This is the story of the Civil War unit called the “Claiborne Rangers” from Claiborne Parish Louisiana and their travels throughout the war. My Great Great Grandfather David Matt Haynes was in this unit from it’s formation in 1861 to the end of the war in 1865. The following story has been transcribed from a book “The History of Claiborne Parish” that was written in 1886. I copied it exactly as it was orginally written.
Larry W. Burford Jr.
12-16-2009
The Claiborne Rangers
The following account has been compiled from notes and memoranda furnished by a number of the surviving members of the Company.
The “ Rangers” left Homer about 1st of July, 1861, for camp Moore, La., where they were mustered into the service and became company “B” of the 12th Louisiana Volunteers. The regiment remained at Camp Moore, under instructions for about seven weeks, when in the latter part of August, it was sent to Columbus, Kentucky, stopping a few days on the way in Union City, Tennessee. The Company remained at Columbus until the evacuation, when it was sent to New Madride; thence to Island Ten, where it remained only a few days; thence to Ft. Pillow, where it remained from March until May, 1862. The 12th Louisiana, together with one Battalion of infantry, and the heavy artillery constituted at this time the garrison of the place, and were subjected to a sixty days bombardment from the fleet of Federal gunboats. After the evacuation of Ft. Pillow in May, we were sent to North Mississippi, and from here, after undergoing much and thorough drilling, and a good deal of marching and counter marching, we were ordered, about the 7th of August, to Batton Rouge to reinforce General Breckinridge, but arrived too late by two hours to participate in the fight at that place. We were now sent back to North Mississippi, and took part in the second battle of Corinth; after which we went into winter quarters, near Grenada, Mississippi.
In the spring of 1863,we were sent to the vicinity of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and were in the battle of Baker’s Creek, on the 16th of May where the company suffered considerably, several being wounded. The regiment was in General Loring’s Division, which being cut off from Vicksburg, went out at night through the enemy’s lines, marching 36 hours without rest or food; and joined the forces of General J.E. Johnston, at Jackson. From this time until the fall of Vicksburg on the 4th of July, the company under General Johnston, was maneuvering in the rear of Grant’s army. After the surrender of Vicksburg, we went to Jackson where we were attacked by the federals, and were engaged eight days. Being flanked by the enemy, we were compelled to fall back eastward to Brandon, Mississippi. After consuming the fall in maneurvering and marching back and forth on the lines of the railroads, we went into winter quarters at Demopolis, Alabama. Early in 1864, we were ordered to join the army of General Johnston, in North Georgia, and arrived in time to take a hand in the battle of Resaca, the first in the series of engagements in that memorable campaign against Sherman. The company was also in the fights at Lost Mountian and Bethel Church, and was engaged almost daily until the fall of Atlanta, suffering heavy losses, especially on the 22nd of July, at Peachtree Creek before Atlanta. After the fall of Atlanta, the company was in General Hood’s Tennessee Campaign, and were engaged with the enemy almost daily from Atlanta to Dalton. We were in the advance from Columbia to Franklin, Tennessee, and among the first to charge the Federals at Franklin. We were also in the fight before Nashville. In the last two named, we suffered severely in the killed and wounded. After the action at Nashville, we retreated to Florence, Alabama, and thence went into Corinth, Mississippi, where we were supplied with clothing that we were greatly in need of, and also drew six months’ wages. The majority of us had marched to Nashville, Tennessee, to Corinth, Mississippi, over the frozen ground without shoes. We wrapped our feet with rags and pieces of blankets, and thus to some extent protected from the severe frost. During the greater part of this trip we received only one-third rations of cornmeal and bacon, the country we passed through having been exhausted and laid waste by the two armies the previous spring.
In February, 1865, the company to join General Johnston in North Carolina. All rejoiced at the thought of being once more under the command of their beloved Joe Johnston. In March, 1865, the company was engaged with Sherman’s advance at Smithfield, North Carolina. This was the last fight. On April, 26, 1865, we were surrendered at Greensborough, North Carolina, and reached home on the 7th of June, after an absence of not quite four years.