Several times in the past, I have written about prisons, concentrating on prison guards (here) and moving prisoners across the South (here). Captain Robert B. Smith, Company K, 7th Florida Infantry, was in charge of a group of guards and prisoners following the battle of Murfreesboro. He recorded his story in 1914.
“In the winter of 1863, after the battle of… [Murfreesboro]… all of the non-commissioned officers and privates who were captured at that time were sent to Richmond, Va. There were 3,300 of them.
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| Bristol, TN/VA in 1857 |
At Knoxville,
Tenn., our regiment, the 7th Fla., was detailed to guard them as far
as Bristol, on the line of the Virginia and Tennessee [Railroad]. Nothing of
any particular interest happened until we reached the Watauga River. There was
a very high bridge over that river, and a raiding party of Federals from
Cumberland Gap had burned the bridge, and the cars could proceed no father.
We had to march
from there to Bristol, a distance of 12 or 14 miles . . . When we reached
Bristol I went to the commander, Maj. Keys, and roused him out of bed and told
him who I was and what I had for him. He was taken completely by surprise and
did not know what to do with the prisoners. Some one, however, must have notified
the railroad authorities, for there were two trains of box cars to take us on
to Richmond.
Major Keys had
no one to send along as a guard, for his men were off on a scout and would not
be back for two days, or more. He wanted me to go on with my regiment, but I
could not, for my orders were to carry the prisoners to Bristol and return.
I told Maj. Keys
I did not think a guard was necessary—that he could take them himself. He asked
me if I would be willing to go with them without a guard. I told him I would be
glad to.
Arrangements
were soon made. The 7th Fla. Was sent back under command of a
subordinate officer, and the 3,300 Federal prisoners and I boarded the cars and
were soon ‘on to Richmond.’”
At Wytheville,
Va., the trains stopped a long time, and the men, being hungry, swarmed off the
cars to beg or buy something to eat. I could not blame them. The Mayor or
Marshall wanted to know why I didn’t keep them on the cars.
I could not help
but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation—one man guarding 3,300!
However, I told him, “All right,” and went the entire length of the two trains
and gave the orders that ‘no one was to leave the cars.’ Strange as it may
seem, that order was obeyed just as if they had been my own men.
One man died on
the way and was put off at a station and the trains moved on. I never knew what
[was] the cause of his death. When we got to Lynchburg it was early morning of
the second day from Bristol. There I reported to Col. Lyons, the commandant. He
wanted me to go on to Richmond, but I said: ‘No; I cannot, for some of those
men have been without food for three days and are suffering.’
He said: They
have no formation and you cannot give them rations. It will be a ‘grab game’
just as it was at Knoxville, Tenn., where you last rationed them.’
That seemed very
reasonable, but a happy inspiration came to me at that moment, and I told him I
could issue the rations to every man, and would assume the whole
responsibility. All I asked was two hours’ time. He agreed to my proposition
and issued orders for 3,000 rations. The railyard where the cars with the
prisoners were was an ideal place for my experiment. Very many citizens were attracted
there, curious to see and to hear.
I mounted a box
car and announced that I was going to give them rations and I wanted their
help. They assured me mostly heartily that I should have it. Joy beamed in
their faces and added speed to their feet and sharpness to their wits. I told
them in a few words what I wanted done and began calling them by states.
“Maine troops,
fall in on the extreme right; New Hampshire troops, fall in next, Western and
Northern states. After naming every state from Maine to California, there were
several hundred men left. I called out to them, “Where do you belong?”
Some one yelled
out, “Call the Southern states.”
I had not
thought of that, so I called, “North Carolina troops, fall in!” Quite a good
many moved to the right, and then, “South Carolina troops, fall in!” and sure
enough there were some from South Carolina. The citizens began to guy them
unmercifully, and when I gave the command, “Tennessee troops, fall in! it
seemed that there were a hundred or more. The citizens did not guy them so
much. But when I called Virginia I thought the citizens would come over the
fence after them.
Soon all were in
two ranks, and I had the orderlies to step two paces to the front. Out of these
orderly-sergeants, I selected 65 captains for 50 men each, and instructed them
to write down the names of their men and then go with a detail of our men to
draw rations.
They were warned
that if any man of their company was cheated out of his rations the captain and
his four men would have to supply him with a ration, even if they went without.
There was no complaint.
That evening we loaded cars quickly, using our same formations, and proceeded
on to Richmond, where we arrived at 7 o’clock the next morning. The railroad
authorities were afraid to take us over the James River on their bridge neither
would they permit us all to cross at the same time. We still had our company
formation and could easily manage that order by sending a few companies at a
time.
Soon we were
over in the city. Many people were in evidence as spectators, but they were
civil and good-natured. Just to have a little amusement, as we were marching in
the middle of the street towards Libbey prison, I gave the order, “By
companies, right wheel into line, march!” This order was promptly obeyed, and
we marched by company front until we reached Libbey Prison, where I took my leave
of these jolly prisoners.”[1]
This is quite a
remarkable tale: one officer, escorting 3,000 prisoners through Tennessee and Virginia.
Is there any chance of proving this post-war account? First, there is not a
published history of the 7th Florida Infantry (that I can find). The
7th Florida was organized in April 1862 in Gainesville, Florida.
They were assigned to the Army of Tennessee.[2]
They are not listed in the order of battle for Murfreesboro. They were a part
of Bragg’s army when it invaded Kentucky, and, in February 1863, were doing
garrison duty at Cumberland Gap. They were reported in Knoxville from February 1863,
through Saunder’s Raid in June 1863. So they are in the right place at the
right time. (Many of the Florida Compiled Military Service Records are very
difficult to read.)[3] Maybe
the 7th Florida was serving as provost marshal in Knoxville. An
article detailing the movements of the 19th Georgia Battalion notes
on January 5, 1863, that when author’s battalion arrived in Knoxville, “we
reported to Capt. A.S. Moseley, 7th Regiment Florida Volunteers, who
is an able and efficient officer.”[4]
There is an
interesting piece in the file of Capt. Robert B. Smith dated March 25, 1864, to
the Quarter Master regarding other matters. And then there is this: “Also
awaiting receipts from the Qu. Master for tents & cooking utensils turned
over at Knoxville Tenn when we were ordered to Virginia.”[5]
Were prisoners from
Murfreesboro sent to Richmond? On January 13, 1863, the Daily Richmond Whig
reported that 168 Federal captured at Murfreesboro were in Lynchburg, with
another 800 more expected to arrive that night.[6]
An Abington newspaper reported a few days later that “For several days past,
the trains going eastward have been loaded down with prisoners from Murfreesboro,
en route for Richmond.”[7]
At least some of the Federal prisoners captured at Murfreesboro were sent to
Richmond. Is there any record of Smith’s prisoners’ marching in company front
formation through the streets toward Libby Prison? Not that I have found so
far.
Maybe some a good
book on the 7th Florida would prove what seems like a tall tale. Or,
maybe one of those Federal prisoners captured at Murfreesboro wrote about the
event after the fact. It seems that most of the Murfreesboro prisoners were
paroled rather quickly.
[1] Robert
B. Smith, “3,300 Federal Prisoners and I.” Civil War Times Illustrated,
December 1975, 41-43.
[2] Crute,
Units of the Confederate States Army, 77.
[3] CMSR,
Record of events, 7th Florida Infantry, Roll 0076, M251, RG109.
[4] The
Macon Telegraph, January 9, 1863.
[5] Robert
Smith, CMSR, Roll 0079, M251, RG109.
[6] Daily
Richmond Whig, January 13, 1863.
[7] The
Abington Virginia, January 16, 1863.