When we awoke next morning after daylight, the old lady had a splendid breakfast of fried chicken prepared for us, fine biscuit and good Confederate coffee—made of rye and parched sweet potatoes; everything on the table was neat and spotlessly clean and I do not think we ever enjoyed a meal during the whole war better than we did this.
When we prepared to leave, we asked the old gentleman for our bill; he seemed to feel hurt, and said, “The idea of charging a Confederate soldier for anything he had!” This was out of the question with him; all he asked, if we ever happened in that neighborhood, in twenty miles of him, to be sure to make him another visit, for he hoped to meet us again. Thanking them for their exceeding kindness, we then walked back to camp, where we found many of our comrades still in deep sleep, with no forage for the horses.
In the course of a few hours the bugle called to saddle up, and we resumed our march to Shelbyville, and caught up with a good many of our retreating infantry. Here we spent two days and had our first taste of an attempt at discipline by Major Harrison, who was then in command; Colonel Wharton being sick somewhere on the line of our retreat.
It seems that Major Harrison met a couple of our men in town without permission and ordered them to return to camp immediately, which they refused to do. When he returned to camp he ordered these men arrested by the camp guards and placed on the pike, marking time. A Mr. Sam Ash of Company B (now still living in Houston) went to these men and led them back to camp, telling them that no such disgraceful punishment should be inaugurated in the regiment. The infantry were passing frequently and we considered it a disgrace to the Texas Ranger to submit to such punishment. Major Harrison finally yielded and passed the incident, but to a great extent, lost the respect of the command.
The army now continued its retreat through Shelbyville, Huntsville, Decatur to Corinth, Mississippi, without incidents of note, except the burning of bridges behind us. We also destroyed the magnificent bridge across the Tennessee River at Decatur.
It may be not out of place, before going further, and to give the reader a better idea of the character of the Texas Rangers, to mention an expression of Hardee’s. While passing through Huntsville, Alabama, some ladies, in company with General Hardee, were standing on the sidewalk, watching us pass, cheering and waving their handkerchiefs at us, when one of them remarked to General Hardee, saying “General, the Rangers are the best soldiers you have; are they not?” He told them no, he was not stuck on them, saying that they would not submit to any discipline or drill; but he was willing to say that in a battle, or when called on to meet a forlorn hope, the Rangers always responded. General Hardee was one of the strictest disciplinarians in our army and wrote the military tactics that were used by both sides.
We soon arrived at Corinth, where we were assigned a camp ground about two miles from the place, near a spring and we here witnessed new additions to the main army. Occasionally scouting parties from the regiment were sent out in different directions towards the Tennessee River, which duties were always performed to the satisfaction of the commanding officers.
CHAPTER VI
An Accidental Injury—Shiloh—The “Mark-time” Major.
Our regiment, one night, was ordered out to report at daylight to some point up the Tennessee River, the night being very dark—one of the darkest nights we ever traveled in—and branches and small streams very boggy. Colonel Wharton, at the head of the regiment, was riding a very fast walking horse. We struck many places in these branches where it was only possible for one horse to cross at a time, and Wharton, as soon as across, would strike out in his fast walk, leaving the rest of his command to come on as best they could. This threw the rear end of the regiment considerably behind and we had to lope at full speed to catch up with our file leaders after crossing these bad places. In one of these races to catch up, my horse stumbled and fell, pitching me over his head, with my left arm extended, and I sustained a dislocation of my left arm. Considerably stunned by the fall, and suffering great pain from this dislocation, a comrade was sent back with me to Corinth, where I had a surgeon to replace my arm, with instructions to carry it in a sling until it got well. Our regiment returned the next night without having discovered any of the enemy and was then ordered to prepare three days’ rations, as was also the rest of the army.
In the meantime, the enemy had landed a large force, under General Grant, at Pittsburg Landing. Our regiment was ordered out with no one knowing where they were going, until they moved in the direction of Pittsburg Landing. They were immediately followed by the whole army, and on the fifth of April, they engaged the enemy and fought the battle of Shiloh; our regiment was moved about on the field from right to left. As the dense woods did not afford an opportunity for mounted cavalry, they were unable to do much fighting, except, about ten o’clock the first day, they were dismounted and ordered to charge through a thicket at Owl Creek, which they had to do single file, and were shot down by a large infantry force as fast as the men made their appearance in the open. Soon realizing that it was impossible to dislodge the enemy from their position with this handful of men, they were immediately ordered to fall back. This proved the extent of their active engagement, but they served as a corps of observation on both flanks until Tuesday evening.