A Hoosier Escapes Brice’s Crossroads

Following the Federal defeat at the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads on June 10, 1864, Private Nathan Browning of the 93rd Indiana attributed his successful escape to Memphis to the lucky assistance of General Benjamin Grierson’s cavalry.

After narrowly escaping capture near a farmhouse, Browning saw a number of his comrades sitting down, worn out and quietly awaiting capture. “I said no. So, I left them sitting until the Rebels came up and told them to throw their hands up, and they were marched back and soon in the pen, stripped of their best clothing and valuables,” Browning recalled in 1893. “I was still on the run, caught up with the Union cavalry and footed it with them over that rough country by the aid of grasping the horse by his tail which enabled me to make good my escape. Comrades, that was one of times that it was tail hold or none, so I hung on, just like a bulldog and it was well that I did.”

          Private Browning’s description of the retreat after Brice’s Crossroads first saw publication in the October 12, 1893, edition of the Weekly Toledo Blade as part of the Camp Fires series, a weekly column featuring soldiers’ reminiscences that ran through much of the 1890s. Browning, an 18 year old resident of Heltonville, Indiana joined Co. F of the 93rd Indiana on December 24, 1863, and mustered out November 10, 1865.

 

Private George Kimbrue of Co. C, 93rd Indiana was among those lucky few of Browning's comrades who successfully made the escape to Memphis after Brice's Crossroads. He is holding a fierce looking saber bayonet along with a pistol, likely photographer's props. By the time of Brice's Crossroads, the 93rd Indiana carried a mix of Springfield and Enfield rifle muskets, about an equal number of each according to the Q2 1864 ordnance report. 

          Being a reader of your interesting paper and especially interested in the Camp Fire columns, I desire to contribute a pine knot to keep the fire burning. I was one of the boys who belonged to Smith’s guerillas as we were commonly called in the days of the late rebellion. Be it remembered by the old comrades that A.J. Smith commanded the 16th Army Corps after the defeat of Sturgis at Guntown or Brice’s Crossroads in northeast Mississippi. On the 10th day of June 1864, I was in that battle and had to retreat three days and nights without rest and without grub. The distance was 120 miles to Memphis, Tennessee, the only place of safety.

          As well as I can recollect, the battle did not last over three hours but it was fierce. General N.B. Forrest, commanding the Confederates, had 15,000 men while the Federals had but 5,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry. [Browning is exaggerating here; Forrest had much closer to 5,000 men] Our ammunition and supply train and batteries fell into the hands of the Confederates while most of the infantry was captured. The cavalry, under General Benjamin Grierson, returned to Memphis.

          I well remember that General Sturgis told General Grierson that he had better surrender his cavalry, but the brave Grierson did not do so, but fought his way back to Memphis and he is the man who saved me from the awful hell of Andersonville prison.

Browning's savior after Brice's Crossroads: General Benjamin H. Grierson of Illinois. 

          On the second day of the struggle, I changed to get with Sergeant John N. Ross of my company. We were traveling along together and all at once we were surprised by the 1st Kentucky Cavalry making a charge in order to capture all the boys that they could. Now, it was “legs, take us away!” On we went and came to a farmhouse on a small knoll and it so happened that some women and children were in the house at the time. Comrade Ross ran into the house and I ran around; Ross poked his gun out at the enemy and a Rebel fell from his horse. Six men were killed at that house.

          After we emerged from that house, we came together again. About 250 yards from the house, we fell in with Sergeant Lewis Norman. The cry was “Boys, you better stop and surrender!” There were several who had sat down in order to give themselves up. I said no. So, I left them sitting until the Rebels came up and told them to throw their hands up, and they were marched back and soon in the pen, stripped of their best clothing and valuables.

I was still on the run, caught up with the Union cavalry and footed it with them over that rough country by the aid of grasping the horse by his tail which enabled me to make good my escape. Comrades, that was one of times that it was tail hold or none, so I hung on, just like a bulldog and it was well that I did.

          Now, if any comrade reads this letter who was in that battle, let him throw something on the fire to keep it blazing. I was brigaded with the 93rd and 114th Illinois, 26th Indiana, 9th and 10th Minnesota, and 72nd and 95th Ohio. We were the First Brigade, First Division, 16th Army Corps.  

To read more about the Battle of Brice’s Crossroads, please check out the following posts:

 "Skinned out for Memphis like Tam O'Shanter with the devil after him" General Sturgis, the 72nd Ohio, and the Guntown Disaster

The 72nd Ohio at the Battle of Brice's Crossroads 

Gunned Down at Guntown (20th Tennessee Cavalry)

Source: 

“A Rough Escape,” Private Nathan Browning, Co. F, 93rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Weekly Toledo Blade (Ohio), October 12, 1893, pg. 3

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