The 3rd Brigade comprised of of the 8th, 9th, & 13th Tn US under command of Gen Alan Gillum under overall command of Gen George Stoneman were from the Battle of Knoxville, thru several engagements with Longstreet's forces into Virginia as far as Saltville/Wytheville Va area. They then turned south into NC burning warehouses, railroad depots, bridges, etc. At Salisbury they had hoped to rescue the Union troops intured at the POW camp there. When they arrived the prisoners had all ready been removed to other prisons. The Tennesseans burn the prison facilities save the commandants house (which still stands as a Kudzu encrusted Antiques shop)which they used as hospital. Longstreet rejoined Lee in Virginia. By this time lee quit Petersburg Jeff Davis was in flight. Davis body guard included Gen John Crawford Vaughn's brigade. (Gillum had fought Vaughn on several occasions) with the 3rd Brigade and others in hot pursuit. Wisconsin troops caught Davis but legend has it that that the 8th Tn caught Jeff Davis' treasurey making off with some $250,000.00 in coin. That has never been proven one way or the other, but my ggf late of the 8th bought 235 acres in E. Tn. in 1866 and paid $650.00 cash and established a brick kiln. The Tn Regiments formed in Ky, were made up of Unionists that managed to escape into Ky and make way to the refugee/recruitment camps. Unlike the notion advanced by folks like Dee Brown, Ella Lonn, and George Levy these men did not go west to fight Indians. They went home to take back their homes. FYI Co. A of the 8th was comprised of 100 former CS POWs from John C Vaughn's command sworn at Camp Morton, indianapolis