150-years-ago -- The Battle of Liberty, Mississippi

Col. John S. Scott

[Excerpted from the "9th Battalion Louisiana Louisiana Infantry in the Battle of Baton Rouge and Siege of Port Hudson" by Michael Dan Jones, published by CreateSpace.com and available at Amazon.com and other online booksellers.]

On November 15, the scattered Confederates began converging on the
fast moving Federal column [commanded by Federal Gen. A.L. Lee]. Colonel [J.S.]Scott’s 1st Louisiana Cavalry was camped three miles from Clinton along the road to Liberty. He began tracking the Federals and also found on November 15 the Federals had passed through Clinton and were on their way to Liberty. Colonel Gober’s Mounted Infantry was on the road from Greensburg and moving toward Liberty. The various Confederate columns, which had been looking for one another, and finally converged when they met on the 17th. Scott took command, since they couldn’t find Hodge. He ordered their wagon trains to a place of safety and the Confederates moved in the direction of Liberty to confront A.L. Lee’s troopers there.
           The Confederate column rested the men that night for the next days expected attack on Liberty. “My men having been called up three nights in succession, and my horses having been without food thirty-one hours, my command were in no condition to pursue an enemy traveling so rapidly. I consequently halted for the night,” [Col. Daniel] Gober wrote. Early on the morning of November 18, Scott put his tiny brigade in line of battle. They approached Liberty throughdense woods, and then found the Federals drawn up on a hill in front of the town. Gober dismounted his men, placed them on the right side of the road, and immediately went for the Federal left flank. “In order to drive them from this position I moved with right wing of my regiment upon their left and succeeded in forcing them to retire in great confusion up into the town,
where they formed a second time behind the houses and on a hill to my left
and dismounted.” There was also an open hill about 100 yards before the
new Federal position. “Against this enemy the men moved at double-quick
and with great spirit, driving the enemy from and taking possession of the
houses,” Gober wrote. Scott wrote in his report, General A.L. Lee was commanding the
Federals in person. “The enemy sent out a regiment of cavalry, which we met
and handsomely repulsed. Moving on to Liberty we engaged their main body,
command by Brigadier General Lee in person, for near half an hour. The
skirmish was quite brisk, but we were compelled to fall back for want of
ammunition.” Lee, in his report, grossly over estimated Scott’s numbers at
800. He said the rebels were first repulsed and then advanced again and drove
in the bluecoat pickets. He noted that the rebels, “dismounted, and attacked
with desperation. “Our men, also dismounted, fought bravely. I brought into
action the section of the First Wisconsin Battery and opened with canister.

           After a fight of something more than an hour the enemy were driven from
the field.” Gober wrote of the end of the battle, that soon after driving the
Federals from their positions at the houses, “. . . I was ordered to retire slowly
to my horses, mount, and move across the bridge three miles from town.”
Scott commented that he had less than 300 men in the battle and the Yankees
had 1,200 and a battery of artillery. “I have never seen officers and men
behave with more gallantry than did Colonel Gober and Ogden and their
commands. In fact, it drew forth the astonishment and praise of the vandals
themselves who we were confronting,” Scott wrote.
            During the fighting, among the killed was 1st Lieutenant Olivier
Couvillion of Company G, 1st Louisiana Cavalry. “He was gallant and
efficient and his death was a severe loss to the regiment,” Lieutenant Carter
wrote in his memoir. Carter also noted that Private J.G. Hawkes of Company
E, 1st Louisiana Cavalry, had his horse killed under him in the battle. He then
asked Captain A.C. Herndon, the quartermaster, to loan him his horse.
Herndon reluctantly did so, fearing his valuable horse would be killed. Sure
enough, the horse was killed and Hawkes was wounded and captured. That
night, while being led off on a mule by his captors, Hawkes managed to
escape and successfully returned to his unit. Hawkes, a native Englishman
amazed his comrades at his boldness in battle, having two horses killed under
him, being wounded, captured and escaping—all within a 24-hour period.
General Scott awarded Hawkes with a battlefield promotion to second
lieutenant.
           Scott reported that three of his men were killed, 10 wounded and 15
horses killed. Gober said in his report that he lost two men killed, eight
wounded and four missing, for the entire period from November 12 to the
20th. Lee said his total casualties in the Battle of Liberty were “about a dozen”
wounded, none killed.” He also claimed that they found three rebel officers
Federals in person. “The enemy sent out a regiment of cavalry, which we met
and handsomely repulsed. Moving on to Liberty we engaged their main body,
command by Brigadier General Lee in person, for near half an hour. The
skirmish was quite brisk, but we were compelled to fall back for want of
ammunition.” Lee, in his report, grossly over estimated Scott’s numbers at
800. He said the rebels were first repulsed and then advanced again and drove
in the bluecoat pickets. He noted that the rebels, “dismounted, and attacked
with desperation. “Our men, also dismounted, fought bravely. I brought into
action the section of the First Wisconsin Battery and opened with canister.
After a fight of something more than an hour the enemy were driven from
the field.” Gober wrote of the end of the battle, that soon after driving the
Federals from their positions at the houses, “. . . I was ordered to retire slowly
to my horses, mount, and move across the bridge three miles from town.”
           Scott commented that he had less than 300 men in the battle and the Yankees
had 1,200 and a battery of artillery. “I have never seen officers and men
behave with more gallantry than did Colonel Gober and Ogden and their
commands. In fact, it drew forth the astonishment and praise of the vandals
themselves who we were confronting,” Scott wrote.
            During the fighting, among the killed was 1st Lieutenant Olivier
Couvillion of Company G, 1st Louisiana Cavalry. “He was gallant and
efficient and his death was a severe loss to the regiment,” Lieutenant Carter
wrote in his memoir. Carter also noted that Private J.G. Hawkes of Company
E, 1st Louisiana Cavalry, had his horse killed under him in the battle. He then
asked Captain A.C. Herndon, the quartermaster, to loan him his horse.
Herndon reluctantly did so, fearing his valuable horse would be killed. Sure
enough, the horse was killed and Hawkes was wounded and captured. That
night, while being led off on a mule by his captors, Hawkes managed to
escape and successfully returned to his unit. Hawkes, a native Englishman
amazed his comrades at his boldness in battle, having two horses killed under
him, being wounded, captured and escaping—all within a 24-hour period.
General Scott awarded Hawkes with a battlefield promotion to second
lieutenant.
           Scott reported that three of his men were killed, 10 wounded and 15
horses killed. Gober said in his report that he lost two men killed, eight
wounded and four missing, for the entire period from November 12 to the
20th. Lee said his total casualties in the Battle of Liberty were “about a dozen”
wounded, none killed.” He also claimed that they found three rebel officers
proud and the cause of Southern Independence, for which they were fighting.
After the battle, Gober’s Regiment began scouting for the direction the
Federals were moving. “On the morning of the 19th Colonel Scott came up
with us at Hog Eye, and ordered me to move around to the north of Liberty
to the Brookhaven road and learn if the enemy had moved in that direction.
The morning of the 20th we were ordered to follow the enemy in direction of
Baton Rouge. The pursuit was kept up until next day about noon, when we
were ordered to move to Clinton from Keller’s Cross Roads,” he
concluded.