Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-05-26

To the Survivors Of the 37th
Tennessee Regiment.

Morristown, Tsnn,, Gazette, May 2Srd.
Having been designated and requested
by Colonel Moses White, of Knoxville, to
write for DR.. Lindsley's use, in preparing
his forthcoming military annals of Ten
nessee a history of the above regiment.
and undertaken this difficult and delicate
tass, l appeal to my old comrades for their
MD n gathering the facts needed for such
g work Every one remembers events,
faded out Of mind almost, that are worth
writing up for future use. Every soldier
saw, from his standpoint, phases Of the
war that others around him did not see.
All the material that the living may fur
nish can be held and turned to good &C
count long after they have passed away.
We can furnish testimony if We do not
write history
1t is desired now to obtain the names of
all who were killed or wounded in this
regiment. Their comrades can cause their
names to livein hiltory and song We
want facts, dates. names, and incidents,
l would be pleased to hear from every one
who was at any time connected with the
old 37th, whether officer or private-and
will try in return to fully describe the
stirring part taken by our boys in the
great four years war. Let me hear from
each and all right away. | enlisted at
Morristown, in Captain Coeke's Company
cor, hence send this to The Gazette
as the starting point, and request East
Tennessee papers generally to copy or no
tice, as seven Of the companies were raised
in that section of the State
Very especially,
J. HARVEY MATHEs,
Formerly Adjut4nt, etc.
Memphis, Tenn, May IS, 1888.
There we're three other companies,
namely Captain Hunts Go. Az,
from the vicinity Of Tullahoma, Tenn
Captain Nichols (Co. ~, from the
neigbborhood Of Ringgold, Ca, along
Chickamauga creek and raised both
in North Georgia and lower East
Tennessee; and Captain Owens, after
ward GraysOn's, company (E), from
Limestone or vicinity, North Ala.
bama. The regiment was organized
at Knoxville, with VIM. II. Carroll as
Colonel, Moses White, Lieutenant
Colonel, and H. P. Mofitt, of Co.
A, Tullahoma, Major. R. Dudley
Frayser, a graduate G.of Kentucky
Military Institute, was appointed
Adjutant, and j. Harvey Mathes
Sergeant Major. oAfterward Colonel
Carroll was made Brigadier General,
and White became full Colonel,
Frayser Lieutenant Colonel, Mathes
Adjutant and staff officer later on. and
various other changes we're made. The
regiment was eDcamped at German
town, in Shelby county, quite awhile
at one time; was ordered back to
Knoxville; thence across the noun
tains in midwinter to Mill Springs,
Kentucky, where General ZolliCoffer
was killed; then fell back
all the way to the ragged edge Of Shl-
lob; then with the army to Tupelo and
round to Chattanooga, via Mobile,
Montgomery and Atlanta; then went
in Buckner's division on the
Kentucky campaign, and was badly
cut up at the battle OF Perryville; fell
back through Cumberland Gap, living
on parched corn several days, and
was showed under at Knoxville in
October, '62; took part in the battle Of
Murfreesboro the last day of that
year; COlonels White and Frayser both
wounded; McReynolds killed and a
captured gun named after him;hali the
regiment killed or wounded; then con-
soliaated with the Fifteenth Tennessee,
the two regiments having been raised
originally by the brothers Charles and
William II. Carroll; aiterwArd par
ticipated in the principal skirmishes
aud battles fought under Bragg, Hood
and Joe Johnston down to thefring Of
the last pitiful gun, and the surrender
OF a few barefooted, detected veterans
in North Carolina. No regiment con-
tanned better food for bullets, and none
had better luck in falling under com
maSd Of fghti2g men who, by chance
orchoice, could always fad the thickest
of the dght. With such men as Carroll,
Us Marmaduke, Bushrod Johnson, w
B Bate. r G. Tyler, D. r. Grace
and Tom Benton Smith, of the old
Twentieth Tennessee. for brigade
commanders, and George B Critten.
den, s. B. Buckner, John @. Breck.
enridge and w. B. Bate as division
commanders, it was no holiday bust
ness. The wonder iS that anybody
got out alive. As it was, not one mai
out of three ever got home. Thi
quiet regiment, never favorite Will
those high in command, took very
conspicuous part and could always b,
depended upon to go wherever or
dered, and to stay. there until ordere,
away. AS a consequence there ar
but few survivors. 1t would be a diff
cult matter to get dozen together i
any county or section in tie South
1t was not very healthy to 20 HON
just after the war, aud to use iamil
lar illustration they are more scattere
than the jews. 1t is not too lat,
however, to pick up the tragmentar
records and "reminiscences that renal