Who was Lt Blackwell, Guerrilla?
A posting to the web site civilwartalk.com on its discussion group by the contributor “2nd Alabama Cavalry, Sergeant”[1] provided some background on this named murderer Lt. Blackwell. Robert B. Blackwell reportedly spent time in Bedford County, TN during the early years of the Civil War.
Per U.S. 1860 Census Records, the only Robert Blackwell in middle Tennessee lived with his parents Gabriel and Malinda Blackwell in the community of Roseville in Bedford County. He was recorded as eighteen years old and his occupation was day laborer.[2] His father is listed as a farmer owning real estate valued at $4500. It is likely that Robert would be helping on this larger farm. In the previous 1850 census, the Blackwell family lived in nearby Marshall County.[3] Robert is recorded as being 10 years old. This inconsistency means that Robert would be between 18 and 21 at the start of the Civil War.
“2nd Alabama Cavalry, Sergeant” stated that Blackwell was appointed Sheriff of Bedford County but there is little support for this comment. Another comment stated he was sheriff of his town. Roseville was no more than a crossroad with few residents so such a position was not a prestigious appointment.
If he had joined the Confederate forces, it is very likely that his rank would be a private. He was a young man, a day laborer with no political connections, likely with little education and no known leadership skills. If he became a “partisan ranger”, he could have worn a confederate uniform with his guerrilla group deciding his ranks.
Correspondence from Major R. B. Stephenson of the Wisconsin 31st Infantry on May 22, 1864 is the first reference to the exploits of Blackwell.[4] Major Stephenson’s troops were positioned to protect the bridge over the Duck River in Shelbyville. He wrote:
This recollection, though, is inconsistent with what was happening during the end of September. Forrest’s army was in southern Tennessee, not near Nashville. Major General R. H. Milroy reported that on September 24th Forrest and his 8000 troops camped between Athens, AL and Pulaski, TN. After destroying railroad track in that vicinity, he was turning his attention to the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad somewhere near Shelbyville. On the next day, orders were sent to Major James Wortham “Forrest was at Athens at noon yesterday and took the place. He is now traveling towards Pulaski. Send word of this to the garrison at Shelbyville. Forrest may strike the road to-night or to-morrow (sic). Keep a scouting party well out westward and have your men on the lookout.”[6] It was later reported that Forrest and his forces spent the evening of September 28, 1864 in Fayetteville, Tennessee with anticipation that he would move towards the railroad in Decherd.
All of these reports would indicate that the roads in the region of Shelbyville and Fayetteville were well populated with scouts and advance troops trying to determine Forrest’s next movement. If Tom Kelley was trying to rejoin his unit after his furlough, he should have stayed in Fayetteville or rode west towards Pulaski, not northeast towards Shelbyville. In addition, why would “Major” Blackwell with 70 men in May be out recruiting his Blackwell Group of eleven as a “Captain” on the road to Shelbyville?
In the civilwartalk.com posting by 2nd Alabama Cavalry, Sergeant stated that Blackwell would later join up with a county militia and home guard unit formed by Lt. Colonel John Porter West, who had previously resigned from the Alabama 2nd Calvary Regiment. West formed the unit in the fall of 1864 near Shelby, Alabama using the nearby swamps to evade opposing forces. Blackwell convinced West that he too was a colonel in the Confederate army and had resigned his commission so he could also create a county militia and home guard.
Blackwell did little to guard the home front. Not only did his Blackwell Crowd use guerrilla tactics against the Union forces but also stole from and murdered the local citizens in northern Alabama. His group attacked and stole from each army. The bushwhackers were being pursued by both the Union and Confederate armies.
Blackwell, according to military records, was eventually captured by Union forces at Citronelle, AL on May 4, 1865 as he traveled with the forces of General Richard Taylor of the Confederates. How he ended up with General Taylor is not known. At the time of his surrender, his service record shows him as being a major. Since he seems to be able to con his way into different ranks and out of trouble, it is probably likely that Blackwell somehow convinced Taylor that he was assigned to his unit. After his surrender, he was paroled a week later and sent home to Tennessee.[7]
The civilwartalk.com discussion stated that Robert Blackwell after the war fled to Texas where he was killed on May 28, 1868 in Parker County.[8]
Even though the national cemetery’s records refer to him as Lt. Blackwell, his background story never shows him as holding that rank. He was able to convince his cohorts for his self-promotions from sheriff to captain to major to colonel but it took a cemetery clerk to demote him to lieutenant.
[1] https://civilwartalk.com/threads/capt-robert-b-blackwell-and-the-blackwell-crowd-guerillas-and-outlaws-who-killed-both-confederates-and-federals-alike.161473/
[2] National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. 1860 Census
[3] National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. 1850 Census
[4] The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official ... ser.1:v.32:pt.2:Correspondence
[5] Blackwell`s Bushwhackers - War Echoes by Will T. Hale, in the Nashville Banner September 1915
[6] The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official ... ser.1:v.32:pt.2:Correspondence
[7] Registers of Prisoners Paroled at Gainesville, Alabama. May, 1865. National Archives Microfilm, M598, Roll 73
[8] https://civilwartalk.com/threads/capt-robert-b-blackwell-and-the-blackwell-crowd-guerillas-and-outlaws-who-killed-both-confederates-and-federals-alike.161473/
Per U.S. 1860 Census Records, the only Robert Blackwell in middle Tennessee lived with his parents Gabriel and Malinda Blackwell in the community of Roseville in Bedford County. He was recorded as eighteen years old and his occupation was day laborer.[2] His father is listed as a farmer owning real estate valued at $4500. It is likely that Robert would be helping on this larger farm. In the previous 1850 census, the Blackwell family lived in nearby Marshall County.[3] Robert is recorded as being 10 years old. This inconsistency means that Robert would be between 18 and 21 at the start of the Civil War.
“2nd Alabama Cavalry, Sergeant” stated that Blackwell was appointed Sheriff of Bedford County but there is little support for this comment. Another comment stated he was sheriff of his town. Roseville was no more than a crossroad with few residents so such a position was not a prestigious appointment.
If he had joined the Confederate forces, it is very likely that his rank would be a private. He was a young man, a day laborer with no political connections, likely with little education and no known leadership skills. If he became a “partisan ranger”, he could have worn a confederate uniform with his guerrilla group deciding his ranks.
Correspondence from Major R. B. Stephenson of the Wisconsin 31st Infantry on May 22, 1864 is the first reference to the exploits of Blackwell.[4] Major Stephenson’s troops were positioned to protect the bridge over the Duck River in Shelbyville. He wrote:
- I have the honor to report to you that I have ascertained from a Federal scout named Young that the guerrilla band or organization of bushwhackers that has invested this part of Tennessee for some weeks past now rendezvous near the head of Mulberry Creek, about fifteen miles nearly south from Shelbyville and is composed of the following commands: Captain Davis, seventy men; Blackwell, seventy men; Blackwell now ranks as major; Roddy, sixty men; Roddy now ranks as colonel or lieutenant-colonel; Cruzer, forty men; - -, forty men – this name is forgotten – making in all 280 men…….Davis and Blackwell have been scouring that country almost constantly for the last three weeks. He learned that their headquarters was on Mulberry Creek, near Mulberry village. The greatest number of Blackwell’s command seen together at one time in that neighborhood was thirty-six.
This recollection, though, is inconsistent with what was happening during the end of September. Forrest’s army was in southern Tennessee, not near Nashville. Major General R. H. Milroy reported that on September 24th Forrest and his 8000 troops camped between Athens, AL and Pulaski, TN. After destroying railroad track in that vicinity, he was turning his attention to the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad somewhere near Shelbyville. On the next day, orders were sent to Major James Wortham “Forrest was at Athens at noon yesterday and took the place. He is now traveling towards Pulaski. Send word of this to the garrison at Shelbyville. Forrest may strike the road to-night or to-morrow (sic). Keep a scouting party well out westward and have your men on the lookout.”[6] It was later reported that Forrest and his forces spent the evening of September 28, 1864 in Fayetteville, Tennessee with anticipation that he would move towards the railroad in Decherd.
All of these reports would indicate that the roads in the region of Shelbyville and Fayetteville were well populated with scouts and advance troops trying to determine Forrest’s next movement. If Tom Kelley was trying to rejoin his unit after his furlough, he should have stayed in Fayetteville or rode west towards Pulaski, not northeast towards Shelbyville. In addition, why would “Major” Blackwell with 70 men in May be out recruiting his Blackwell Group of eleven as a “Captain” on the road to Shelbyville?
In the civilwartalk.com posting by 2nd Alabama Cavalry, Sergeant stated that Blackwell would later join up with a county militia and home guard unit formed by Lt. Colonel John Porter West, who had previously resigned from the Alabama 2nd Calvary Regiment. West formed the unit in the fall of 1864 near Shelby, Alabama using the nearby swamps to evade opposing forces. Blackwell convinced West that he too was a colonel in the Confederate army and had resigned his commission so he could also create a county militia and home guard.
Blackwell did little to guard the home front. Not only did his Blackwell Crowd use guerrilla tactics against the Union forces but also stole from and murdered the local citizens in northern Alabama. His group attacked and stole from each army. The bushwhackers were being pursued by both the Union and Confederate armies.
Blackwell, according to military records, was eventually captured by Union forces at Citronelle, AL on May 4, 1865 as he traveled with the forces of General Richard Taylor of the Confederates. How he ended up with General Taylor is not known. At the time of his surrender, his service record shows him as being a major. Since he seems to be able to con his way into different ranks and out of trouble, it is probably likely that Blackwell somehow convinced Taylor that he was assigned to his unit. After his surrender, he was paroled a week later and sent home to Tennessee.[7]
The civilwartalk.com discussion stated that Robert Blackwell after the war fled to Texas where he was killed on May 28, 1868 in Parker County.[8]
Even though the national cemetery’s records refer to him as Lt. Blackwell, his background story never shows him as holding that rank. He was able to convince his cohorts for his self-promotions from sheriff to captain to major to colonel but it took a cemetery clerk to demote him to lieutenant.
[1] https://civilwartalk.com/threads/capt-robert-b-blackwell-and-the-blackwell-crowd-guerillas-and-outlaws-who-killed-both-confederates-and-federals-alike.161473/
[2] National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. 1860 Census
[3] National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. 1850 Census
[4] The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official ... ser.1:v.32:pt.2:Correspondence
[5] Blackwell`s Bushwhackers - War Echoes by Will T. Hale, in the Nashville Banner September 1915
[6] The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official ... ser.1:v.32:pt.2:Correspondence
[7] Registers of Prisoners Paroled at Gainesville, Alabama. May, 1865. National Archives Microfilm, M598, Roll 73
[8] https://civilwartalk.com/threads/capt-robert-b-blackwell-and-the-blackwell-crowd-guerillas-and-outlaws-who-killed-both-confederates-and-federals-alike.161473/