120 Nortu Carortina Troops, 1861-’65.

Nearly half of these were from North Carolina, and in
their line did faithful service. They were detached from us
and taken to Bragg’s and Johnston’s army, at and below Chat-
tanooga.

Having no names or data, or reports of any kind, I can say
nothing about them, only that in a general way they were
good men. Captain McCalla was made Major later on.

In Lindsey’s History of the Civil War in East Tennessee,
there is an account of the court-martial and shooting of
twenty North Carolina soldiers as deserters. I have been
unable to trace those men to any regiment unless perchance
they belonged to these companies of sappers and miners, and
were the East Tennessee recruits to those companies, and I
really fear they were, and though Tennesseeans, belonged to
“Thomas’ Legion.” I fear they were unjustly and cruelly
treated—for, to my personal knowledge, many of them joined
with the promise that they were not to be taken out of the
State except in the North Carolina mountain line of defense.
The records show that General Bragg had a dislike for Ten-
nessee and North Carolina troops, yet without them he and
his army would have been crushed as an empty egg shell by
General Sherman.

The history of all Countries and of all States in Civil
War shows that when the army of its defense falls back and
leaves them to a merciless foe, many good soldiers under other
-cireumstances, will leave for their homes. If any of these
* men joined the enemy, of course they forfeited their lives,
otherwise they were cruelly treated.

As elsewhere stated, all these were mountain people from
. North Carolina and Tennessee who are as a rule, high strung
and independent. They will brook no insult in or out of an
army.

They were not as ignorant, nor were their forefathers, as
newspaper scribblers and sensation loving writers like
“Charles Egbert Craddock,” et id omne genus, would make
them.

These slanders have been ably refuted by Professor Eben
Alexander, of our own University, by Rev. D. Atkins, D. D.,
and by Hon. Wm. Rule, of the Knoxville Journal Tribune.

EIGHTIETH REGIMENT. 121

Mr. Rule says: “Such writers are either fools or liars.
There is more ignorance, vice, loathsome men and women,
under the shadow of Trinity Spire, New York, than in all
the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Al-
abama and Georgia combined.”

Colonel Wm H. Thomas, commanding Legion, mentioned
quite fully in the sketch of the Sixty-ninth Regiment here-
tofore, is really entitled to a larger notice than can be given
to any individual officer, although quite a number of officers
and men will have to be more fully noticed herein than in
ordinary regimental histories, for the reason that the work or
service done was largely by individuals, squads and compa-

nies.

During the latter part of 1862 and first eight months of
1863, most of the duty performed by these men was tiresome,
thankless, disagreeable, galling and verging on the unmanly.
Enforcing conscription was always a disagreeable duty to a
soldier and gentleman. Colonel Thomas took the Indian

- companies and fell back across the Smoky Mountains towards

Waynesville and Webster, and practically remained in that
locality during the balance of the war. Lieutenant-Colonel
Walker, with several companies, foot and horse, reported to
and obeyed the orders of Generals Bragg and John C.
Vaughan.

On 8 September, 1863, Lientenant-Colonel Walker with his
battalion, 300 strong, are reported at the battle of Limestone
Bridge, East Tennessee, where they charged gallantly and
aided in capturing 350 prisoners, 51 (Serial Vol.) Off. Rec.
Union and Confed. Armies, 643. From October to Decem-
ber, 1863, the battalion commanded by Major McKamy, was
in A. E. Jackson’s Brigade, Robert Ransom’s Division. On
6 November it reported 399 total present for duty. In April,
1564, it was still in Jackson’s Brigade and at Carter’s Depot,
but was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel McKamy, 59 Off.
Ree. Union and Confed. Armies, 802, having been raised to
a regiment. At the same date the three Indian companies are
officially recorded as being at the mouth of Tuckaseege, 206
present out of 283 total, same volume, p. 865.

There was much hard and dangerous service done, both in