Campaigning with the "old tub of guts" William Nelson

     John Purvis of the 51st Ohio had seen his fair share of general officers during the war, but William “Bull” Nelson was a favorite. “General Nelson is well liked by all his men as he has a brave generous heart beneath his forbidding exterior,” Purvis noted in July 1862. “We were all glad to see ‘old tub of guts’ as his boys call him. The cares and trials of the war have stamped their mark upon him, making him look much older than when we saw him only five months ago. His then smooth brow is deeply furrowed and his hair, which was dark as the raven’s wing, is now quite gray. But he is substantial as ever, as caustic too, as any offending person soon finds out.”

          In this letter dating from July 27, 1862, Purvis recalls a series a marches his regiment undertook under Nelson's command in middle Tennessee chasing after roving bands of Confederate cavalry. Just two weeks before, Forrest and his troopers had swooped down on Murfreesboro and captured most of the garrison in what was a hugely embarrassing defeat for the Union army. The arrival of Bull Nelson from Alabama was an attempt on Buell’s part to infuse some drive into the middle Tennessee troops in the wake of Murfreesboro, and Purvis appreciated Nelson’s arrival. Within a month, Nelson would be sent north to Kentucky to organize raw troops and would be caught up in the opening strokes of Kirby Smith’s Kentucky campaign.

          Purvis was a regular writer to the Tuscarawas Advocate; this letter saw publication in its August 15, 1862 edition.

 

Brigadier General William "Bull" Nelson of Kentucky became a legend in the western Federal armies. A giant of a man at over six feet in height and over 300 lbs, he possessed a booming voice and command of profanity that shocked and delighted his troops. His best day of the war was at Shiloh where his drive and energy made a significant contribution to victory. The troops had a host of nicknames for Nelson including "Bull," "Old Buster," and as Purvis points out, the "old tub of guts."

 Murfreesboro, Tennessee

July 27, 1862         

Mr. Patrick,

When we left Camp Meigs last November, two large trains were required to take us to Wellsville, now the whole regiment can travel on one train of less than a dozen ordinary freight cars, which it did in coming from Tullahoma to this place. Not that we are so reduced in numbers, for though many have fallen victims to disease and exposure, this is one of the biggest regiments in the field. But those cars were all crowded inside, on the top, and even hanging to the sides with human freight in a way that was never dreamed of before this war began, reminding one of bees clinging around the hive when about to swarm. This way of traveling was far from pleasant, certainly. The hot sun and black dust from the engine made it every disagreeable, but it was better far than marching on dusty roads through the scorching heat with a small supply of water, and no one complained of the scanty room.

All were glad, too, to get away from that poverty-stricken place, Tullahoma, where nothing was to be obtained of any kind, every store and grocery being cleaned out and the woods nearly cleaned of pigs, calves, and other game, which at first were plenty and where the people live almost exclusively upon cornbread, innocent of salt or any other seasoning; surely this was no desirable abiding place, and we left our laboriously formed fortifications and entrenchments with little regret. Upon reaching Wartrace, we found it as it was when we left it a few days previous, though a rumor was afloat that the guerillas had destroyed the depot-but no Rebels had been there at all.

          We are again under our old commander, General William Nelson, he having come up from Alabama immediately after hearing of the fight here. The rough and ready old general is vowing vengeance against the guerillas, swearing he will have them or follow them to hell and he is just the man to clean them out. He has the same men who were under him last winter at Camp Wickliffe and who came with us to Nashville, and we renewed our acquaintance with our old friends in the 6th and 24th Ohio, and the 36th Indiana. General Nelson is well liked by all his men as he has a brave generous heart beneath his forbidding exterior. We were all glad to see ‘old tub of guts’ as his boys call him. The cares and trials of the war have stamped their mark upon him, making him look much older than when we saw him only five months ago. His then smooth brow is deeply furrowed and his hair, which was dark as the raven’s wing, is now quite gray. But he is substantial as ever, as caustic too, as any offending person soon finds out.

          On the night of the 22nd we received orders to march the ensuing morning at daylight. Next morning at 3 o’clock, the bugle sounded for us to fall out and form in line of battle. Marching orders were countermanded, but at 5 we were again ordered to prepare to march as quickly as possible, taking only our canteens and two days’ rations in our haversacks, and to leaves tents together with other baggage as they were. Soon the advancing column began to file past our camp (we being farther out) toward Nashville. Regiment after regiment marched past, both of infantry and cavalry, then came the long line of artillery, the whole making a more warlike array than we had seen for months, isolated as we had been from the army. By 6 o’clock, the whole column was moving onward toward Nashville. As General Nelson had been marching all summer, he knew how men should go, so we went very leisurely, going only seven miles till noon. While coming from Nashville on the same road, we had marched 15 miles in the same time. We all turned into a wood and rested until 3 o’clock, then resumed our march, it being rumored that Nashville must be reached before next morning. We continued on until 8 o’clock, having then got within 12 miles of the city. However, here we halted at first thinking that it was only for a short rest, but the signal to move forward not being given at the usual time, all laid down in the road and slept until 4 o’clock next morning; many having nothing on except shirt and pants, and it rained, too, as usual.

"The men felt instinctively that they had a leader and although they still feared him to be a harsh, unbending disciplinarian, he had already secured their confidence and rapidly gained their esteem." ~ Corporal Ebenezer Hannaford, 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on General William Nelson 

          In the meantime, General Nelson (who never seems to sleep) and a portion of the cavalry had gone on to the city and found all right there; only some bridges had been burned within three miles of Nashville. The cause of our coming was the report that Beauregard was marching to take the city. And it is said by some of our soldiers who have come from there since, that many of the citizens were jubilant over the news, some of them even openly insulting Federal soldiers. But they said as the night passed away and no Beauregard came, the visages of the Secesh began to grow long and next day were of wonderful length and looking exceedingly crestfallen.

          Since all was right at the capital, it was useless to go there, so the column was about-faced and marched back the way it came for three miles, when we turned to the left, taking the Lebanon turnpike. Not having rested much the previous night, all were somewhat tired. It was a beautiful country through which we traveled that day- the best I have seen in Tennessee. There were large plantations, adorned with princely dwellings, an abundance of fruit trees which were groaning under their burdens of ripening fruit. And there were many broad acres of corn and beautiful fields of cotton. Altogether, everything looked well. There were also numerous streams and springs, so there was no lack of water. Though we marched fast and far, it was a pleasure to travel in such a country. But the inhabitants being rich aristocrats, are of course, all rampant Secesh, helping the Rebel bands to the extent of their ability in furnishing them with horses and equipment. We such people we can have no sympathy, so we carried off whatever of this we conveniently could.

A Federal foraging party goes after the swine in the shadows of a Southern mansion. By the summer of 1862, Buell's soldiers had started to rebel against their chieftain's strictures against unsanctioned foraging. The idea of guarding the livestock and gardens of unrelenting secessionists while scraping by on half rations of worse broke down morale and discipline as the summer continued. 

          In the evening, we came to where a party of guerillas had fed their horses; from appearances there must have been a considerable number, and as we were then but seven miles from Murfreesboro, it was feared they might have attacked the small force left there. A Negro informed us they had passed only two hours previous- so General Nelson sent the cavalry on as fast they could go. However, they saw nothing of the Secesh. But the frightened our men in town badly as they came dashing in amid a cloud of dust. The shadows of twilight were beginning to settle over the earth, so that they could not see whether friend or foe was coming. But they prepared to resist manfully, going into the courthouse and filling every door and window with their forces, and with bayonets fixed and guns loaded, would have given the enemy a warm reception, for some of the brave officers of the 51st commanded.

          They say when the Secesh citizens saw the cavalry coming and heard the order for them to fall in, they came out of their houses and began to strut around with heads erect and defiant looks; but when they saw the doors and windows of the courthouse bristling with muskets pointed at them, they quickly retreated within their houses; and when our cavalry came in, not a man dared show himself. Our boys in the courthouse would have liked nothing better than to give them a quietus.

          Towards 9 o’clock we reached Murfreesboro, having marched in two days 55 miles and having slept but little while gone, we were both wearied and sleepy. Thinking how pleasant it would be to have some warm coffee for supper and then go to sleep with our blankets between us and the hard damp ground, we drew near our camp where our tents had been left standing. But upon coming to where we left them, lo, no tents were there! All was a blank; nothing but the gloomy dark woods, a cheerless prospect for men as hungry and tired as we were; it was cold, too, as the nights here often are, however warm the day may have been. However, there was no help for it, nor was it any use to get out of humor, so we laid down under the trees as we had done many times before and went to sleep. Next day, we got our tents, knapsacks, etc. so we are all right again.

 Yours respectfully,

John H. Purvis

 

 

Source:

Letter from Corporal John H. Purvis, Co. B, 51st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Tuscarawas Advocate (Ohio), August 15, 1862, pg. 1

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular Posts

Arming the Buckeyes: Longarms of the Ohio Infantry Regiments

Image
     A common question that comes up in conversation about Civil War Buckeye regiments is "What were they armed with?" We are fortunate in that the state of Ohio kept good records of how the regiments were armed when they went into service, this being especially true for those regiments which went into service in 1861 and 1862. The state adjutant general's reports for 1861 and 1862 have been heavily drawn upon to construct this article, as well as consultation with Phil Spaugy who has done extensive research on how Ohio's troops were armed during the war.      Buckeyes carried a fairly wide variety of weapons into the field, and the below article breaks this down into weapons of both domestic manufacture and imported arms. The early days of the war found the state of Ohio practically bereft of longarms; as an example, when the 1st and 2nd Ohio Volunteer Militia left the state in late April 1861, they left unarmed, being armed at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on their way to
Read more

Bullets for the Union: Manufacturing Small Arms Ammunition During the Civil War

Image
       Civil War bullets are perhaps the most common item collected from the era; the two armies expended bullets by the millions during the four years’ conflict and spent or deformed bullets of all shapes and sizes have made fascinating and affordable collectibles since the guns went silent in 1865.       I recently acquired a display piece featuring 35 different types of small arms ammunition used during the Civil War, including everything from a small .28 caliber ball up to a .69 caliber three-ring Minie and it triggered some questions: how did the Federal army obtain its small arms ammunition during the war? Where did the lead come from to make the bullets, and where and how was the ammunition manufactured? This post seeks to answer those questions. A typical .58 caliber 3-ring Minie bullet   “Whenever the blasts of war blow in the ears of men who trade in the implements of destruction, they are apt to experience more joy than the true warrior, for then comes the harvest of gain.
Read more

Dressing the Rebels: How to Dye Butternut Jeans Cloth

Image
     In the early days of the Civil War,  the Southern states found themselves with an abundance of cotton but a shortage of cloth with which to make army uniforms. The trade in cloth prior to the war had largely been to send raw cotton or wool north to New England (or Great Britain) where it was converted into usable cloth; but now that trade was broken and the Southern states were thrown upon their own resources in their efforts to properly clothe the Confederate army.  This collection of Confederate enlisted men's frock coats and shell jackets gives some indication of the variety of shades of butternut worn during the war. All of them are shades of yellow brown, some heavier on the yellow and some heavier on the brown. The blue used around the collar or as rank insignia indicates that the soldier was in the infantry. Surviving Confederate uniforms are considered rather rare and command quite a healthy price in the collecting market. For an in-depth study of how Confederate jacke
Read more

The Wizard of Oz and the Civil War

Image
T he 1939 film The Wizard of Oz has delighted viewers for 85 years and ranks as a personal favorite, especially during the Halloween season. While watching it with the family the other night, I wondered if there were any connections between the film and the Civil War. Not surprisingly, the answer is yes and those connections touch both the blue and the gray.           Interestingly both “witches” in the film not only had Civil War ancestors but had connections with Civil War soldiers from Ohio. Margaret Hamilton, the “Wicked Witch of the West,” was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 9, 1902, to attorney Walter Jones Hamilton and his wife Mary Jane Adams; Margaret’s grandfather was Judge Edwin Timothy Hamilton. Judge Hamilton had served as a private in Co. D of the 84 th Ohio Infantry during the summer of 1862. The 84 th Ohio, a three months’ regiment, served nearly the whole of its service attached to the Railroad District in western Maryland, performing provost duty at Cumberlan
Read more

The Vaunted Enfield Rifle Musket

Image
     The English-made Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield Rifle Musket was widely regarded as the best infantry arm in the world at the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861. Favorable international press describing its efficiency in the Crimean War and in suppressing the Indian rebellion led to the widespread desire of American infantrymen (both Federal and Confederate) to be armed with these accurate and well-made arms. The lock plate of this well-worn P1853 Enfield rifle musket produced in 1862 shows the typical markings of a British-made weapon that made it through the Federal blockade.  ( Army of Tennessee Relics ) Enfield-pattern weapons were imported into the states by the tens and hundreds of thousands during the war years; one estimate stated that the Federal government purchased 500,000 while the Confederates purchased another 400,000. The Confederate government dispatched Captain Caleb Huse to Europe in April 1861 to purchase weapons and Huse focused on securing all the Enfi
Read more

In front of Atlanta with the 68th Ohio

Image
  The arrow corps badge of the 17th Army Corps was worn by many members of the 68th Ohio in the latter days of the war.       Private Edward A. Bigelow of Co. F of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry wrote this brief account of the Battle of Atlanta just two days afterwards to his father back home in Henry County, Ohio. The regiment formed a part of Colonel Robert K. Scott's three regiment all-Ohio brigade consisting of the 20th, 68th, and 78th regiments, being designated the Second Brigade of the Third Division of Frank Blair's 17th Army Corps. Bigelow's letter originally appeared in the Napoleon Press newspaper and was copied in the Toledo Daily Commercial which was providential as no known copies exist today of the wartime Napoleon Press.  
Read more

Charging Battery Robinett: An Alabama Soldier Recalls the Vicious Fighting at Corinth

Image
W riting 30 years after the Battle of Corinth, James A. McKinstry of the 42 nd Alabama recalled his experiences storming Battery Robinett with Colonel William P. Rogers of the 2 nd Texas and expressed guilt that it was perhaps his action that brought about the colonel’s demise. “On seeing a line of Federals approaching, and before giving the situation a thought, I immediately raised my gun and fired full into the breast of a Federal sergeant, who was in front of the column, and only a short distance from us.  'Twas then that Captain George Foster shouted, "Cease firing, men! cease firing!" and waved his handkerchief, then I realized the true situation. 'Twas too late! That fatal volley had been turned on our little band from the muzzles of 1,500 muskets. I was still standing just as I was when I fired my last shot, and within a few feet of Colonel Rogers, when a Minie ball went crashing through my left hip and turned me half round; another went tearing through my
Read more

Federal Arms in the Stones River Campaign

Image
  T he following list, constructed after many years of research, lists unit by unit which type of weapons were carried by the Army of the Cumberland during the Stones River campaign. A number of sources were consulted including state ordnance reports, Federal quarterly ordnance reports (thank you Research Arsenal ), Ken Baumann’s Arming the Suckers, regimental histories and memoirs, captured ordnance reports, and consultation with knowledgeable experts in the field of firearms. Some of this information has been shared on the blog before in “ Rosy’s Heavy Metal: Artillery of the Army of the Cumberland ” or “ Shoulder Arms: How Sheridan’s and Davis’s Divisions Were Armed at Stones River ” but this is the first time the army as a whole has been presented. The overall conclusion I drew from looking at this data is that the Army of the Cumberland in December 1862 was an organization in the midst of transformation as far as arms. Many of the regiments still retained their original issue
Read more

Cook & Brother of New Orleans

Image
    The lockplate of a New Orleans-made Cook & Brother Enfield rifle produced in 1862 shows the fine craftsmanship that became the hallmark of the maker throughout the Civil War. Note the stars and bars flag at left, an emblem used on C&B's production throughout the war and the Cook & Brother, N.O. 1862 markings. Earlier production weapons at New Orleans had the flag located just above the maker's name while later weapons produced in Athens, Georgia would have a modified flag and Athens on the plate followed by the serial number.        In the spring of 1861, two English-born businessmen, Ferdinand and Francis Cook of New Orleans, perceived the need for the South to have its own domestic production of firearms and  set out to prove "that rifles could made here as well as in Yankee land or in Europe." The brothers  elected to produce copies of the British Model 1853 .577 caliber Enfield rifle as this was considered the benchmark longarm at the outset of the
Read more

Revisiting Snodgrass Hill: Memories of a 21st Ohio Officer

Image
Captain Isaac Cusac, Co. G, 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry proudly displaying his rank as captain in an image likely dating from early 1863. One of his shoulder straps was shot off in the final stages of the 21st Ohio's fight atop Snodgrass Hill on September 20, 1863. Cusac brought it back to Chickamauga 50 years later.  I n September 1913, 83-year-old Isaac Cusac, a retired Presbyterian minister from the little town of McComb, Ohio, returned to Chattanooga to attend the national G.A.R. encampment. The former captain of the 21 st Ohio returned to Snodgrass Hill on the old Chickamauga battlefield on the 50 th anniversary of the battle carrying with him a precious relic of his wartime experiences. “He carried with him there an epaulet that was shot from his shoulder at the battle,” it was reported. “The bullet clipped off the epaulet and then struck him on the left hand, injuring two fingers.”           The flood of memories as he walked the grounds must have been overwhelming. The f
Read more