At the end of July 1864 Lieutenant General John Bell Hood, commanding the Confederate Army of Tennessee, called for a dependable officer to reconnoiter one of Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's artillery batteries shelling Atlanta, Georgia. According to R.L. Dunman, writing in the March 1923 issue of the Confederate Veteran, this mission fell to Captain Alexander May Shannon of the 8th Texas Cavalry--Terry's Texas Rangers. Shannon was a combat-hardened officer who was famous within his regiment for his exploits behind enemy lines. The captain and three enlisted men of the 8th Texas disguised themselves as Federals and slipped into the union siege lines on foot. After procuring needed information they stole Yankee horses and rode out of the enemy's camp. Hood was so impressed, he soon afterward ordered Shannon attached to his headquarters to organize and command a scout company.

Shannon's Scouts shadowed Sherman's army on its march through Georgia and the Carolinas. When Hood's Tennessee Campaign failed, Shannon and his men were transferred to Major Joseph Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, where they were strengthened by a levy of recruits from the 11th Texas and 51st Alabama cavalry regiments.

Though nominally an intelligence gathering organization, they soon had a reputation within the Confederate army for their effectiveness in dealing with Federal stragglers and foragers. But few specifics of their activities were ever revealed. It is almost as though they cloaked their exploits in a conspiracy of silence.

The Official Records mention them only once. Wheeler's Biographers hardly acknowledge their existence. Most striking of all, Hood never once mentioned the scouts in his war biography, Advance and Retreat, even though he and Shannon were business partners after the war. As the years wore on, a few survivors submitted ambiguous anecdotes to the Confederate Veteran magazine, and some non-member veterans mentioned them in their reminiscences. Most scouts, including Shannon, never broke their silence.

The one exception to the rule was Private Enoch D. John, who kept a detailed diary. This journal has long since disappeared, but shortly after Sherman's March to the Sea he wrote his parents of his experiences and quoted from his diary. They, in turn, shared his correspondence with the Galveston, Texas, newspapers. It was published in the March 8, 1865, issue of Galveston's Weekly News. It is reprinted here for the first time since the war ended.

DEAR Parents:--I am still in the land of the living, and expect to be for some time to come.

Gen. Hood selected from the Rangers 30 picked men, to act as his special scouts, who were placed under the command of Capt. Shannon, of Co. C, of our Regiment. I, having the honor and pleasure of being one of the 30 selected for special duty, have in consequence, been absent from the command for some two months. Since I left, several of our brave comrades have fallen, among whom are Jno. S. Stewart, Jno. Fowler, and A. Moore, and John Ryan slightly wounded.

On the 14th of Nov., Gen. Sherman, who is in command of the Yankee Army, finding that Gen. Hood had flanked him, and that it was impossible for him to retreat from Atlanta through Tennessee, and being nearly starved, left the 14th, (after burning everything except the Churches,) with four corps--14th, 15th, 17th, and 20th-- moved down toward Augusta with the 14th and 20th, while the 15th and 17th went in the direction of Macon, but flanked the city and moved to Milledgeville. The 14th and 20th, after going down the Augusta Railroad to Madison, left the Railroad and went to Milledgeville also. The army then crossed the river and moved toward Savannah. They will also flank that place to the coast.

When the Yankees left Atlanta, we were twelve miles below the city, on South River. In the morning, in passing down the road about three miles from camp, found 3 Yanks driving off a lady's cows. We soon scattered their brains and moved on--crossed the R.R. in a cloud of smoke from the burning buildings of the little village of Synthiana, and moved down the enemy's flank, looking for more thieving rascals, but did not find any, and camped in a thicket, within a half mile of the enemy--had potatoes and meat for supper.

I will now give you a few extracts from my diary for a few days that we were on the lookout for some of Old Abraham's children:

Nov. 18th,--We started early, and near Oxford, in Newton County, we found a pen of hogs that some Yanks had put up and gone to town for help to drive off. We moved in towards town, but did not go far before we met nine Yanks. After a run of some two miles, we killed three and wounded four. We then left the road, keeping close to the route the enemy was traveling, but not meeting with any more we camped at a house a body of Yanks had just left.

Nov. 19th.--Up early and crossed the Alcova River and down the railroad through Social Circle Station, then to Rutledge Station. There we found two Yanks, whom we killed, and on down to within six miles of Madison, where we came up with the rear guard of the army. We soon learned there were some 50 or 60 of the enemy behind us. We took the woods to reconnoiter; moved round them and came back on the road between them and the army; formed in line of battle. Captain Shannon then sent them a flag of truce, demanding an unconditional surrender, telling them we had them cut off and surrounded. They soon "caved." We took the party, numbering 56, "in out of the weather"--our whole number being only 30. We then armed some of the citizens with their guns and let the citizens send them off. We then left the road and camped.

Nov. 20th.--Out again early;passed through Madison, but did not go far before we caught six Yanks at a house. Went to the next house and caught four more. On again, and soon came up with the wagon train, which we charged, but had to leave it in a hurry, but brought off ten prisoners. After sending them off, took a thicket and camped.

Nov. 21st.--We followed on today and run into the rear guard and had to run out, and after moving about until dark, we camped.

Nov. 22n. To-day we followed on and whipped about 1,000 negroes, who were on their way to the enemy. We camped at dark.

Nov. 23d. This morning we moved on through the plantations to the Oconee River, and swam it. After riding about three miles we found about twenty-five or thirty Yankee cavalry. We charged them, and after a round or two, they ran, after we had killed and wounded several, but in the run we run into a whole brigade, and had to run out. We took to the woods and camped within five miles of Sparta, Hancock County.

Nov. 24th. Remained in camp until 11 o'clock. We then passed through Sparta out on the Milledgeville road some eight miles; then to the left, through Linden, and down Buffalo creek, and camped.

Nov. 25th. Moved out early and learned from citizens that a party of Yankee cavalry were in search of us. A general desire was expressed that their wish to find us might be gratified. We moved about half a mile and found them, 30 strong. We pitched into them and run them three miles to their main army, killing five and capturing five of them. We then took the woods crossed the creek, and found three more at a house. To kill two and capture the other was the work of but a moment. We moved on, and when Sandersville, we found we were in the very heart of the Yankee army. After trying in several directions to get out without any chance of success, we hid in the woods. The Yanks killed hogs all around us. We lay low until after dark, when we moved out, taking care to avoid their campfires, which were all around us; rode until nearly daylight, and stopped at Worthing's Cross Roads, some ten miles from Sparta.

Nov. 26th. We had just finished breakfast, when Gen. Kilpatrick's special scouts of 28 men cam into sight. Capt. Shannon took 15 of us and charged them, and run them some two miles, killing two and capturing two. Our horses were so jaded we could not follow them farther; came back to the timber and camped.

Nov. 27th. We rested in camp until 2 o'clock, when we moved out on the road to Vining's Bridge on the Ogeechee river, and found a large force of the enemy camped. We turned off up May's Bridge and camped. We have nine prisoners and some thirty Yankee horses with us now. We are in Gibson county.

Nov. 28th. Crossed the river early and met a scout who took our prisoners off our hands, and bought most of our stock. We moved down the river ten miles and camped.

Nov. 29th. Turned out early, and within four miles of Soursville we found our enemies, charged the lot, killed three, captured three, and run the whole brigade for a mile. We then turned off to the left, and soon found nine Yanks, burning some houses, cotton, cotton gins, barns, &c.; charged them at once, and in a very few minutes the whole lot were in kingdom come. We then moved back and camped, satisfied with the day's sport.

Nov. 30th. Moved out early, but did not go far before we run into an infantry command, and taking a hasty farewell of them, went into the woods followed by some of their balls, which did no damage, more than an occasional dodge of the head from Mr. Minnie's near proximity to our ears.

Dec. 1st. Soon on the road, and traveled all day; no game; had stopped to rest a few minutes with the remarks, such as "A bad day's work, boys." "They won't come out to day," &c.;, when a dense smoke rose to our right. "Mount your horses," thundered Capt. Shannon, and in less time than it takes me to write, we were in a gallop. About a mile off, we found a dwelling, barn and cotton gin in flames. The negroes and Yanks had just left. On in a fast gallop 1 1/2 miles; another smoke arose; away to it we went. They had left; on we went and soon came to mill they had just fired. "Faster, faster" every man's heart was in his throat, and every one trying to get ahead for the first shot. We soon overhauled them to their death. They had twenty or twenty-five negroes, and forty or fifty mules and horses, a carriage loaded with whiskey, brandy, wine, chickens, turkeys, knives, forks, spoons, ladies' shawls and silk dresses, and a thousand other things too numerous to mention. We took the whole, and then moved and camped.

Dec. 2d. Out early, crossed Buckhead Creek, and found a large body of cavalry near the mill that was burned yesterday. We took the backtrack, crossing a field and met a squad of ten Yankees coming in our rear. We charged killing two of them; crossed the creek again; then crossed the Augusta and Savannah Railroad, and camped.

Dec. 3d. Moved on slowly, all tired, and weather bad. After riding ten miles, we heard of a party of Yanks and cut for them; found twelve at a house. We soon had six ready for the ditch, and six prisoners, and are now in Scriven county, and the poorest country in the State, all pine timber. We camped five miles of Silvania, the county seat.

Dec. 4th. The Augusta and Savannah rivers are so close together that we cannot play in here any longer. Crossed the Savannah at Herndon's ferry, passed through the bottom seven miles wide and camped. We now learn we cannot cross back until we get to Augusta. After four days traveling, reached Augusta, and found orders for Capt. Shannon to report to Gen. Hood in middle Tennessee. We are stopped on the road to rest, but will move on in a few days. During the last two and a half months this scouting party have killed and captured 459 Yankees. When Gen. Hood started his flank movement, he ordered us to stay around Atlanta, and keep him posted as to what Sherman might do. We lay around the city day and night; caught forage wagons; took their pickets in out of the rain; caught their couriers between the city and river for their papers, keeping the Yanks in constant hot water. We killed 43 and captured 102 that we know of. We are (the scouts) now well off for clothing, the Yanks have supplied us liberally, with clothing and funds. I am going to a dance to-morrow night near here.

"So let the wide world wag as it will, I will be gay and happy still."

I have enjoyed myself for this trip but think, sometimes, I am getting hard-hearted. But I notice the tears of a lady always bring tears to my eyes and the smoke and flames of a dwelling prevents the prayers of the Yankees for their lives, even when on their knees, being heard, and steadies my nerves to kill them all if possible. I will get more of the blue jackets yet, as I have a brace of pistols that never snap, and a horse that is as true as steel, and never flinches.

We are all well known here and about Atlanta, and welcome guests wherever we stop; and, as yet, none of our command has been injured.

Your affectionate son,
E.D.J.
Terry's Texas Rangers