Almost without exception, the earliest settlers in De Leon had as a common bond, their experiences during the days of the Civil War.  Most of the men who came to De Leon had served in the war and with only one documented exception, served in the Confederate Army.  Following the Civil War, under the duress of reconstruction, they brought their families west, escaping the harsh economic conditions oppressing the old south.

    Many of these veterans became the early leaders of De Leon and their descendants still make up the bulk of the town’s population.  Few of their remembrances of the Civil War were written down and were forever lost upon their passing.  Had each recorded their personal war experiences, what a valuable collection it would be.  For instance we know that John Henry Holdridge not only fought at Gettysburg but was with Lee at the surrender at Appomattox Court House.  Lemuel Brumbelow, while serving in the 35th Arkansas Cavalry, participated in several battles including Pea Ridge before being taken prisoner and held until Lee’s surrender.  W.C. Switzer, father of the first publisher of the De Leon Free Press served under the famous Confederal General Nathan Bedford Forrest.  And there were many, many more whose stories will never be known.  Luckily, one De Leonian, Dr. R.D. Redden jotted down his experiences.

 

     Dr. Raymond Dial Redden was very probably De Leon’s first doctor.  Like most early De Leonians he came to Texas from the deep south in the years immediately following the Civil War.  He first moved from Beaverton, Alabama to Comanche in February 1873 and then to De Leon in February 1882, seven months after the town’s founding.

    In 1896 Dr. Redden recorded his Civil War recollections in pencil on what was later commonly referred to as a Big Chief tablet. He was seventy-six years old and in failing health at the time.  Although the penmanship, sentence structure and spelling sometimes make difficult reading, it is an educational journal encompassing the time from the early days of the Civil War until the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the war.   The journal has been edited extensively here for clarity and sentence structure, however many words have been left as he spelled them.  The article as it appeared in The Messenger has also been edited especially in regard to notes from other sources.  Many links to other web sources have replaced non-journal battle details included in the original article.   Other notes not in the actual journal are in red.

    Dr. Redden was 39 when the war began.  After the war, Dr. Redden practiced medicine until he became too feeble to endure the hardships of a country practice.  He then opened drug store on the north east corner of Texas and Gonzales in a brick building constructed of brick fired in De Leon around 1891.  He was engaged in the drug business until January 1898 when he was stricken while at work with what his eldest son, also a physician described as cerebral apoplexy.  He died a few hours later without speaking.  The drug store building burned in 1928.

    The Journal

    I was born the fourth son and youngest child of seven children.  Was born Oct. 1, 1821 in Lancaster District, South Carolina.  My father was Jesse Redden who died in 1836.  My mother died in 1854 in Franklin County, Alabama.

    The first school I attended was taught by a man by the name of Croxton.  He was very bad about whipping his scholars but I got along without him whipping me.  My boyhood days were about as most boys.  I worked on a farm until was about 18 years old.  I married Miss Elizabeth Charlotte Kirk daughter of William and Elizabeth Kirk in Franklin County Alabama, March 11, 1847.  I bought a farm in Franklin County and farmed on it two years.  I then sold it and read medicine two years at Nauvoo, in Franklin County.  My preceptor was Dr. Ridgelow Perry.   I attended medical college one session at New Orleans in 1850-1851 followed by two years at New Lexington in Tuscaloosa County Alabama.  I then attended the District Medical Board at Tuscaloosa and was licensed to practice medicine.  I practiced two years at New Lexington and then moved into Pickens County and practiced one year before moving to Fayette County where I practiced until July 1861,

    In July 1861 I raised a volunteer company to go to the War.  We went into a camp of instruction at Tuscumbia, Alabama under Major [John S.] Garvin. I was Captain of the 7th Company (of 10 companies). We remained at Tuscumbia until Feby. 1862. [Apparently it took him a couple of months to raise a full company of men.  Confederate records indicate the Company was officially formed September 4, 1861.  It was mustered into service on December 7, 1861 and on that date Dr. Redden was made Captain of Company K.  He received $130 per month as a captain, when and if he Confederacy could pay him.]

     Captain Briant (1st Co.) and Captain Leech (6th Co.) having gotten guns for their men, were ordered together with Major Garvin to Fort Henry on the Tennessee River.  They were, with others, forced to retreat to Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River.  These men were captured there and later exchanged.

   Before Fort Henry was evacuated, the eight remaining companies were ordered to proceed to the Fort.  We got to Florence (Alabama) on the Tennessee River and boarded boats to start down the river.  We soon learned that Fort Henry had been evacuated and that gunboats of enemy were coming up the river toward Florence.  We were on the boat with no fire arms and had to get off, but before we could, we heard a boat coming up the river (it being night) supposed it was a gun boat.  it turned to to be a steam boat hunting a hiding place.  We succeeded in returning to Tuscumbia that night as it was only a couple of miles from the river.

    The next morning all sorts of reports from the river were received.  We heard that soldiers from the gun boats were on their way to capture us. Luckily, the reports proved false as we had no guns to fight with.

    [Fort Henry and Fort Donelson were only twelve miles apart and were considered by Grant to be the weak point in Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston’s line in northwest Tennessee.  Fort Henry, a poorly positioned dirt work, was flooded when the Tennessee River rose and coupled with the shelling of the fort by a Union flotilla, the men were forced to flee to Fort Donelson.  Fort Donelson was not significantly better than Fort Henry.  On February 16, 1862, following Grant’s famous “unconditional surrender” demand, Donelson also fell.  Between twelve and thirteen thousand Confederates were taken prisoner.  After Donelson, Union gunboats continued south to Muscle Shoals, Alabama just east of Florence and Tuscumbia.]

     The company remained at Tuscumbia a few days before we were ordered to Richmond, Virginia.  We took cars (railroad cars) and reached Chattanooga, Tennessee.  We had to wait a day for cars to take us on.   We got to Bristol, Tennessee where we changed cars to take us to Abington, Virginia.  Here we learned a land slide had stopped up the road and we had to remain at Abington about a week until the road was opened.  There was a big snow on us there.  We went on from Abington to Lynchburg, Virginia on the James River.  As we could get no carts to carry us on to Richmond, we chartered three canal boats and spent sometime on the river.  After finally reaching Richmond we were carried to barracks about a mile from Richmond.  Here we remained about a week.  Other soldiers were there and there was a good deal of sickness and some deaths.

    Physicians were scarce.  Dr. Moses, the regimental physician sickened and died there.  His body was sent to his home place in Moscow, Alabama.  Physicians were so scarce that I was requested to take charge for a long time before I was finally relieved.

   We had drill twice a day  We had dress parade about sundown.  I was made officer of the day several times, often having a detail of privates to clean up the camp and privies.  The solders did the work.  Some of it, but not all, was nasty as the privies were quite nasty.

     After being there a while, the soldiers commenced coming in from northwest Virginia.  So, for a while there many of us.

     The regiment was first recognized as the 21st Alabama, under William R. Smith. While he was serving as Colonel, he was elected Representative to the Confederate Congress.  Being left with no field officer Lt. Col. E. A. O’Neal of the 9th Regiment was appointed Colonel of our Regiment and it was reorganized as the 26th Alabama.

      Soon we were ordered to Yorktown.  We took cars to the York River and then a steam boat to Yorktown.  We could see the Federals landing some four miles below.  They had several gun boats with them which soon commenced shelling us.  This did but little damage but soon there was a large army on both sides and both began cannonading.

 

    The Federals commenced putting up breastworks and advancing.  We had several skirmishes but no damage.  After being there some month or more, we were ordered to destroy our tents to prevent their use but to leave them standing in place and leave at night.  We took our pocket knives and ripped them to shreds.  At dark we started on foot.  After going several miles, we were ordered back.  We stayed there that night and the next day, but again left on foot and got to Williamsburg that day (May 5). While we were eating breakfast, the battle commenced back about a mile.  We could see columns of smoke and hear cannon.  The battle went on in intervals until they quit in the evening.

   

     It had been raining and the ground was worked up into a loblolly.  Our regiment was ordered to the front double quick.  We were moved to the extreme left flank in a young wheat field.  We soon had that ground worked into a loblolly.  We had to stand in line to look for Feds every minute.

   We stayed in line until night when the boys, to keep warm, bunched together in squads with their backs together.  We stayed there until morning when we were ordered the the front,  Many of the men left their blankets but I took mine and it was well that I did as a fine mist of rain was falling and it was cold.  I squatted down and put the blanket over my head and spent the night that way.  By daylight we were ordered to leave to get back to where we left the blankets.  Bob Montgomery, the old man we had left behind, had something cooked for my company.  We then retreated to Richmond.

     Our rations soon gave out as supplies from Richmond did not meet us as expected.  We were without food for two days.  I did not suffer much, as I took yellow jaundice and had no appetite for grub, but I was weak and could scarcely walk.

     I put Lt. E. M. Turner [may have been a close friend as Dr. Burr Turner would become his son-in-law and move to Comanche in 1873] in command of my company and I picked my way along as best I could.  I got Private James Smith to stay along with me.  We soon got behind as I could not keep up.

    About the time I knew the regiment would stop for the night, Smith and I saw a big drift of leaves.  I told him we would make our bed for the night and covered with our blankets, had a good rest.  We rose early, put out to overtake the regiment and soon did so just as it was ready to march.   I felt so weak, I thought I would try to get a ride as there were some conveyances for sick and cripples.

   I went to the surgeon and told him I as not able to walk,  I was placed in a wagon.  Soon other came until the wagon was filled.  Directly, another soldier was brought that I knew could not walk.  I told him to take my place and I got along the best I could.

   The next morning  we met supplies of grub from Richmond.  We had no cooking vessels with us so we built fires and skinned bark off trees to make up doe in. We then cut sticks and hung the doe on the ends, holding it in the fire till cooked.  Did bacon that way and had a hearty breakfast.  When we got to Richmond, we got our cooking vessels and fared very well as we were supplied with grub.  [Confederate records show the 52 man company had been issued 6 skillets, 6 camp kettles and 3 blank company record books on March 22, 1862] 

       As the Federal advanced near Richmond, we were double quick marched to the front.  Frequently, we stayed in line for some time, then went back to camps, maybe to be soon called back to the front again.

   [The next battle in which the company participated was the Battle of Seven Pines seven miles southeast of Richmond.  Heavy rains had resulted in flooding along the Chickhominy River, thereby dividing the Union troops.  Perhaps the most significant event in the battle was the wounding of the Confederate Commander Joseph E. Johnston who was soon replaced by Robert E. Lee.]

     On May 31 and June 1, 1862, we were ordered to double quick to the front.  At the hour of 12 o’clock, we double quick to the Federals’ camps.  Our regiment was second in line.  The front line (which was) in front of us did the shooting.  The Feds, in shooting, did our regiment some harm, two or three of our men being killed.  The Feds left and we soon were in their camps.  Their dinners were in kettles over the fire.  Some had their dinner set for eating.

    We still advanced in going through some thick scrubby underbrush came upon a line of Feds and had some fighting.  The Feds, being already in line had the advantage of us, as we were badly formed.  I had thrown away my sword and had captured a gun and while using it had part of the stock shot off.  One of the men was wounded and captured.

   As we  were at a disadvantage, we retreated back out of the brush.  The Feds did not advance on us through the brush and it was well for them that they did not as we would have had the advantage.  fighting was going on at other points.  This was the first day’s fight May 31, 1862.  The next day, June 1, the battle raged fierce as the Feds had re-enforced their lines.  Lucky or unlucky for us, we did not get to the front but while in line, a cannon ball killed the Adjutant and the Colonel’s horse and wounded the Colonel slightly.

   The Colonel then left the command of the regiment with me.  It being late we were ordered to retreat to our old caps near Richmond.  this we did in the nigh.  And such roads!  As there had been much rain, the roads were desperately worked up.  We finally got to camp and got a little rest that night.

   The Colonel, being merely shocked, was able to be with us for drill.  He had been sitting down leaning against a small pine tree, his pistol buckled around him, when the cannon ball passed between him and the pine.  Taking his pistol with it and giving him a might shock.  I was within three feet of him when it occurred.

   [At the Battle of Seven Pines, Dr. Redden captured a Union horse.   In the saddle bag were several gold coins.  He eventually carved these gold coins into earrings, a pair for each of his granddaughters except one.  On each earring he carved seven pine trees.  Because the youngest granddaughter was too young for earrings, he simply gave her the final gold piece.  It remains in De Leon to this day.]    

Dr. Redden’s Drug building with the D.P. Lloyd and Coca Cola signs.  Built in the fall of 1891 by his son C.R. Redden and nephew F.R. Carter, the brick were fired in kilns in De Leon.  The building burned in 1928.  It was located on the northeast corner of Texas and Gonzales.

Details of the 26th Alabama Inf.

See XIX Pt.1 (808)

Rodes-O’Neal’s

Brigade

Capt. Redden with the sword he discarded at the Battle of Seven Pines.

Elizabeth Charlotte Kirk Redden

March 26, 1826-Nov. 11, 1901

REDDEN

26th Alabama Infantry

Civil War

Fort Donelson

Fort Henry

Seven Pines

Seven Days

Malvern Hill

South Mountain