Tag Archives: Perryville

Letter – Daniel Adams, 22 January 1863

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Copy of a Confederate letter by Brigadier General Daniel W. Adams to James A. Seddon, Secretary of War, from Marietta, GA. This copy is in the handwriting of Randall Lee Gibson. Adams is petitioning Seddon to promote Colonel Gibson to brigadier general. Gibson is currently commanding the consolidated 13th and 20th Louisiana regiments. Gibson was on continuous duty through the Kentucky and Tennessee Campaigns, and was particularly admirable at the Battle of Perryville. Adams also mentions the “great gallantry” that Gibson displayed in the battles before Murfreesboro. Gibson also commanded Adams’ brigade during the Brigadier General’s absence, as part of Major General John C. Breckenridge’s division. The letter includes testimonies from Brigadier General Patton Anderson, Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk, Brigadier General William Preston, and Lieutenant General William Hardee, all of whom are supportive of Gibson’s promotion.

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Marietta Ga Jan 22nd 1863

Sir,

I have the honor to call your especial attention to Col R L Gibson of Louisiana now commanding the 13th & 20th La Regts Consolidated – formerly commanding the 13th La with the view of recommending him for promotion to the Rank of Brigadier Genl

Col Gibson entered the service on the 16th day of April 1861 and has since been actively and assiduously engaged in in it. Within my knowledge – that is since the 1st day of August last at which time his Regiment became a portion of the Brigade under my command he has been continuously on duty through the Ky and Tenn Campaigns. [???] battle of Perryville Ky in command of his Regiments under my immediate and personal observation he displayed great courage, gallantry, coolness, self possession as I have testimony in my official report of the part taken by my Brigade in that battle – throughout the long & arduous march of that Kentucky Campaign he was prompt and energetic in the discharge of his duties. In the recent battles before Murfreesboro he again displayed great gallantry & courage in the engagement of the 31st of December as I have officially reported; and in the engagement of of the 2nd inst as a part of Major Genl Breckinridge’s Div – he being the senior colonel commanded my Brigade in my absence which was caused by my being slightly wounded disabled by a slight wounded received on the 31st of Dec and acquitted himself as I have been credibly informed with great credit.

To my knowledge he is well acquainted and

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proficient in Battalion & Brigade drill and with the rules & regulations of the service and has had considerable experience at [???] during his time of service as a Brigade Commander.

I feel confidently in the assurance that he is well qualified to command a Brigade and deserving the promotion to a Brigadier Generalship; in which opinion I doubt not my superiors in command in this Army will fully and most cheerfully concur. I have the honor to be

very respectfully

(signed) Dan W Adams Brig Genl

Comdg Adams Brigade

Breckinridge’s Div Hardee’s Corps

Hon James A Seddon

Sec of War C.S.A.

Richmond VA.

I take pleasure in adding my testimony to the above. Col Gibson Regiment during the Kentucky campaign composed a part of a Brigade in the Division I commanded. I had opportunities of observing him, and can say is truth, that he managed his Regt on the arduous march with skill and judgment and was highly spoken of by his Brigade Commander for his gallantry [?] on the field of Perryville. I consider him quite competent to command a Brigade.

(signed) Patton Anderson

Brig. Genl. P.A.

I cordially concur in the recommendation of Col Gibson to the office of Brigadier Genl. Col Gibson has shown himself both capable and faithful and would command a Brigade with credit to himself and advantage to our cause,

(signed) L Polk

Lt Genl C.S.A

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I have long known Colonel Gibson and esteemed him for his cultivated intellect, his spotless character and great worth as a gentleman. In my association with him for the last year, and in the trying scenes from shiloh to murfreesboro, my regard has been augmented by finding in him all the qualities of a gallant and skillful soldier, it affords me pleasure to add the feeble testimony of my name to the distinguished recommendations of others under whom he has served to testify my entire confidence in his fitness for promotion to the rank of Brigadier Genl and my belief that the President cannot bestow it on a more faithful, diligent, and meritorious officer,

(signed) Wm Preston

Brigadier Genel Comdg Breckinridge’s Div

I concur in the recommendations given on behalf of Col. Gibson, and cordially recommend him to the President for Brigadier General.

W.J. Hardee

(signed) Lieut General

Hdqrs Hardees Corps

Tullahoma Feb 1st 1863

Randall Lee Gibson was born in 1832 in Versailles, KY into a family of slave-owning planters. He attended Yale and was a member of the Skull and Bones society. After graduating in 1853 he then studied at the University of Louisiana Law School (Tulane) and received his bachelor’s in law. When Louisiana seceded, Gibson joined the 1st LA Artillery as a captain. He was then commissioned as colonel of the 13th LA Infantry. A year after this letter was sent on his behalf, he was finally promoted to brigadier general for the Atlanta and Franklin-Nashville Campaigns. He was captured at Cuba Station, AL May 8, 1865 and paroled on May 14, 1865. After the war he returned to Louisiana and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1874, then the Senate in 1882. He died December 15, 1892.

Letter – John Wiggins, October 1862

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Fragment of letter written by Sergeant John W. Wiggins of Company F, 39th NC Infantry, circa October of 1862. The incomplete letter describes the retreat from Perryville, KY, which involved Colonel John C. Vaughn’s 3rd TN Infantry. Wiggins describes the number of Union troops that were killed or taken prisoner, and the Union’s unsuccessful attempts to kill Colonel Vaughn. The letter ends with his account of how many Confederate men were killed or wounded.

[top line lost]

Killed 2 of there men [???] wound one that we had prisoner and we stayed there that knight and next morning at day light they fired on our piquetts and killed one Lieut in Col Vaughns Regt and drove in the rest to arms to arms was the cry and col Vaughns men sprung up out ther beds with a yell and charged around the high bluff and came up on ther back side and would have killed and taken all but they knowed our countersign but not withstanding all that we killed about 15 or 20 of Robers Col Vaughn lost 4 men killed and several wound they was several of the cavalry wounded one have died since the cavalry was not as much exposed as the infantry although they could not do anything they had to stand in line in the thickest of the fire they like to have got Col Vaughn he went up to them thinking they was his own men and he said who comes there they said your friends and said who is that he said Col Vaughn and they said kill him damn him kill and I was standing looking at him and he jumped 25 jumps and fell and slid down the hill out of their sight we lost 4 men killed and 12 or 15 wound just

[rest missing]

John W. Wiggins, age 19, from Cherokee County, NC, enlisted in Company F, of the 39th NC Infantry, circa February 23, 1862. He is listed as a sergeant as of November 25, 1862, and was wounded at Stones River on December 31, 1862, but returned to duty the next day. He was promoted to 1st Sergeant of Company F on March 1, 1863. He was fatally wounded at Chickamauga on September 19, 1863, and died in the hospital on September 21st. He was twice reported on the Confederate Honor Roll for valiant service, at Stones River and Chickamauga.

Letter – Walter Goodman, 6 November 1864

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Letter written by Confederate Captain Walter A. Goodman, Assistant Adjutant General, to his father, from Perryville TN. Goodman is staff to Brigadier General James Chalmers, in Forrest’s Cavalry Corps. This letter was written two days after Forrest’s raid of Johnsonville, TN. Goodman writes of the Confederate victory along the Tennessee River, which he claims was won with a small cavalry and limited artillery. He says General Buford “commenced the ball” by capturing a government transport barge. He goes into great detail about the engagement, mentioning that Confederate fire on the warehouses at Johnsonville completely destroyed Union stores. They are preparing to cross the river to join General Beauregard, who is supposedly travelling to Columbia, TN. He hopes to “strike a successful blow on [William T.] Sherman’s rear.”

Hdqr Perryville Tenn

Nov 6 – 1864

My Dear Father

   Before this reaches you the papers will have told you of what we have done along the Tenn River. Our success has certainly been very great with a force of cavalry not by any means large & with fourteen pieces of artillery – all of which were never in action at the same time. We have destroyed four of the enemy’s gunboats, two or three of which mounted eight guns each – twelve or fourteen steamboats – eighteen or twenty barges & a very large quantity of freight of various kinds principally belonging to the [U.S.] government- besides securing some blankets, shoes & other articles which we were greatly in need of. And all this with the loss of two or three men killed & six or eight wounded & two of our cannon which had been placed on board of one of the captured steamers which was afterward recaptured by the enemy.

     Genl. Buford commenced the ball on the 29th [October] by capturing a transport & barge loaded with government items on their way up – and in the next day we went to the river at Paris Landing nearly opposite Paris and captured a gunboat, two transports & four barges. Gen. B. burned his boat & barge – & one of our boats was so badly

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damaged that we burned it & the barges. The remaining transport & the gunboat were so little damaged that they were soon put in running order & we hoped to be able to make use of them in crossing the river. We put two pieces of artillery & some of the captured stores on the transport & moved up the river toward Johnsonville – other two boats running in company as closely as possible. On the evening before we reached Johnsonville however our boats got too far in advance & were chased by two Yankee gunboats which captured the transport after it had been disabled by the treachery of some of the crew who cut the tiller ropes. On the next day we got a part of our artillery in position & had several skirmishes with the enemy’s gunboats & their artillery in the town. On the fourth having brought up more artillery we opened fire upon the boats and in a short time set fire to and destroyed all of them including three gunboats – 8 or 10 steamboats & 12 or 14 barges some of the loaded and an immense pile of freight on the shore & one or two warehouses.

     Johnsonville is the terminus of a R.R. from Nashville to the Tenn. river which is much used in transporting army supplies – which accounts for the collection of freight there. It is protected by a fort & was strongly garrisoned – but tho’ they did all they

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could & sent their shot & shell in showers around us they could not save their boats and property. We left them standing in line of battle & looking at the ruins. Three of their gunboats moved up the river & forced us to heave over & then when reinforced to five or six came up and took a look at the ruins – but ran away before we could put our plans to capture them into execution.

     We moved from Johnsonville yesterday & reached here today. We are now preparing to cross the river in order to join Beauregard – who is said to be on his way from Florence [AL] to Columbia, Tennessee. It is impossible to say when we will go or what we will do, but I hope we may be able to strike a successful blow on Sherman’s rear.

     I am quite well – we have had some bad weather & I fear we will have more.

     I could not see Lamar as I passed Oxford as you requested. I saw Col. Neely at Bolivar and he promised to be at Grenada at the appointed time. I did not have time to see Mr. Wood. I gave the papers you handed to me for Mr. Walton to him. Write to me at Corinth – care of Maj. Gen’l Forrest – and the letters will be forwarded. I forwarded the papers in regard to the exchange of Mr. Frost and Otto to Gen F[orrest] and have heard nothing from them since.

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Affectionately,

                          Your son                          

Walter

Walter A. Goodman, was originally the adjutant of the 17th MS Infantr. He served as the acting assistant adjutant general on Brigadier General James A. Chalmers’ staff from June 29, 1862 to July 19, 1862. He was promoted to A.A.G. on Chalmers’ staff, remaining as such until Dec. 22, 1864.