The army was now making history fast and we could remain home only for a day or two. The boys knew Bate was largely outnumbered at Murfreesboro and hurried to their places. The battle of Overall's Creek was fought, and Adjutant Thoma B. Fowler lost a leg. In a day or two after, the second battle of Murfreesboro was fought; Colonel Shy commanded the consolidated Regiment, some of the men had not yet returned, Lieutenant Pete Edwards of Company D and Lieutenant W. E. Brothers of Company E were the company commanders. Brothers commanded companies E and H, till the close of the Nashville campaign. The battle was lost to us, not through want of courage on the part of men, nor of skill and tact on the part of General Bate,—but simply because we did not have men enough. In addition to the lack of men it was December, and the men were poorly clad, many were bare-foot, many had their feet wrapped in "green hides'' fastened on with whangs cut from the same, called mocasins, while others had their feet wrapped in rags from cast off clothing. Washington crossing the Delaware and marching on Trenton is noted in history, is represented on canvass, and celebrated in song and story; but that was a dash across the river, a short, quick march, a sharp fight, and then return; in all only two days,—while Hood's campaign lasted more than a month, during which time, three severe battles were fought, leagues of hard marching were made, with his men poorly clad and fed, in a severe mid-winter campaign of rain, sleet, snow and freeze, as were Washington's and yet who ever saw a representation of their suffering on canvass? Who ever heard a song commemorating that campaign; but the patriotism and fortitude of its participants, under all the privations they endured is worthy of highest commendation. There is another feature about this campaign that all the writers seem to have over-looked. Hood's men were for the most part men of intellect, more so than an army usually is. There were few illiterates,—they were of a class of men that go to make a country.
Now these men were veterans. For four years they had been marching and fighting, studying the game of war practically; they knew when they crossed- the Tennessee river what a perilous thing it was, they knew that it was almost the last hope of a dying Confederacy, and they knew too how poorly prepared they were for such a venture. They knew when the battle of Franklin was over, though a signal victory, was in reality a defeat. They knew after the battle of Murfreesboro how badly we needed reinforcements, and they knew there were none for us to get; yet knowing this they closed in around Nashville, where the enemy were re-enforcing every day, as cooly and cheerfully as if everything promised victory. The wonder is, that men could continue to battle against such odds.
The night before the battle of Nashville, our division (Bate's) was moved from the extreme right of the army to the left of the Granny White pike. Our company was near the top of the hill. When we took our position there were no earth works, so we at once gathered up old logs and stones such as were at hand, and placed them for protection. After a while we borrowed some picks and shovels from the Florida Brigade, and worked with them best we could, but the ground was hard and rocky, and we had accomplished but little when we had to return the tools. We laid down to sleep; R. J Neal, W. E. Brothers and W.' W. Batey of Company E, together with N. G. Kimbro and John Davis, unarmed recruits for our Company E. Company H was with us, and we numbered seventeen in all in both Companies.
We knew that something decisive would be done on the morrow. We had a little fire at our feet, and three blankets for the five men, but the enemy's sharp shooters began to fire at the light and we had to extinguish the fire. NexL morning Kimbro and Davis being unarmed, were sent to the rear, until guns could be secured for them. The enemy was seen in our front some distance off. We at once noticed that we had built our works too far back on the hill, for we could not see the enemy after they reached the foot of the hill, until they would be close upon us, but it was too late to remedy the mistake now; for as soon as they could see, the sharpshooters commenced to entertain us, the enemy using their artillery also. We had none in position with which to reply; finally, with the exception of a few of our sharp ahooters with "Witworth Rifles" we almost ceased to fire at them, but when the "Witworth's" were fired they were answered with shells.
Our sharpshooters finally used our works from which to fire. The enemy now turned their artillery on Companies E and H. The logs and stones were knocked down in a " giffy," and most of the men in the two companies were wounded. We made our way up to the next company on our left and claimed protection with them; some of the wounded climbed over the hill in search of our field hospital, but from the time our works were demolished, to the time they made a general charge on us, it was not exceeding five minutes; they came in overwhelming numbers, having massed under the hill in our front. We could fire only one volley at them before they were upon us. We gave them that volley in "great shape," but did not check them. Seven stands of colors passed over our works. Our men, some of them, performed acts of heroism and valor, that to this day seems more like a dream than a reality when we think of it.
The enemy poured over our works in great numbers; our men at first, fought with clubbed guns, but for an instant—and then —they broke, Yankees and Confederates all mixed up—the Confederates trying to get away, and the Yankees trying to stop them. Both parties had fired their guns and neither had taken time to re-load. Gradually we unmixed ourselves from them. Our channel of escape would have been through the gap in which the Granny White Pike passes, but the enemy were already in possession of that gap ahead of us; we bore to the left, crossed the pike, and went along the foot of the ridge until we reached the Franklin pike. Many of the men rallied in small numbers and would turn and fire on the enemy, thus checking them in a measure; but the enemy were coming up the Franklin pike, too, and many of the men who had been checking their pursuers, were either captured or compelled to climb the steep hill on the right. No general attempt was made to rally until we reached the vicinity of Brentwood. Here order was partially restored, and we commenced the retreat from Nashville.
Of the seventeen men in Companies E and H, we never knew what became of all of them. Lieutenent Brothers was not seriously wounded and escaped just before the final rush. R. J. Neal, having exhausted his ammunition (he was on skirmish line), started for more, and this doubtless saved him. W. W. Batey was severely wounded and left for dead, was made prisoner and recovered. The two recruits, Kimbro and Davis, were not seen any more after being sent to the rear. But now we left our homes again, the cloud over the Confederacy lower and darker. The men were worn down with almost continued marching and fighting for months.
Yet, true to their colors they marched away from home again on the retreat, sadly it is true, but determined to stand by St. Andrew's cross to the last man. And this they did without complaint. They blamed nor censured no one — all believed that every one from commander-in-chief to the private soldier had done his best and accepted the result as the fate of war. GLORIOUS OLD BOYS!
The companies had now become so small that the Regiment was but little more than a few messes. Some of the companies had no commissioned officers left; but every man and officer had an individuality that made it a remarkable set of men. Every one of these knew his duty just as well as if he had borne a commission; he was just as prompt to do his duty as was the officer. They were quite different from the young men and beardless boys, who left home nearly four years ago. Time had made them men. The usage and customs of war, and its privations had inured them to such hardships as but few men could bear, and made them Veteran soldiers. The weakly and delicate ones had yielded to their ailments. Those remaining were physically perfect, and their morals were as good as when they left home.
We returned South through Franklin, Columbia and Pulaski, recrossing the Tennessee River near Bainbridge, continued on to Corinth, Miss., and after a short stay there, proceeded to West Point, where Hood's Army took the cars for South Carolina, and on to Bentonville, North Carolina, where the Company E was represented in the last battle of the war by Lieut. M. M. Sanders, R. J. Neal and Jack Hartman. Lieutenant Sanders commanded a company of "galvanized Yankees" — (Federal soldiers who had joined our army to get out of prison ) in this fight, and of course was not with the Regiment. Jack Hartman was Ordnance teamster and as usual, was at his post of duty with his Ordnance wagon. Neal was the only man of Company E in regimental line. Lieutenant Sanders was wounded in this battle. Those "galvanized Yankees" gave him credit for being the gamest man that ever took them into battle. He certainly put them in and made them do splendid fighting. Soon after this battle Gen. J. E. Johnston surrendered us to Sherman, near Greensboro, N. C.
Lieut. W. E. Brothers was present as a supernumerary officer. Just before the surrender all the Tennessee troops had been consolidated into four regiments, which left quite a number of supernumerary officers who were allowed to choose any branch of service they preferred, and Brothers was in this number.
Jack Hartman was present as Ordnance teamster, and R. J. Neal represented the rank and file of the original Company E in line with a gun. Lieutenant Sanders was absent under treatment for his wound. He was also a supernumerary. Our old Regiment, the Twentieth, formed Company D of the (nev.7) 4th Tennessee, Capt, C. S. Johnson of old Company B commanding. R. J. Neal was first Sergeant; the other officers and non-commissioned officers not recalled. Thirty-four men of the original Twentieth Tennessee were all that answered to roll call when the end came. After receiving our paroles we marched from Greensboro to Salisbury, Statesville, Morganton, Marion, Asheville,and Marshall, N. C, thence across the mountains to Greenville, Tenn. From Greeneille we were sent by rail to our respective homes. W. E. Brothers, R. J. Neal and Jack Hartman being all of old Company E present, got off the cars at Lavergne, Rutherford County, Tenn., Hdrtman going north to his home, Brothers and Neal going south to their homes.
Of the forty nine men who got on the cars June 7th, 1861, Brothers was the only one here on the return, Neal having gone out a little later and Hartman yet later. We do not mean that all the forty nine except Brothers had been killed. Many had been killed, many had sickened and died, many were disabled with wounds, some had been transferred, some were in prison, and some had deserted.
We can't recall just how many were enlisted in the company first and last. At Camp Buckner it was a large company, but we had men both before and after, that never saw Camp Buckner.
We must have had first and last, not less than one hundred and forty men. We sincerely regret being unable to recall each and every one, for doubtless we may fail to mention some of our most worthy men. But it has been forty long years since, and time has dimmed our memory. Yet we don't fail to remember that it hurts to be forgotten. If we have failed to recall some, which we know we may have done, it is certainly not our fault. We would not intentionally do injustice to, or mistreat the memory of any one.
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