"In Their Own Words"

On this page we post quotations from 11th Tennessee Unit members telling accounts of battles and experiences during the war. Please help us by submitting any that you may have.

Thank you - all that have submitted!

"Their Own Words"

White, William I., Capt., Co. A (from his post war-questionaire, 1922)
"Camp life fine 1861, 62, 63, but very hard and tought in 1864, and 1865. Winter quaters each year up to 1864 from then on we took the weather like dumb brutes without any quarters. Under Cheatham and he was never whipped. If General Johnston had not been removed in front of Atlanta Sherman would never have marched to the sea, and with Wheeler one flank, Forrest on other and Johnston in his rear, they would have destoyed his army. On my being detailed into Humphreys Co. as above stated, I was the only man sent east of Tenn. River and the yankees heard of me and said they were going to capture me but they had as well tried to capture a red fox."

Joseph William Green Jackson, Pvt, Co. F
letter written near Chattahoochee River. J. W. Jackson was killed in the Battle of Atlanta just 8 days after this letter was written.

July 14, 1864
Dear Parents,
I thank God that I have the privilege of seating myself this sultry July evening to drop you a few lines. I wrote you on the 17th and 22nd of June last, and also another, 23rd of May, and this will make the third letter that I have started since we left Dalton, Ga., and I have written near a dozen since Christmas, but I fear you have not received them. Since my last, we have received the mournful intelligence of the death of two of our comrades and friends, Mr. M. F. Long and Wily Powell. They were wounded on the 21st whilst we were on skirmish, and Mart, who was wounded in the breast, died on the 23rd of June. He was perfectly resigned, and died in the faith, whilst Wily Powell died on the 26th in Atlanta. G. J. Morris died on the 14th; he died in Macon from the effects of measles.
Since we left Dalton we have lost five men, three dead, two captured; John W. Winn and George Allen. We have three at the hospital: Wes Winn, hHiram Morgan, and Ben Jordan. We have had but three slightly wounded; John Batts, Sam Baldwin, and myself. I was slightly wounded in the head, but it disabled me but two or three days, and I do thank God that he has been with and protected me on this severe, bloody and protracted campaign.
On the 27th of June the enemy, as you have learned through northern channels, made an unsuccessful attempt to carry our works by assault in front of our division (Cheatham). He came and some say 7 and others say 4 lines of battle; the enemy approached within a very few steps of our works and our boys mowed them down by hundreds. They were literally piled upon one another on the left of our brigade, and right of Nancy Creek on a field of ground of but one or two acres, there were from seven hundred to one thousand dead Yankees. They lay there for two days and were becoming very offensive when we got up an armistice and they were buried. But I suppose, dear parents, you are growing tired of such as this, but I must, before I quit speaking of our army, say something of our boys, and something of the condition of our army. We are all still in the finest of spirits, and place the greatest confidence in the scar worn veteran that leads us in all our march from Dalton to this place. I have heard nothing of a disparing character, and all say and believe that the time is coming when we will send Sherman and his vandals howling back to their cold and passionateless home in the north. We may have to fall back beyond Atlanta. If we do, I think it will be for the best and if they should succeed in defeating our armies, if we survive then, we may have to and will eventually gain our independence and as for the campaign in Virginia, I think that it is in a manner closed, and the illustrious Ulysses has suffered a more signal defeat than any of his predecessors. But before this reaches you, something I think will be done, and I pray God, if it is consistent with His Holy will, be with us and sustain us in this, our time of need, and this is the prayer of this whole contingent. I never saw a people so humble. We have preaching in our brigade where we are still daily.
Dear parents, I heard of the sad end of our neighbor, Robert Gossett, who, as the Yankee paper said, was hung on the 9th of the month at Nashville, on the charge of bushwacking. I feel for his father, and mother and sisters.
I suppose, dear Papa, you have laid by your crop before this, and from all accounts, you have had a good season, and of course you have a good crop. I was glad to hear of your going to farming, for it is the most sure of all occupations and of late it has proven to be the most profitable. The next letter you write, I want you to tell me how you are getting on with your stock, bees, etc., tell me how you are getting on generally, and dear Mother, I want you to tell me all about the garden, cows, chickens, etc., and I want you to write every opportunity without fail.
Well, as it is growing late, I must also give my love to all my relatives, to my dear grandparents, and uncles and aunts, cousins and friends. I want you to remember me in all your prayers, and I feel that we will meet again on earth; if not, we will meet in heaven, where there will be no more parting, as was. Kiss all my brothers and sisters, and tell them not to forget their brother Joe. I must close. No more, but remain, every your affectionate son.

J. W. Jackson (Joseph William Green Jackson)

James Morris Skelton, Pvt, Co. C
letter sent by James Morris Skelton, Co C, 11th TN Infantry to his father, Abner Brown Skelton, on Nov 5, 1861

Mr. A.B. Skelton

Dear Papa

I again drop you a few lines to let you know where we are and how getting along --- --- --- at the above named place arrived here from the ford on Friday the 1st of this inst (and a rainy day it was) once more on Tennessee soil we have pitched our tents and all hands seem to be better satisfied. The position we occupied was a little dangerous from the fact we were liable to be cut off from this place, We have had a hard muddy time of it for it rained nearly every day and about 300 wagons 6 or 700 cavalry and 5000 infantry makes a road a little muddy. It is thought that the Rock-Castle troops will follow us here but they cant get here owing to the roads and the scarcity of provisions, for we have nearly eat all in this section of country. The Yankees are boasting a good deal about our Rock Castle fight. They say they killed between 5 and 700 of our men when our loss was only 7 or 8. If they ever attack us here they will have a happy time 1000 men here can whip 10,000 & still we are fortifying, This is one of the greatest places for mountain scenery I ever beheld, you can go on top of the mountain & see most any where you want to. We have as good water as Tenn affords sulphur and limestone both our camps are situated between the 2 springs so we can have either.. It is thought we will take winter quarters here though I think a little doubtful for we have been on the pad for nearly 4 months & I think they will keep us going the balance of our time. If we take up quarters here the probability is we will get to go home sometime during the winter and stay a while if there is no prospect for a fight at this place. If we do 1/3 of the Regiment will be furloughed at home at a time. Jo says he is going home Christmas whether or no. If we do get to come home you must save us some sweet potatoes and new hog for I am getting tired of beef. Our cloths will be here the last of this week and will come in a good time for the boys are needing them badly. It is a verry cold place out here in these mountains.

I want you to fix up my over coat in as small bundle as possible & mark my name on it as you would back a letter and send it to me. Tom Handlin is at home if he has not started back he will bring it if he has gone you can send it from Charlotte wagons are passing from Knoxville here nearly every day. Tell Ma to send me a pair of linsy drawers if she has not sent me any. Also tell Lon to send me a pair of thick gloves also to write to us. We left home the 9th of Sept and have never heard a word from any of you. It is late at night & I must quit writing. I will write again when I hear from you all.
Give my love to all the family also to any Inquiring Friend. The boys are all well and doing finely. Some of them have the mumps but they don't care for them. We are on regular duty throwing up breast works. Nothing more but remain your son

Jas Morris Skelton

William C. Pullen, Pvt., Co. A
Typed as written:
Reminiscences of a Civil War Soldier

I was living on Tumbling Creek, 15 miles from McEwen, when the civil war broke out. Tennessee joined the Confederacy on July 2, 1861, but it was the first of May of that year that the "Waverly Guards" was organized under Captain Joe Pitts. I volunteered for service at the age of nineteen, and was a member of this company.
We left Waverly on May 6, 1861, and marched to Charlotte. After spending the night there, we proceeded to Nashville, where we camped in the Fair Grounds for several days.
It was at Camp Cheatham in Robertson County, the Eleventh Tennessee Regiment was organized, with James E. Raines the Colonel, and named "Company A". After remaining there for three months, during which time we went through rigid drilling, the Company was ordered to Virginia. By the time we reached East Tennessee, the order was countermanded, and the regiment was placed along the railroad to guard bridges and trestles.
The Company moved about in East Tennessee during the summer, and in the fall a brigade was organized at Cumberland Gap with General Zollicoffer in command. He moved his brigade into Kentucky and advanced as far as Rockcastle, near Loudon. Battle was given the Union men, but we were repulsed and fell back to Cumberland Gap to guard the post, General Raines commanding.
General Zollicoffer moved with the rest of his command to Fishing Creek, Kentucky, where he was killed in a battle. We stayed at Cumberland Gap during the winter, where we did guard duty on the Cumberland Mountains. Leaving East Tennessee, we joined Bragg in Kentucky, later coming back, where we fought the Battle of Murfreesboro, one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
After the Battle of Missionary Ridge, which was fought on November 30, we went into winter quarters at Dalton, Georgia. One day while here, the soldiers thought they would have some fun in a snowball fight. All went well until some of the boys put rocks and sticks in the snow-balls, and the officers ended the fight.
The winter being over, the enemy moved against us, and we began the "Dalton to Atlanta Campaign." After the battle of July 22, 1863, the army evacuated Atlanta and fell back to Love Joy Station, where the enemy stopped pursuit. General Sherman began his march through Georgia to the sea.
Our forces moved back into Tennessee, crossing the river at Florence, Alabama. At Columbia, we met the enemy in force. General Hood moved the biggest part of his army and crossed the river 3 miles above Columbia. We surrounded the enemy and cut them off, but they finally made their escape back to Franklin, and there the Battle of Franklin was fought with great slaughter on the Confederate side.
General Hood followed in pursuit until he met the enemy at Nashville, where the Battle of Nashville was fought on December 15 and 16, 1864, the last great battle in the state.
My position was on the extreme left of the Confederate line at Nashville. When the line broke on our right, every fellow was for him-self. We fell back through a large field. Running through, my shoes stuck in the deep mud, and were pulled off my feet. The cannon balls were plowing the mud from every direction, but we reached the top of the next hill with out further difficulty. I went from there to Franklin with only my socks on my feet.
We continued falling back toward the Tennessee River through the rain, snow and sleet. My socks were completely worn out by this time, and as I walked on the frozen ground, my feet left blood-stained prints. My next pair of socks cost me ten dollars, but I was glad to pay it. Our difficulties were not over with, by any means, yet. When we reached the river, we found we had to make a pontoon bridge, and had to carry plank nearly all night.
We went into camp at Corinth, Mississippi, where we remained two weeks. Being with out food, several of the boys volunteered to investigate a place where they might get a nice ham, or a middling would have been acceptable to a hungry squad of soldiers. At last they found an old log smoke house containing a number of jars. They opened one and gulped down the contents - apple butter, and hurried away with the unopened jars because they were afraid of alarming a watch dog. We say them returning to camp and hastened to greet and assist them with their load, but great was our disappointment when we opened the jars and found the contents to be lard.
Next we went to North Carolina. We traveled part of the way by train and part by foot. We had a wreck at Montgomery, Alabama. The train jumped the track, forcing the doors off the box cars. Several of the boys jumped off and were hurt. We then moved through the edge of Florida into Columbus, Georgia, continued through Augusta, until we struck the path of Sherman's march through Georgia. We moved on in North Carolina until we came to Waynesville where the last battle was fought during the war.
At Raleigh, North Carolina, we camped in a pine grove for about two weeks. When we left, the pine wood smoke has us black as negroes. During our march through North Carolina, we had an abundance of rain, causing the creeks to be swollen. One day we came to a stream that was past fording. We picked several of our largest horses out of the group. We caught hold of the horses' tail and another hold of each other. They pulled us across the stream, safe but soaking wet.
We surrendered at Greensboro April 26, 1865, stacked our arms, were paroled, and started for home the next day. At Nashville we were housed overnight in the penitentiary. The next day I got off the train at Yellow Banks near McEwen, and walked across the head of Hurricane Creek for home, having been gone four years and eleven days.

Samuel Long, Pvt., Co. F

submitted by Jim Brooks

Typed as written

Camp near Etowa River, Ga.
Mr. Samuel Long — May 20, 1864 Dear Father and Mother,
It is with pleasure that I avail myself of the present opportunity to write you a few lines, to let you know how I am getting along. My
health is fine, and I am doing as well as any person could under the present circumstances. Our company is in fine health. The
health and spirits of Johnston's Army is better, I believe, than I ever saw, & I think that when a general engagement takes place
between the two armies it will surely meet with success. Pa, I reckon you have heard of our retreat by this time. On our retreat we
have had some pretty hard skirmishing and shells fell pretty thick around us, but got into no general engagement. None of our
company hurt. Jo Larkin was shot through the thigh in a skirmish, but his wound is not of a serious nature. I saw the ___ two or
three days ago. None of the boys were hurt in Robertson Company. Tom Cobb came out safe, also James Darden has been with
us for the last day or two. He is in fine heatlh. Excellent health and is in the notion of fighting the Yankees till the last pea in the pot
is gone. I wrote you a letter some times since in which I gave the names of those wounded at Missionary Ridg. John Baldwin and
Irvine Parish died of wounds received there. Polk Bartlett is improving. I do not think he will ever be able to use his left arm. He told
me to tell his folks how he was getting along & tell them old that Robertson is his home after this war; I suppose. Tell G. T. Martin,
G. S. is at Raymond (MS). Tell him Tom has come back to. I want you to write to me soon and tell me who is dead and who wants
to marry and cannot get to marry. Tell Mary Ann that Tom had a severe chill on the 20th instant and was sent to the hospital
yesterday morning but I think he will return soon. Pa, I would like to have some money if you have any. Tenn money is worth 4 for
one. So if you a silver watch like John Batts, I can get four or five hundred dollars. So if watches are any like ___ _____ they was
when I left, you would make mine by send me one of ___ in the place of Tenn money, through their might be more danger of its
being captured. If you have Confed send it, but do not buy more of the old issue for it is only ____ it. Pa, I told you the first part of
my letter that I joined the ______ _____ _______ Their was five slightly wounded but prove that you _______
___hardly_______. We are not retreating because we are whipped. You mark what I tell you. Pa, ___ _____ _____. I get as much to eat as I want. You all need not think anything else. We get
___lbs. bacon ____ ____ ____ ____ ________meat and bread. ___ ____ _____ as for
vegetables, we do not get them and __ ____ ___ we do not expect the _____. Pa, I want you to
write to me. I have not received a letter from Tennessee since last Nov. and tell what is the
reason. What has transpired since you last wrote. We are not getting furloughs now, ____ when
reenlisting____ ______ if a soldier furnishes a recruit he gets a 40 day furlough. I expect to come
home when the war closes if it is the good Lord's will to spare me, and if I fall it will be in defense
of what I think is right and well. Pa, I will bring my letter to a close for it is getting dark. Give my
love to all friends and receive a portion yourself. So nothing more this. Martin. Read it if you
can. I have not time look for mistakes.

Jesse Coble, Pvt.

submitted by David Coble

Typed as written:

(Letter by Pvt. Jesse Coble, 11th Regiment Tennessee Volunteers transcribed by Lillie L. Skelton, a Works Progress Administration employee, on March 7, 1938. This particular WPA project was apparently devoted to recording the remembrances of Civil War Veterans and the relatives of deceased vets.
Original found in family bible. The document is from the U.S. National Archive. Jesse was my own Great-Grand Uncle--his brother James, mentioned in the letter, was killed in1863 in night raid against a Federal Blockhouse in Jackson Cty, TN, under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest's 10th Tennessee Cavalry--David William Coble 09-20-2002)

LETTER SENT FROM JESSE COBLE TO HIS FATHER ADAM WHILE SERVING WITH THE 11TH REGIMENT OF THE TN VOLUNTEERS, AUGUST 16, 1861, CARTER COUNTY, TN.

Dear father and mother. I take the pleasure of righting you a few lines to let you no that I am in good health at this time and I hope when these few lines comes to hand they will find you all enjoying the same good blesing. The boys is jenuarly well in hour company. Hour mess is all well and in good spirits. I feel as hapy as a judg just now. I have just come down off a mountain with my hamper sack full of the best kind of peaches. That mountain is about three quarters of a mile hight. I don't know that I have any war nouse to right you at the presiant time that I no to bea so. Times is about like thay have bin for som time as ni as I can tell. We hear they air preparing for fighting on boath sides. We have bin expecting a little fight here with the union men. They say they talked of coming in on us and therashing us out, but I learn they air about to give that up. I was in a spree the other knight with 7 more of the boys and hour captain. We run 4 of the union men about a mile and took them prisoners and fetch them back to camp and kept them under gard too days and knights and than reliest them withought punishing them. Tha was throwghing rocks at the cart as they past a long. I will say to you it was fun for me to make the union devils walk before the point of my baonet. We air listning for aurders for us to leave this place. Whar we will go I do not no. Tell Betsey Snipes Denver was in Noxville last week. Hea was well then so I herd. Father, I have not received a letter from you since George and James was at camp Chathem, tho I have herd from you all---G.D. Leeper brought in John's leter---you all tolarbel well. I was glad to here from you and mother and all of the rest. I want you to right to me ever chance you can. Tell Charley Cagle to hury and git well and come back and fetch me some good nouse. Tell him my wate is 165. I would like to sea you all and talk with you but it is out of my power at this time. So nothing more at presiant. I remain your affectionate sun until death.

From Jesse Coble to Adam Coble.

DIRECT YOUR LETTERS TO CARTER DEPOT THE 11TH REGIMENT OF TENNESSEE VOL. IN
CARE OF CAPT. WEEMS

5th Sergeant Edward H. Miller, Co. B

submitted by Fran C. Rutkovsky (great-great-niece)

"Edward H. Miller, son of George S. Miller and America Ann Hill Miller, was born 25 January, 1842, in Franklin Co., TN. At the time of his service in the Civil War, Ed lived in Davidson Co. TN (Nashville). He married Millie Hunt in Dec. 1865, and they had 5 children. He had a mattress and upholstery business in Nashville until about 1886/87, and then the family moved to Los Angeles, CA. He died after 1920. This paper belonged to my grandmother, Ella Frances Miller Highers, a niece of Ed Miller".

Experience as a prisoner of war at Rock Island

from November, 1863 to March, 1865

I was a member of Co B 11th Tennessee Volunteers. My rank was a non-commissioned officer and I was an active member, was in all engagements with my command up to the time I was captured at the battle of Mission Ridge, which was about the last of October, 1863. I was in the battles of East Tennessee and Wilcox, <Wildcat?> Kentucky, under General Zolicoffer, the Kentucky campaign at Passyville, Murspeesboro, <Tenn.> Chiccamauga with General Bragg. I was not in good health at the time I was captured, in fact I was so weak my Captain, Ed Clark, made me leave the battlefield during the second day's fight. It was about five or six o'clock in the afternoon when we had to retreat across the river. As I was so weak and worn out, I could not travel very fast and could not get across the river, so I tried to make my way out the best I could. Night came and it was very slow progress in the dark and about three or four o'clock in the morning I was captured. The next day I was taken back to Chattanooga, being sick, they put me in the Crutchfield House with the other sick. They made us lay on the floor with only blankets under us and our coat for a pillow. I was confined there about a month before I was able to leave, and most all the other men died, but when I was able to leave I was placed in jail and kept there about a month among the worst lot of Federal soldiers who were in jail for all sorts of crimes. Then I was sent to Nashville and put in the penitentiary and kept there a few days and when I refused to take the oath of allegiance, they sent me to Rock Island Prison where I remained until March, 1865. I was in barrack No. 47 with my old comrade Sept W Abbey who was Sargeant of the Barracks and I was commissary for the barracks. For awhile they treated us prisoners passable well but soon commenced to cut down our rations until two days rations would make only one meal. They consisted of a cup of soup and a bone with a little meat on it and a small piece of bread made of corn husk or flour with potato peelings mixed up in it.