National Tribune Article: Reminiscences. Harper's Ferry and Knoxville.
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON, D.C.
MAY 2, 1889

REMINISCENCES
Harper's Ferry and Knoxville


By FRANCIS M. THOMAS, M.D., Private of Company B, 60th Ohio

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In reading the communications of Comrade Wm. H. Nichols, 1st R.I. Cav., Salem, Mass., and Comrade Darrow, 12th Ill. Cav., concerning the services of these regiments at Harper's Ferry and elsewhere, I was forcibly reminded of the anxiety of our regiment (60th Ohio) to also cut its way out of Harper's Ferry on the night before the surrender -- Sept. 14, 1862. But we were ordered to remain and hold Bolivar Hights at all hazards, and we did stay and hold them until about 9 o'clock the next morning, when we, with about 12,000 others, laid down our arms in surrender to Gen. Stonewall Jackson. For several days we were very anxious as to the fate of the cavalry that had left us on the night of the 14th, but we soon heard that they had gone out safely, or with but small loss. Gen. A. P. Hill, who was a division commander under Gen. Jackson, had more of the appearance of a cowboy than that of a Major-General. He had on neither coat nor vest, and what clothes he did wear were the color of a Virginia "big road." He wore a slouch hat and rode a dun-colored horse. Gen. Jackson had his clothes on, which were of the regulation Confederate gray, with the stars on the collar of coat and embroidery on the sleeves. His conversation and bearing gave us the impression that he was a humane and honorable gentleman. He wore short, dark iron-gray whiskers, and rode a dark brown or black horse.

Now, I have described Gens. Jackson and Hill as I remember them to have appeared 27 years ago. But our memories are not infallible, hence the controversies between comrades concerning military events which took place from 24 to 28 years ago. We then saw battles from different standpoints. We often marched and camped and fought in cloudy weather, without a proper location of the points of the compass. Let us once get it firmly into our heads that a certain direction is north, and it is next to impossible to remove the delusion. I remember marching one cloudy day from Frederick City in the direction of Ellicott City, Md. During the forenoon I got the impression that we were going due west, but later in the day I was made to understand that we were going east, yet if I did not watch myself closely I would speak of the point of the compass ahead of us as west, when I knew better.

After the 60th Ohio -- a one-year regiment -- was mustered out of the service, I re-enlisted in the 2d Ohio H. A., and we spent a part of our time at Knoxville, Tenn. In reading the article of Comrade W. R. Carter, 1st Tenn. Cav., my memory is refreshed as to some of the scenes and persons of the historic city of Knoxville. I believe the 1st Tenn. Cav. was Col. Jim Brownlow's regiment. During the war there was a story going that Col. Brownlow had challenged the Colonel of the 1st Tenn. Confederate Cav. to a regimental duel in open field, and that when our military authorities "got on to it," it came near costing Col. Brownlow his commission. Who knows anything about that?

I well remember Parson Brownlow and Horace Maynard. The latter could often be seen on the Gay-street sidewalks, near his office door, bareheaded, with his long, straight locks, like those of an Indian, hanging down upon his shoulders, in close and animated conversation with a friend.

In March, 1865, he and the old Parson went up to Strawberry Plains, whither I had gone, and was acting Quartermaster and Commissary of that post. They went to hold a political meeting, as Mr. Brownlow had a short time previous been nominated for Governor of Tennessee. They both made speeches from the platform in front of my warehouse. Maynard's speech was calm, earnest and argumentative, while that of Mr. Brownlow was fiery and epithetical to the last degree. He was then very fleshy, so that I had to assist him in removing his cloak, yet he would lean upon the table in front of him and score those Tennessee rebels and their sympathisers till we could almost see the blood running out of them. He went for Isham G. Harris with an especial relish. He was a grand old man.

I well remember Fort Sanders, but I am sorry to say that we got there a year too late to be competent witnesses as to whether cotton was used in its defense.

One morning in October, 1864, while we were stationed at Knoxville, I was ordered to appear immediately at the headquarters of Gen. Stoneman, who was then in command of that post. I could not tell what was the matter, but expected to be drawn and quartered before escaping from the presence of that august and weather-beaten warrior. I obeyed orders, and promptly reported at the office of the General, who immediately ordered me under arrest for the alleged crime of changing the location of a picket-post at the foot of Gay street near the depot of the E. T., Va. & Ga. R. R. I had been Officer of the Guard the day before but the change of picket-post had been made several days before. Of this I soon convinced the General, who let me off whole.

J. W. Dalzell, 12th Ohio Cav., Columbiana, O., asks what has become of Gen. Stoneman? He has been in California for several years and has recently retired from the office of Governor of the State.

A. J. Burgess, 18th Ohio Battery, Centerville, Iowa asks the address of Lieut. Chestnut, 18th Battery. It is probably Samuel Chestnut, Joliet, Ill.

I may hereafter have something to say by way of reminiscences of our soldier life in other parts of the South. -- F. M. Thomas, M.D., 2d Ohio H. A., Samantha, O.

Thomas, Francis M. "REMINISCENCES. Harper's Ferry and Knoxville." The National Tribune: Washington, D.C., May 2, 1889.




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