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Subject: [8th-TX-Cavalry] Thomas Elliott Bolling - Co. I
Date: 14 Aug 2002 05:56:52 -0600

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Surnames: Bolling
Classification: Military

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/M7B.2ACEAE/7

Message Board Post:

THOMAS ELLIOTTE BOLLING, Edna, Texas.--Born July 29, 1832, near Vicksburg, Miss. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in the Spring of 1861, at Columbus, Texas, as private in Company I, Terry's Texas Rangers, Eighth Cavalry, Independent Scouts, Army of Tennessee. My first Captain was Jones and first Colonel, Terry. On April 6, 1862, early in the morning at Shiloh in a charge I had fired once and just about to fire the second shot when a minie ball struck me on the wrist and went up the arm and then into my side, striking a rib it passed round and was cut out at the spinal column. I was never promoted. Served as quartermaster with rank of Captain, but did not care for the honor. I went into the ranks at will. Was in the battles of Shiloh, Bardstown, Perryville, Murfreesboro and others. Was always ready when scouts were needed.

After being wounded I was sent to the hospital at Corinth, where I was put in the care of the Sisters of Charity and received the best of treatment. After I had somewhat recovered I went to my uncle's in Warren County, where I remained under treatment four months. After my wounds had healed I found that my wrist was stiff. I spent many hours working my fingers in an effort to regain their use.

In August I returned to my command and they were just going into Kentucky. Gen. Harrison insisted that I take a discharge on account of disability, but I refused and he gave me a broken down horse and I went with them. When the cold weather came on I found I could not stand it and he gave me a place in the commissary department, in which capacity I served, going into skirmishes and raids when possible.

In the winter of '63 and '64 we were camped at Missionary Ridge, fighting all winter. In the spring we went to Atlanta, after which we did some hard fighting in an effort to reach Gen. Lee. The news of his surrender reached us at Raleigh, N. C. Here we remained six days and then went to Winchester, where we surrendered.

Terry's Rangers started out with 1,100 men and were several times recruited and always from the Lone Star State, but when I issued the last rations we numbered, rank and file, 340 men. I had lost my horse and had to walk to Montgomery where we got a boat to New Orleans and from there to Texas. When I arrived home I found my earthly possessions reduced to 1,500 sheep.

Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray by Mamie Yeary,(McGregor, Texas, 1912; rpt., Dayton, Ohio: Morningside, 1986).

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