Texas Rangers converge on Taylorsville
Texas Rangers converge on Taylorsville
By Tom Watson
Wednesday, May 4, 2005
The official Rebellion Records from the National Archives last week
left
us wondering about a few things. For instance, were any of the Confederate soldiers who were in
Taylorsville or who passed through natives of the county? Thanks to the following from Uley
Washburn, we know a lot more about local boys who became Rebels, when they passed through their
home
county and what happened to them during the war.
We're going to offer "Taylorsville Overrun by Texas Rangers," which is courtesy of
Uley. He even gives us microfilm reference numbers in case any of you want to write to the
National
Archives, Old Military Records Division and get printouts or additional information. "The
Fall
of 1862 saw the invasion of Kentucky by the Confederate Army of the Mississippi, under Gen.
Braxton
Bragg. By late September, the Confederates were as close to Louisville as they would ever get. On
Sept. 27, 1862, Gen. Bragg ordered Colonel Wharton, First Cavalry Brigade, attached to the Right
Wing of the Confederate Army of the Mississippi, to station a regiment at Taylorsville. In
response
to that order, Col. Wharton's 200 Texas Rangers were sent to Taylorsville, later followed by
another cavalry company. These troops were to guard the roads from Shelbyville and
Louisville.
On Oct. 2, 1862 Union forces under Gen. Don Carlos Buell began to advance from Louisville. By 10
a.m. that day, Col. Wharton had reported to higher headquarters that the Rangers had been attacked
in force at Wilsonville. The Confederate troops were forced back to Taylorsville. Concentrating
his
cavalry force at Mount Washington, due to a more serious threat, Col. Wharton pulled all but a
picket force out of Taylorsville.
That small picket force was soon pushed out of Taylorsville. As early as 2:30 a.m., Oct. 3, 1862,
reports were sent to Confederate headquarters that Union troops had taken Taylorsville. By 4:30
p.m.
Union forces had complete control of the town.
At least one story bears telling of this short period of Taylorsville being under Texas control.
One
of these Rangers was of Spencer County stock. A member of the 8th Texas Cavalry (better known as
"Terry's Rangers"), "Little Phil" Crume was the son of Philip D. Crume and
Christianna Forman (Foreman). Though they owned over 400 acres in Spencer County, the Crumes were
early Texas settlers, and Phil was born there in 1840. After his parents died on the Red River in
Texas in July, 1844 during a cholera epidemic, Little Phil was sent back to Kentucky along with
his
parents' bodies in 1845.
Little Phil lived with his grandfather William Forman (Foreman) in 1850, returning to Texas some
time before the war. Since he had knowledge of the area, Little Phil probably was in the lead unit
of Rangers that entered Taylorsville. Regardless of his part in Bragg's "Invasion,"
Little Phil Crume took some time to visit relatives and conduct some business. He sold part of the
land he'd inherited to his great-uncle, Jesse Crume, to build a road to his mill, probably one
of the "hominy" mills the Rangers were protecting. While he was with Jesse, Little Phil
said the Rangers were going up to Louisville and clean out the Yankees.
Jesse just laughed it off and dared them to go try. The remainder of the land (414 acres) Little
Phil sold to his second cousin, James Montgomery Crume. Apparently Confederate money was pretty
common in the county at the time, as James made a large portion of the land payment with
it."
Now, a look at some truly fantastic work by Uley. Be sure to save this column for your family free
research.
1st Kentucky Cavalry C.S.A (Butler s) Staff
Elder, Guy: Sgt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Sgt.; Rank Out: Sgt.; Alt. Name:
Gray/Elder;
Film Number: M377 roll 4]
Company "C"
Thomas, Benjamin W.: 2nd Lt.; res. Spencer County; prom. 1st Lt.; NFR; [Rank In: 2nd Lt.; Rank /
Out: 1st Lt.; Film Number: M377 roll 13]
Company "D"
Alloway, Henry M.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; (No listing in S. & S. Index)
Alloway, Merit (Merrit) C.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; born February 23, 1837, in Nelson
County; son of Joel Alloway and Elizabeth Grigsby; married June 7, 1866, Isona Collings (June 2,
1839 - July 31, 1908) of Spencer County, daughter of Reuben Collings and Mary Johnson; marriage
produced the following children: Altha A., Nannie B., Samuel C., and Virginia Alloway, plus two
deceased before 1887; died March 28, 1921; buried Valley Cemetery, Spencer Co., Ky.; was a farmer
and livestock trader; owned 420 acres. [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377 roll
1]
Castan, W. T.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Private; Rank Out: Private; Alt. Name:
W.T./Coston; Film Number: M377 roll 3]
Collings, Benjamin F.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
Benjamin/Collings; Film Number: M377 roll 3]
Collins, Isaac: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; (No listing in S. & S. Index)
Foreman, John M.: Pvt.; m.i. October 1861; age 21; res. Spencer County; NFR: born Aug. 10, 1840;
married Laura A. Unnamed (born Nov. 20, 1850, died Aug. 31, 1925); marriage produced at least one
child: John W. Foreman (1873 -1914); died Aug. 1, 1903; buried Valley Cemetery, Taylorsville,
Spencer County, Ky.; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377 roll 5]
Forman, Jack W.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377
roll 5]
Garr, Thomas B.: 1st. Sgt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: 1 Sgt.; Alt. Name:
T. B./Garr; Film Number: M377 roll 5]
Heady, R. B.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; pension applied for November 21, 1925; [Rank In:
Pvt.;
Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name: B. H./Heady; Film Number: M377 roll 6]
Montgomery, James R.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; born Sept. 29, 1832; died Oct. 1901; buried
Valley Cemetery, Taylorsville, Spencer County, Ky. [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number:
M377
roll 9]
Company "E"
Davis, Joseph L.: 2nd. Lt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: 2 Lt.; Rank Out: 2 Lt.; Film
Number:
M377 roll 4]
King, James B.: Brevet 2nd Lt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; born 1833, died 1903, buried Elk Creek
Baptist Cemetery, Spencer County, Ky. [Rank In: Bvt. 2 Lt.; Rank Out: Bvt. 2 Lt.; Alt. Name: J.
B./King; Film Number: M377 roll 7]
Thurman, John T.: 2nd. Sgt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Sgt.; Rank Out: Sgt.; Alt. Name:
J.T/Thurman; Film Number: M377 roll 13]
May, C. H.: 1st. Corp.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Corp.; Rank Out: Corp.; Alt. Name: C.
H./May; Film Number: M377 roll 8]
Beauchamp, James W.: 2nd Corp.; res. Spencer Co.; NFR; prior service: 3rd Lt.; Howard Guards, Ky.
State Guard; NFR; born December 8, 1839; married Anna Louise ____; died June 14, 1895; buried at
Valley Cemetery, Spencer County, Ky. [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name: J.W./Beauchamp;
Film
Number: M377 roll 1]
Beauchamp, Joseph W.: Pvt.; res. Spencer Co.; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
J.W./Beauchamp; Film Number: M377 roll 1]
Beem, Isaac: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377
roll
1]
Beem, John: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377 roll
1]
Bennett, Quent: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; (poss. s/a: Bennett, Quinton: 2nd Lt.; Howard
Guards, Ky. State Guard) [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377 roll 1]
Carlin, William P.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
W.P./Carlin; Film Number: M377 roll 2]
Cochran, D. F.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Private; Rank Out: Private; Film Number:
M377 roll 3]
Cox, James L.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; born February 15, 1840; died June 1, 1872; buried
Old
(Pioneer) Cemetery, Taylorsville, Spencer County. [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
James/Cox; Film Number: M377 roll 3]
Heady, Mike: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377
roll
6]
Heady, Thomas Walter: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
T.
W./Heady; Film Number: M377 roll 6]
McCrocklin, James W.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; born May 23, 1837; son of John M. McCrocklin
and A. Elizabeth Wakefield; died September 10, 1864; buried Elk Creek Baptist Church Cemetery,
Spencer County, Ky. [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Film Number: M377 roll 8]
McKinley, Edward: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
E./McKinley; Edmond/McKinley; Film Number: M377 roll 9]
Rice, William 'Rough': Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.;
Film
Number: M377 roll 11]
Parris, J. H.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
Joseph/Paris; Film Number: M377 roll 10]
Wells, Frank W.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
W./Wells; Film Number: M377 roll 14]
Wyatt, George C.: Pvt.; res. Spencer County; NFR; [Rank In: Pvt.; Rank Out: Pvt.; Alt. Name:
G./Wyatt; Film Number: M377 roll 14]
Next week, more Spencer County Confederate soldiers.
In answer to your questions Uley, yes, I know all about the Edward Massie murder at Little Mount
and
very little about the 119th U.S. Colored Regiment skirmish. Future columns will cover those
issues.
Remember, when you have historical information, pictures, scrapbooks or hand-me-down stories,
write
to: Tom Watson, 5225 Little Union Road, Taylorsville, KY 40071, or call 252-9991 or email Watson
at
apwriternews@yahoo.com.
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