A True Story Of Civil War

Submitted by Fran Cutrell Rutkovsky 

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This story was written by my grandmother, Ella Frances Miller Highers. All spellings and punctuation are copied as in the original  handwritten pages.

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A true story of civil war

      I remember a story told me by N.C. Pope who seen service with Forest Cavelry during the dark days of civil war.  After destroying block houses and capturing

quite a lot supplies along the railroad, leading through the southern part of the state

of Tennessee and nearing the Ala. line, information was recorded by scouting parties that a fleet of Yankee gun boats was ascending the Tenn. river.  I regret very much
that I do not remember the point on the Tenn. river.  Forest hastened by forced March to reach the river at a suitable location above the place where the boats was located they reached the desired location at about sundown and planted his batteries and heavy field guns with the intention capturing or destroying the fleet.
      While the preporations was going on, the unsuspecting yankee boats could be heard a considerable distance down the river, and it was thought would not reach the point where Forest had located for his attacked before daylight next morning. It was there that Clabe West then a beardless boy but one, who survived the dangers and hardships of these great conflicts and lived to a ripe old age an honered citizen of Smith county, planed an expidition on his own act, that for daring, is one of the many daring feats
of those stiring times. Clabe reasoned to himself, that when these batteries opened up if the steamers was disabled, they would naturally steam across to the opisite side of the river and moor or sink as the case would be determined, by the damage done, and that
the crew would escape capture. So acting on this decision he slipped out late at night, got by the sentries, and wended his way about a mile up the river as he often recited, secured an old slab and swam the Tenn. river, concealed himself on the oposite side
of the river for any thing that should happen.
      The fleet did arrive, at a point just oposite the concealed batteries, at just about daylight and when the batteries opened up on them they made for the other shore in a badly disabled condition. it seems that the officers and crew were at breakfast when forced to escape from the disabled boats to avoid capture and the story goes when Forest seen that the crew would escape capture. He detailed officers and men to cross the river to take possession of the disabled boats and any thing in the way of supplies, especially any arms amunition or food stuff.
      When these officers and men reached the Forest vessle and boarded it, they found the breakfast table all spread with endless amount of food ready to be served. and in the center of the table a 2 gal. jug of good old apple brandy and one lone guest, sitting
at the table and helping himself to the best. No doubt you have already guessed that this lone guest was the same Clabe West, who had swam the Tenn. river on a slab in order to the the first rebel to sit at that table.
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NOTE:  John Waggoner, Jr. of Smith County, provided this information concerning N. C. Pope and Clabe West, the two men mentioned in this civil war story:

" Clabe West would be Claiborne West who lived in the Difficult area of Smith Co.

 He and Nathan C. Pope were both members of 22nd Barteau's Cav. Co.  and served in the Mississippi and West Tennessee area most of the time.  They were serving with Nathan Forrest when N.C. Pope was wounded at Paducah, Ky on March 25, 1864. Clabe West was wounded July 14th 1864. The book " Hancock's Diary or a History of the Second Tennessee Cavalry CSA" mentions both these men several times and records their units military action."

 

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Pictures of  Ella Frances Miller Highers can be seen on the following page:

 

Go To Simon Claiborne and Ella Frances Miller Highers Pictures

 

A photo of the house built by Clabe West can be seen on the Hackett Cemetery page:

 

Go To The Hackett Cemetery Pictures

 

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