Herewith you will find a running history of my army life made mostly from memory.
(Whitsett’s service in the 9th Texas Infantry Regiment has been deleted. He obtained the furlough he mentions following the battle of Chickamauga.)
On the 6th of November 1863 I obtained a furlough for fifty days, which I herewith enclose and Dick Thomas & myself started from Brandon Mississippi, both being relieved from duty on this date, turning in our guns and accoutrements and started for Kosciusko Miss, where our Cousin Daniel B. Comfort lived, and who furnished us a couple of Ponies and a negro boy, who we were to send back with the ponies when we reached Big Sunflower and this we did, but the Federals captured and kept both the boy and Ponies. Dan Comfort gave me a letter of introduction to one Geo. Powell, who lived three miles back in the country from Eggs Point on the Mississippi River, afoot we reached Powells, found him all right, true to a friend, dead game & a perfect gentleman. He made us acquainted with an old darkie known as the widow Friday's Alf. At this time the old Federal Gunboat Tyler laid immediately at Eggs Point and the Conestoga lay something over a mile below the Tyler, patrolling the river. Dick Thomas myself and old Man Alf went some 12 miles from Powells down on Moon Lake and dug up out of the slush of the swamp and among the cypress necks, with the muck hip deep, an old cottonwood dugout which old man Alf had sunk there some months before and the widow Friday furnished us with an old mule and a dry Beef hide. We cut the hide up and made a harness for the mule, hitched to the Dugout and started for Mr. Powells. I led the mule, old man Alf followed close to unhitch the mule when we hung up, Dick Thomas going in front with a double barrel Shot Gun & keeping a look out for the Federals with which the country along there was swarming. We drug the dug out close into the Levee of the River, leaving it in some high weeds. On the third night with old Alf's help we slipped in and dragged the dugout to the waters edge and pushed her in, old man Alf holding her by a rope, finally we got ready, old man Alf, myself, Dick Thomas and a Cavalry Lieut by the name of Lee, who lived some 3 miles above Fulton on Red River Ark. side. A transport going down the river liked to run over us and come in an ace of swamping our outfit, old man Alf quit his oars and went on his knees and prayed manfully we finally got him to resume his oars and he finally landed us on this side about a mile below where he aimed to hit, we hastily bid the old darkie good bye and pulled through the bottom in the darkness for Monticello Ark. after many ups and downs we reached there all right having to lay up and hide close every day on account of the negro infantry and cavalry . We finally reached the town of Washington in Hempstead Co Ark where we found Genl. Magruder commanding he gave us something to eat and transportation on the hackline running to Clarksville Tex. We started, the old hack bogged up and broke down three miles out from Washington and I and Dick Thomas pulled out afoot and finally reached Clarksville, Tex. where I hired an old man with a two horse wagon to Paris Texas, here Dick Thomas reached his home. I applied to Mr. Sutton for transportation showing him my papers but he refused me in total. I then hunted up the Hon. Judge Rice Maxey, at whose house I staid the night, Judge Maxey introduced me to a Capt. Crothers who had charge of a Confederate stable of mules on the north of the public square at Paris. Crothers told me to come around there the next morning and I would find a good mule, saddled & hitched to a swinging ring in the Stable, to ask no questions of any one, but quietly and coolly untie the mule get into the saddle and ride off, which I did reaching my fathers 4 miles from Bonham late Christmas eve-evening and the next day being Christmas you took the mule and returned him to Crothers at the stable in Paris. I was at my fathers and Collins in Bonham some time pretty well broken down with chronic diarrhea and about the 27th July 1864 myself, Bob Marley and Sam Cobb started to go East of the Mississippi River. Bob Marley and Sam Cobb, to join Genl. Morgans Cavalry and I to return to my Regt. the 9th Texas Infantry. We went to Camden Ark and tried to make it through and across by the way of Lake village. In this we made a complete failure owing to the heavy amount of Federal Cavalry and Infantry in that portion of the Country, so we struck out for the Ark River & Arriving at Swansons Landing. We fell in with Genl. Cabell's and Fagans troops who were then camped near the landing, we went down the river one morning to a burned mill and gin to get material with which to shoe our horses, on returning we found the camp deserted, the two flat boats had been scuttled and sunk, Genl. Caballs & Fagans forces, having fallen back to Arkadelphia, we were forced to swim the River all reaching the north bank safely. On the north side of the river we stopped quite a while with a Dr. Price, here we fell in with Bud Vaughn and Bob Hill both belonging to Shelby's Escort and two other fellows belonging to his brigade which I have forgotten the names of and in Dr. Prices neighborhood the Federals had got numerous and were hot on our trail. Genl. Shelbys Brigade was then located on White River in what was known as oil trough bottom, and we pulled out between suns for Shelbys headquarters. Crossing the Little Rock and De Valls Bluff Rail Road near Ashleys Station where there was three Regt of Federal Cavalry encamped, two being towards De Valls Bluff the other toward Little Rock with a space some two hundred yards between the encampment, all asleep, the fires having all burned down, we formed the seven of us abreast. When we reached the rail road, we were halted by a sentinel, who was killed by Bob Marley dead in his tracks. This shot raised and alarmed the whole camp and we lit out across the Prairie for the timber with they pursuing in hot haste. We reached the timber and traveled some miles. Concluded to leave the road and go in behind a Small cornfield, lie up and feed, leaving one of our partie back in the main road as a rear guard, the Feds pressed on and captured our guard on the main road in his Saddle asleep and then we had a fight and run for our lives. Vaughn in the hurrah getting away from the Yanks and rejoining us, we proceeded from there to a small place on Little Red river in Ark. where a Capt. Daniels of Shanks Regt. lured us into a trap, capturing the whole Seven. Carried us back to old Jo Shelbys and the Capt. came near to having all seven of us Shot instanter but finally desisted & carried us all back to Genl. Shelby, who ordered us to report to Capt. Morris M. Langhorn, in Command of his Escort and remain there three days, in which time we would select our Company and Regt. to be assigned permanently to duty. We remained the three days out and on reporting to the Genl. all liked Co. E the 3rd Regt. commanded by Capt Langhorn first rate and the Genl. ordered our names enrolled on the Company Roll and us all to permanent duty in the same. Shelbys Brigade moved out from White River, making a feint and threatening Little Rock, in order to enable Genl. Prices Army to cross the Ark River. We attacking and Capturing and burning Ashley Station with more Drugs and Hay than I ever saw anywhere and in addition we defeated and captured the 54 Illinois Infantry all complete somewhere near 800 men all told and we drove off and back Genl. Wests federal Brigade who had come out from De Valls Bluff to retake and rescue the 54th. Immediately after this, Genl. Price having crossed north of the Ark. River we lit out on Genl. Prices Missouri raid, scraping some everyday, Quantrell, Dave Pool, Bill Anderson, George Todd & Genl. Shelbys Brigade leading. Captured some feds at Brownsville (?, there is a Boonville in about the right place) passing on we captured Glasgow north of the Missouri River, here by the aid of Dick Collins Battery we captured and burned the Steam stern wheel Steamboat "West End" securing a large amount of Fed clothing with which the boat was loaded, including a large amount provisions, a large establishment loaded with Plug Tob(acco) and we took in some 800 Yanks here, at Jefferson City we laid most of one day doing but little, at Lexington we had quite a scrap at the Fairgrounds, Capt. Geo. Todd, was killed just west of the Crossing on the little blue & from here we passed on to Independence where we lost some two days and pushed on to Kansas City, the Scraping all along here was hot and continuous, particularly at Big Blue and then at Kansas City, where we got a genuine licking losing one of Dick Collins Parrot Guns and capturing a smooth bore from a Yank Battery.
This defeat was disastrous to us, losing a great many men, besides forcing us to burn and destroy Hundreds of wagons with large amounts of ordinance supplies of all sorts and kinds, from this defeat our retreat commenced for Red River, in the run we struck a streak of about six miles of Kansas, which we put in a blaze as we went at the crossing of the Maumaton (?), out a piece from Fort Scott, they crowded in on us heavy, we whipped their Cavalry very decently, but when their old web footed infantry got up we had to haul out an git, leaving Cabells and Marmadukes batteries complete, at Newtonia we had our last scrap with them, here we fought and whipped the 2d Colorado or what was known as their "White Horse Cavalry" which was tough to a certainty. This was a square set to between Genl. Shelby's Brigade, Quantrell, Anderson, Pool and others and Jennison, Blount, Pleasanton and others on the Federal side, no webb foot being in it on either side. Simply two forces of Cavalry with Artillery helping each and we gave them an all one sound whipping, though they were stubborn and lashed some of our boys with their Sabers. From here we horsed on our way, quietly with nothing to eat and crossed the Ark River some eight miles west of here [Sallisaw, Ok.] at what is known as the Big Drift and from here we went out through Limestone Gap crossing Sweet Bugg(?) at Davis on the Widow Flax's which is now known at Atoka, from there out by Armstrong Academy at which place Bob Marley, Sam Cobb, W. T. Hickman, Bud Vaughn, Mart and John Cristen and myself staid all night forcing our stay on Mrs. Lorain Folsum, who was then in charge of the Academy, we crossed Red River the mouth of Island Bayou, near the widow Popes, out by Hoppers and on to Bonham, where I obtained a thirty days Furlough, which I herewith inclose and which was signed by W. T. Hickman and approved by Mr. Jeff Thompson or the old "Swamp Fox" he being the ranking officer in command of Sub. Division, Genl. Shelby being in Dallas and having taken Capt. Morris Langhorn with him leaving Leut. Hickman in Command of Shelbys Escort. At the expiration of this Furlough we all proceeded to Clarksville Texas, where Shanks Regt. and Escort were rendezvoused, I boarded the few days we were at Clarksville with the wife of our Cousin Moses Whitsett, but do not remember her given name and I think you and Mack and Jack were all then with us from here. We moved to Fulton on Red River and from there to Pittsburgh in Sulphur County, near Pittsburgh in Sabine bottom Mrs. Bettie Shelby was on her way to join Genl. Jo, the bottom was badly overflowed, she had 4 mules to the Ambulance and an old negro driving and some miscreants overtook them and took the mules out from the ambulance, leaving her and her children sitting in the vehicle and it axle deep in Mud and Water. He never got any trace of the marauders or the mules, if he had found them or ever caught up with them they surely would have died on the spot.
From here we moved out north of Corsicana some three miles, where we disbanded and Genl. Shelby gave me my discharge, we all formed a circle around the loved Shelby and a two Gallon jug of Brisbane? whiskey took the rounds of the circle, each fellow sitting in his saddle and taking her by the word of mouth from the brown jug, we all shook hands, lots were in tears, the Genl. and quite a following pulled out for Mexico to join Maximillian and I and 12 others struck out, striking the little town of Lancaster, Porters Bluff & from there to Dallas, where we dispersed, each one pulling for his own special point. The ladies of Dallas were very kind to us, long tables, were spread in the Court House Yard, loaded with the best the land afforded, with the fairest of Dallas daughters to dispense them, as free as the water the flowed. I will love Dallas and her chivalrous, patriotic people as long as I live. From here I went home, the war was over, our cause lost past hope. What of the future! This is run out to a long narrative, there are a great many incidents and happenings all the way along I could have better put in perhaps some already told would have better been left out & yet tis all the truth.
I hope documents which I send will enable you to get the data you want. I have a great many which I got wet is swimming the Arks river, hardly intelligible to you without me to help you, in fact some I send were wet too but I managed with extra good care to print them. If this is too long or don't suit write again I will give Battles only.
Your brother, Wm. E. Whitsett, Sallisaw I.T. Sept 5th 1900