William Chapman Shields Civil War Diary (1863 - 1864)
CAMPAIGN SKETCHES
DIARY KEPT BY W. C. SHIELDS
IN Confederate Service
Not having been a secessionist, I kept out of
the Confederate Army as long as possible. But not being able to
evade the conscription longer, I left home August 26, 1863 in company
with my brother, who was at home on furlough, and who was going to
return to his command, then recruiting near Alexandria, Calhoun County,
Ala. We staid all night at W. B. Warren's in Cherokee Co., Ala.
and on the morning of the 27th, resumed our journey, having fallen in
company with J. F. (?) Thompson, another returning soldier who was at
home on furlough. Then near Jacksonville, we learned the Cavalry Corpse
(Corp) had left Alexandria and gone in the direction of
Gadsden. We turned thither, getting dinner at Mr. Ben
Turner's. Bivwaced (bivouacked) that night and got breakfast on
the 28th at D. P. Posey's near Hokes Bluff. Thence by A.
Tidmore's ferry to Gadsden, where we met a detachment of the command
and learned that the Corps was still at Alexandria. We turned
toward Alexandria, where we arrived at 10 o'clock at night.
29th was mustered into the Confederate service - Company A 37th Ala. Regt.
Capt. H. T. Snow, Col. John T. Morgan. The command moved early
that morning, crossed Coosa River at Ten Islands. Camped at
Will's Creek, near Gadsden.
30th - moved up 1 mile west of Gadsden and camped. 31st - Moved up near Round Mountain and camped.
Sept. 1st at 1 o'clock p.m., the command moved - camped at
Gaylesville. Brother and I left command and went home only 8
miles distant.
2nd - Fell in with command near Price's (?) Bridge - traveled some 20 miles and camped - was on guard at commissary wagon.
3d - Command moved up 5 miles N.E. of Lafayette and camped.
4th - Moved up to 9 miles of Dalton - turned back to Lafayette and
camped, having twice crossed Taylor's Ridge at Gordon's Springs - wrote
a letter home.
5th - Lay in camp all day
6th - Sunday on detail for forage.
7th - Lay in camp all day.
8th - Went into Lafayette and paid $1.25 for having horse shod and
$1.00 for rations. Went on picket over Pigeon Mountain at
Catlett's Gap.
9th and 10th - Still on picket.
llth - Heavy artillery firing at Davis X roads. Paid $1.00 for rations.
12th - Command moving - on detail to Lafayette for rations.
13th - Sunday. Met command near Catlett's Gap and delivered
rations to Orderly. Command moved through Lafayette on road to Alpine
and camped at Big Spring.
14th - Command moved to Summerville - company sent on detached service,
on scout, up Lookout Mountain at Weil's Gap. Proceed 5 miles on
mountain and
2.
Campaign Sketches
Diary Kept by W. C. Shields
in Confederate Service
met a large force of the enemy, and after skirmishing, fell back down the mountain 3 miles from Weil's Gap and camped.
16th - The detachment moved via Summerville to Dug Gap and bivouaced at 10 o'clock p.m.
18th - Went into McLemore's Cove into a brisk skirmish - back to Dug Gap and camped.
19th - Detachment on guard at Dug Gap - heavy firing direction of Lee and Gordon's Mills.
20th - Sunday, still on guard at Gap, and hearing of the great battle of Chicamauga, which raged with fury all day.
21st - Detachment still on guard at Gap.
22nd - Detachment ordered back to regiment, passed up over the field of
Chicamauga, which was still covered (with) the Federal dead and
the debris of army equipage to four miles of Chattanooga, then down the
foot of Lookout Mountain 5 miles and camped. My horse, having
become stifled, gave out and could travel no further. Wrote a
letter home.
23rd - Being afoot, I left my disabled horse by the roadside and turned
off a few hundred yards and found a pony and some colts in a lot.
I bridled the pony approperated him to my use, or mustered him into the
Confederate Service and fell into ranks. The command moved to
Cooper's Gap.
24th - Command moved via Lee and Gordon's Mills and camped 4 miles therefrom at a big spring.
25th - Wrote letter home - Command moved in direction of Harrison. 26th - Command moved 5 miles N.E. of Harrison.
27th - Sunday - Command moved via Georgetown, forded Hiwassee River at Carmichals Island.
28th - Command moved at 5 o'clock p.m. 8 miles N.E.
29th - Moved to Tennessee River at Cotton Port, where was a small force
of Federals - a few shots from the Artillery drove them off and the
Cavalary commenced to ford the river, led by the 3rd Ala. Regt.
The whole force had cross by night, when it moved forward via Smith's
Cross (?) Roads to top of "Walden's Ridge" and camped. Rained.
Oct. 1. - Moved forward to Foster' X Roads in Sequatchee Valley and
camped Second Command moved down the Valley to vicinity of Dunlop and
after some hard fighting,captured and destroyed about 500 wagons loaded
with supplies for the Federal Army at Chattanooga. Here I
captured my first prisoner, lifted him out of his boots into which I
jumped. Turned my little pony loose and mounted a large
government mule from one of the wagon teams . The mules from the
wagons amounting to over 2,000 were shot - the wagons and supplies
burned.
3.
Campaign Sketches
Diary Kept by W. C. Shields
in Confederate Service
3rd - Command moved over
Cumberland Mountain in direction of McMinnville - at foot of mountain -
was detailed to write paroles for the prisoners taken with the wagon
train. Camped at McMinnville, where there was an immense amount
of commissary stores destroyed.
4th - Moved on 3 miles west of Woodbury - was on picket at a bridge.
5th - Command moved forward to vicinity of Murfreesboro where the 51st
Ala. Regt. was dismounted and ordered up to within a few yards of the
stockade at railroad bridge on Stone River. Col. Morgan rode
forward and demanded the surrender of the stockade, which was
refused. Standing within a few feet of the gleaming guns of the
stockage, expecting every moment to receive a volley, the guns of
Wiggin's battery opened on the stockade, when after a few shots, the
"stars & stripes" were hauled down and a white flag was run
up. I was the second man to enter the fort, being preceded by
Private J. L. Thompson of Com-y A (Co. A). The railroad bridge and
stockade were destroyed when the command moved toward Shelbyville.
6th - Wartrace was captured by Martin's Division and Shelbyville by Wharton's.
7th - Crossed Duck River at White's Bridge. Met the enemy in
force at Farmington where there was severe fighting - moved south
through Lewisburg and Corners-ville.
8th - Command moved 12 miles south of Pulaski.
9th - Command crossed - forded - Elk and Tennessee Rivers at Elk River
Shoals. The river is two miles wide and very rockey and swift, and I
forded on my wagon train mule.
10th - Lay in camp all day.
llth - Sunday wrote a letter home, was on detail to cook rations.
12th - Went to E. W. Swoops (?) quarter and bought bread and potatoes. Rained.
13th - Lay in camp all day - still raining.
14th - The 51st Regt. moved camp to big spring on S. W. Swoop's place.
15th - Lay in camp all day - rained.
16th - Wrote letter home - on detail for forage.
17th - On guard at Spring.
18th - Sunday - Relieved from guard.
19th - On inspection in morning - in evening got a pass and went out to
have the federal overcoat dyed, that I captured at Stone River
stockade. Left the coat with Mrs. Lee Gipson - went to Courtland
and returned.
20th - Lay in camp.
4.
Campaign Sketches
Diary Kept by W. C. Shields
in Confederate Service
21st - Went and paid Mrs. Gipson $5.00 for dying overcoat - was on detail for meal.
22nd - Command moved up near Decatur.
23d - Moved on through Decatur and Summerville.
24th - Moved up to 10 miles of Warrenton.
25th - Sunday - Command moved through Warrenton 2 miles and camped.
26th - Lay In camp all day. Swapped my wagon train mule for a horse - saw a man drummed out of camp for stealing a pistol.
27th - Command moved forward across Sand Mountain and camped 12miles from Gasden.
28th - Command moved on through Gadsden and camped in miles of that
place. Knowing that the command would move in the direction of home,
Brother and I got permission from Capt. Snow to go on by home. We
went on to Esq. Martin Kale's and got supper and then rode all night
and arrived at home at sunrise, the 29th,where we remained all day.
30th - Left home at 9 o'clock in the morning and met the regiment
on the march near Price's Bridge, Chattooga Co-y., Ga. Command
moving in direction of Lafayette, Ga.
31st - Moved forward 5 miles.
Nov. 1st - Sunday - Moved 12 miles of Lafayette. Companies A and
B of 1st Regt. were sent back on detached service to Gadsden, Ala.
2nd - Got permission and went by home.
3d - Left home at 2 o'clock a.m. and went to Round Mountain, Ala., then
to Cedar Bluff and met the detachment - thence down near Martin Rale's
and camped.
4th - Passed on through Gadsden to Rylis Bridge and camped.
5th - Lay in camp all day.
6th - Courier arrived ordering detachment back to command. Capt.
Snow gave all the boys permission to go home or recreate two and meet
him at Gaylesville, Ala. on the 9th.
7th and 8th - Staid at home.
9th - Left home at 4 o'clock a.m. and met the detachment at Gaylesville
(Galesville) - was on detail of Henly's Mills for flour. Camped
near Dirt Town.
10th - Moved up 4 miles of Villenow, Ga.
llth - Moved on through Villenow, Anderson, and Tunnel Hill.
12th - Passed up by Elledge's Mills, Catoosa Co-y., Ga. Was on
detail for flour - Passed on through Cleveland, Tenn, and camped 5
miles to N.E.
5.
Campaign Sketches
Diary Kept by W. C. Shields
in Confederate Service
13th - Crossed Hiwassee River on a pontoon bridge at Charleston. Then up in 7 miles of Athens and camped on Mouse Creek.
14th - Moved up by Mt. Verde Cotton Mills and camped in 4 miles of
Sweet Water. Stopped at Prigmore's shop and fitter horse shoes.
15th - Sunday - Crossing Tennessee River at Loudon (Tenn.) on a pontoon bridge. Moved 5 miles further and camped.
16th - Passed by Lenoir's Station, where was a captured federal wagon
train. Capt. Snow reported to Gen. Longstreet and was ordered to report
for duty to Col. Hart, 6th Ga. Cavalry. The road from Loudon to
Knoxville was strewn with Federal dead. Gen. Longstreet was
following or driving Gen. Burnside on to Knoxville, and there was heavy
skirmishing all the way.
17th - Passed by Campbell Station where there had been quite a fight
and many dead were scattered over the ground. Camped in 2 miles
of Knoxville. Wrote letter home and sent it, can camphor train at
Lenoir's by H. H. Mitchell of Cherokee Co-y., Ala., who was visiting
his son in 47th Ala. Regt.
18th - The detachment reached the regiment and moved up in two miles of Knoxville and camped.
19th - In line of battle in one mile of Knoxville all day.
20th - Still in line - wrote letter home and sent out by Sergeant R. R. Simmons.
21st - Moved up near town - dismounted and skirmished all day - was on detail for forage 7 miles in the country.
22nd - Sunday - In camp all day.
23d - Command moved through Ball Camp and Campbell Station to 9 miles of Kingston.
24th - Left camp at 2 o'clock in the morning and arrived before
Kingston at daylight. Gen. Wheeler made an attack on Kingston,
but was unsuccessful. Our regiment lay in range of the enemy's
guns for two (hours?) when we charged and lost several men
killed. We fell back and moved up in five miles of Loudon -was on
detail for rations.
25th - Moved to 8 miles of Knoxville and fed and rested. Then up
to old camp near Powder Mill - was on detail 12 miles for forage.
26th - Lay in camp all day.
27th - Moved down two miles below Knoxville to the River and camped - foraged from an island in the river.
28th - The command went down the river 5 miles and forded.
29th - Sunday - the command moved up on the east side of the Holston
and cooperated with Longstreet in a general attack on Knoxville.
We fell back near the ford and camped.
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Submitted by: James Shields. See Notes about W. C. Shields Biography, Campaign Sketches and Family Record
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