the train, supposing them to be convalescent and not armed. Roddy's brigade fired from the train and killed six of the advance guards. The remainder of the advance guard fell back, and General Roddy ordered his brigade off the train and formed them across the road of the Federals and sent a courier to General Jackson and notified him that he could hold the Federals in check for one hour. Jackson hurried forward, and the Federals were pressed back to the Chattahoochie River. below Newnan, where they could not ford, and nearly all of their horses were captured and a great many of the men. Stoneman got as far as the vicinity of Macon, Ga. General Johnston, who had just been relieved of the command of the Army of Tennessee, was at Macon, and he took command of some of the Georgia militia, and he, with General Wheeler, defeated General Stoneman, capturing many of his men and horses.

The Fifth Tennessee Regiment was with General Wheeler in the raid he made after the battle of Chickamauga to the rear of the Federal Army at Chattanooga, crossing the Tennessee River at Cottonport, and across the mountains to Middle Tennessee, fighting almost daily for more than thirty days inside the enemy's lines without forage or rations and being forced to subsist on a country that had been stripped of everything that forage gatherers could get their hands upon. The regiment surrendered at Charlotte, N. C., with Jo Johnston's army, where the remnant of Company E received their parole.

The Fifth Tennessee Cavalry went into the Confederate Army in 1861 with one thousand men, and at the surrender in April, 1865, had two hundred and fifty-two men. Company E was one hundred strong in 1861, and April, 1865, it had of officers and men twenty-three.

At the surrender the regimental roll of officers Fifth Tennessee Cavalry, C. S. A., was: George W. McKenzie, Colonel; J.G.M. Montgomery, Lieutenant Colonel; W.G. Allen. Adjutant; Samuel Day, Surgeon; James Wallace, Assistant Surgeon; H.D. Malone, Sergeant Major; J.C. Williamson, Com-missary Master; J.M. Williamson, Forage Master; A.G. Taft, Ordinance Officer; N.B. Day, Color Bearer.

The role of Company E at the last pay day was as follows: W.P. Wood, First Lieutenant; W.H. Braizel, Acting Orderly Sergeant; F.M. Armstrong, C.C. Brookshire, J.A. Armstrong, W.R. Barnett, William Denton, T.B. Fry, Isaac Gilliland, J.R. Heffner, E. Howell, Charles Hooper, J.C. Kerr, A.H. Mattock, George Mathis, J.R. Mabray, Lewis MeMahon, A.R. Roberston, H. Taylor, J.R. Trotter, R.F. West, A. Watson, G.W. Young.

Besides the full companies that were organized in Polk County and went into the Confederate Army, the following went into Company K, Fifty-Ninth Tennessee Infantry: Robert Shelton, Joe Ellis, Joab Waldrop, Huey Lea, Elijah Lea, Burdine Wallace, Andrew Scroggins, Bert Scroggins, John Buck, William Kirkland, Jack Kirkland, John Hicks, Calvin Higdon, Henderson Clayton, Nelson Clayton. John Russell was Captain of this company at the first organization; John Duckworth, First Lieutenant-ant; David Martin, Second Lieutenant; H. Lea, Third Lieutenant. Russel died in Kentucky, and John Duckworth was made captain.

James A. Bible, Sr., James C. Donaldson, Daniel Brown, Polk D. Haney, and A.J. Williams belonged to Company A, Second Tennessee Cavalry, and all the latter part of the war this regiment was brigaded with the Fifth Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry and Ninth Tennessee Battalion Cavalry.

James C. Donaldson was killed on Main Street in Ducktown by Union soldiers December 17, 1864, after having been captured while trying to make his way back to his command from his home in Benton, where he had been on a furlough; and as Benton was occupied by Federal troops, he had stayed in the garret of his mother's home, behind the present bank building.

In the late summer or early fall of 1862 P.L. Bible and W.L. Harbison made up and organized a company at Benton for service in the Confederate Army. In the organization of this company P. L. Bible was elected Captain; W. L. Harbison, First Lieutenant; F.M. Longley, Second Lieutenant: Erb Boyd (Little), Third Lieutenant.

At about the same time Bible and Harbison were making up their company, W.F. Lowery, of Bradley County, and LB. Brock and N.B. Witt, of Polk County, made up another company, some of the company from Polk County and some from Bradley County.

The above company was, with the other company, organized into the Sixty-Second Tennessee Infantry, with W. F. Lowery, Captain, and John A. Rowan, Colonel, Brock and Witt having resigned. This regiment was assigned to Vaughn's Brigade, and served with him till the end of the war.

Some of those killed from Polk County are as follows: Alford Gollahare, of Company D, Third Tennessee, was killed in the battle of Tazewell on the 6th of August, 1862. C.C. Smith, of Company C, Third Tennessee Regiment, was killed December 1, 1862, in the night, while asleep, by a limb falling on him. Sam Horton, of Company B, Sixty-Second Regiment, was shot through the body at the battle of Big Black and was captured, and after the surrender of Vicksburg he was sent home and died at home. S.A. Gray, of Company C, Third Tennessee Infantry, was killed during the siege of Vicksburg. John Shamblin, of Company I, Forty-Third Tennessee Infantry, was killed during the siege of Vicksburg. Isaac Farner, of Company B, Nineteenth Tennessee Infantry, was killed at the battle of Shiloh, in 1862. Nelson Lawson, son of Jim Lawson, of Company B, Twenty-Ninth Tennessee Infantry, was reported missing at the battle of Fishing Creek, and was never heard of again. Seaborn Williamson, Lieutenant in Company B, Twenty-Ninth Tennessee Infantry, was killed at the battle of Murfreesboro. Lieut. Jason Summey was wounded and taken to Rome, Ga., and died there in a few days. Charles Williamson, of the same company, was also killed at Murfreesboro. Goodman Rymer, of Company D, Third Tennessee Infantry, was killed in the summer of 1862 by a runaway team. Sam H. Reid and John Marrow, of Company C, Third Tennessee Infantry, were killed at Piedmont, Va. in the summer of 1864. Lieut. John Officer was killed at the battle of Winchester, Va., in 1864.

While at Vicksburg in 1863, Fate Gibbs, Bill Davis, and Bill Dragg were detailed to burn a Yankee transport. It had been abandoned from some cause, and General Pemberton offered sixty-days furloughs to any three men who would burn it. These men went on board and set fire to it and made their escape. They did not know that furloughs had been offered to those who would burn the boat, but they got their furloughs.