Under Construction
April 1, 1862 William Armstrong Turner enlisted at Pinckneyville Alabama.
His service record states that:
Co. C, 10 Confederate Cav.
Formed by consolidation of the 19 Battalion Georgia Cavalry and
the 5 Battalion (Cavalry) Hilliard's Legion Alabama Volunteers.
I'm not sure what group he was with in early April but Mary Ann stated on her pension application that he was in:
"Company C, 10th Confederate regiment from Ala & Ga. Service 3 years."
A note added by whoever researched her pension application stated:
"5th Ala Battalion."
April 24 1862: Hilliard comissioned and forms Hilliard's Legion.
Hilliard's principal service was in East Tennessee during the latter part
of 1862. He resigned his commission on 1 December 1862
June 25 1862: Hilliard's Legion Formed.
July 8 1862: (for about 3 weeks) Hilliard's Legion moves to Chatanooga Tenn.
Within months 5th Cavalry Battn. detached & transferred to 10th Confed.
Cav. Regmt.
August 4 1862: Hilliard's Legion Moves to Knoxville
August 14, 1862: Marched to Tazwell, 41 miles.
then assigned to 1st Briagdier Gen. John Porter McCown's Brigade, Dept.
of East Tenn. Served at siege of Cumberland gap.
September 17 1862: Occupied Cumberland Gap. for two weeks.
October 2 1862: Began joined Gen Braxton Bragg's Kentucky (East Tenn) cappaign.
The Legion advanced 150 miles bringing up the rear of Bragg's forces. After
the Battle of Perryville, the Legion was again in the rear
late October 1862: Arrived once again at Cumberland Gap.
Nov. 4 1862: moved through Knoxville to Loudon and Bridgeport Al. and back to
Knoxville by Nov 25, 1863.
Dec. 1862: Col. Hilliard resigns:
Dec. 30 1862: Transferred to 10th Confederate Cavalry. per S.O. 305A and I.G.O.
William Armstrong's Company 'C' was transferred as Company 'C' 10th
Confederate Cav. Organized at Murfreesboro under Gen Pegram.
Fought at Monticello after operating in East Tenn. and raiding into
Kentucky. Fought in half dozen conflicts loosing 160 men. Surprised at
Jimtown, lost about 50 men(mostly captured).
At Chicamauga the Tenth fought under Forrest, and lost heavily.
Placed in Wade's (afterwards Hume's and Robinson's) brigade, Kelly's division, with the First and Third Confederate and a Georgia and Louisiana regiment, the
Tenth lost largely at Resaca and New Hope, and performed arduous duty
during the Dalton-Atlanta campaign.
It was then in Wheeler's last raid,
moving as far as Saltville, Va. Having returned to assist Gen. Hood, the
Tenth proceded to the Carolinas, and was engaged at Bentonville. It
surrendered with Johnson's army, 300 strong.
Huwald's Battery, of Tennessee (with Ramsey attached as a lieutenant).
Brigadier General John Kelly, of Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, and remained
attached to his division until April 3, 1864. The battery moved from
Charleston to Dalton, Georgia, and on January 10, 1864 moved to Boiling
Springs, Calhoun County, Alabama, to rest and recruit horses and men.
Sometime between Jan 1864 and April 1864: Wat transferred to Ramsey's Battery (Horse Artillery).
During January and February, Lieutenant Ramsey was detached to become
acting Adjutant to Captain Scott, Chief of Artillery.
On April 3, 1864, Major F. H. Robertson's Artillery Battalion, attached to
Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, was formed, with Huwald's, Ferrell's Georgia, and
Wiggin's Arkansas Batteries. In June, Huggins' Tennessee Battery was added
to the battalion, and Huwald's Battery continued to be reported in this
battalion until September 20, 1864. Captain Huwald was taken prisoner
March 30, and Lieutenant Ramsey took command of the battery, and was
commissioned captain some time in August, although the battery continued to
be generally referred to as Huwald's Battery. On September 20, Major James
Hamilton took command of the battalion, and it was known as Hamilton's
Battalion until the end.
A report dated December 31, 1864 showed the battery stationed at Purisburg,
near Hardeeville, South Carolina, on that date, but no records were found
of the battery's activities in the intervening period. The last report
found was dated January 31, 1865 at which time the battery, still in
Hamilton's Battalion, was in Wheeler's Corps, Lieutenant General Hardee's
Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
On February 11, 1865, Captain Ramsey was relieved of command, and
instructed to report to the Adjutant General for orders. The circumstances
were explained in a letter from John H. Morton to the Adjutant Generals
Office, dated February 8, 1865: "As the friend of Surgeon and Medical
Director Frank A. Ramsey, I would most respectfully submit the following
statement in reference to Captain D. Breck Ramsey, of Wheeler's Cavalry
Corps.
"Huwald's Battery, of Tennessee, was in 1863 consolidated with Robinson's
Battery of Louisiana. Lieutenant Ramsey, of Huwald's Battery became First
Lieutenant; Lieutenant Turner, of Robinson's, next in rank. In 1864,
Ramsey was promoted Captain. On his assuming command, some 15 men of the
Louisiana portion deserted, not the service, but with the design of
attaching themselves to the Army of the Trans-Mississippi Department.
Ramsey was very active and efficient in having them caught, brought back,
and placed under charge of desertion, from which they were released by an
amnesty order of General Johnston. Subsequently their conduct was
rebellious in a marked degree. Being sustained in their acts of
disobedience by Lieutenant Turner, a difficulty necessarily arose between
that officer and Ramsey in the latter's attempt to maintain discipline in
his command, eventuating in the death of Turner. Since which occasion,
several attempts have been made to assassinate Ramsey, and from the deadly
animosity entertained against him by the Louisiana portion of the battery,
and from the boldness and persistence of their attempts, he is hourly
apprehensive that they may be successful; he would therefore most
respectfully ask to be assigned to another command, and thus removed from
the unseen but certain danger which surrounds him."
The battery does not seem to have been surrendered and paroled as a unit,
for parole records were found as of Charlotte, North Carolina; Augusta,
Georgia; Albany, Georgia; and Nashville, Tennessee.
April 1863: Col. Jack Thorington (from 1st Battn.) replaced
April 10, 1863: Cavalry Battn. previously detached.
Sept 19-20, 1863: fought at Chickmauga.
Prelude to Chickamauga
Late June, 1863, - Early September, 1863
After the Battle of Murfreesboro Union General William Rosecrans and Confederate General Braxton Bragg maneuver for position on the road to Chattanooga. Rosecrans begins moving in the second half of June, 1863. Feigning a move to the left, the Federals are behind Bragg on the right before he knows it. Faking an attack, Old Rosy, as his men called him, moves off on another flanking move leaving Bragg so confused that he has no choice but to retreat. 17 consecutive days of rain does nothing to slow down this Union tactician who has the Confederate troops surrounded and out-numbered in Chattanooga on July 4.
On top of Lookout Mountain, Bragg's superior defensive position is a problem. Rosecrans regroups west of Chattanooga and moves toward the city from Bridgeport, Alabama, in early September. However, Rosecrans does not want to challenge Bragg's control of the mountain. Again, Old Rosy looks to flank Bragg. Moving through gaps in the ridge south of Lookout Mountain Rosecrans forces Bragg to withdraw from Chattanooga and protect his supply line. On September 9th Union troops under the command of General Thomas L. Crittenden occupy the city without a fight and Bragg regroups near the town of LaFayette, Georgia. In a serious tactical error, Rosecrans decides to continue the chase instead of regrouping in Chattanooga.
Unaware that Bragg is concentrating his men in LaFayette, and being resupplied and reinforced, Rosecrans continues to move towards his objective, the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Twice Bragg orders an attack on General George Thomas' corps, once as he crosses Steven's Gap and again as he marches into McLemore's Cove, but because of communications problems and lack of discipline no attacks occurred. With Union troops widely spread in mountainous territory, Rosecrans realizes that his skirmishers are running into major resistance, not the rear-guard action he expects. He orders his troops to meet at Chickamauga Creek, 12 miles south of Chattanooga, and some distance away from the main force of Confederates. Or so he thought. Bragg attacks the Union troops on September 19 and what ensues is the bloodiest two days in American History.