Today in History:

5 Series I Volume XXXIX-I Serial 77 - Allatoona Part I

Page 5 Chapter LI. SCOUT IN HICKMAN AND MAURY COUNTIES, TENN.

October 29, 1864. -Attack on Vanceburg, Ky.

Skirmish at Nonconnah Creek, Tenn.

30, 1864. -Skirmish at Bainbridge, Tenn.

November 1, 1864. -Skirmishes at Union Station, Tenn.

4-17, 1864. -Breckinridge's advance into East Tennessee.

5, 1864. -Skirmish at Bloomfield, Ky.

5-6, 1864. -Skirmishes at Big Pigeon River, Ky.

6-8, 1864. -Expedition from Vicksburg, Miss., to Gaines' Landing and Bayou Macon, La.

7, 1864. -Sixteenth Army Corps abolished.

9-13, 1864. -Expedition from Memphis to Moscow, Tenn.

10, 1864. -Scout near Memphis, Tenn.

MAY 2-12, 1864. -Scout in Hickman and Maury Counties, Tenn.

Report of Captain Russ. B. Davis, Tenth Tennessee (Union) Cavalry.

CAMP GILLEM, TENN., May 12, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that after an absence of ten day's scouting my command, which on leaving cam consisted of three commissioned officers and sixty non-commissioned officers and privates, returned this evening.

From the 2nd instant up to the 8th my time was employed in scouting through the counties of Hickman and Maury. On the evening of the 3rd I sent Lieutenant Creasy, of the Twelfth [Tennessee Cavalry], with a detachment of twenty-five men, up Piney River, with instructions to move from thence up Duck River, and cross, and report to me as soon as practicable, while myself, Lieutenant Orr, and the remainder of the command moved in a southwest course that evening. Next morning I crossed Duck River by means of a ferry, the river beyond fording. After crossing I divided my party and sent Lieutenant Orr, with fifteen men, up Duck River, with instructions to report to me that night at Judge Walker's, on said river. During the day he pursued a guerrilla very closely, so near the man was obliged to swim the stream, abandon his horse, and seek refuge in the mountains, the horse being left to our mercy. The same day I moved up Blue Buck Creek to Walker's, where I encamped for the night. On the morning of the 4th I moved up Lick Creek and Leatherwood Creek some twelve miles, from thence across the bluffs on to Dunlap Creek, where I remained until 8 p. m., when I started in pursuit of three deserters from our army, who were reported to me as being in the country and also being connected with a band of guerrillas and horse-thieves. I succeeded admirably in capturing two of them, namely, H. Love and Thomas Fitzgerald; the THIRD one not to be found; diligent search was made for him.

During the time I was south of Duck River, Lieutenant Creasy was operating to a very good advantage north of the river. Up to this time he had captured two men, namely, Nat Suggs and Captain George H. St. Claire, the former acknowledging to have been engaged in guerrilla warfare at one time, about a year ago, I think, about which time he, with others, fired upon a scouting party, and during the engagement said Suggs was wounded and paroled by Federal authority. The latter, St. Claire, claims to have been a captain in the One hundred and second Regiment Illinois Volunteers, and says his resignation was accepted by General Rosecrans some time in September last. He furthermore states that owing to some private difficulty between himself and Miss---,


Page 5 Chapter LI. SCOUT IN HICKMAN AND MAURY COUNTIES, TENN.