For the surviving Nethery family, William and family in Texas and William, Jr. and Alexander Matthew in Mississippi, the year of 1862 had been a dismal one. The deaths of brothers Thomas and James and the seperation from family, especially the absence of A.M. from the birth of daughter Rachel on July 19, were undoubtedly taking their toll.
Recent military losses and serving as dismounted Cavalry only added to the discontent of the Texas troops as a whole. According to Griscom's reports, "Oct.6th- ...the men all worn down and all pretty well discouraged at our late ill success."(1) Another source reports, "they deplored the infantry. Every mounted officer reminded them how much easier life had been on horseback. While they sulked around camp, officers began reorganizing the reduced commands." (2)
As October came to a close, the brothers found themselves serving in the newly reorganized Texas Cavalry Brigade, combining the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 27th Cavalry units under the command of Col. John W. Whitfield who was recovering from wounds suffered at Corinth. Col. L.S. Ross temporarily commanded the new Brigade in his absence.(1)
An early snow arrived on Oct. 25 dumping 3 inches on the ill-equipped men adding to their hardships. Finally much needed good news arrived in early November as the horses were returned. The men immediately began retraining as cavalry units and were soon ordered to protect a Confederate supply train from Federal capture. On Dec.3, the 27th Cavalry leading the way, the Texas Brigade attacked the Yankees near Oakland, Mississippi. Although a complete victory was prevented due to a communication error, the enemy retreated and the train was saved. (3)
Within two weeks, the Texas Brigade was joined by brigades from Mississippi and Missouri, creating a force of 3500 men under the leadership of Gen. Earl Van Dorn, and were on their way to raid Grant's Federal Supply Depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi. As they rode through the town of Pontotoc, "the good ladies stood in the street with dishes and baskets filled with all manner of good things to eat, which we grabbed in our hands as we passed rapidly through the town"(4)
Arriving at Holly Springs in the early morning hours of December 20th, the Brigades were divided and attacked the unsuspecting town, "from the east, northeast and north...Most of the Union troops were surprised out of their sleep...Van Dorn's men routed them and the vital supply depot, with it's tons of medical, quartermaster, ordnance and commissary stores fell quickly into Confederate hands.
While about 1500 (Union) prisoners were being paroled, the Confederate raiders plundered warehouses, cut telegraph lines and tore up track ." After burning what they couldn't carry, the men mounted up and left Holly Springs, having destroyed an estimated $1,500,000 in Union supplies.(5) "Grant was so chagrined that no mention is ever made of Van Dorn's raid in the official records or his memoirs. With all his supplies gone, Grant told his men to live off the land and this they did hereafter. The fall of Vicksburg was delayed six months because of it."(6) It's not surprising that A.M. proudly mentioned his participation in the Holly Springs raid when he wrote to his cousin in 1870. (see last issue)
After the victory at Holly Springs, Van Dorn's troops headed north into Tennessee, facing the enemy in daily skirmishes. After going as far as Dancyville, they headed south, back to Mississippi. Arriving in Ripley, around noon on Christmas Day, they were soon exchanging gunfire again. (1) Some time during this skirmish, William Nethery was captured while on a scouting assignment. His records report that he was paroled by the next day, December 26, and there is no mention of injury. Overall it was an unusual Christmas and ending to the year of 1862.
January 1863 started off with excessively wet and often extremely cold weather. Just imagine being on horseback and always on the move with no real shelter and often very little food for men and horses. Griscom's diary gives us an insight into the hardships they faced for the first five weeks of 1863.
"2nd--- Move out at sunrise through Carrolton & 10 M(iles) south & stop to feed & camp--heavy rain 23M
3rd--- Being water bound we move 2M to feed in the rain & camp again in a tremendous storm
4th--- Rained hard all night & it is so muddy that we have to leave the trains (wagon trains) except one wagon with the best teams to carry Cooking utensils-- proceed through Black Hawk & after a terrible time crossing creeks fixing bridges & c(?) arrived within 2M of Lexington & camped.
8th--Move at 4AM to the Tuscahoma ferry (21M) on Yallabusha riv(er) where we ferry across the main river & have to swim 3 big Sloughs (swamp/bayou) which takes us until night but have to go 7M to get forage...
9th-- Move 10M to Preston & camp near in a tremendous rain Storm ...
13th--in camp Rains hard--warm
14th--Rains hard & turns very cold at night-- sleets & freezes
15th--Snows, Sleets & freezes
16th--Still Snowing but move through Oakland & beyond 4M & camp-- only a small portion of our train gets in & we suffer much from cold both on the march & at night--the snow lies 2 in. deep & no tents to protect us-- make log fires & sleep by them
18th--Rains hard & the mud is a foot to 3 deep all over camp......"
The following weeks have very similar reports until the first week of February. Altough the weather remains bad, the orders for the Texas Cavalry Brigade take a significant turn, as Griscom records:
"9th--...Van Dorn's whole Cavalry corps are with us & we are off for Tennessee.
10 th-- March 25 Miles through a poor hilly boggy country through the rain--the trains fail to come up & we camp tired & hungry no forage for horses 25M "
Hardships of weather and little or no forage, continued as they made their way across the statelines of Alabama and Tennessee. Although foraging did improve in the Tennessee Valley, it would take four more weeks of rainy weather, sometimes bitter cold and flooded river crossings to make their final destination of Thompson's Station, south of Nashville, where they would fight their next decisive battle on March 5, 1863.(1)
The Battle at Thompson's Station began when Union General John Coburn's reconnaisance forces marching south from Nashville, collided with a similar expediton led by Confederate General Earl Van Dorn, heading north from Spring Hill. Colburn's command consisted of 2837 troops, 600 of them cavalry, and a battery of six long-ranged cannons. Van Dorn's was made up of twice as many men, all cavalry and also included six pieces of artillery. The bloody five hour battle came to a close when Forrest's men were able to get to the rear of the enemy and effectively box them in, leading to an immediate surrender. Accoring to the report of S.B. Barron, 3rd Texas, "Our loss was 56 killed, 289 wounded and 12 missing; total 357. The enemy's loss was 48 killed, 247 wounded and 1151 captured ; total 1446" (4)
The next ten or more weeks were spent in a cat and mouse strategy with the enemy. One account describes it like this," Like two boxers, Confederate and Federal Calvary detachments stalked each other warily, jabbed, feinted, and parried, and then fell to pummeling each other until one adversary or the other backed off to gather strength, await a point of vantage, and begin probing the opponent's defenses all over again. Though much blood flowed, and the punishment sustained on both sides was painful and severe, neither side could score a knock-out."(8)
One such incident, on April 27th, is recorded in Griscom's diary," The 27th Tex (Whitfield's Legion)...are charged at light by 2 Regiments of Fedl Cav & their Camp Completely Stampeded, 9 officers & 111 men Captured & their train burned & 1 man (mere boy) brutally murdered after he was taken because he was a cripple--The men are scattered to "the four winds" those that came by our camp being minus hat, coats, blankets, & in many instances even saddles & bridles...The Brigade was promptly in pursuit but only came out in time to fire on their retreating rear guard." (1)
Another blow to the Texas Cavalry Brigade came on May 7th, not by the enemy, but at the hand of an assassin. General Earl Van Dorn, age 42, was killed by a bullet to the back of his head. The killer was an alleged jealous husband, Dr.George Peters. Ten days later, they were ordered to return to Mississippi under the command of Brigadier General John Whitfield.(1)
The march back took only ten days at an average of 22.3 miles a day. Taking a southerly route, they headed down the Tuscaloosa Road in Alabama before going over mountainous roads to Columbus, Mississippi. Interestingly, A.M. is listed as AWOL on May 25, during the Tuscaloosa portion of their trip. Perhaps he was hunting for relatives who might still reside in the county of his birth. It would not be that unusual according to my sources. He did return to duty. (1),(4)
Souces for Nethery Brothers in the Civil War, part 2:
1. George L Griscom, Fighting With Ross' Texas Cavalry Brigade,C.S.A.: The Diary of George L. Griscom , ed. Homer L Kerr (Hillsboro, Texas: Hill Junior College Press,1976)
2.Martha L. Crabbe, All Afire to Fight:The Untold Tale of the Civil War's Ninth Texas Cavalry,(Post Road Press,Avon Books, Winter 2000)
3.Allen G. Hately, The First Texas Legion During The American Civil War, (Centex Press, Eagle Pass,Texas, 2004)
4.Samuel L Barron, The Lone Star Defenders: A Chronicle of the Third Texas Cavalry, Ross' Brigade (New York: Neale, 1908)
5. www.mycivilwar.com/campaigns/621220R.htm - no author given
6. http/marshallcountyms.org/military/vandorn.php ,"Van Dorn's Historic Raid on Holly Springs" , by Lois Swanee, Museum Curator
7.Douglas Hale, The Third Texas Cavalry in the Civil War (University of Oklahoma Press, Norman and London)
Civil War records for the brothers were obtained at the Historical Research Center, Texas Heritage Museum , Hill College, Hillsboro, Texas. Thanks again to Anita Tufts, Archivist and Librarian ,one of the most helpful persons I've ever had the pleasure to meet.
