22nd Tennessee Infantry | Spared & Shared 23

This diary was kept in 1864 by an unidentified Confederate soldier who was probably residing in the vicinity of Clinton, Kentucky where he enlisted in June 1861 to serve the Confederacy and his company was made a part of the 22nd Tennessee Infantry. As he states in his diary, he was with the 22nd Tennessee at the Battle of Belmont which was fought on 7 November 1861. The 22nd Tennessee was one of four Tennessee regiments with the 12th Arkansas and Betlzhoover’s Battery under Gen. Gideon Pillow’s command on the Missouri side of the Mississippi river when the battle began. They were caught in an open cornfield under heavy fire where they suffered heavy casualties.

The diarist apparently deserted his regiment at this point and returned to his home in Kentucky. According to the Goodspeed History of Tennessee, vol. 12, the only company from Kentucky joining the 22nd Tennessee was Co. F (“The Kentucky Braves”). It notes that many men from this company later became members of Co. M, 3rd Kentucky Infantry. While in the 22nd Tennessee, they were led by Captains Francis M. Stewart, William Lindsey, and J. Clay Horne.

Two and a half years later, in April 1864, he informs us that he enlisted a second time in the Confederate service, this time joining Co. M, 3rd Kentucky Infantry which became mounted infantry about that time. They became part of Maj. Gen. Hylan B. Lyon’s Brigade in Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry Corps.

The diary itself is made from a ledger that has been cut into smaller pages and hand stitched with string. Most pages are blank but there are a few pages at the beginning describing the movements of the 3rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry including the mention of the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads and more particularly the Battle of Harrisburg, Mississippi—both attempts by Gen. Forrest to disrupt Gen. Sherman’s supply lines during the Atlanta Campaign. There are a few names of members of Co. M in the diary but I was unable to identify any of them as the author. There is a name on the back cover of the diary with Pine Bluff, Ky. but I could not match possible names against the regimental roster. I do not have the company rosters for both Co. F, 22nd Tennessee and Co. M of the 3rd Kentucky to compare them, however. Perhaps someone else can narrow it down further. The scanned pages of the diary are in the footnotes of this post.

It’s possible that the diarist did not survive the war given that the diary has many pages left unfilled and it ends abruptly in early October 1864. Perhaps he was killed at the Battle of Franklin a few weeks later.

*Map Showing the Battlefield of Harrisburg, Mississippi*

[Note: This diary is from the personal collection of Greg Herr and was offered for transcription and publication on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

Com[pany] M 3 Ky. Reg.
The travels of our company.

I joined at Clinton, Ky. 1861. June 15th was organized in 22nd Tenn. Regt. 18th July of the same year at Trenton, Tenn. Moved to Union City the 1st of August and moved to Columbus, Kentucky September 5th, to Matfield the 15th, back to Columbus 22nd, to Camp Beauregard 27th, back to Columbus November the 1st.

Battle of Belmont, Missouri. Two killed and four wounded. Here I left the company and rejoined at Clinton the second time in April 1864, from there to Jackson, Tennessee, and from that to Corinth. Here we joined the Third Kentucky Regiment.

May the 1st, 1864, to Tupelo, back to Corinth the 10th, and the 20th back to Tupelo the 28th. Little Bear River, Alabama, June the 1st. Back to Tupelo the 3rd. Boonville the 7th. On the 10th, the fight at Brice’s Crossroads. 1 killed, 3 wounded. To Guntown the 15th. Baldwin the 20th. Tupelo 23rd. Elizabethtown July the 7th, Pontotoc the 8th before Harrisburg the 13th, 14th, 15th—three days fighting, 1 killed, 2 wounded. Shannon Station 18th, Pikeville the 20th, Egypt Station 21st. Shannon Station 27th.

Review of troops at Okeana August 3rd to Pontotoc the 6th. Sarepta the 10th. Lafayette Springs the 14th, Oxford the 17th, 14 MS back cross the Yocking the 20th. Back to Oxford the 22nd. [Nathan B.] Forrest went to Memphis and returned to us here to Springdale the 25th, back to Oxford the 30th, to Water Valley September 1st. Grenada the 2nd. The 4th started to Verona. Got to Coffeeville the 5th, to Sarepta the 6th, to Pontotoc the 7th, Verona the 8th. The 13th started to Tibbee Station, to Shannon the 14th, to Pikeville 15th, to West Point the 16th. Stayed two days.

Got to Tibbee [Station] the 19th September. October the 5th started to Corinth. Five days travel.

…returned to Guntown and staid until we got the [ ] off of the battlefield. Then went to Baldwin Station and stayed one day and then come back to Tupelo. Staid there [ ] weeks and then Smith wants to try his hand [ ] in the saddle on the Elizabeth [ ] from Tupelo to Elizabethtown that day Smith and [illegible]…

[ ] to the west side of the town [Harrisburg] seven miles and stopped to skirmish with them and tried to bring on a regular engagement but he would not come out. We staid here three days. On the thirteenth we formed a line of battle and started in and soon found that they had left for Tupelo that morning before day. We then too the Verona road that runs about three miles south of the Tupelo road for twenty miles. Then it was who should get to Tupelo first. We had thirty-five miles to make while they had only twenty [illegible] hours the start of us. They was in as big hurry as we was. We run into them five miles southwest of Tupelo causing them to burn twenty of their wagons with one small brigade of Tenn. Bell’s Brigade. Fought their whole army for one hour. Our Kentucky Brigade came up in the time, dismounted and crossed the creek and charged them. They passed by and went to Harrisburg three miles west of Tupelo and made breastworks that night.

The next morning the two brigades—Bell’s Tennessee and [Hylan B.] Lyon’s Kentucky Brigade [carried] on the fight. They charged them, drove them from their first line of works but was not strong enough to hold them for there was at least ten or twelve to one. They fell back to our line of works but they [the Yankees] would not follow. That night General [Stephen D.] Lee’s Brigade of Tennessee and Mississippi on our right charged them. They admit a loss of five hundred men that night. The next morning the attack was renewed and by twelve o’clock there was [ ] and on their way for [illegible]…Tupelo. They halted and ambushed for us. They got us good this time. They killed or wounded pretty near every commanding officer that was there and fell back to Harrisburg for headquarters that night. Our army followed up the enemy now and then some fight to get here with burnt wagons or an awful lot of fresh graves of their dying wounded. Our Brigade left the front here. It has been hard work for tewm days, never resting day or night.

We staid [illegible] move to [ ] Station. Here [illegible]…from Pikeville to Egypt Station.

*The Confederate Memorial dedicated to the Confederates who died at the Battle of Harrisburg on 14 July 1864. It is in the NPS Park on Main Street in Tupelo.*

This letter was written by Robert Hancock Wood (1826-1901), the son of James Wood (1797-1867) and Frances Allen (1804-1888) of Albemarle county, Virginia. Robert was married to Mary Caroline Bills (1829-1869) in January 1847. She was the daughter of Major John Houston Bills (1800-1871) and Prudence Tate McNeal (1809-1840) of Bolivar, Hardeman county, Tennessee.

Robert was the captain of Co. B, 22nd Tennessee Infantry. He volunteered his services on 15 July 1861 at Trenton, Tennessee, and was discharged from the service on 8 May 1862 when he was not re-elected as captain after the regiment’s reorganization. According to the book, The Battle of Belmont: Grant Strikes South, the Hardeman county boys in Co. B of the 22nd Tennessee called themselves the “Hatchie Hunters.” They were among the troops that faced Grant’s troops at the Battle of Belmont on 7 November 1861 and later at Shiloh.

In this September 1861 letter to his father-in-law, we learn that Capt. Wood felt it was a mistake for the Confederacy to move troops into neutral Kentucky. “I have felt ever since we came into the state that we were abandoning our principle of self defense & placing ourselves upon indefensible grounds. The evidence of Kentucky’s Union proclivities are too strong & decided to admit of [her ever coming] to our side except by subjugation. She is not yet ready to take the leap and we cannot help her decide. I think the whole move on our part will prove to be a military failure, not less marked & pitiable than a similar one made into Missouri.”

*Robert Hancock Wood and his wife, Mary C. (Bills) Wood. Robert was captain of Co. B, 22nd (Confederate) Tennessee Infantry in the first year of the Civil War.*

Transcription

Mayfield, Kentucky
September 16, 1861

Major J. H. Bills, dear sir,

Enclosed herewith I send you the account of my company which I wish paid by Thomas Peters, Quartermaster of Tennessee forces. The amounts are embraced in a requisition which is here enclosed, signed by myself and Col. Freeman. It will be necessary for the accounts to be receipted before the Quartermaster will allow the requisition. But this you can do for the several persons holding them.

It is possible Col. Peters may object to paying the requisition at this time but be pleased to remind him that he promised me when I was in Memphis laying in the uniforms about the 12th of July that if I would have the clothes made up, he would pay for it. He has paid for the lots & clothes, long since I think & he must also pay for this. Be pleased to press the matter as it is very important for the interests of the company that it should be allowed. It is possible the requisition is not correctly made out. If not, let him write out one and forward me at once and it shall be returned forthwith with the necessary signatures.

Be pleased also to get from him a requisition I gave Col. McMahon for hats, shorts, drawers, socks, shoes, &c. for my company dated about the 20th of July. Col. McMahon sent the requisition forward to Col. Peters to be filled at the same time taking my receipt for the articles., but the articles were not furnished in whole, or in part. Still, so long as my receipt is out, I am liable to have an ugly account presented me.

Col. McMahon induced me to believe that I could never have the requisition honored unless I signed the receipt of the 1st instance. Be pleased to follow this last matter up until the requisition is destroyed.

Your kind favor was received at Columbus just before we took the cars for the Tennessee line & I had no opportunity of answering until now. I am sorry I did not meet with you at Columbus (I suppose you made your intended visit).

We had a somewhat fatiguing trip for a sick regiment from Columbus to this point. We are now 27 miles north of the Tennessee line in Graves county in a black jack and hickory [ ] county. It reminds me a good deal of western portions of Hardeman county—considerable wealth, large farms hereabouts. Water is very scarce. Wells are deep. Cistern water mostly used. An excellent evidence that good [ ] hard to get. There is a creek in half mile from our camp which we are compelled to use. It is however stagnant water and muddy.

Much to my surprise and gratification, I found the Polk Battery here. From what I can hear, I think they slipped off from Columbus without orders. I saw Lieut. Smith today. He is a little unwell. I gave him two [ ] of quinine & set him up again. I have not seen March but learn he is well.

We find the people of this portion of Kentucky very hospitable & well disposed & anxious for us to overrun the state. But I have felt ever since we came into the state that we were abandoning our principle of self defense & placing ourselves upon indefensible grounds. The evidence of Kentucky’s Union proclivities are too strong & decided to admit of a hope of [ ] over to our side except by subjugation. She is not yet ready to take the leap and we cannot help her decide. I think the whole move on our part will prove to be a military failure, not less marked & pitiable than a similar one made into Missouri. So far as soldiers are concerned, it is a pleasant recreation to move them about from place to place with the hope of giving them work to do. Still we will not win any laurels in Kentucky this time because the move is premature.

It is understood that President Davis disapproves of the move and did instruct General Polk to send the army back to Tennessee. I do not know how true this is but I believe [ ] the matter is understood by the President, he will order us at once. I think we will return to the Tennessee line in less than three days from this time.

My health was a little feeble for two or three days at Columbus but I am now as well as ever & ready to go wherever duty calls. The health of my company is improving (those who are here). About thirty are at home on furloughs. We are [with]in 25 or 26 miles of Paducah where it is said the enemy is posted 10 to 12,000 strong. The larger portion are foreigners badly officered & drilled with the exception of one regiment of Zouaves. If we attack the place, we will have to approach from this place on foot as the rolling stock on the road is not sufficient to carry more than 700 men at a time.

I would write more but night is approaching. Be pleased to let <ary read this. Give my love to all your family and write as often as you can.

I remain yours very truly, — R. H. Wood