Spencer Talley, Part 4

Another Retreat

As I was wounded I could have boarded a train and gone to some Southern hospital until able for duty, but I preferred to remain with my company and had the privilege of riding our dead colonels horse as I was sore and not able to keep step with the boys on foot. We were not pursued by our enemy, and camped not many miles from Murfreesboro on the Shelbyville pike the first night. It was very cold and disagreeable night, being January 1st, 1863. (This is incorrect. AS) Not far from our camping ground stood an old church house in which soldiers had been camping before and I decided it would be better for me to spend the night in it and thus be out of the wet and cold, so with a lot of the men we took refuge to our sorrow afterwards, for on the next day I could feel something tickling in my undershirt and at camping time that evening. I made an examination to find the cause of it and found that I was badly infested with army lice. They have another name for the pest in this age but I can't think of it just now. On reaching Shelbyville I had all my clothes put in boiling water with a view of being rid of them but it was not so, but one of us more of less infested. We had been hearing of the critters for months but this was our first sight and experience with the annoying pest. A few months later we discovered a plan to their annihilation, which was to stretch our garments by inserting stiff brush and hold over a blazing fire until almost hot enough to burn. I don't know who made this discovery, but as soon as it was found to be a success, the news was passed down the line and it was not long before the pest was exterminated. Long before the war ended not a "Gray back" was to be found in the army. I mention this to let you know that in our Civil War, they were here to molest.

Recruiting Behind the Lines

We spent the remainder of the winter at Shelbyville and Tullahoma, our regiment was at the latter place. The killed, wounded and missing in our previous hard fought battles had materially depleted our ranks and we greatly needed recruits. To this end and purpose, General Bragg had a considerable number of officers to go back into our lost territory on a conscription tour, and endeavor to bring out all the able bodied young men. I was one of the detail and spent a month in this hazardous and almost impractical adventure. Those who were willing to go out and enter the army were the only ones we could reach. The entire country was overrun by the enemy and required a man who knew the country roads and people to even get in and out. Our only work was to earnestly plead with our young men the urgent necessity of their enlistment. I had many hazardous trips through the country and several narrow escapes from capture by the Yanks, having to hide and live in a cave three days and nights on one occasion to keep "home spun" Yanks from finding me. Once on your trail the Yanks could get all the information wanted from the negroes. In a fireside conversation I could no doubt tell you of the narrow escapes I had on some occasions that you would be interested in but to write out these details would require more time and space than I can give in this brief account of the part I took in the war. I was glad when I was released from this very dangerous and unpleasant duty imposed upon me. Just as I started back to the army at Tullahoma there was a flood of rain fell and all streams were out of banks. In passing from McMinnville to Tullahoma I had to swim Collin(?) River three times in less than three hours. It was high and running swift. But I was riding a strong and spirited horse, and to him I always felt grateful for having landed me safely over such a raging and turbulent stream as it was. Soon after my return, the army began moving across the Tennessee River at Bridgeport.

Chickamauga and Chattanooga

There were no happenings in our summer campaign that I now call to mind that would be interesting to you. I think it was about the 19th or 20th of September that the great Battle of Chicamauga was fought. I was in the battle from start to finish and came out without a scratch. The battle line through which our division fought was through a dense forest. The terrific shell fire through this timber land made a hideous and blood curdling scene. The trees were shattered into splinters and dead and wounded men covered with fragments of torn trees which almost covered the ground from the heavy guns on both sides. Trees as large as my body were severed in twain. It was about sunset when we drove the Yanks from their last stand and stronghold, completely routed and stampeded, and it had often been said that Bragg could have crushed the Federal forces had he pursued them in their flight. A complete finish of this victory would have reclaimed Tennessee which we so much needed.

However Bragg delayed several days for rest and recuperation. In the meantime the Federals were greatly reinforced and had taken their position on the south side of the river at Chattanooga. Bragg took his position on Missionary Ridge with the main army. Our brigade was sent to East Tennessee and remained there guarding the bridge at Charleston until the Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought. As soon as the Battle of Missionary Ridge became imminent, we had orders to leave Charleston and rush down to the main army, and I may state right here that in this move I and brother R.J. suffered a great loss in clothing. We had our long legged socks and heavy underwear packed and placed in our wagon that carried the clothing, and other things of our regimental officials. So great was our hurry to reach the battle ground that we left our wagon train to follow on, but the day after we left them, the Yanks cavalry made a sweep up that country and captured the train of wagons and all the teamsters as prisoners. Old brother W.H. Holman, now living, was driving the wagon and team containing things and witnessed the burning of the wagon and contents. This he told after the war, for he was placed at "Rock Island" prison and remained there until after the war. On reaching our army at Missionary Ridge, we were placed in position on the extreme right wing of our forces, which rested on a high point near the Tennessee River. From this point we were in full view of both sides. No attack was made on our position, and we had nothing to do but watch the contending forces on both sides from our splendid view point. It was the first and only battle I ever had the privilege of witnessing the maneuver of both sides. We could see the Yanks when solid columns marching on our one little long spun line reaching from the river to Lookout Mountain. Our boys put up a strong fight and in spite of their great manpower held them back until under the cover of night we withdrew in perfect order, falling back to Dalton, Georgia where we spent the remainder of the winter of 1863 - 64.

From Dalton to Atlanta

The entire loss of Tennessee was a hard blow to the Confederacy. General Bragg's failure of success brought about his removal and Joseph E. Johnston was placed in command. This change was pleasing and gratifying to the Southern army. The boys thought what "Old Joe" didn't know about handling an army wasn't worth much. Our Spring campaign did not fully begin until sometime in April when the two opposing armies began having clashes. The Yankees had fully two men to our one, so to meet them in the open and drive them back was a matter almost impossible.

Johnston's policy seemed to be to dally with them until he could have a favorable opportunity of striking them at a time and place that we could have some hope of success. It was a long fought battle lasting from April to the last of July, and is often referred to as the hundred days battle from Dalton to Atlanta. Johnston contested every foot of the way. Every day found us fighting. Some days the battle would rage furiously, while at times we would spend most of the day in skirmishing and seeking advantageous ground in the hill section through which we passed. So much could be said relative to this long contested battle, the tight squeezes we endured and hair breath escapes made, I feel unable to undertake a narration of only matters necessary to give you an idea of the privation and trials through which we passed. Resacca was a place where we had a fearful scramble with the Yanks. Here we lost our Colonel Sidney Stanton. He was standing on a log, talking to me, when he fell. I had command of the skirmish line in our front, and he was two hundred yards back with our main line, and was wanting me to so deploy my men as to make room for one of our batteries to play on the enemies approach. It was a sad and depressing sight to see this good man and gallant soldier drop to his death. The Yanks, we repulsed by our terrific shot and shell fire, but not before I had been hit on my right shoulder by a portion of an exploded shell which knocked me about twenty feet down a hillside. I was not seriously hurt, only bruised and stunned for a few minutes. I was not put out of business, though I had but little use of my right arm for some days.

Johnston continued his policy of fighting and retreating because the Federal lines were so much longer that they could flank us, and thus force us to it or suffer capture. This was kept up until we were near Atlanta, when the war department at Richmond decided to change horses and retired General Johnston and placed General John Hood in command. This change in generalship had a withering effect on the entire army. While Johnston had been retreating his men had the utmost confidence in his skill and ability as a leader and were in no way discouraged, and the appointment of Hood as his successor created a great riffle of excitement and dissatisfaction because his reckless and bulldog disposition was well known and many unfavorable things were spoken regarding his capacity to handle the army, and their expression of doubt was justified as will be seen in several failures.

On to Part 5