Claiborne's History of Terry's Texas Rangers (Part 5)

A Confederate Cavalry Regiment Engaged in the Unfortunate War Between the States
NEW BIRMINGHAM TIMES, undated clipping, 1891.

continued from last issue

VARIOUS COMPLIMENTARY REMARKS AND EXCERPTS FROM DIFFERENT GENERAL ORDERS READ OUT TO THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE

General Braxton Bragg under whom the Rangers were longer than any other general commander, inquired of Gen. Joseph Wheeler, the then major general, what cavalry had gone to the rear to destroy Rosecrans supply trains; Wharton's people was the reply. Then said Gen.Bragg, they will do it well, and my information from them will be reliable. Any compliment coming from Gen. Bragg is appreciated for many reasons.

At a critical period on one of the raids under Gen. Bedford Forest into Tennessee, a colonel of one of his regiments asked to be allowed to unsaddle, and rest, when Forrest turned to his adjutant general and asked what command is on picket, when he got the reply, "Texas Rangers," all right, unsaddle and go to sleep, you are as safe as if you were in the breastworks, they will hold their place until ordered away or h--l freezes over. At Perryville, Ky, when no mistake could be made that would not prove most disastrous, Gen. Bragg asked of his advisors, who shall be sent on the wing to attract attention and interest and open the battle while the army moves across the open field to attack? I want the best cavalry that we have, and the fighting will be necessarily very severe, and they must stay until the army gets over and into battle. His advisors said the Texans; but, said Bragg, these men are not made of iron, they have been now in saddle and under fire for thirty-five days and nights; but, said he, send for Gen. Wharton and we will see what he says. Whatever the reply was, the Rangers fired the first gun, captured the first battery and stayed until the bullets from Bragg admonished them to retire. Their action in this fight aided (more than other) Gen. Bragg to continue his retreat out of Kentucky.

Go, said Gen. Forrest, to an aid de camp and tell the Texas Rangers to take that battery and drive the support of infantry across the creek, right away. It was done.

Gen. Thomas Harrison was a man of but few words and chary of laudation, but when he did compliment, his stereotyped expression was: "You have done well," "you have done well."

In the great charge made by the remnant of the Rangers in the last pitched battle of the war led by Capt. J. F. Matthews, a beardless boy (even at this date,) Gen. Hardee who witnessed it, remarked, "the old guard of Napoleon, the men at Thermopolye, and at Balaklava were not their equals. Such men can never be defeated they can only be calmed in death. In that charge Gen. Hardee lost his son, who had enlisted a few days before in Company D of the Rangers.

Col. Gustave Cook (the living lead mine of the Rangers) when asked if he could carry a certain dangerous, but necessary position by repulsing the enemy and an 8 gun battery, laconically said in reply: "We can do it, or we can die." We refer to this gallant man as a living lead mine because he was oftener wounded severely than any other man of the Rangers, even twice in one battle. Gen. Hardee, it will be remembered, ordered the Rangers (and witnessed it in person) into the memorable charge at Shiloh at midday April the 6th, 1862, and afterwards, I have never witnessed a charge like it, if the war lasts long, there will be but few of them left to tell the tale.

Gen. Leonidas Polk, the priestly general, said of them at Perryville and Bardstown, the Rangers are a cyclone and a wonder; the Mamalukes are not comparable to them, they move like the wind, and have absolutely no fear or regard for results.

Gen. Bedford Forrest said look at the Texas Rangers, by G-d, they go into an eight gun battery and the support like they were feed wagons.

Col. LaGrange of the Federal army was captured near Cleveland by John Hannie, company F, but did not desire to shack his arms to an inferior, and John said, all Rangers rank colonels in the yankee army, and LaGrange said, I think you are correct, and John brought him in.

At Cassville, Georgia, the Rangers were down off their horses resting on the grass when all in a minute, some Confederates were seen flying in retreat and in a very great disorder and confusion. The gallant Rangers mounted and formed and moved to meet their pursuers, and the fight became hand to hand. Soon their commander, a Kentucky Federal, said: "H--l men, we are fighting Texas, every man cover his own rear, and d--mn quick at that, or its h--l or Andersonville."

On an occasion when the Rangers were covering the rear and facing Gen. Thomas, the greatest of Federal generals, he asked his chief of cavalry what troops are in our front, the reply was Texans. Then, said the general, it will take more time, but we will lose less men by flanking them.

Capt. James McIntyre, a native Texan, but when the war broke out was at West Point, and stayed with the north, commanded the Fourth Ohio Regulars, (who were not Ohioans,) this command met the Rangers more often on picket and in battle, than any other in the Federal army, (and Capt. McIntyre said to the writer that the Rangers had killed and wounded his men faster than ships could bring them from Europe). Capt. McIntyre was the schoolmate of several of the Rangers, including this compiler.

One on occasion, he had a preemptory order to drive the enemy before him. His reply was: "It is easy to order, hard to fulfill, they are the Terry Rangers, and for three years I have been trying to drive them, and there are a thousand Fourth Ohio graves made by these fellows; they don't drive worth a cent.

We are informed that McIntyre refused promotion in the provisional army, and refused to command any other than the regular troops, but was a persistent and regular fighter.

Gen Hood, in passing over a battle field, found a dead man with spurs on, and he at once said to an aid, go over to Gen. Thomas Harrison and tell him one of his men lays over here unburied. Said the aide, but general, it may not be one of his men (a Texan), Yes, but it is very likely, when you find a dead man with spurs on, he is either a Texan or some fellow who was with them in the fight.

At Yellow Bayou, La., John A. Wharton was being hard pressed, and his men wavered, exclaimed: Oh, if the Rangers were here for one single minute, they don't know how to waiver. I want rations for the Rangers, said Capt, Jenkins, the commissary of the Rangers to the brigade commissary. Oh, you be blowed, was the reply, the Rangers have been feeding the whole division for a year, by capturing Yankee supplies. Go back and tell the Rangers to divvy up, square, or go out and find a supply train and bring it in.

At one time two officers in conversation, one said, "Do you know that nearly every Ranger is exempt from service, under the law?" "No, I do not," was the reply. "In what way?" "Well, more than half could go home under the 20 negro law--some of them is so near sighted they can't see the gun sights. You see many of them are maimed, a few are long past the age, and many recruits are below the age. There are several ministers of the gospel and others are doctors, some have been elected to civil office at home. Why sir, there are men in it that have refused promotion, and they make details for the non-commissioned officers. That regiment are volunteers.

Why, sir; when there is hazardous and intelligent duty to be performed, a forlorn hope for instance, the duty to be performed is explained, and the more hazardous the duty the more of them volunteer to undertake it."

"Well sir; these being facts, they are anomaly at this period of affairs."

While passing in a hurry by some infantry, on one occasion, the webb feet called out; "The critter company is skeedadling--running like whipped curs. Look out boys, in two or three hours you will see 8 or 10 yanks." To which a general officer said, "Those are Terry's Texas Rangers. They may be whipped, but if they find out it will be to them a strange sensation, for they have never felt it," and this officer at once began preparing for action. He had seen them at Shiloh and at Perryville. That man was William J. Hardee. He again saw the Rangers at Peach Tree, on July 22nd, 1864, and again at Bentonville, North Carolina, on the 23d of March, 1865.

Two officers discussing promotion, one made complaint of the slowness in his brigade, and the other remarked, "just go in a fight with Terry's Rangers and excel them in prowess, and you will get to h--l or get another star on your collar. The fact is the Rangers have been promoting fellows during the whole war. Now mind you, as a last sad injunction, in order to get that other star or a wreath and wear them to your own satisfaction, you must be a live man and following or leading the Rangers you can have five or six chances for an obituary notice instead of one for promotion."

Gen. John B. Hood's opinion of Wheeler's cavalry, and a brief description of their action while under their command, will not be out of place. As Harrison's brigade commanded a high place in his consideration, and the Rangers were the ideal of Harrison, and in all hazardous undertakings, when available, called for by Wheeler. On the 17th day of July, 1864, Gen. John B. Hood assumed command of the army of Tennessee, and he immediately began to prepare to become aggressive, and seemed to think the cavalry necessary to the purpose, and they were used without regard to the amount of fatigue, and fighting in and about Atlanta. They were sent to the right flank, to the left flank, and in the rear, dismounted and put into the rifle pits, sent on distant raids, cutting off supply trains, destroying bridges, capturing munitions of war, etc., all of which was duly appreciated by General Hood, and properly acknowledged in his general orders and in his book, styled "Advance and Retreat," on the 20th of July he says, "Through the vigilance of Wheeler [obscured]ived information of great [obscured] during the night."

All will remember that the information regarding the exposed position of Gen. McPherson near Decatur, was reported by the Rangers.

"At the battle of July 22nd, in front of Atlanta, Gen. Wheeler was ordered to go with Hardee's right with all the cavalry at his disposal. Hardee, with all his infantry, and with Wheeler's cavalry, succeeded in forcing back and throwing into confusion the left of the Federals and drove them back to Peach Tree Creek from right to left. It will be remembered that the Rangers were in front all that day, making no less than three different charges. The next day's fighting, Wheeler having gone toward Decatur, that night Gen. Sherman speaks as follows of it. "Although the sound of musketry in my front grew in volume, I was not so much disturbed by it as by the sound of artillery back towards Decatur." Gen. Hood says this alarming sound proceeded from the guns of the gallant Wheeler--Rangers still in front.

Gen Hood says: "Gen. Wheeler started (from the army at Atlanta) on the 27th of July in pursuit of the Federal cavalry which had moved around the Confederate right and was very annoying. Gen. W. H. (Red) Jackson with two brigades of Harrison and Ross, pressed rapidly to Camp {?]ellton, where they separated to meet the enemy, going towards the Macon road. Harrison in front with the Rangers did all the work of the advance and it is well remembered that the task then was no light one, and at the end of that particular raid Gen. Wheeler sent the following dispatch to Gen. Hood from Newnan:

"We have just completed the killing, capturing and breaking up of the entire raiding party under McCook and Stoneman; fourteen hundred and fifty prisoners, two pieces of artillery and twelve hundred horses and equipments captured and rest of the command scattered and flying toward Eatonton, Ga., many have been killed."

For casualties in this fight see muster roll, which attests the fact that the Rangers were prominently to the fore as usual.

Gen. Hood says further, "Wheeler having thus thoroughly crippled the Federal cavalry, I determined to send him into Tennessee and have him operate south of Chattanooga, which was done, and of them Gen. Sherman says: "The Rebel, Gen. Wheeler was still in Tennessee threatening our rail roads." Now to show the effect of the Ranger's action in that campaign, Gen. Sherman says, "To prepare against Wheeler, I ordered Newton's division to Chattanooga, Corse's division to Rome, Rosseau at Nashville, Granger at Decatur, and Stedman at Chattanooga to adopt active measures to protect the safety of our communications."

It will be seen that it took the entire body of over 40,000 men to defend and protect themselves against less than 5,000 cavalrymen under Wheeler.

Hood says, page 202 of his book, in speaking of the cavalry under Gen. Wheeler, at this period:

"I had moreover become convinced that our cavalry was able to successfully compete with double their number. Fortunately they had not become demoralized upon Johnston's retreat in consequence of the habit of dismounting and fighting as infantry at one point to-day, and remounting and fighting as cavalry at another point to-morrow. As before stated our cavalry were not cavalrymen proper, except the Terry Rangers, but were mounted riflemen, and could without difficulty, meet and defeat the Federal cavalry. In this connection, it becomes my duty as well as pleasure, to make acknowledgements of the valuable service of the cavalry of the army of Tennessee, during my operation in Georgia and North Alabama and Middle Tennessee. I have not forgotten the outcry against the cavalry just prior to and after the close of the war. It was brought about by renegades from both armies, who did the outrages and charged it against the cavalry. I am confident that when the history of the struggle is written Wheeler and his command will occupy a high position.

In my opinion no body of cavalry were superior to that which I found guarding the army of Tennessee at the time I assumed its direction." (Of which body the Rangers were the central figure.)

This superb gentleman and incomparable soldier said many very kind things of the Rangers. This compiler was with him in Tennessee and every close to him from August 1st, 1864 to January 2d, 1865, and again after the war, and he said it is not invidious nor disparaging to any other, but the Rangers were superior to any cavalry I ever saw in battle.

[NOTE: In this article Claiborne was very lax in his use of quotation marks. I put them in where, and only where, he did. - P. Scott]

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