The Battle of Morristown, 1864

(Union Artillery readies for action at Morristown.)

It was on the morning of 28 October 1864 that Morristown, Tennessee was the site of a battle between Union and Confederate forces during the War Between The States. Except for a Georgia battalion and a South Carolina mountain howitzer and crew on the Confederate side, both sides were made up of Tennesseans.

Union General Alvan Gillem, commanding three Tennessee cavalry regiments and an artillery battery, moved up from New Market, Tennessee, and headed for Morristown, where Confederates there were under the command of General John Vaughn. Gillem's men, probably less than 2,800 strong were well equipped, better trained, better mounted, battle-tested, and had repeating rifles. Vaughn's forces, probably less than 1,700 in number were generally poorly equipped and had muzzle loading rifles, but were devoted, experienced soldiers who had seen hard campaigning in Mississippi and more lately in Virginia. Vaughn's brigade was actually composed of two depleted brigades, one being mounted infantry under Col. Bradford, and the other of cavalry under Col. Carter.

Vaughn knew he was up against a numerically superior force, believing the Federals to number around 3,500 men. He knew also his best defendable position lay to his rear, at Bull's Gap, where he also had forces stationed. His stated plan was to fall back towards Bull's Gap if pressed by the Federals. At the same time it seems he intended to first make a stand at Morristown to see if he could stop the Federals there.

Vaughn deployed his men in two long lines. One line was east of town and was flanked on either side by an artillery battery. One battery was on the hill where Morristown College used to be, and a line of men extended from there towards the Radio Center area, where another artillery battery anchored his left flank. In front of this line, west of Jackson Street, was Vaughn's first line dismounted and in line. Farther to the west, Col. James Rose, along with his mounted regiment, had maintained contact with the Union troops as they advanced towards town. Under Vaughn's orders to determine the enemy's strength, Rose's regiment, the 61st, numbering under a 100 men, faced off against the Union brigade, forcing it to begin deploying from the road into the adjacent fields. As company after company of Union cavalry deployed, Rose could clearly see he was up against a large Union force, which fact he duly reported to Vaughn. (All this happened on the west end, near where Home Depot is today, or perhaps a little further to the west, between K Mart and Home Depot.) Rose's regiment then fell back into the center of the main Confederate position at Morristown. The Confederates now awaited the inevitable Union attack. One Union veteran later recalled approaching Morristown on that fateful day and seeing the entire valley full of Confederates.

Morristown at that time was a small collection of buildings, mostly along Main Street, between Jackson and Hill Streets. Surrounding it was open farm land. I think its probable that there are more trees today in Morristown than in 1864. Both sides could see each other much better then than would be possible today.

Gillem's Union brigade arrived on the battlefield around 9 o'clock in the morning. His artillery battery deployed itself on a hill on Gillem's right flank, and began firing on the Confederates, whose own artillery returned fire. Town residents, mostly women, children and old men, huddled together in their's or their neighbor's cellars, as the terrific concussions of cannon fire rattled their homes. One of Gillem's cavalry regiments formed up and charged towards the first Confederate line, concentrating on the center and right of the Confederate position. Confederate artillery opened fire on the advancing Federals at long range, and to little effect. At 400 yards the advancing Union cavalry picked up speed to a trot. Shortly thereafter the entire Confederate front line opened fire on the horsemen, but again to little noticeable effect. As the cavalry, now at full speed and with sabres drawn, closed on the Confederate position, the Confederate line was pushed back.

At the same time, Confederates south of town, on the left, acted to take the pressure off their embattled comrades on the right. Cavalry under Col. Carter rode out from the second line, but another Union regiment was moved up quickly to counter them. The Confederates then launched a charge of their own, filling the air with rebel yells as they aggressively plunged into the Union regiment, but their charge failed to break through the Union line.

Back on the Confederate right, the first line had collapsed, being chased across the open fields by the charging Federals. Pressing forward, Union troopers rode into the town itself, and there found mounted Confederates who counter charged into the Union force, with both sides making contact in the middle of town and furiously slashing at each other with sabres. This may have resulted in the Confederates holding the built up area of the town, while their first line in other places had been defeated and had routed back beyond their second line.

Having the Confederates in check, the Federals then began moving to get behind the Confederates on the far left, south of town. The Confederates weren't done yet, and were thought by the Federals to be threatening the Union artillery battery. (The Union battery then having moved to the hill on which Lincoln Heights School stands today.) But now the full weight of the Union brigade fell on the embattled Confederates, as a cavalry charge was launched at points all along the Confederate line. Understanding the serious threat of the Union regiment moving to flank his position, and unable to stop it, General Vaughn was already in the process of attempting to withdraw his men from the battle when the Union forces charged his front. The Union charge couldn't have come at a worse moment for Vaughn's men. Colonel Rose later wrote the Confederate line first broke on the far left, (out towards Radio Center today) with a Union column penetrating well behind the line at that point. The remainder of the line then broke in turn from left to right.

Disaster for the Confederates! Probably already on the move, artillerymen struggled to save their guns. The artillery battery on the Confederate left was captured east of town when some of the horses pulling the guns were shot down. Confederate horsemen, barely ahead of Union cavalry, rode out of the town, riding through the center of the second line, and shouting at the soldiers there to run, that Gillem was coming up in a column. Still there was resistance, as the center Union column did take casualties in its charge. But this charge finished off the Confederate position in the center. On the Confederate side, individuals became separated from their fleeing units and hid in panic in buildings throughout the town. One old man and woman watched as a young Confederate burst into their home and hid under their bed. "Don't stay there!" said the old man. "That is the first place they will look." The boy crawled from under the bed. "You are right." he said, and then he ran out their back door, and disappeared into the melee and confusion outside, never to be seen by the old couple again.

Union cavalrymen, repeating rifles blazing away, raced through Morristown, and proceeded to chase Vaughn's men in a dogged pursuit towards Russellville. The Confederates attempted to withdraw in some sort of order, but the pressure on them was enormous, and the hard pursuing Federals soon turned their retreat into a "stampede." Col. Rose's horse was shot down, and Rose was then captured. General Vaughn himself narrowly escaped, and was said to have killed a young Union horsemen who attempted to capture him. Near Russellville some of Vaughn's troops were able to rally, and along with fresh Confederate reinforcements from North Carolina made a stand and stopped Gillem's pursuit of Vaughn's men.

The Confederates lost 85 killed with 225 wounded and captured; in addition, some died later of wounds received in the battle. Union losses were 8 killed and 18 wounded. The Confederates also lost 5 artillery pieces and limbers, and 6 wagons captured. Also the Confederates carried many wounded away with them. Some wounded men, at least on the Confederate side, had limbs amputated after the battle. In mounted units horses usually receive about half the casualties, so its probable that a surprisingly large number of horses were killed as a result of the fighting.

According to my research, the 8 Union soldiers killed that day were: 13th Cavalry: Quarter Master Sergeant William Greene, Cpl. Marion Garrison; 8th Cavalry: Cpl. James Lemarr, Cpl. William H. Boothe, Pvt. William Pressley, Pvt. William Bailey, Pvt. McDaniel Bussell, Pvt. Reese Cunningham. Garrison (probably Garretson) was from this area and was buried locally. I believe his grave is at Morelock Cemetery today in Hamblen County. The other seven men were originally buried in Morristown, but have since been removed to the Knoxville National Cemetery in Knoxville, Tennessee. The 85 Confederates have proven harder to find. Among the Confederate dead were: 1st TN Cavalry: Capt. Ed Gammon, John Geist; 16th TN Cavalry Battalion: A. L. Ferguson. 46 graves of unknown Confederates were removed from the old Bethel Burying grounds (not to be confused with modern day Bethel Cemetery) and reburied at Jarnigan Cemetery in Morristown. It would appear these men (or at least some of them) were among the killed in action at the Battle of Morristown.. I think its likely that the Union dead were originally buried there as well. Fleeing Confederates left twelve badly wounded men at the Barton house, just east of town (near Barton Springs Road and Dover Road), three of whom died and were buried on the property. Also, at least 22 Confederates are said to be buried at Morris Cemetery, 16 of them in a slit trench. Possibly they also represent casualties from the battle at Morristown. As the pursuit led to Russellville it is possible that some Confederates are buried along the route of that pursuit, in cemeteries between Morristown and Russellville. A monument to the 46 unknown Confederates marks their grave at Jarnigan Cemetery, for many of them their last minutes spent desperately trying to hold the line at Morristown.

After their defeat at Morristown, the resilient Confederates would be reinforced, and, under the leadership of no less than former American vice president, John C. Breckinridge, they were on the attack again two weeks later. Gillem had by then advanced into Greene County, but then occupied Bull's Gap as the Confederates approached. He had placed a garrison of around 125 men at Morristown. On the night of 11 November 1864, Major Samuel Tool, after raiding Russellville, led 125 Confederates into Morristown and defeated the garrison, killing as many as 13 and capturing around 51 Union soldiers, with the loss of 3 men wounded. Tool evidently attacked Morristown from the east, and burned a train engine and railroad car and several wagons in his raid.

Meanwhile, at Bull's Gap, Gillem was under considerable attack by a determined Breckinridge. Running low on food and ammunition, Gillem attempted to retreat from the gap on the evening of 13 November 1864. That same night the Confederates were moving to turn the Union right flank, and ran headlong into Gillem's retreating column. Fighting broke out at several points along the road leading from Russellville to Morristown, as the Federal column raced towards Morristown, and the Confederates, led by Vaughn's brigade, surged forward in pursuit. Finally, Gillem assembled what remained of his command and linked up with a supply column then in Morristown. Defending a fence row about one mile east of Morristown, the Federals were completely routed in the early morning hours of 14 November 1864. Gillem's Stampede, as it was famously called, had begun. The Confederates pursued the Federals through Morristown and all the way to Strawberry Plains. The Confederates captured around 300 men, 6 artillery pieces (the same Union guns used in Morristown on the 28 October) and 61 wagons, the latter being Gillem's entire pack train plus the supply wagons in the relief column. Once again Morristown was in Confederate hands, and General Breckinridge seems to have stayed in Morristown for a few days after this event. Breckinridge had served on battlefields from Shiloh to Chickamauga, and had run against Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 Presidential election, winning the vote in the Southern states. Some ladies of the day thought him to be the most handsome of all the Confederate generals.

Morristown lay along the important East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad line during the war. (It was in the same place the railroad tracks go through town today.) This line connected Robert E. Lee's army in Virginia to Braxton Bragg's army in Tennessee, until Bragg lost Knoxville and then Chattanooga to Union forces in 1863.

After the battle of Perryville, Kentucky in 1862, Bragg's Confederate army retreated in part through Morristown by train.

Longstreet's Corps from Lee's army in Virginia was rushed to support Bragg in September 1863. Since Burnsides held Knoxville for the Union, Longstreet's shortest route (through Morristown) was blocked, forcing him on a long circuitous trek through the Carolinas to meet up with Bragg near Chattanooga. Bragg then administered a stunning and bloody defeat to Union forces at Chickamauga, but failed to advance quickly on Chattanooga which at that moment was his for the taking. He then split his army, sending Longstreet to take Knoxville. Bragg was defeated at Chattanooga, and Longstreet was unable to take Knoxville after an ineffective seige. Sherman's Union army marched from Chattanooga to relieve the seige at Knoxville. Longstreet's Corps was then forced to retreat up the railroad line, through Morristown. Longstreet had his headquarters for a time during the winter of 1863-64 at Morristown. From Morristown, Longstreet sought to again advance on Knoxville, whose capture would put him in a position to assist the hardpressed Army of Tennessee, which was battling south of Chattanooga. But superior Union numbers continually thwarted Longstreet's attempts. Eventually Longstreet's Corps rejoined Lee's army in Virginia. This period of the war, with large numbers of troops fighting and foraging in the area, was especially harsh for the people of the region.

Morristown changed hands many times during the conflict. During one such occasion, when the Union held the town, a Confederate cavalry patrol encountered a few Union cavalry roughly where Main and Hill Streets intersect today. The Federals retreated through town, chased by the Confederates. West of town encamped Union infantry were rousted up and entered the fighting, forcing the Confederates to retreat. The only casualty that day was a Union horse. Also many residents found their windows had been shot out during the fighting.

Another engagement took place at Morristown on the evening of 10 December 1863. A Union cavalry brigade under Col. Garrard attacked a Confederate force of brigade strength under Gen. William E. Jones. Garrard led a reconnaisance in force which came from the direction of Bean's Station. He found the Confederates occupying fortifications previously built by the Union forces. The Union side won the fight, pushing the Confederates from the town. Union losses were listed as 6 wounded, while Confederate losses were estimated at 40-50 casualties, including both dead and wounded. By the 14th, the Confederates were back in control of the town.

On 2 August 1864 the 10th Michigan Cavalry was in action at Morristown. Lt. Col. Luther S. Trowbridge, at the head of 250 men and a howitzer encountered Maj. Arnold and 110 Confederates at Morristown. In the ensuing fight the Confederates retreated, having lost 6 men wounded, one an officer who later died.

Though the South was militarily losing the war by the fall of 1864, the North was paying a heavy price. As their own losses mounted, the war was becoming unpopular in the North. One of the reasons for Gillem's push into East Tennessee was to gather votes for Abraham Lincoln in the upcoming November 1864 election. Lincoln was running for reelection and was opposed by popular Union General George B. McClellan. It was believed the many Union supporters in East Tennessee would vote for Lincoln.

By March 1865 the Confederacy was crumbling, and a massive, unstoppable Union troop movement by rail swept through Morristown on its way further east. Confederate guerillas then managed to derail and wreck a supply train near Morristown in one last defiant but futile act.

The King house, a brick house now torn down, sitting on 3rd South Street across from present day Dockery Funeral Home, was said to have been used as a hospital during the war. The scene of suffering, death and amputations, the house was rumoured for years to be haunted. It was said an indistinct glowing figure could be seen at times on the second floor balcony.

A Union soldier of the 4th TN Infantry was captured at Morristown by Confederates as late as February 4, 1865.

If you have an ancestor who was killed or wounded at Morristown, 28 October 1864, you might be able to help me gain a better understanding of the battle. I would certainly like to add his name to the list I am compiling on dead and wounded. If you could contact me at the email on the genealogy homepage, and perhaps send me a scan of his record, so I'll have a reference, I would appreciate it. I think this is the only way we will ever be able to compile a good list of the casualties.

I have tried to be as accurate as possible, but my research is ongoing, and changes have regularly been made to this page as my view of the battle has changed. So this page represents my view of the battle, which surely isn't perfect. After all, there is no man living to tell the tale from among those who fought so bravely in our streets and fields on that October morning long ago.

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