Most Complete Stampede I Ever Witnessed: A Tennessean at Brice’s Crossroads

     In November 1882, Major William Y. Baker who had formerly served in the 18th Tennessee Cavalry of Forrest’s command penned the following memoir of the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads in a letter to one of his adversaries on that battlefield, Gustavus Gessner who was at the time a hospital steward serving with the 72nd Ohio Infantry. The circumstances which led to Baker’s letter was Gessner’s very public effort to derail General Samuel Sturgis’ appointment to command of a national soldiers’ home. Gessner was captured in the aftermath of the battle, and like many of Sturgis’ soldiers, he held the General responsible for the disaster and felt he had no business being given command of a Johnny detail let alone a national soldiers’ home!

 Baker’s letter resides in the Gustavus Gessner papers held at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library in Fremont, Ohio. I have interspersed some quotes from other troopers of Forrest’s command to supplement Baker’s account.

 

The men of Forrest's cavalry command came from throughout the western Confederacy: Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Fighting as infantry at Brice's Crossroads, they proved their mettle as tenacious fighters and picked up hundreds of Union prisoners during the pursuit that followed. 

A few days previous to the fight at Brice’s Crossroads and Tishomingo Creek, Forrest’s command was considerably scattered, some in northern Alabama and other regiments and companies elsewhere. Fearing that a considerable force under the command of General Sturgis had left Memphis and were moving southward. Forrest dispatched scouts to watch the movements of Forrest and speedily collected about 3,000 men at Rienzi twelve miles south of Corinth.

Sometime after midnight on the morning of June 9th, scouts reported Sturgis moving on the road from Ripley to Guntown on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Marching orders were given, and our column moved off southward as rapidly as we could to prevent the raiders from reaching the railroad, as we feared they would tear up the Mobile & Ohio, our only means of reaching the Mississippi prairies, our then Egypt for a large section of the country. But owing to the recent rains and the bad condition of the roads, we did not reach the scene of action until about 2 o’clock, a distance from Rienzi of about 25 miles.

 

“The sun rose clear and high, the heat terrific, and the steam from the rain-soaked earth was almost unbearable for men or horses. For a week previous to the battle, the Confederates had been marching with scant periods or rest night and day through drenching rains and muddy roads and were much fatigued. Nevertheless, the officers and men were made invincible by a determination to conquer.” ~ Captain James Dinkins, aide-de-camp to General James R. Chalmers

 

One of our regiments, the 7th Kentucky, being one or two miles in advance of our main column, first encountered some of Sturgis’ scouts about two miles from Brice’s Crossroads on the road we were marching and drove them back rapidly to within a half mile of Brice’s house where they were reinforced. The Federals took shelter in and around some old outhouses and made a stubborn stand. Our regiment being reinforced, they were driven from their position slowly towards Brice’s house, receiving occasional reinforcements. Our road or line of march crossed theirs at Brice’s house at right angles. There the fight commenced in hot haste.

The flag of the 19th Mississippi Cavalry Battalion that became part of the 8th Mississippi Cavalry regiment serving under Rucker's Brigade of Forrest's command at Brice's Crossroads. 

Both armies were moving in columns and the roads being bad, both were considerably scattered. As soon as Forrest’s first regiment found the enemy, he put them to work and as each succeeding regiment reached the scene of action, they were ordered to the right or left of the lien already formed and fighting as the emergency seemed to require. This called for a frequent change in Sturgis’ line. Forrest was on the field and at the front all the time, taking the situation in at a glance as he rapidly moved up and down his line. Sturgis had taken quarters in Brice’s house where he received all his information through his aides and orderlies and dispersed his orders through them. Sturgis, no doubt, thought he was only encountering a bold scouting party of a few hundred strong, and that he would soon put them to flight and that Forrest was not near him.

 

“We were dismounted, leaving our horses with our number fours, and started at the double quick and just about that time one of our ambulances came up from the front with several wounded in it. Their groans and the sight of blood attracted our attention, and someone asked who was in there when we learned that it was our adjutant Sam Cushingberry who was badly wounded.” ~ Corporal D.B. Castleberry, Co. G, 3rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Bell's Brigade

 

East of the road we marched over and east of Brice’s house in the direction of Guntown, the direction of Sturgis’ march for about half mile was a dense copse of undergrowth, so thick that our movements could not be detected as we moved around to take our respective positions in line until near the enemy’s line. Regarding Forrest’s manner of attack: the rapidity with which his right and left flanks grew almost unperceived soon dispelled the idea of a mere scouting party and no doubt led Sturgis’ men to believe they were contending with a much larger force than Forrest had. As soon as Forrest’s men were all in line, a general charge was ordered (fighting as infantry) and then another and another with continuous success when the artillery Sturgis had in position at and about Brice’s was captured. These bold and intrepid charges together with the capture of their guns and a number of prisoners seemed to demoralize their most sturdy troopers and the rout began. Sturgis vacated his quarters unceremoniously and it is said went far in advance of his command perhaps with the thought that “he that fights and runs away may live to fight another day.”

 

“Mounted on a big sorrel horse, saber in hand, sleeves rolled up, his coat lying on the pommel of his saddle looking the very God of war, the General rode down our line as far as we could see him. I remember his words which I heard more than once: ‘Get up, men. I have ordered Bell to charge on the left. When you hear his guns and the bugle sounds, every man must charge, and we will give them hell.’ ~Private John Milton Hubbard, Co. E, 7th Tennessee Cavalry, Rucker's Brigade

 

This lockplate of a two-band Richmond-produced Enfield rifle is typical of what some of Forrest's troopers carried at Brice's Crossroads. Forrest preferred to arm his troops with rifle muskets like these since they tended to fight more like mounted infantry as opposed to cavalry. (Army of Tennessee Relics)

This commenced the most complete rout and stampede I ever witnessed. About one mile west of Brice’s is Tishomingo Creek, a deep, muddy stream through small but difficult to cross on horseback without bridges. In their flight, one of Sturgis’ wagons missed the bridge and being heavily loaded blocked the crossing, cutting off the escape for quite a number of wagons and several pieces of artillery, all of which with their stores were abandoned. The horses were, however, appropriated by the fleeing soldiers.

 

 “We had not gone far when the sharp crack of Enfields indicated that the conflict was on. The skirmishers were about 150-20 feet apart and we were in the timber. I could see the Yankee skirmishers dodging from one tree to another for shelter. I went through a yard but a little log house to my left and crossed the fence into the woods. While busily engaged in my immediate front, a Yankee crept obliquely to my right and taking advantage of a stump for shelter, as he put his gun over the stump, Captain Jones saw him and hallooed to me “Look out!” at the same time firing his pistol at Mr. Yank, who quickly took shelter behind a friendly tree just in time to save his scalp.” ~ Private W.D. Brown, Co. A, 8th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Bell's Brigade

 

We followed the disorganized command until late the next evening, capturing quite a number of prisoners, nearly all of whom threw away their guns and everything else that seemed to impede their movements. Many of them hat cut their pant legs off at the knees to get rid of the mud that adhered thereto. Some of Sturgis’ officers seemed to try and hold their command in an organized condition and made occasional stands to cover the retreat. About sunrise on the morning after the battle, some lieutenant colonel made a stubborn stand at Ripley. I think he was killed or badly wounded, but I have forgotten his name. This was the last stand that was made that amounted to anything. The entire command was broken up into small parties and squads, many of them taking to the woods and byways of the country. On our return, many were found in the woods, some secreted far from the houses or roads.

In a conversation with Mrs. Brice a few days after the battle, she informed me that she heard nearly all the reports brought to Sturgis by his aides and the orders that he gave. He thought it was a mere skirmish with a scouting party until a short time before the rout began. He did not believe that Forrest was in the same although she told him that it was Forrest he was fighting. She also stated that from Sturgis’ conduct and actions that she thought he was under the influence of intoxicants.

 

 

Sources:

Letter from Major William Y. Baker, 18th [19th] Tennessee Cavalry (Newsom’s), dated November 6, 1882, Gustavus Gessner Papers, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library

“The Battle of Brice’s Crossroads,” Captain James Dinkins, Confederate Veteran, October 1925, pgs. 380-381

“Lyon’s Brigade at Brice’s Crossroads,” Corporal D.B. Castleberry, Co. G, 3rd Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Confederate Veteran, January 1926, pg. 7

“Guntown or Brice’s X Roads Fight,” Private W.D. Brown, Co. A, 8th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, Confederate Veteran, December 1901, pg. 556

Hubbard, John Milton. Notes of a Private. Memphis: E.H. Clarke & Brother, 1909, pg. 96

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