H I S T O R Y --

Capture of Gladeville
By Richard Brown and David Chaltas

July 7, 1863

Photo copyrighted by Chuck Clisso

The dust from the Battle of Gettysburg had not even subsided in early July of 1863. Neither had the shock of the surrender of Vicksburg been comprehended by the southern people. Word of the defeats spread like wildfire throughout most of the Confederacy except for the isolated regions of southwestern Virginia. This sad news had not reached the small town of Gladesville (now Wise), Virginia as they prepared a party to belatedly celebrate the Fourth of July. The 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles under the command of Colonel Ben E. Caudill had just arrived in town on the 6th of July. Taking advantage of the situation, the residents of the small town invited the officers and enlisted men to partake of the party with them. Colonel Caudill graciously accepted their invitation on behalf of his staff and men.

Col Ben Caudill	Tim Kelley photo
Ganell Marshall Photo

The small town consisted of several nice homes, courthouse and a hospital that was used to treat Confederate soldiers. The local residents wished to honor the men fighting for southern independence and would supply the entertainment. A small southern ball would be held on Monday night of July 6, 1863. Unknown to the' town and the relaxing soldiers were that a Union army was secretly advancing on their location.

Previously on June 27, Colonel Caudill had reported to Confederate headquarters that he believed 2,200 Federal troops in the Cumberland Gap area might advance on the saltwells of Saltville through southwestern Virginia. General Samuel Jones advised an adjacent regiment of Confederate soldiers to be ready to come to Caudill's aid but General William Preston over ruled the warning as he discounted the report as inflated. General Preston also thought the report was only a rumor, allowing the area to once again lapse into an uneasy routine. As it would turn out, Caudill's assessment of the situation was much closer to the truth than Preston's.

General Julius White was the commander of the Union Army in southeastern Kentucky. His base camp was Louisa in Lawrence County, Kentucky but in early July was on Beaver Creek in Floyd County. General White was to probe into Virginia as part of Major General Ambrose Burnside's plan to thrust an invasion into the heart of the Confederacy. General White and his army marched to Pikeville and then on to the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. At this location, he ordered Major John Mason Brown to take the Second Battalion 10th Kentucky Cavalry (l0th Kentucky Cavalry) and the First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry into Virginia by way of Pound Gap. This was a force of approximately 450 mounted soldiers. General White took the remaining regiments (the majority of his troops) and moved up the Levisa Fork for two reasons; first, this would create a diversion for Colonel Brown's mission and second, General White hoped to encounter the Confederates under the command of Colonel Andrew J. May.

Col Andrew J. May

General John Hunt Morgan

The diversion worked completely as Confederate scouts in the area had missed the division of White's army and sent reports to headquarters in Virginia that the Union army was moving down the Levisa Fork toward the encampment of Colonel Andrew J. May. Major Brown and his men were able to travel through Letcher County, Kentucky and crossed Pound Gap into Wise County, Virginia on the evening of July 6th without being noticed. ill the darkness, scouts watching the gap thought the cavalry passing through it was part of Confederate General John H. Morgan's command and therefore did not raise an alarm.

After entering Virginia, Colonel Brown captured and ordered a local resident to guide them through the area.

Unfortunately for Colonel Caudill, the resident also informed the Union officer that there was a Confederate force at Gladesville. The resident probably meant to scare the Union invaders off but actually had the opposite effect. Brown eagerly commanded the resident to lead them to Gladesville in the dark. Orders were sent down the blue column for complete silence as they traveled down the dusty road.

Meanwhile, the townspeople of Gladesville prepared a feast and decorated the small town for the evening party.

Musicians from the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles joined local musicians to perform for the ball. Cooks from the Rebel army also began to help prepare food as well. Excitement in the camp and the small town for the party began to occupy everyone's mind. Pickets were posted but grudgingly so, nobody wanted to miss out on the fun. Two years of war had worn the men down and all looked forward to dancing, eating and the music. Though not an excuse, many of the pickets guarding the camp snuck back into town, hoping to have some enjoyment. This lax attitude on everyone's part would soon come back to haunt them.

The party and ball went exceptionally well, everyone enjoyed themselves as the soldiers beh~yed themselves with wonderful manners. Music was played well after midnight to the delight of all in attendance. At the close of festivities, local residents invited Colonel Caudill and all of his officers to stay in their houses overnight. This was a welcome relief

from the hard ground in the canvas tents so the officers gladly accepted this southern hospitality. The camp and town slowly drifted off to sleep as daylight neared, unfortunately so did the pickets that were on guard.

Colonel Brown and his Union cavalrymen quietly gathered at the outskirts of the town and camp as they waited for daylight. With the first light of dawn on July 7th, hundreds of horses swooped into the sleeping and unexpecting town. In a first hand account of the attack that was more or less typical, "Devil" John Wright, a teenage soldier of the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles, recounted in a 1950 newspaper interview" There were 15 of us in one tent and before we knew it, they had us surrounded and we had to surrender." Several Rebel soldiers managed to organize a limited resistance, with many using the courthouse as a rallying place. They managed to beat off several determined attacks by their Yankee counterparts, wounding several. The early morning mist mixed with the smoke of the black power, limiting visibility (this was a blessing in disguise as it allowed dozens of men to escape undetected). The Yanks had the upper hand though and informed the barricaded Rebels that they would set fire to the courthouse unless the defenders surrendered. The besieged Confederates knew they were greatly outnumbered and didn't stand much of a chance. They also did not want to see the stately courthouse burnt as well. Reluctantly a white flag was offered.

The houses in the small town were surrounded and the same ultimatum was given to the occupants as well. Colonel Ben E. Caudill and most of his staff officers began to surrender, handing over their swords and small arms. Eighteen officers and ninety-nine enlisted men of the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles were now prisoners of war. Fortunately, several officers and soldiers managed to escape, therefore not completely eliminating the 10th as a fighting force. Major John Thomas Chenoweth would be commanding officer until the return of Colonel Caudill in the fall of 1864.

Colonel Brown, giddy with the success of his attack, decided to take his prisoners and return to Kentucky rather than to continue with the original plan of destroying the railroad bridge near Bristol. His report to General White stated that "the presence of superior forces of the enemy prevented further progress toward the railroad." He ordered his men to bum and destroy all of the Confederates baggage, tents and ammunition that could be found around Gladesville. Guessing correctly that a rescue party would soon be organized, Brown and his men immediately began to travel back toward Pound Gap.

The Federals didn't get away without experiencing any difficulties however. A local Confederate sympathizer named Jesse Bowling was taken prisoner and when his relatives got wind of it, sent out a rescue party. Delano Bowling led a group of men to find and affect the release of his kin if possible. These "rescuers" had flintlock rifles and shotguns with which affect their goals but were fortified with a "good snort of white whiskey". Bowling and his men waited in ambush at Horse Gap hoping to have an opportunity to provide a diversion, allowing Jesse and others to escape. Bowling ordered his men not to fire until he did. According to legend, the ensuing volley killed two Federal soldiers and two mules. When the Yankees returned fire, four of Bowling's men were wounded. Discretion proved the better part of valor, and the Bowling party retreated to attend to their wounded. After accomplishing this, they bolstered their spirits with another "snort of white whiskey" and crept to where they could get a better look at what the Union troops were up to. Unfortunately for the prisoners, the Federal troops were now using them as human shields, effectively thwarting any further attempts by Bowling and his men at any sort of rescue. All quotes are from C. Connie Bowling (granddaughter of Jesse Bowling) from her interview in the "Coalfield Progress".

In his newspaper interview, "Devil" John Wright later recalled "they lined us up between their soldiers and started marching us towards Kentucky. Down Indian Creek the laurel grew thick right up to the edges of the road. I watched (for) my chance and stepped out of line into the laurel, and I doubt if they ever even missed me. That was one of two times I escaped the Yankees."

General Julius White sent the following two reports to Major General Ambrose Burnside:
Headquarters District of Eastern Kentucky, Pikeville, July 8, 1863
Dividing my force at this point, I went up to the State line, on Big Sandy River, in pursuit of the enemy, who fled precipitately beyond my reach. Detaching the Second Battalion Tenth Kentucky Cavalry and the First Ohio Squadron, I sent them through the Pound Gap, under Major John Mason Brown, who attacked the enemy at Gladesville, killing 14, wounding 20, and capturing 127 prisoners, including the commanding officer (RE.) Caudill and about 20 other officers. In all our operations thus far our loss has been 1 killed, 13 wounded, and 6 captured while on picket duty.
Julius White, Brigadier-General.
Headquarters District of Eastern Kentucky,

Beaver Creek, July 11, 1863.
Colonel: I have the honor to submit the following report of the recent operations of this command:
On the 3rd instant, I marched from this station with six companies of the Sixty-fifth Illinois Infantry (two mounted), Second Battalion Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, one squadron of Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, one company Fourteenth Kentucky Infantry (mounted), and two mountain howitzers, under command of Lieutenant Wheeler of Company M, Second Illinois Light Artillery. At Pikeville, 20 miles south of this, I was joined by a part of the Thirty-ninth Kentucky Infantry (mounted) in all about 950 men. From Pikeville I proceeded up the Louisa Fork of Sandy River with about half the entire force, directing that the Second Battalion Tenth Kentucky Cavalry and the Ohio Squadron proceed by a rapid march through Pound or Sounding Gap to Gladeville, W. Va., and demonstrate upon or attack the force of the enemy at that place, under Colonel Caudill; thence up to the railroad at or near Bristol, and destroy so much of it should appear too hazardous an undertaking. This command reached Gladesville (after some skirmishing with the enemy the way) completely surprising and carrying the place by storm, beating in the doors and window, from which the enemy were firing, with axes, and compelling his surrender after fifteen minutes of close and desperate fighting, during which the loss of the enemy was 20 killed and 30 wounded. Eighteen commissioned officers, including Colonel Caudill, commanding the regiment, were surrendered, with 99 enlisted men. The camp equipage, stored arms, and ammunition of the command were destroyed. Major Brown, Tenth Kentucky Cavalry, commanding this detachment, then returned to camp at Pikeville, thence this place, with his prisoners, safely, the presence of superior forces of the enemy preventing farther progress toward the railroad.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Julius White,
Brigadier General, commanding.

Colonel Caudill's capture sent a sobering ripple of fear through the Confederate command in Virginia. The vulnerable salt works at Saltville were ultimately, if belatedly, reinforced. Colonel Caudill and his compatriots would spend several months, even years, in prisoner of war camps in the north, awaiting parole or exchange. Colonel Caudill and some of his fellow compatriots were eventually exchanged before the war ended but others were not as lucky. Dozens of men from "Caudill's Army" would die in Camp Douglas and other camps before the end of the war. Colonel Caudill's brother in law, D. J. Dotson, died of pneumonia at Camp Douglas. Just as he seemed about to recover from a bout of typhoid, Dotson was ordered to stand out in the cold weather to answer questions regarding a recent escape attempt. In his weakened state, he contacted pneumonia, resulting in his death. Other of his comrades would suffer the same fate.

As a result of this raid, General Preston would ultimately request that southwest Virginia be transferred out of the Army of Tennessee, since "I feel assured that it would be more rapid, simple, and efficient than to defend the district and transact the business through Chattanooga." This incident involving "Caudill's Army" would be recognized as one of the first indicators that the Confederacy would have serious trouble protecting southwest Virginia from Union invasions from Kentucky. Unfortunately, the men of the 10th Kentucky Mounted Rifles would have to pay the price for this wake up call.

A soldier by the name of P.M. Redding from the McLaughlin Squadron (Ohio Cavalry) under the command of Colonel John Mason Brown offered the following description of the battle in his journal:
"On July 2 we moved out of Beaver Creek, but only marched ten miles ... The 4th of July found us near Pikeville, sitting on our horses and the rain pouring down had to swim our horses to get across. We moved on until dark when we went into camp and got a few hours rest. The next morning we were up and moving before daylight. On the night of the 6th we marched almost continuously, passing through Pound Gap and reached a point a few miles north of Gladeville where we waited for daylight...Finally the dawn came and with it the order to charge, and charge we did, right into the village and the Confederate camp, capturing everything in sight. It was all over in a few minutes. We counted eleven slightly wounded, but none were killed. Of the other side's loss, I do not know. When we rushed into camp we captured some in their tents before they had got up. Some of them barricaded themselves in the Court House and offered resistance, but some of our men were prepared to set fire to the building and before they would lose their courthouse they surrendered and the building was left unmolested. After the skirmish was over we got our prisoners together and found we had taken 123, and out of the number about 20 were commissioned officers. The night before, so we were told, there had been a ball in the village and the officers had all attended, staying all night in the homes of the people where our boys had found and rounded them up. This accounts for there being so many officers taken. With the fight over we gathered up our wounded and placed them in their spring wagons and started back for Louisa. The hauling to Pikeville was almost like murdering them, but on and on we went regardless of their shrieks until we landed them safely at Pikeville, where they were placed on a coal barge and floated down the river to Catlettsburg [sic], and across to Ashland to the hospital.

"On the trip back we carried our prisoners. Just across the state line, in Kentucky, we went into camp, expecting to stay for the night. We built a pen about ten feet high to keep the Confederates in. Guards were placed around the pen to keep them from escaping. In a short time after the rail pen was finished and them inside, I settled down when the bugle sounded, "fall in, fall in." The order to march was given A regiment of cavalry from Saltville, Virginia, was on our trail. So it was all hurry for us to get out of there. We placed our prisoners on our horses and walked by there sides to prevent them from getting away. In this way we marched all night. We did not lose a prisoner. The next day, when we could keep our eyes on them, we made them walk and we took the saddles. After riding all day and part of the next night we reached Pikeville and rested for a day. My horse having played out under the forced marching. I went on the barge with the wounded while the rest of our squadron followed down the river with the prisoners until we reached our old camp at Louisa. On arriving in camp we dispatched the prisoners to Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio.

"The Confederates were under the command of Colonel Caudell and after the battle one of our boys yelled, "Who ever heard of Colonel Caudell?" The cry was taken up by all. So it was all the way back to Louisa and for a long time afterward that we would hear the query: 'Who ever heard of Colonel Caudell?'"

Remarkably the incident did not result in finger pointing as to the cause of the capture of Caudill's Army. This was probably due to so many things occurring that seemed almost impossible. How did an army of 450 men and horses travel from Pikeville to deep into southwest Virginia without anyone noticing them? Caudill's superior officers such as General Preston did not stir the situation much because they had stated that there wasn't any truth to a likely invasion. What would be the chances of the invading Union army finding a citizen that knew about the location of Caudill's Army and could lead the Yankees to them in the dark of night? Ultimately the blame falls on the commanding officer at the scene, Colonel Ben E. Caudill. Though he did order the posting of pickets, no one seemed to worry about checking on them and had no idea if they were doing their duty or not. Fortunately for the Colonel's reputation, no one ever pressed the issue or conducted an official inquiry. This lack of interest by Confederate officials cements the position that plenty of blame could be spread around and nobody wanted to rock the boat. The worst result of the incident was the deaths of so many brave, southern warriors in a far off prison of war camp in the north. Camp Douglas and other notorious camps allowed and encouraged the deaths of many of southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia's finest young men.

Resources:
Adjutant General Reports of the United States Army, July, 1863
Adjutant General Reports of the Confederate Army, July, 1863
The Civil War in Buchanan and Wise Counties by Lillian Gobble and Rhonda Robertson - published by Wise County Historical Society
Bushwhackers' Paradise; Weaver, Jeffery; H.E. Howard, Inc., copyright 1994

 

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