The Lone Star Defenders 161
CHAPTER 14
KILPATRICK’S RAID Kilpatrick’s Raid—
Attack on Kilpatrick—Lee’s Mill—Lovejoy’s
Station—The Brigade
Demoralized—I
Surrender—Playing ’Possum—I Escape—
The Brigade Reassembles—Casualties.
ON the night of August 18 Ross’ brigade was bivouacked
a
short distance east of the road leading from
eighteen miles west of
Macon Railroad, some twenty miles south of
was the only railroad we then had which was of any
material
value to us, and we knew that General Sherman was anxious
to
destroy it, as an unsuccessful effort in that direction had
been
made only a few days previous.
We had a strong picket on the
road, and, as all was quiet in front, we "laid us
down to sleep,"
and, perchance, to dream—of home, of the independence of
the
of those times of fair promises, to the weary soldier,
of a solid
night’s rest, so often and so rudely broken. Scarcely had we
straightened out our weary limbs and folded our arms to sleep,
when we were aroused by the shrill notes of the bugle
sounding
"boots and
saddles." Our pickets were being driven in rapidly,
and before we were in our saddles General Judson
Kilpatrick,
with a force of five thousand cavalry, with artillery,
ambulances,
pack mules and all else that goes to constitute a
first-class
cavalry raiding force, had passed our flank and was moving
steadily down the Fairburn road. The Third Texas were directed
162 The Lone Star Defenders
to move out first and gain their front, to be followed
by the other
regiments of the brigade.
For the remainder of the night we moved as best we
could
down such roads as we could find parallel to Kilpatrick’s
line of
march—so near, in fact, that we could distinctly hear the
clatter
of their horses’ hoofs, the rumbling of their artillery,
and the
familiar rattle of sabers and canteens. Soon after daylight we
came in sight of his column crossing the railroad at
Fairburn,
charged into it and cut it in two for the time. They halted,
formed a line of battle, and we detained them in skirmishing
until we managed to effect our object,—the gaining their
front,—
and during the day, until late in the afternoon, detained
them as
much as possible on their march.
Below Fairburn Kilpatrick’s main column took the
brigade, continuing in front of the main column and that of
Armstrong, followed the
passed through
Fairburn, and allowed Kilpatrick to occupy the town
for the
night. Ross’ brigade occupied a position south of the town
near
the railroad, while Armstrong was west; General Ferguson,
whose brigade was numerically stronger than either of the
others, being directed to go out on a road leading east. As
we
afterwards learned, they failed to find their road, or got lost,
and,
so far as I remember, were not heard from for a day or
two. Thus
posted, or intended to be posted, the understanding and
agreement was that we should make a triangular attack on
Kilpatrick at daylight the next
morning.
Our brigade moved on time and marched into the town,
only to learn that, with the exception of a few stragglers
who had
overslept themselves, not a Federal soldier was to be found.
The
The Lone Star Defenders 163
brigade followed them eastwardly from
time came up with their rear-guard at breakfast behind
some
railworks near Lee’s Mill, and from this time until along in
the
afternoon we had a pretty warm time with their rear. They were
moving on a road that intersects the McDonough and Lovejoy
road, and when they struck this road they turned in the
direction
of Lovejoy Station.
We finally came up with the main force ensconced
behind
some heavy railworks on a hill
near a farmhouse a short distance
east of the station. We had to approach them, after
leaving the
timber, through a lane probably three-quarters of a mile in
length. The farm was mostly uncultivated, and had been
divided
into three fields by two cross-fences, built of rails
running at
right angles with the lane, and these were thrown right and
left
to admit of the free passage of cavalry. In the eastern
cross fence,
however, a length some twenty or thirty yards, and but a few
rails high, was left standing, when a ditch or ravine
running
along on the west side was too deep to be safely crossed by
cavalry. In this lane the command dismounted, leaving the
horses in the hands of holders, and deployed in line in the
open
field, to the left or south side of the lane, and a section
of Croft’s
lane.I had been sent back to Lee’s Mill to hurry up a detail
left to
bury one of our dead, so was behind when the line was
formed.
Having, on the day we fought McCook, picked up a mule
for my
boy Jake to ride, I now had him leading my horse to rest
his
back, while I rode the mule. I rode up and gave my rein to
a
horse-holder, and was hurrying on to join the line when they
charged the railworks, and when I
got up with them they had
begun to fall back. The brigade, not having more than four
hundred men for duty, was little more than a skirmish line.
During the day General Hood had managed to place
General
Reynolds’
Kilpatrick had discovered, and while we were showing our
164 The Lone Star Defenders
weakness in an open field one side, General Reynolds managed
to keep his men under cover of timber on the other. Thus
Kilpatrick found himself between an unknown infantry
force in
front and a skirmish-line of dismounted cavalry and a
section of
artillery in his rear. He concluded to get out of this
situation—
and he succeeded. Being repulsed in the charge on the railworks,
by a heavy fire of artillery and small arms, we fell
back and reformed
our line behind the first cross fence. Three regiments of
the enemy then rapidly moved out from behind their works,
the
Fourth
three columns abreast. As they came on us at a sweeping
gallop,
with their bright sabers glittering, it was a grand
display. And
Ross’ brigade was there and then literally run over,
trampled
under foot, and, apparently annihilated. Just before the
charge
they had shelled our horses in the lane, which, consequently,
had been moved back into the timber.What
could we do under
the circumstances? If we had time to hold a council of
war and
had deliberated over the matter ever so long, we would
probably
have acted just as we did; that is, acted upon the
instinct of selfpreservation,
rather than upon judgment. No order was heard;
not a word spoken; every officer and every man took in
the
whole situation at a glance: no one asked or gave advice:
no one
waited for orders. The line was maintained intact for a few
seconds, the men emptying their pieces at the heads of the
columns. This created a momentary flutter without checking
their speed, and on they came in fine style. There was no
time
for reloading, and every one instinctively started for
the horses a
mile in the rear, a half mile of open field behind us, and
all of us
much fatigued with the active duties performed on the
sultry
summer day. Being very much fatigued myself
and never being
fleet of foot, I outran only two men in the brigade,
Lieutenant W.
H. Carr, of Company C, and W. S. Coleman, of Company
A, of
the Third Texas, who were both captured, and I kept up
with
only two others, Captain Noble and Lieutenant Soap, also
of the
The Lone Star Defenders 165
Third
the same instant. Soap dropped into it, Noble jumped over
and
squatted in the sage grass in the corner of the fence. I
instantly
leaped the ravine and the rail fence, and had gone perhaps
ten or
fifteen steps when the clatter of horses’ hoofs became painfully
distinct, and "Surrender, sir!" rang in my ear like
thunder.
Now, I had had no thought of the necessity of
surrendering, as I had fondly hoped and believed I would
escape. Halting, I looked up to ascertain whether these
words
were addressed to me, and instantly discovered that the
column
directly in my wake was dividing, two and two, to cross the
ravine, coming together again just in front of me, so that I
was
completely surrounded. This was an emergency. As I looked up
my eyes met those of a stalwart rider as he stood up in
his
stirrups, his drawn saber glittering just over my head; and,
as I
hesitated, he added in a kind tone: "That’s all I ask of
you, sir." I
had a rifle in my hand which had belonged to one of our
men
who had been killed near me during the day. Without
speaking
a word, I dropped this on the ground in token of my
assent. "All
right," said he, as he spurred his horse to overtake
some of the
other men.Just at this time our
artillery began throwing shells
across the charging columns, and the first one exploded
immediately above our heads, the pieces falling promiscuously
around in my neighborhood, creating some consternation in
their ranks. Taking advantage of this, I placed my left
hand
above my hip, as if struck, and fell as long a fall as I
could
towards the center of the little space between the columns,
imitating as best I could the action of a mortally wounded
man,—carefully falling on my right side to hide my
pistol, which
I still had on. Here I lay, as dead to all outward
appearances as
any soldier that fell during the war, and remained in
this
position without moving a muscle, until the field was clear of
all
of Kilpatrick’s men who were able to leave it. To play
the role of
a dead man for a couple of hours and then make my escape
may
166 The Lone Star Defenders
sound like a joke to the inexperienced, and it was really a
practical joke on the raiders; but to me, to lie thus exposed
on the
bare ground, with a column of hostile cavalry passing on
either
side all the time, and so near me that I could distinctly
hear any
ordinary conversation, was far from enjoyable. I am no
stranger
to the hardships of a soldier’s life; I have endured the
coldest
weather with scant clothing, marched day after day and night
after night without food or sleep; have been exposed to
cold,
hunger, inclement weather and fatigue until the power of
endurance was well-nigh exhausted, but never did I find
anything quite so tedious and trying as playing dead. I had no
idea of time, except that I knew that I had not lain there
all night.
The first shell our men threw after I fell came near
killing me, as
a large piece plowed up the ground near enough to my
back to
throw dirt all over me. Their ammunition, however, was soon
exhausted, the guns abandoned, and that danger at an end.
As things grew more quiet the awful fear seized me
that
my ruse would be discovered and I be abused for my
deception,
and driven up and carried to prison. This fear haunted me
until
the last. Now, to add to the discomfort of my situation,
it began
to rain, and never in my life had I felt such a rain.
When in my
fall I struck the ground my hat had dropped off, and this
terrible
rain beat down in my face until the flesh was sore. But to
move
an arm or leg, or to turn my face over for protection
was to give
my case completely away, and involved, as I felt, the
humiliation
of a prison life; than which nothing in the bounds of
probability
in my life as a Confederate soldier was so horrible, in
which
there was but one grain of consolation, and that was that I
would
see my brother and other friends who had been on
Johnson’s
Island for some months.
The last danger encountered was when some dismounted
men came near driving some pack mules over me. Finally
everything became so quiet that I ventured to raise my head,
The Lone Star Defenders 167
very slowly and cautiously at first, and as not a man
could be
seen I finally rose to my feet. Walking up to a wounded
Surveying the now deserted field, so lately the scene
of such
activity, and supposing as I did that Ross’ brigade as an
organization was broken up and destroyed, I was much
distressed. I was left alone and afoot,
and never expected to see
my horse or mule any more, which in fact I never did, as
Kilpatrick’s cavalry, after charging through the
field, had turned
into the road and stampeded our horses.
I now started out over the field in the hope of
picking up
enough plunder to fit myself for service in some portion of
the
army. In this I succeeded beyond my expectation, as I
found a
pretty good, completely rigged horse, only slightly wounded,
and a pack-mule with pack intact, and I soon loaded the
mule
well with saddles, bridles, halters, blankets, and oil
cloths.
Among other things I picked up a Sharp’s carbine,
which I
recognized as belonging to a messmate. While I was casting
about in my mind as to what command I would join, I heard
the
brigade bugle sounding the assembly! Sweeter music never was
heard by me. Mounting my newly-acquired horse and leading
my pack-mule, I proceeded in the direction from which
the
bugle notes came, and on the highest elevation in the
field, on
the opposite side of the lane, I found General Ross and
the
bugler. I told my experience, and heard our gallant brigadier’s
laughable story of his escape. I sat on my new horse and looked
over the field as the bugle continued to sound the
assembly
occasionally, and was rejoiced to see so many of our men
straggling in from different directions, coming apparently out
of
the ground, some of them bringing up prisoners, one of
whom
was so drunk that he didn’t know he was a prisoner until
the
next morning.
168 The Lone Star Defenders
Near night we went into camp with the remnant
collected,
and the men continued coming in during the night and
during
all the next day. To say that we were crestfallen and
heartily
ashamed of being run over is to put it mildly; but we were
not so
badly damaged, after all. The horse-holders, when the
horses
stampeded, had turned as many as they could out of the road
and saved them. But as for me, I had suffered almost a
total loss,
including the fine sword that John B. Long had presented me at
Thompson’s Station, and which I had tied on my saddle.
My
faithful Jake came in next morning, and although he could not
save my horse, he had saved himself, his little McCook
mule and
some of my soldier clothes. My pack-mule and surplus
rigging I
now distributed among those who seemed to need them
most.Including officers, we had eighty-four or eighty-five men
captured, and only sixteen or eighteen of these were carried
to
Northern prisons. Among them were seven officers, including
my friend Captain Noble, who was carried to Johnson’s
and messed with my brother until the close of the war.
Captain
Noble had an eye for resemblances. When he first saw
my
brother he walked up to him and said, "I never saw you
before,
but I will bet your name is Barron, and I know your
brother
well." The other prisoners who escaped that night and
returned
to us next day included my friend Lieutenant Soap, who
brought
in a prisoner, and Luther Grimes, owner of the Sharp’s
carbine,
already mentioned, who had an ugly saber wound in the head. I
remember only two men of the Third Texas who were killed
during the day—William Kellum of
Company C, near Lee’s Mill;
and John Hendricks, of Company B, in the charge on the
railworks. These two men had managed to keep on details from
one to two years, being brought to the front under orders
to cut
down all details to increase the fighting strength, and
they were
both killed on the field the first day they were under the
enemy’s
fire.
The Lone Star Defenders 169
Among the wounded was Captain S. S. Johnson, of
Company K, Third Texas, gunshot wound, while a number
of
the men were pretty badly hacked with sabers. Next day
General
Ross went up to General Hood’s headquarters and said
to him:
"General, I got my brigade run over
yesterday." General Hood
replied, "General Ross, you have lost nothing by that,
sir. If
others who should have been there had been near enough to
the
enemy to be run over, your men would not have been run
over."
This greatly relieved our feelings, and the matter
became only an
incident of the campaign, and on the 22d day of August Ross’
brigade was back in its position ready for duty.