Ned Jilton II: A short history of the Saltville battles

Efforts are underway up the road in Saltville, Virginia, to preserve 65 acres of historic grounds where two battles were fought during the Civil War. But these sites also have a link to a dark moment in the nation's history.The American Battlefield Trust is working to add these 65 acres to the 107 acres already preserved there, which includes several buildings, wayside markers and several sites, including many of the defensive earthworks that remain intact. Also, the Museum of the Middle Appalachians located on Palmer Avenue, which contains exhibits and artifacts from the Saltville battles.Saltville was important to the Confederacy during the Civil War. The salt works there were key to the preservation of food, curing leather and the production of saltpeter for gunpowder. Add to this the importance of the lead mines near Marion, Virginia, and the need by the Federal forces to destroy the resources in this area becomes apparent.The first Battle of Saltville took place on Oct. 2, 1864. It was part of Gen. U.S. Grant's effort to cut off supplies to Richmond and Gen. Robert E. Lee's army. With Gen. Phil Sheridan's forces burning the Shenandoah Valley, the bread basket of the Confederacy, Gen. Stephen G. Burbridge was sent from Kentucky to destroy the resources in Southwest Virginia.However, Burbridge's forces were delayed by Confederate troops at Clinch Mountain and again at Laurel Gap. This gave Gen. Alfred E. Jackson time to gather the forces in the region and establish a strong defensive position in Saltville.Among the Federal forces was a detachment of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry, who had been placed under the command of Col. James F. Wade from the 6th U.S. Colored Cavalry. The detachment came up with the main body at Prestonburg, Kentucky, and was assigned to the brigade commanded by Col. R.W. Ratliff, 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.Col. James S. Brisbin, commanding officer of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry, filed the following report about his Black soldiers' experiences before, during and after the Battle of Saltville."On the march, the colored soldiers, as well as their white officers, were made the subject of much ridicule and many insulting remarks by the white troops, and in some instances petty outrages, such as the pulling off the caps of colored soldiers, stealing their horses were practiced by the white soldiers. These insults, as well as the jeers and taunts that they would not fight, were borne by the colored soldiers patiently, or punished with dignity by their officers, but in no instance did I hear colored soldiers make any reply to insulting language used toward them by the white troops."On the 2nd of October, the forces reached the vicinity of the salt works, and Ratliff's brigade was assigned to the left of the line, and the brigade, dismounted, was disposed as follows: 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry on the left, 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry in the center and 11th Michigan Cavalry on the right. The point to be attacked was the side of a high mountain, the rebels being posted about half way up behind rifle pits made of logs and stones to the height of three feet."All in readiness, the brigade moved to the attack. The rebels opened upon them a terrific fire, but the line pressed steadily forward up the steep side of the mountain until they found themselves within fifty yards of the enemy."Here Col. Wade ordered his force to charge, and the negroes rushed upon the works with a yell, and after a desperate struggle, carried the entire line, killing and wounding a large number of the enemy and capturing some prisoners. There were 400 Black soldiers engaged in the battle, 100 having been left behind sick and with broken-down horses on the march, and 100 left in the valley to hold horses. Out of the 400 engaged, 114 men and 4 officers fell killed or wounded."Of this fight, I can only say that the men could not have behaved more bravely. I have seen white troops fight in 27 battles and I never saw any fight better."At dusk, the colored troops were withdrawn from the enemy's works which they had held for over two hours with scarcely a round of ammunition in their cartridge boxes. On the return of the forces, those who had scoffed at the colored troops on the march out were silent. Nearly all the wounded were brought off, preferred present suffering to being murdered at the hands of a cruel enemy."Col. Brisbin described some of the wounded men returning from the line, one was missing an arm, one shot through the lung and another shot through both lungs. Sadly, some of these wounded men would not escape the "hands of a cruel enemy" after all.A field hospital had been set up at Emory and Henry College. On Oct. 7, five days after the battle, Confederate guerrillas under the command of Champ Ferguson arrived at the college and murdered the wounded men. A U.S. Army surgeon reported that seven Black soldiers and Lt. Elza Smith under his care were killed by Ferguson.However, estimates of the total number of wounded Black soldiers killed at Emory and Henry College and the surrounding area vary between 45 and 50. Confederate Surgeon Will Jennings reported that there were 98 wounded at the college, but he made no note in the report of how many were shot by Ferguson.The first Battle of Saltville was a defeat for the Federals. But two months later, another Federal force under the command of Gen. George Stoneman, which included both the 5th and 6th U.S. Cavalry as well as the 8th, 9th and 13th East Tennessee Cavalry, moved with lighting speed through the region with quick fights in Rogersville and Kingsport before moving into Southwest Virginia.After scoring a victory at Marion, Virginia, Stoneman's forces overwhelmed the Confederates in the Second Battle of Saltville and destroyed the salt works, accomplishing the objectives of Grant's plan.When the war was over, Champ Ferguson was arrested for war crimes. He was tried and convicted in Nashville and was sentenced to death by hanging. This made Ferguson one of the few to be executed for war crimes committed during the Civil War.There is a memorial for the "Saltville Massacre" on the field there. Now, the American Battlefield Trust is currently trying to preserve more of the battlefield over which these Black soldiers proved their bravery and earned the respect of the White soldiers that had mocked them just a few days earlier.To learn more about this preservation effort and to take part, go online to https://www.battlefields.org/visit/battlefields/saltville-battlefield.Ned Jilton II is a photographer, history lover and columnist. You can contact him at ndjphoto@aol.com.