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BUFORD PUSSER
The museum was open. I went inside and hung around a few minutes but could not find anyone to pay the seven dollars to so I left. DAY ELEVEN: MAY 2, 2013
I had to drive about fifty miles east from Oakland, TN on Hwy 64 this morning before I found an eating place for breakfast. It was called Joe’s Restaurant. Do not go there. The country ham was so salty it left a bad taste in my mouth for two hours. The red eye gravy was just salty pan drippings with no thickening and no red eye. The eggs, potatoes and biscuits were okay though. This evening after a drive of 184.4 miles I have pulled up at Lawrenceburg, TN. Already I have solved tomorrow’s breakfast problem. I had Pizza Whut for supper and have enough left over for a fine cold pizza breakfast.
Adamsville Sheriff Buford Pusser lived here. He was the badge-heavy redneck sheriff of McNairy County who has been portrayed as something of a local hero for the way he tried to prevent Mississippi bootleggers, whore-ladies, dopers, and gamblers from making incursions into respectable, god-fearing communities in Tennessee. That whole thing with the hickory fence post was made-up Hollywood bullshit. For his dirty work Buford used a Model 1911-A1 Colt .45
FIGHT STARTED
The gates of hell opened soon as Major Powell and his men of the 25th got halfway across Fraley's Field. that he stole from the army. A tour of his home costs 7 dollars. Probably it is worth that much to see where he hollered at his kids and farted on the couch.
The Battle of Shiloh In February of 1862 General Grant in command of the Army of the Tennessee captured Forts Henry and Donelson and an entire Confederate army intact. That victory gave impetus to our twice-great grampa J. J. Oliver and his brother Charlie to join up in the national army. They mustered into the service along with other stout lads from Memphis County in to the 21
st Missouri Infantry. J. J. was elected as first lieutenant of Company I. Less than two months later J.J. and Charlie found themselves on steamboats headed down the Tennessee River to a place called Pittsburg Landing; they were green as a couple of red blackberries when they stepped off the boat and went in to camp. General Grant was gathering his forces there for an attack on the railroad junction at Corinth, Mississippi. General Albert Sidney Johnson was the commanding general of the entire Confederate Army. He was gathering his forces to
GRAMPA J. J.
The second position taken up by J.J. and Charlie was on a low ridge about a hundred yards into these woods. Their encampment was right behind where this picture was taken. defend Corinth and Grant, bloated with his recent success, did not feel that Johnston could possibly be ready to fight. During the night of April 5, 1862 Johnston moved a Confederate force of forty thousand men into position to attack and Grant had no idea that they were there. The 21
st Missouri was assigned to the 1
st Brigade commanded by Colonel Peabody as part of the 6
th Division commanded by General Prentiss in the Grant’s Army of the Tennessee. As bad luck would have it Peabody’s Brigade was encamped at the extreme southern part of the national army forces at Pittsburg Landing. On the morning of April 6
th the Battle of Shiloh began with Peabody’s Brigade. J. J. and Charlie were right in the middle of it and had no idea what they were supposed to do in a fight. The first shots were fired by men of the 25
th Missouri commanded by Major Powell. Before daylight they ordered to reconnoiter the front of their position. They encountered a skirmish line of the 8
th and 9
th Arkansas commanded by Hardcastle in Fraley’s Field. The 21
st Missouri rushed forward to a position in Leay’s Field in support the 25
th As light
COLONEL PEABODY
This is the encampment of the 25th Missouri. Colonel Peabody was killed here. When the fighting brought out General Prentiss got on his ass because he was ordered not to engage the enemy. Peabody hollered back that, "By God, I didn't engage them. They engaged me." Those may have the last words he spoke. began to fill the sky both units fell back in good order to second position along a low wooded ridgeline where the rest of Peabody’s Brigade joined them. They could not hold that position because Johnston’s entire force was bearing down on them and they were pushed out of their encampment before Prentiss could reinforce them. My belief is that J.J. fell wounded during the disarray at the camp and Charlie helped him escape while the Confederates were pillaging the supplies abandoned in the camp. Colonel Peabody, who had already been hit four times trying to rally his fleeing command, was killed in the camp by rifle ball to his head. Peabody’s Brigade scattered like quail but some elements of them gathered with Prentiss and fought gallantly all day in the Hornet’s Nest. They repulsed several headlong infantry assaults, but were cut off by an artillery assault from Ruggles’ Battery and forced to surrender 2100 strong. The Hornet’s Nest is a heavily wooded area with a ravine that provided excellent cover to Prentiss and his men. General Johnston had a good battle plan and it was working well. He hit Grant’s middle, where the Hornet’s Nest was and hard on
HORNET'S NEST
The photo was taken from Duncan's Field. It was open ground that the Confederate infantry repeatedly tried to cross to drive the Yankees from that position in the trees. They never succeeded, but Prentiss held that position until late in the afternoon when he was forced to surrender due to fire from Ruggles' Battery. The stand in these woods prevented Grant from a possible disaster. Grant’s left hoping to drive the federals away from Pittsburg Landing and into soggy bottoms along Owl creek where they could be destroyed. Johnston was directing an assault in very heavy fighting near the Peach Orchard when he was hit by a stray shot right behind his right knee. It severed that big artery back there and he bled out in 15 minutes. The fight at the Hornet’s Nest enabled Grant’s army to survive the fighting on the first day. The Confederates held the field and thought they had the battle won after mopping up on April 7
th. However Grant had received reinforcements over night from General Buell and General Lew Wallace and the second day’s fighting ended in disaster for the Confederates and their new commander General Beauregard. It is has been that fight that “The South would never smile again after that terrible day at Shiloh. General Johnston was the highest ranking officer killed in the whole war. J. J. mustered out with his wound and never rejoined the war. He served for less than three months. Charlie saw it through to the bitter end. They had another brother named John who also saw the war through to
GENERAL ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON
Johnston died here. He probably would have survived the wound if he had been treated for it quickly, but he released his surgeon to attend to other casualties. He was sorely missed by the Confederacy, but folks in Salt Lake City were jumping for joy. In 1857 he lead troops into Utah to make them adhere to federal authority. It was America's first Civil War. the bitter end. John joined the 22
nd Virginia in the Confederate Army. He was wounded at the Battle of Droop Mountain in West Virginia but recovered from his wound and rejoined his unit at Petersburg. He was one of 16 men remaining in the 22
nd when they surrendered at Appomattox. I do not know if John ever returned to Missouri or spoke to brothers again.
Lawrenceburg This little town was once home to David Crockett as he is known hereabouts. The rest of us know him better as Davy. He was King of the Wild Frontier to millions of us baby-boomers. When Crockett went down to Texas and fought at the Alamo this is where he left from. The motel lady who checked me in is descended from the line of Davy’s wife.
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Wm. G Oliver
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Good for You Frank
Wow Frank, what a trip. It's so cool to see pics and read your narrative of the places and events that our family fought through. I would dearly love to have joined you for this trip. BTW - I too like Cold pizza for breakfast... Carry On...