Between the two great Confederate armies in
Virginia and
Tennessee lay a long stretch of country, principally covered by the
Alleghany and
Cumberland mountains.
The only means of direct communication and transportation between these armies was the
East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad.
Near this road were the great
King's salt-works, in
Smyth County, and the lead mines of
Wythe County, Virginia, and along this route lay many very fertile valleys and rich uplands, which furnished the Confederate armies a large part of their provisions.
For these and other reasons the defense of this line was a matter of the first importance to the Confederate Government, and its control of equal importance to the
Federal armies.
As the mountainous nature of the country rendered its occupation by a large army impracticable, numerous invasions by smaller forces, principally of cavalry, were made in order to destroy the salt-works and the railroad communications.
The very extent of the frontier and its broken surface made it difficult of defense, and rendered necessary a larger force of occupation than was generally available.
General Garfield's campaign early in 1862 against
General Humphrey Marshall has already been described in this work.
[See Vol.
I., p. 393.]
In December, 1862,
General Samuel P. Carter, of
Tennessee, and
Colonel T. T. Garrard, of
Kentucky, crossed the
Cumberland Mountains from
Kentucky with a large force of Federal cavalry and made a raid upon the railroad in
east Tennessee, and destroyed the bridges over the
Holston and
Watauga rivers.
General Humphrey Marshall was at that time in command of the Department of Western
Virginia and
Eastern Kentucky.
His troops were widely scattered over the country in order to obtain subsistence, and before
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they could be concentrated the enemy had retreated across the mountains into
Kentucky.
The raiders were prevented from occupying
Bristol and doing further damage by the timely arrival of
General Marshall's force, which pursued to
Jonesville.
In May, 1862, a much larger invading force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, numbering several thousand, was led up the
Kanawha and
New rivers,
West Virginia, by
General J. D. Cox.
This column was met at
Princeton, in Mercer County, and arrested by
General Marshall in an engagement on the 16th of May, which resulted in the repulse and retreat of the invading force, whose killed and wounded were left behind.
[See Vol.
II., p. 280.]
On the 3d of September, 1863,
Burnside occupied
Knoxville, Tennessee, with his army corps.
1 Nearly all the available Confederate forces had been ordered to reenforce
Bragg at
Chattanooga.
A small force under
Brigadier-General Alfred E. Jackson occupied the upper portion of
east Tennessee.
Marshall had been transferred to the
Western army, and
Colonel Henry L. Giltner, of the 4th Kentucky Cavalry, with a handful of troops, occupied the Department of
South-
western Virginia.
On the 7th of September about five hundred of
Burnside's infantry advanced as far east as Telford's Depot, in
Washington County.
On the 8th they were attacked by about an equal force, under
General Jackson and
Colonel Giltner.
After a short engagement the
Federals retreated to Limestone Depot, where, after a stubborn resistance, 350 surrendered, about 100 escaped, and 60 were killed and wounded.
The Federal forces, under
Colonel Foster, advancing again into
upper east Tennessee, were met by
Colonel James E. Carter, of the 1st Tennessee Cavalry, at
Blountsville, where a stubborn fight ensued on the 22d of September.
The Federal batteries shelled the town, and by superior numbers compelled the withdrawal of
Colonel Carter's force.
In the latter part of September, 1863,
Brigadier-General John S. Williams assumed command of the Confederate forces in
east Tennessee and advanced as far as
Blue Springs.
Burnside's forces occupied
Bull's Gap, nine miles in front.
Williams was ordered “not to give up an inch of ground until driven from it.”
He had only about seventeen hundred effective men, with two batteries of artillery.
Brigadier-General Alfred E. Jackson, with about five hundred men, mostly recruits, was at
Greenville.
There was no other support within nearly one hundred miles. To maintain his ground against a force so largely superior,
General Williams took a strong position on a ridge crossing the road east of
Blue Springs.
By multiplying camp-fires and beating drums he made an exhibition of force he did not possess.
But this
ruse de guerre did not hold the enemy in check.
On the 10th of October they
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advanced in force and attacked
General Williams's position.
Every inch of ground was stubbornly disputed, but the greater number of the
Federals compelled the lengthening of the
Confederate lines until they became little more than a skirmish-line.
About 5 P. M. a heavy column of infantry broke the center of
Williams's line, but was arrested by a heavy fire of artillery from the high ridge.
The engagement lasted until dark, with but little change of position.
To avoid capture by a force probably treble his own,
General Williams withdrew during the night and retired toward
Virginia.
The next morning at daylight he was intercepted at Henderson's Mill by a large force of Federal cavalry, which had passed around him the day before.
By a gallant charge this force was driven from the field, but continued to pursue and attack the
Confederates until they reached the neighborhood of
Leesburg.
On the 4th of November, 1863,
General Williams, at his own request, was relieved of the command, and the brigade was placed under
Colonel Henry L. Giltner.
Major-General Robert Ransom, who was then in command of the department, ordered
Colonel Giltner to cooperate with
Brigadier-General William E. Jones in an attack upon
General Carter, whose brigade was camped at
Big Creek, near
Rogersville, Tennessee.
On the night of the 5th of November
Colonel Giltner's brigade crossed the
Holston River at Kings-port and advanced to
Big Creek.
This brigade numbered 1063 men, besides
Lowry's battery.
General Jones's command, probably, was not so large.
At daylight next morning
Colonel Giltner attacked
General Carter's brigade, consisting of about one thousand men, and captured most of the force with all their camp-equipage, horses, artillery, and transportation.
General Jones, who had gone around to the rear of the
Federals, intercepted some two hundred fugitives.
A few escaped across the river.
In May, 1864, a formidable force under
General Crook: advanced up the
Kanawha and
New rivers and reached the railroad at
Dublin, in Pulaski County.
An inferior force, commanded by
General Albert G. Jenkins, engaged the advancing Federals on the 9th of May at
Cloyd's Mountain, and
Jenkins was mortally wounded and his force defeated.
General Crook destroyed the depot at
Dublin and the large bridge over
New River.
On the 10th of May a large cavalry
force, under
General Averell, made an advance on
Wytheville, but was met at Crockett's Cove by
General John H. Morgan and defeated, leaving forty dead on the field.
In June, 1864,
Colonel E. F. Clay, of the 1st Kentucky Mounted Rifles, in command of a small brigade of Confederate cavalry, was sent into
Kentucky
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from the Department of
South-
western Virginia to secure forage and cover other military movements.
Colonel Clay first advanced upon
Paintsville, with a view of capturing some four hundred Federals who were camped there.
Difficulties in the way of his advance delayed his arrival until the enemy had received large reenforeements, which deterred him from making an attack.
Retiring upon
Licking River, he camped in the narrow valley of a little stream known as Puncheon.
Though he had taken every precaution to guard against surprise, an important order had not been executed, and at 2 P. M. the enemy in force surprised his camp, attacking it from the surrounding mountains.
After a desperate resistance he was forced to withdraw, leaving thirty-seven prisoners in the enemy's hands--nine wounded, two of them mortally.
Colonel Clay lost his right eye during the engagement.
Late in September, 1864,
General Stephen G. Burbridge, with a force estimated at 5000 men, advanced upon
King's salt-works, through
eastern Kentucky, and up the
Big Sandy River.
He was met at
Liberty Hill, Virginia, by
Colonel H. L. Giltner, in command of a small brigade of cavalry.
At that time not over 1000 men interposed between
General Burbridge and the salt-works, only about 23 miles distant. But by dint of strategy and stubborn resistance
Giltner detained the
Federal army two days on the road, so that when
Burbridge arrived there about an equal force confronted him, commanded by
General John C. Breckinridge.
On October 2d
Burbridge attacked the forces at the salt-works.
A battalion of Virginia Reserves (the 13th),
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479]
composed of boys and old men, received the first shock of battle at “Governor” Saunders's house, in advance of the main line.
This little company fought desperately and suffered severely before being driven back.
The engagement continued with varying fortunes during the day, and when night came
Burbridge was not in sight at the salt-works.
The next morning he was 20 miles away.
He left
Colonel Charles S. Hanson (wounded) and many other wounded men and prisoners in the hands of the
Confederates.
General Williams and
Colonel Giltner pursued him to the head of the
Louisa fork of the Big Sandy.
The 10th Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) lost its colonel,
Edwin Trimble, and nearly every officer above lieutenant was either killed or wounded.
It had borne the brunt of battle at the ford of
Holston River.
In December, 1864,
General Stoneman, with a force of cavalry estimated at four thousand, entered south-
west Virginia through
east Tennessee, and proceeded to take possession of the country.
The department had been drained of most of its troops by increasing demands from the armies east and west, so that
Breckinridge found himself in command of only about 1000 or 1500 men in a department large enough to require an army corps to defend it. This handful was concentrated at the salt-works in hopes of defending a position naturally very strong, even against so large an opposing force.
Stone-man, doubtless aware of this fact, and knowing the defenseless condition of the country, changed the ordinary tactics and devoted himself to capturing the towns and destroying the railroad.
He occupied
Bristol and
Abingdon, and passing by the salt-works advanced upon
Wytheville and the lead-mines.
In hopes of arresting his course
Breckinridge moved from the salt-works to
Marion, on the railroad, where he intercepted
Stoneman on Sunday, the 18th of December, and fought an engagement which lasted through the day and resulted in a substantial victory for the
Confederates, who held their position against largely superior numbers.
But during the day
Stoneman sent a force down another road to the salt-works, now without defenders, except a few militia and teamsters, and destroyed as much of the works as possible before
Breckinridge's forces could reach there.
Having accomplished this long-desired object, the
Federal forces withdrew across the mountains.
2 The weather was very cold and wet, and all the troops suffered great hardships and privations.
During the engagement at
Marion on the 17th and 18th of December they stood in the rain and mud, without fire, food, or shelter, for over thirty-six hours. Yet they bore it all uncomplainingly and heroically.
