COMPANY C, 4TH ALABAMA CAVALRY REGIMENT
This company was raised by Captain Frank B. Gurley in the summer of 1862. It became part of Russell's 4th Alabama Cavalry Regiment later that year. This Company saw a lot of action and fought at Chickamauga.
A SCHOOLBOY GOES TO WAR.
The following article is from the Confederate Veteran, 1905. The author is unknown.
In April 1862 I was a schoolboy in Huntsville, Alabama. On the morning of the 9th of that month, Huntsville was occupied by the Federal army under General M. Mitchell. The school was disbanded, and the building seized for military uses. Soon after this event, in company with a schoolmate, I undertook to pass through the lines of the enemy and make my way to south Alabama.
Being under military age, we had no trouble in getting permission to spend a few days with friends out of town, but having consumed more than the specified time in vain attempts to evade the enemy's pickets and cross the Tennessee River, we feared to return home. We communicated our plans and fears to the friends whom we were visiting, and he informed us of a small band of Confederate Cavalry which was then organizing in the mountains of Madison and Jackson counties, and advised us to place ourselves under their protection.
At this time there were many Confederate soldiers lurking in this section. A company of the Seventh Alabama infantry whose term of service had expired reached home only a few days before the enemy occupied the country and were bidding about to avoid arrest. There were several from other commands at home on furlough or on account of sickness or wounds and many persons of military age who had not yet joined the army were concealing themselves.
General Bragg, who was then maturing his plans for the march into Kentucky, gave to Frank B. Gurley of Forrest's regiment a commission of Captain of Cavalry and ordered him to organize these men into a cavalry company and operate in rear of the enemy. When he reached his renezvous, he had collected only about one dozen men. This number was rapidly increased to fifty or sixty. Though not members of this band, my friend and I being under their protection were compelled to move with them from place to place while awaiting an opportunity to go South. At length, seeing no opportunity of carrying out our original purpose, we on the 20th of June, entered our names on the company's roll being at this time respectively sixteen and fifteen years of age.
The service assigned to this company was both difficult and dangerous. The Tennessee River, with an average width of about eight hundred yards, turns to the southwest below Chattanooga and, entering the State of Alabama near Bridgeport, continues this course to Guntersville. About fifty or sixty miles thence it turns to the northwest and passes out of Alabama at the northwestern corner of the state. The northern bank of this river was held by the enemy. In the four counties of Alabama lying north of the river there was a large Federal army numbering perhaps fifteen or twenty thousand men who occupied every town and hamlet, and in due proportion of this force was cavalry engaged in scouring the country. This therefore was the field of our operations.
Our dangers were increased by the presence in this section of a few unauthorized bands of guerrillas whose operations gave the enemy presumptive evidence that all the confederate troops in that region were members of similar bands, in consequence of which we were all outlawed. Our commander therefore was compelled to discriminate nicely between the methods of war that were legitimate and illegitimate, and at the same time to exercise such control over the passions of his men as would prevent their resorting to the latter.
The rendezvous of the company was in the mountain region of Madison and Jackson counties. In the heights of these mountains we found a safe asylum after every collision with the enemy and from here as occasion was presented, we sent information to the Confederate forces south of the river.
There were frequent skirmishes between small detachments of our company and scouting parties of the enemy, and rom time to time many of the enemy were captured, and either sent south of the river or released on parole. I shall not attempt, after so many years, to record each of these small affairs. A few adventures of greater magnitude I will relate. The first of these was not creditable either to our courgage or to our discipline.
The company started upon some errand the nature of which I do not recall. Our route lay to the south as if we would strike the river near Guntersville.
It was necessary to cross the Memphis and Charleston Railroad along which lay the largest bodies of the enemy. To avoid observation we made a night march. Many of the mean had never been under fire and as we approached the point of greatest danger there was an obvious feeling of trepidation which increased as we advanced. Just before day we discovered that we were in close proximity to a cavalry camp. The company was halted for a moment but before the position or strength of the enemy could be ascertained the bugles sounded reveille.
In an instant there was a panic in our ranks. Vainly the officers commanded a halt and attempted to form the company. Both men and horses were so completely possessed by fear as to be uncontrollable.
As usual in such cases, as soon as the stampede began the contagion spread like fire in a stable. Soon we were all in headlong flight. Every bush and tree was magnified into an enemy. Every fleeing horseman thought the comrade first in his rear was a Federal cavalryman about to deliver a saber stroke. We ran until daylight revealed our folly. In the meantime we had become badly scattered and it required many days to reunite the command. It is but just to state that at this time many of our number were without arms.
On another occasion we received information of a small wagon train approaching Huntsville on the Fayetteville turnpike under a light escort. By a night ride we succeeded in surprising and capturing those wagnos, with a large quantity of supplies.
Soon after this we were ourselves surprised near New Market and lost one man badly wounded and two or three captured. Despite the surprise and discomfort we retreated in good order, and escaped among the mountains.
While these events of minor importance were taking place Captain Hambrick succeeded in crossing the Tennessee River with his company and united with us. Our entire force at this time consisted of two companies mustering about one hundred and fifty men. Thus reinforced we were prepared to act with greater boldness and to undertake enterprises of greater magnitude than we had formally attempted. The enemy were using the Memphis and Charleston Railroad for the purpose of transporting troops and supplies. Even when our number were weakened we had several times interfered with their use of this road by removing rails at different points thus forcing them to station garrisons very near each other all along the railroad from Huntsville to Stevenson.
One of the stations occupied by a garrison was the Flint River bridge ten miles east of Huntsville. This covered wooden bridge was converted into a blockhouse, and furnished with bulletproof doors at each end. When Captain Hambrick united with us, Bragg's army had already turned the enemy and were upon the march to kentucky. Part of our duty was to obstruct the retreat of the force in Alabama and a plan was matured for capturing and burning this bridge. Our scouts learned that the doors were kept open during the day and that many of the garrison amused themselves bathing in the waters.
We hoped to be able to get near enough to capture this bridge by a sudden dash. We dismounted in the woods and approached as near as possible under cover. Many of the Federals were bathing in the river, others were amusing themselves in various ways. We felt that the prize was almost in our grasp. Just then the sentinel on duty discovered us and fired. Instantly there was a rush of the whole garrison for cover.
The bathers had no time for dressing, but ran, some with their clothing in hand, and others, probably, without gathering up their clothing. The heavy doors closed with a bang. Our plan had failed. We fired a few shots and retired. This incident afforded amusement to us for many days. The progress of the Confederate army through East Tennessee now began to necessitate the removal of large bodies of Federal troops from West Tennessee and Mississippi to East Tennessee. This line of march lay just along the border of Tennessee and Alabama. Learning of their passage through that section, we moved in that direction in order to observe their carch. While watching what is locally known as the Gum Spring Road, we learned that a Federal General had passed with an escort of only four or five hundred cavalry. He had several hours in advance of us, but the prize was too tempting to be easily relinquished, and we followed upon roads parallel to his line of march At night he encamped near Buck Springs. It was night when we reached the neighborhood of his camp.
Nearly the whole night was spent in securing guides and getting the necessary information as to the location of his camp. When these were secured the night was far advanced and a plan was hastily communicated to the men for surprising the camp and capturing the General. We approached the near as prudent on horseback, dis-mounted, and divided into two parties to attack on opposite sides.
One of these parties reached its position at a fence about one hundred yards from the camp, and found the Federals already astir. They waited patiently for the pre-constructed signal, but before the other party was ready for the attack the Federals had mounted and begun their march. This officer, who came so near falling into our hands, was General George Thomas.
This force, which might have been dispersed by surprise in camp, was too large for us to attack upon the march, and as we could not prudently follow them further, we turned back in the direction of our rendezvous. Without halting to rest or eat, we marched rapidly by the most obscure roads, and about 9 o'clock in the morning again crossed the Gum Spring road at a point about eight miles from New Market, Alabama. As we crossed this road, we noticed that troops had recently passed. we were halted and formed in line parallel to the road, in the open woods.
Captain Gurley, mounted on a large gray mare, turned down the road in the direction from which the Federals had come and rode two or three hundred yards. We saw him turn and start back at a gallop, and in another moment we saw four cavalrymen in pursuit. As soon as he reached our position he turned and ordered a charge. The Federals discovered us at the same moment and fled. Our column entered the road, left in front, which threw Gurley's own company in advance. We had pursued about a quarter of a mile, when we began to overtake a body of cavalry, among whom we emptied our double-barreled guns with fatal effort.
Those of us in front passed many of those and left them to be captured by the men behind us. We soon became intermingled with them and from that point no man can describe the melee except as he saw it just around himself. we passed a wagon camp upon the side of the road, and here a few of our men held up. The rest of us entered a long lane. Everything in front of us was panic-stricken and in full, headlong flight. Cavalrymen abandoned their horses and took to the woods. Foot soldiers crouched in the fence corners, and made way for our passage. we had struck the head of McCook's division on the march, and for a mile and a half or two miles we tore a path through it like a tornado in a forest of pine trees. There must have been much disorder among those troops, who were not apprehensive of attack, for at no point in this distance did we come in contact with an organized body of troops. They were in small companies and squads, apparently without organization. And these, as we overtook them, would surrender or take refuge in flight to the woods.
While in this lane we overtook two Federal officers riding in a buggy. As we came upon them we fired, and one of them was struck. The other, surrendering, hastily announced that the wounded officer was General McCook and appealed for help. Captain Gurley, who was with the head of the column, stopped and caused the wounded General to be carried into a house nearby, where he could expire. The fatal bullet had passed through his body, coming out near the buckle of his sword-belt. As three or four were firing at this party when the General fell, it will always be a matter of doubt as to who fired the fatal shot.
During the halt at the wounding of General McCook, this writer with one other companion passed forward, and from a considerable distance kept close to the rear of the fleeting Federals. As we reached the end of the lane a Federal officer just in front of me threw himself from his horse and fled into the woods. Being determined to kill or capture him if possible, I turned my horse into the woods after him, being at full run. About twenty feet from the road my horse ran under a swinging grapevine which caught me about the middle of the body. I was suspended for a moment in mid-air, with my feet tangled in the stirrup, then my saddle girt broke and I fell heavily to the ground. Just after I left the road, my companion overtook and captured several musicians on foot.
While I was busily repairing the effects of my disaster, several of our comrades passed and in a short distance were saluted with a volley from an infantry force that had formed across the road. At this volley they turned and fled, except one whose horse being unmanageable carried him into and through this body of infantry where he escaped to the woods with no injury except a wound to his horse.
Though we had now discovered the presence of a large infantry force, we took advantage of their demoralization and returned over the ground that had been covered in the melee and gathered up the spoils of victory.
These included a considerable quantity of arms and other material of war and many prisoners. A great many of the latter however not being closely guarded during the fight had escaped to the woods, and soon rejoined their friends. Some persons who passed over the entire distance of our pursuit reported the number of killed as twenty-one, including General McCook. This report we could not verify as it was necessary for us to retreat as soon as the enemy began to rally. Among our prisoners was one of General McCook's staff. Most of the prisoners captured were Germans and could not speak English. We retreated as soon as we had secured the spoils, and found safety in our stronghold in the mountains.
When the demoralized troops of General McCook were reorganized, they began to execute their vengence upon the defenseless inhabitants of the country. Every house along the line of their march, for many miles, was burned to the ground. Even the family who had sheltered their unfortunate commander in his dying moments and ministered to his last wants suffered the common fate. These citizens were wholly innocent of complicity with us. It is to be hoped that this terrible vengence was the venting of the blind fury of the common soldiers and that it was not authorized by the officers in command.
Among the trophies of this fight was the sword which had been presented to General McCook by the Congress of the United States and which bore upon its blade an inscription commendatory of his gallantry. This sword was returned to his family after the war by Captain Gurley.
The results of the skirmish were highly beneficial to the inhabitants of that region, excepting those who were in the immediate vicinity and who suffered as before described. It put an end to the depredations of straggling parties, and forced the enemy to keep in compact bodies in marching. To those who were the immediate actors it brought another benefit. Through the Federal officer who was captured, communications were opened with the Federal authorities and our officers were enabled to show their commissions, and obtain for us recognition as regular Confederate troops with all rights of belligerents.
In a few days our prisoners were released on parole and these paroles were respected by the Federal authorities.
The reputation of a brave, skillful and honorable officer of the Confederate army demands that I should so far depart from the thread of my narrative as to relate the aftereffects of this adventure upon Captain Gurley himself. I believe no statement has ever been published that puts this affair before the public from the Confederate standpoint.
The reports of this skirmish that reached the north caused great indigination. it was charged that General McCook fell by the hand of Gurley himself after having surrendered. One statement was that he was murdered while lying sick in an ambulance. Captain Gurley was represented as a desperado, and declared to be an outlaw. In 1863 this gallant officer was captured. Instead ob being treated as a prisoner of war, he was incarcerated in the state penitentiary of Tennessee, and held there until the close of the war.
In the first election after the war he was honored by his fellow citizens of Madison County, Alabama, with the office of sheriff. While holding that office, the malice of political enemies trumped up the old charges against him and he was arrested, heavily ironed, thrown into jail, tried by a military court and condemned to death.
In all these proceedings there was great haste, and the conviction was entirely upon false testimony. A reprieve was granted by the President until he could himself investigate the matter, and after a careful hearing of the evidence, he overruled the sentence of the court and set Captain Gurley at liberty.
It is certain the the McCook fight was as great a surprise to us as it was to the enemy. We accidently ran into them. We fought without premeditation, deliberation, plan or purpose; our success was wholly due to the fact that, to use one of General Forrest's expressions, we got the bulge on them.
Had we known what lay before use, it is probable we would have withdrawn without firing a shot. Had we with deliberate purpose made a calvary charge upon a division of Federal infantry we have shown ourselves as courageous and as well-disciplined as the famous Light Brigade, whose heroic charge into the valley of death will live in history, in story, and in song while humanity retains its admiration of heroism.
Such honor we have never claimed.
Photographs of the reunion of the 4th Regiment taken at Captain Gurley's home in New Hope, Madison County, Alabama in July, 1906.....
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