Diary of Sergeant Samuel Andrew Jackson Creekmore

Co C Jeff Davis Legion Cav., CSA
WAR DIARY OF S. A .J. CREEKMORE
Sergeant, Jeff Davis Legion

"I left home the 22nd of April, came to Fulton and stayed all night. Came on to Scooba the next day and stayed all night there.

Came on to Sparkman and stayed the night. Came then to cross the Tomigbee at Warsaw (Alabama) and came on to Mrs. Childers and stayed all night. Next day I went to church at Clinton and stayed at Meany's and then from there to Eutaw for dinner next day. Went on to cross the Black Warrior River and stayed at Chatman and went from there to Greensboro for dinner the next day. Went on to Mrs. Moore's and stayed all night there and then went on to Marion the next day and put up at Paul's and stayed there until Saturday. Left there adn came on to Summerfield and stayed at Martin's. Came on to church and stayed with Micken.
Came on through Burnsville and Mulberry and stayed at Mrs. Taylor's. Went on to cross the Alabama River at Washington and stayed at Montgomery. And from there to Mount Ney and stayed at Beasty, and from there to Mrs. Robers and from there to Tuskegee (Ala.) and stayed at Dr. Morrison's. And from there to Columbus Ga. Stayed there all day and Sunday I went to Church, this May the 10. We then came on to Low's and from there on to Tuberton and from there to Shearson and then through Centerville to Hickory Grove to stay with James Simmons. From there to Baleys and then to Macon (Ga.). Then on to Roberts and then to Capt. Pitt's and then to Miledgeville, and ot Butts and then to Sparta. Then to Whaley and to Warenton and to Athora. From there to Augusta adn then to Walker and then to Mrs. Watson's and to Holston and to Hartley's and then to Lexington (S.C.)
I - S.A.J. Creekmore left (Set apart from the rest and written in ink) home the 22nd of April 1863.

From there to Loricks and then to Columbia (S.C.) and then to Dr. Broom's and from there to Winnsburro and then to Springs. From there to Charlotte, N.C. and to Goodnits. From there to Salisbury and then to Mocksville and then to and then to Huntsville and then to Mading and then to Panther Creek Post Office and then to Louisville and then to Bethania. Then to Balley and then to Gormanton and then to Walnut Cove and then to Madison (N.C.) and then to Michel's and then to Stone's Store and then to Leaksville. Then to Hariston, Va, Henry County, and then to Henry Courthouse adn then to Leatherwood Store and then to Graveley and then to G. Tash and from there to Mr. Duglasy and from there to Dr. Harris, and then to Lynchburg (Va.)

Then to Amherst Courthouse and then to New Glassco and then to Chewning's and from there to City., then to Culpeper Courthouse and then to camp below Stevensburg, Va., on the 15 of June 1863.

I got to the camp on the 15 of June. The next morning at 4 O'clock reveille was sounded, at past 4 boots and saddles, and 5, to horses was sounded when we mounted and took up the March for Maryland, but did not cross the Potomac River until the 27 of June. You will learn from this that we were ten days making our way from Brandy Station in Culpeper Co., Va. to the Potomac River near Dranesville, Va. During which thime we were skirmishing with the enemy or pursuing them or being pursued by them every day. On the 21 of June we, the calvary, had a severe fight at Upperville, Va. We had established a picket line five or six miles east of Upperville to Laurel, a gap in the Blue Ridge and the Yankee Gen. Pleasanton with heavy forces of cavalry tried to drive us back. We fell back slowly fighting them all the way with Sharp Shooters, to Upperville. By that time they had learned that we had no Infantry near to support us and we were inferior in number to their cavalry, besides a heavy line of Infantry in the rear of their Cavalry which them decidely the advantage of us near Upperville. There is some beautiful plains on each side of this Turnpike and as we were crossing this plain, they charged us. Gen. Hampton's command occupied the left of the road and the Jeff Davis Legion in the rear. When he saw them charging us he ordered us to right about wheel and meet them, but we had not time to execute the wheel till the enemy was upon us. We did not wait to form but dashed at them and drove them back and was beginning to rally again when there was a fresh regiment charged us on the opposite side of the road. We charged and met them, there being a stone fence between us which prevented us from using our Sabres on them. We had to use our repeaters, which we did effectively. They soon gave way when we tried to rally again but seeing us leave the fence they dashed up again. We met them and repulsed them as before. By this time our Ranks were so confused that it was almost impossible to rally them correctly but they all seemed to fight as well out of ranks as any way. Lucky for us they did, for the enemy was all ready charging us again from our own side of the road, which gave us a chance to use our Sabres again. We dashed at them again with a yell that drowned the sound of their cannon, which was firing at us the whole time. We cout through their lines where ever we came to them, routed them completely and drove them back, but they had a new line ready which lost no time when they saw us scatter all over their the field. They come at us and would have forced us back but in the meantime Gen. Hampton had got two other Regiments back to our assistance which enabled us to drive them back to their Infantry and Artillery but we could not tarry there. When the cavalry gave way it only gave their Artillery a better chance at us and (we) hurried from the field, leaving it spotted with their killed and wounded. We lost three of our Company, Hunterville Taylor, Henry Land, Joseph Aust. The northern paper states that Taylor was slightly wounded and taken prisoner. The others have not been heard of yet. The enemy held the field until the next morning and buried our dead. We found the grave of three others from other companies of the Legion that we knew were killed. Consequently, we don't think Land and Aust were killed or we could have found their graves. We took the field the next morning without meeting any resistance. The next day (the 23) we marched to Salem, camped there that night until midnight when we mounted our horses and took up the march for the Thoroughfaire Gap in the Bullrun mountains, where we encountered the enemy again. We went within five miles of that place. Cut off a train of wagons one hundred eighty in number, loaded some with grain and some meat and other kinds of provisions for the Yankee Army. We took the drivers prisoners and put our Boys to driving and changed their direction towards Baltimore. Suffice it to say that we traveled day and night till we met Gen. Lee's Army at Gettysburg on the 1st of July, stopping occasionally long enough to feed our horses or whip the Yankee Cavalry out of our way. We captured about three or four hundred prisoneres from the time we crossed the Potomac until we met Gen. Lee's Army at Gettysburg, besides one hundred negros. We had two severe engagements with the enemy Cavalry during the fight at Gettysburg. but soon on the March towards Maryland and left the way open for us. We then took a circuitous route around Manassas and Centreville to our left. We killed and captured twenty-four of their enemy cavalry at Fairfax Station who charged our advance guard. They killed Maj. Whittaker of the 1st G.C. Regiment and of our Brigade. From Fairfax we made our way to the Potomac River and crossed it on the night of 27th, being four days from the time we left Upperville. We met no resistance in crossing the River. We captured some two or three ________boats and distroyed them. Lay there till day. The 28th, mounted our horses and marched down the River towards Washington City. Our Brigade suffered heavily in both. In the latter we were driven from the field with a lamentable loss. Maj. Conner of our Legion was missing when we came out. Gen. Hampton was........ Our beloved and Gallant Friend, John Bently was missing and is still. And also Perdan Moore as brave a soldier never lived. He was only wounded but I fear mortally. He was shot in the Breast. We got him off the field but I can't tell what became of him. Some say he was put in an ambulance and sent over the River, I don't know. Gen. Hampton was wounded by two cuts with Sabres on the head and a pistol shot in the leg. He said that he did not think the wounds were dangerous but that it would be some time before he would be in the field again. My horse was shot through the neck in two places in the Charge. We left Gettysburg on the 4th but was skirmishing with the Yankee every day until we recrossed the River into Va., which we done on the 14th (July). James Perrin was killed about the 10th of this month. He lived about twelve hours after he was shot. Martin Hardin was wounded in the left side. I have not heard from him since he left. I don't think that his wound was dangerous at all. Our Army is again on the south side of the Potomac, on the banks of it. The enemy is on the opposite side in plain view. I don't know what Gen. Lee is doing now but I expect that he and Gen. Meade, who is in commnad of the Yankee Army, now are in a race to Richmond, though I hear there's fighting below us now on the River. This, the 16th, this night we was ordered to move our Picket line which we done in the morning of the 17th. We was relieved and sent back to camp and had not been there one hour when a courier came in and said the Yankees was coming. We mounted our horses and loped them about six miles to meet them but when we got there the most of them had gone back and we did not have much to do. We came back to camp and stayed all night. Next morning we were ordered to saddle up and mount at daybreak. We went out and had a small skirmish, this day the 18th. Next morning we was ordered to mount and went out to graze our horses. When their pickets was gone in we went and drove them back and put our pickets out again and came back to camp and about the time we got still, here came their pickets again. We went out and had a right smart fight but drove them back and came back to camp. The 19-today we have nothing to do, every thing has been quiet except a citizen shot one of the pickets from the Phillip Legion. The 20th-this morning went out on Picket, nothing has occurred today. The 21st-next day every thing was quiet until late in the evening when a lady brought in the news that the Yankees was building a bridge across the River. Me and B. Fulton went out one way to see and J. B. Sparkmann and J. Lisacost went another way. While we were gone two orders came for the pickets to fall back, that the Yankees was crossing at Charlston and they went off and left Mc Creekmore to tell us to go round to the left of Martin's Brigade. We then made our way down to Culpeper without any trouble with them. To doing picket duty and on the 1st of August we had the hardest fight that the Cavalry has ever had. We lost one of our Co. the Gallant and Brave Soldier John Fulton. Our Brigade fought five Yankee Brigades. Col. Baker, who was in command was wounded so the command was turned over to Col. Black, who was wounded and then command was turned over to Col. Yarings, who wasWounded and then the command was turned over to Lt. Col. Lipscomb, who was wounded when the command was turned over to Lt. Col. Twigs who commanded the rest of the day. Since that time we have been quiet up to this time, this the 9. The 19th we was attacked and we fought all the way back to Raccoon Ford and stayed here two or three days fighting across the River all that time, when we was taken away from here and sent upon the left to Locus Dail (Locust Dale) where we had two little fights. When we left here and started after old Meade, following him to Bull Run, fighting all they way there and back to Warrenton, whipping Killpatrick at little Baltimore badly. Came back to Culpeper Co., Va., camp near Stevensburg and picketed upon the first of November when the Yankees attacked us. We fell back across the Rapidan River eand established our picket lines on the River and every thing was quiet till the 20th when Meade crossed over and advanced up near our breast works, stayed two days and fell back across the River. Then we moved down to Fredricksburg where we stayed till Grant crossed over on the fourth of May (1864) and the fifth of the Battle commenced. (Battle of the Wilderness) Captured on the 8th of May 1864 on the skirmish line, these lines falling back without my knowledge, Being about ten paces in advance of the line and not hearing the order to fall back I held my position too long. When I got up to start back I found the Yankees all around me on the right so I could do nothing but surrender."