A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Elizabeth M. Brents
"Brents, The Joshua Tree" lists her name as Eliza M.
The following is a portion of "Memories of Life on a Farm in Hart County, Kentucky, in the Early Sixties" by Mary E. Brent Roberts [daughter of Elizabeth's brother, John D. Brents] with a Foreward by her daughter Elizabeth Madox Roberts (The Filson Club History Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 129-153, July 1940). Available from the web site of the Filson Historical Society, http://www.filsonhistorical.org/ . This excerpt was not included in "Brents, The Joshua Tree".
The Battle of Munfordsville [sic]: It was during the Civil War. We were staying at my grandfather's [Valentine Garvin's] farm. The country was full of soldiers, and Bragg's army and Buell's were both camped in the country around the Green River. My mother and brother Willie went down to stay a few days with my Aunt Liz Lewis. Aunt Liz had sent for Mother to come because, there being so many soldiers about and the threat of a battle, she thought Mother would be a protection to her place because her husband (my father) was a captain in the Union army.
One morning grandfather heard, at about sunup, a horse neighing at the outside lot gate and he went out to let it in, thinking that one of the horses had gotten outside. It proved to be old Polly horse, the horse mother had ridden away. When away from home, Polly would always come home, if she could get loose. Grandfather thought something was wrong and he looked in the mane and tail of the horse for a note or a message from mother, but there was none. About that time we heard the firing of guns and cannons and grandfather knew that the battle was on. Although it was eight miles away where the firing was, I can remember hearing them, and some of the darkies telling me, "Your mother will be killed."
After mother came back, some days later, she told us about the battle fought on September 21--1862--at Munfordsville.
At about eight o'clock in the morning a soldier came up to the house, my Aunt Liz's house, and told them they had better get away for there was going to be a battle and the house was in the line of firing. Aunt Liz's house was at the foot of a knob and the Southern batteries were planted on the hill above the house. They let the horses out of the barn, for it was likely to get on fire. That was why Polly came home. From the time she was released until she appeared at Grandfather's gate was not more than twenty or thirty minutes. It was always a mystery how she could make way through so much confusion with the preparation for the battle and all kinds of stock running loose, and reach home so soon. Grandfather wanted to know why she had not sent a note by the horse. But mother said that there was not time for anything but to get to a place of safety.
So they went over the hill to another sister's, Becky Rowlett. When they got there, Aunt Beck was moaning and wringing her hands, for they had arrested her husband, Uncle John, and put him to work digging ditches and throwing up breastwork for protection, and told him he would have to take his chances with the soldiers and other helpers. Occasionally they would hear stray bullets rattling in the cornfield near the house, cows bawling, wanting to be milked, calves bleating, wanting to be fed. The people thought they would all be killed. Aunt Milly, the old colored woman, said, "You had better be thinking of them poor little calves." It was her duty to milk.
The first day the Confederates were victors; the second day they were expecting reinforcements from Bragg, which did not arrive, and they had to retreat. The Yankees were reinforced and could hold the ground.
After the firing had ceased, Aunt Liz said, "Let us go over and see if I have any house standing." So she and mother went over to her home. When they got there, they found a wounded soldier lying on a blanket on her porch, and a doctor by him. She said, "Why did you not take him in the house and on a bed?" They said, "We would not do that; anywhere is good enough for a soldier." This soldier proved to be Colonel Robert A. Smith, who was mortally wounded, and the doctor was his brother. Aunt had him moved into the house and put on a bed. Turning to his brother, he said, "I am mortally wounded and can't live but a few hours; your duty is with your regiment and to take care of the wounded men, so leave me." As the Army was retreating, he went. The Colonel lived through that night, but died the next day. Aunt and my mother ministered to him to the last. Aunt Liz had him buried in her private graveyard, which was in the corner of her garden. The coffin was only a crude affair, which was the best she could get at that time. Aunt Liz would not have anything for what she did.
After the war was over, his family, the doctor's brother and a sister, came and got the body. They brought a nice casket and took the body to Lexington, Virginia, for burial. They were always giving Aunt nice things, for they were well-to-do. They gave her a silver service, tray, pitcher and goblets, a set of jet jewelry, and to each of her two daughters and a niece whom she had reared [I believe this refers to Elizabeth Mayfield, daughter of Liz's sister Ellen, who had passed away in 1858], a set of coral jewelry.
Twenty-two years after the battle of Munfordsville the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a monument commemorating this battle. It was placed on or near the spot where Colonel Smith had been wounded, which was on my aunt's farm. It was quite a celebration. The Smiths were there. My aunt was made the distinguished guest of the day. A platform was raised and several noted speakers were there. On this occasion the Smiths gave Aunt Liz a very beautiful bar pin of jet and pearls, and I now have this pin.
...
The events here narrated happened more than seventy-eight to eighty years ago. All stand out plain in my memory today--in 1940, in my eighty-sixth year--as some of the important events of my early childhood.
Some notes on this account, sent to me by Brenda Waters. The notes are said to be by Col. Hal H. Engerud, Ret.:
1. The Lewis home in Rowletts was to the west and north of the crossing of the L&N RR and the Louisville and Nashville Turnpike.
2. None of the Smith family were doctors. According to Capt. Sykes, Adj. of the 10th Miss., Smith was carried from the field by the Sgt. Maj. and a Surgeon of the Regt.
3. Col. Smith's sister (Mrs. Charlotte Dudley) and her son obtained permission "to pass thru the lines" in the early spring of 1863. They returned the body of Col. Smith to Jackson, Miss., where it was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. A replica of the Munfordville monument marks the site.
4. The monument was erected by the Smith family [not the United Daughters of the Confederacy].
The Grandfather mentioned by Mrs. Roberts was Valentine Garvin who lived in the present area of Seymour. [I'm not sure if this note is by Col. Engerud or someone else.]
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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