Autauga Guards In The Civil War
Written by Reuben Perry Mills - Private, Autauga Guards
The Prattville Progress, Prattville, Autauga County, Alabama, August 8, 1928.
[Copied from musket scroll (muster roll), then in Bragg Mills' posseession] Bragg Mills is the son of Ruben Perry "Ped" Mills.
My Company, the Autauga Guards, was made up at Old Kingston, Alabama in Autauga Co. in July 1861 and offered services to the Confederate Army. They could not receive us on account of not having firearms for us, but informed us that if we could arm ourselves, we were need and could report to General Polk at Columbus, Kentucky. After having gone into training at Autaugaville, Alabama, August 1, 1861 under:
Thomas L. Faulkner - Captain
J.W. Wigglesworth - 1st Lieutenant
R.W. Kerr - 2nd Lieutenant
W.W. Myrick (Bill) - 3rd Lieutenant
J.A. Hall - 1st Sergeant
F.M. Carwile - 2nd Sergeant
J.G. Stoudenmire - 3rd Sergeant
J.M. Johnson - 4th Sergeant
J.P. Dawson - 5th Sergeant
G.D. Keyes - 1st Corporal
B.R. Holmes - 2nd Corporal
W.M. Wagner - 3rd Corporal
L.D. Lamar - 4th Coporal
We trained there until we were ordered to Montgomery for instructions to report to General Leonidas K. Polk. We arrived at Polk's headquarters October 3, 1861 and were assigned to Col. Blythe's Mississippi Battalion, Company G.
We were ordered into camp and remained there until the following month and on November 7, we fought the battle of Belmont, supporting General Pillar's brigade, which was driven back under a bluff on the river, on account of having no ammunition. We crossed the river on a gunboat and formed a line of battle and charged secton of Grant's army, under our Brigade Commander, General Cheatham, and routed them and ran them for eight miles; that night wereturned to Columbus, Kentucky and went into winter quarters and there remained until March 1, 1862.
The Fall of Fort Donaldson after some bloody fighting was the opening of the 1862 activities after which we went to Humboldt, Tennessee. From there to Bethel Springs and on to Purdy, the County Seat of McNair County, Tennessee. From there we went to Shiloh forming a line of battle on April 5, after having marched 22 miles that day and having slept on our arms (that is equipped for battle) that night and on the morning of the 6th, (Sunday at 4) the battle was opened with General Hardee's brigade in the front line and we were in support. In this way the battle rages until Hardee has carried two lines and attempted to carry the third when we were called to his support. It was here that we had to ford across a muddy stream and charge up a hill in the face of a battery. However, Captain Dent's battery came to our rescue and General Cheatham was asked if he could storm the battery to which he replied, "I can storm Hell with a bucket of water!" We drove them back to the river and on the night of the 6th, General Buell re-enforced Grant's army and the fight was renewed the next day and after holding our own that day, we were forced to give ground exhausted.
Our battalion was left to cover retreat and ordered not to fire unless the enemy advanced. There were a few shots from cannon and we undertook to stop it, and it was here that a piece of shell (shrapnel) struck me in the stomach. Litter bearers were overloaded and hospitals were overcrowded, so we that could possibly get along, were compelled to walk. We went back eight miles that night, and I obtained a pass to come home and recuperate and there remained for about 10 weeks. I rejoined my company about August 10, 1862 at Chattanooga, Tennessee and stayed there until about September 1, 1862.
We went to the Tennessee River at Harrison's landing and up Walden's Ridge (a 15 mile hike without water) and camped at Pikeville and rested, taking up march, going through Sparta in the direction of Louisville, Kentucky, wading Cumberland River near Glasgow and striking camp at Beaver Creek. That night we received all necessary orders to leave all unnecessary baggage and hasten our march to Cave City, Kentucky to stop Federal reinforcements. We tore up railroads and captured freight and passenger trains. We were then ordered to Mumfordsville that night, 12 miles away, and there captured Wilder's Brigade and blew up the bridge across Green River. We moved in the direction of Frankfort and rested a few days and then moved on to Salvisa at Salt River Bridge, where we were ordered back to Perryville where we fought a battle. On the following morning of the fight, General Boyle was re-enforced and General Bragg thought it unwise to fight there again and retreated, going back to Camp Dick Robinson, taking the Wilderness turnpiked to Knoxville, Tennessee (Fourteen days on the hike with 14,000 head of cattle). Arrived there on November 14. It was here that I saw the deepest snow while I was in the army.
Here we rested for three days and moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee by train. (Our company was transferred to Company K: 24th Alabama Regiment) J.A. Hall was Captain of the company and N.N. Davis was Colonel of the regiment. Here the Battle of Stone Creek (Murfreesboro) was fought on the last days of December 1862 and the first days of January 1863. The Cavalry drove in our pickets, and our company being the only one in the regiment that had been under fire, we were deployed through a field behind a fence, and as the Cavalry came in close we fired a volley of 44 shots and unhorsed 40 horses. It was at this time that the real battle opened, our section fighting throughout the College Grove. (Later in the afternoon I was shot through the left thigh and was taken prisoner) The battle lasted two days longer. As a prisoner I was carried to Camp Butler, Illinois and there remained until I was carried to Shelby Point, Virginia and exchanged for prisoners in May. I was ordered to report to my old command at Shelbyville, Tennessee. I obtained a thirty day furlough as I was not physically able to serve as a soldier.
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