What happened on September 28, 1864?
The Shelbyville Gazette article in the 1915 recollection stated that the Blackwell Crowd, as they became to be known, was formed along the road to Fayetteville, TN. Blackwell and his ten recruits then traveled to Shelbyville, TN where they took refuge with Confederate sympathizers in the Union controlled town. Blackwell was told that Union soldiers were stationed at the train depot protecting the railroad. Reports varied on the number of Union soldiers from 22 to 32.
On September 28, 1864, Blackwell decided to attack the depot. Blackwell and Tom Kelley, the furloughed calvary soldier from General Forrest’s unit, worked up a plan. Since Kelley was well versed in the tactics used by Forrest, the plan was based on a high amount of deception. The plan took advantage that the soldiers were all inside the building and that the depot had few windows.
Blackwell and Kelley went in the building themselves while the remaining nine members rode rapidly along the outside of the building making lots of noise. Blackwell convinced the Union soldiers that he had a very large force of soldiers outside and that the only way out was to surrender. The plan worked to perfection and the Union soldiers surrendered without a shot being fired.
The Blackwell Crowd destroyed the stockpile of guns and munitions. The Union soldiers were tied up on their horses and led out of Shelbyville. Blackwell allegedly turned around and went back to the depot himself to set it ablaze.
The Nashville Daily Press on October 6, 1864 reported that Union Colonel Joseph Ramsey had just returned from Shelbyville and provided details on Blackwell’s raid. The article stated:
In another recollection, Blackwell wanted to kill all of his 22 prisoners but Tom Kelley’s cousins were against the plan. After much discussion, it was decided to release and parole half of their captives on the public square in Fayetteville. Some reports stated that some of the prisoners were handed over to Forrest.
One report stated that after Tom Kelley’s cousins went to bed, Blackwell and Tom Kelley took the remaining prisoners with them up to a tall hill located on the road to Huntsville. It was called Wells’ Hill. There Blackwell and his comrades executed the eleven captives. All were shot. It was later discovered that one of the Union soldiers survived the shooting and was nursed back to health by a Fayetteville resident. This would put the death count at ten soldiers.
On each of the Union soldiers’ bodies, Blackwell pinned a note saying “In memory of Massey”. Massey was an elderly resident of Fayetteville who was recently executed by Union soldiers for not providing information about his sons’ location within nearby Confederate forces.
There are no known Union official reports about what happened in Shelbyville and Fayetteville. The only mention in the official reports is in the chronological listing of all actions. For September 28th, 1864, The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies... ser.1:v.39:pt.1:Reports shows “Skirmish at Wells’ Hill”.[1]
Wells’ Hill is now preserved as a 114-acre park in Lincoln County, Tennessee.
On October 12, 1864, Major General Milroy wrote Major General George Thomas
[1] https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728297&view=1up&seq=26&skin=2021 # 26 Page 4
On September 28, 1864, Blackwell decided to attack the depot. Blackwell and Tom Kelley, the furloughed calvary soldier from General Forrest’s unit, worked up a plan. Since Kelley was well versed in the tactics used by Forrest, the plan was based on a high amount of deception. The plan took advantage that the soldiers were all inside the building and that the depot had few windows.
Blackwell and Kelley went in the building themselves while the remaining nine members rode rapidly along the outside of the building making lots of noise. Blackwell convinced the Union soldiers that he had a very large force of soldiers outside and that the only way out was to surrender. The plan worked to perfection and the Union soldiers surrendered without a shot being fired.
The Blackwell Crowd destroyed the stockpile of guns and munitions. The Union soldiers were tied up on their horses and led out of Shelbyville. Blackwell allegedly turned around and went back to the depot himself to set it ablaze.
The Nashville Daily Press on October 6, 1864 reported that Union Colonel Joseph Ramsey had just returned from Shelbyville and provided details on Blackwell’s raid. The article stated:
- “Capt. Blackwell surprised and captured the Home Guards, thirty-two in number, and afterwards burned the Railroad Depot, containing about one hundred bales of hay… A lot of arms and munitions of war, in the depot, were also destroyed. After this depredation, some of his men shot a negro, and arrested several others, which were carried off with their prisoners above named. Shortly after leaving Shelbyville, and while in Fayetteville, he selected ten out of the thirty-two Home Guards captured, and had them shot, some say in retaliation of the hanging of Jordon C. Moseley at this place on Friday last, while others understood it was in retaliation for a man named Massey, who was shot some time previous by Gen. E. A. Palme (sic), then commander of Tullahoma. Blackwell thought he had murdered all of his victims, but in this he was mistaken, for one of the numbers was still alive when the bodies were found and was able to give the particulars of the foul deed.
- …The twenty-two remaining prisoners we understand, were afterwards turned over to Forrest at Fayetteville, and six of that number had made their escape, and returned to Shelbyville before Col. Ramsey left.”
In another recollection, Blackwell wanted to kill all of his 22 prisoners but Tom Kelley’s cousins were against the plan. After much discussion, it was decided to release and parole half of their captives on the public square in Fayetteville. Some reports stated that some of the prisoners were handed over to Forrest.
One report stated that after Tom Kelley’s cousins went to bed, Blackwell and Tom Kelley took the remaining prisoners with them up to a tall hill located on the road to Huntsville. It was called Wells’ Hill. There Blackwell and his comrades executed the eleven captives. All were shot. It was later discovered that one of the Union soldiers survived the shooting and was nursed back to health by a Fayetteville resident. This would put the death count at ten soldiers.
On each of the Union soldiers’ bodies, Blackwell pinned a note saying “In memory of Massey”. Massey was an elderly resident of Fayetteville who was recently executed by Union soldiers for not providing information about his sons’ location within nearby Confederate forces.
There are no known Union official reports about what happened in Shelbyville and Fayetteville. The only mention in the official reports is in the chronological listing of all actions. For September 28th, 1864, The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies... ser.1:v.39:pt.1:Reports shows “Skirmish at Wells’ Hill”.[1]
Wells’ Hill is now preserved as a 114-acre park in Lincoln County, Tennessee.
On October 12, 1864, Major General Milroy wrote Major General George Thomas
- "Ten of the home guards captured at Shelbyville by Blackwell were taken out and near Fayetteville shot in cold blood. This was unprovoked and should be followed by a terrible retribution. Blackwell’s wife lives in Shelbyville. I would recommend that she with the secesh (Confederate sympathizers) women of that place be sent through the lines, and his house burned, and that I be given an adequate cavalry force and about ten days’ time among the guerrillas of Lincoln County."
[1] https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077728297&view=1up&seq=26&skin=2021 # 26 Page 4