Group/Collection: Civil War Collection Series: Box: 70 Folder: 37 North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina 60th Regiment Co. N >From Asheville Ch. U.D.C. Filed by: Carry A. Leazan, Historian N.C. Division, U. D. C. By Himself 177 SOME EXPERIENCES OF DR. R. W. COOPER IN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY I joined the army at Asheville, N. C. as a private in Co. N, 60th N. C. Regiment, made supply surgeon at Hot Springs and placed in charge of the hospital in Madison County, N. C. where there were forty-two sick men. Within three weeks I succeeded in curing and giving furloughs to all but one,---who died with brain fever. He was the son of Dr. Carson, who was present and carried the remains home for burial. I reported then, to Col. Joseph McDowell, at Greenville, Tennessee and was ordered to take charge of the hospital at that place, where there were many suffering with brain fever. Only one man died,___ John Pinkerton of Cane Creek, Fairview. His body was sent home. We were then ordered to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and all the inmates of the hospital were able to go with our command, and gave excellent service in the battle at that place. As Assistant surgeon there, my work was very arduous, as there was a great deal of sickness; there was much brain fever, and sometimes men who seemed to be in good health in the morning would die before night. I well remember that one morning I went to the city to get a fresh supply of medicine, and on my way I met two sons of Thomas Atkins, and the picket guard coming from the front. When speaking as we passed, the boys said they were all well, but when I returned to the camp about 9 o'clock I was immediately summoned to the two brothers at their tent. Both were unconscious. I sent for two of the best physicians in town, thinking they might understand this peculiar disease better than I could. It was of no avail. Both died by two o'clock the same day. They were the sons of Thomas Atkins, Editor of the old Asheville Whig. A few days before the great battle at Murfreesboro, I was made surgeon of the day to attend the execution of William Litteral of Madison County. He lived near Warm Springs, North Carolina. When the time came the regiment was ordered to form a hollow square, and Litteral to kneel behind his coffin. I was placed about twenty steps to his right___and ordered to watch the small piece of paper placed directly over his heart. Col. Henry Deaver was stationed about ten paces to my left, he was officer of the day. About five minutes before the time Litteral asked me to call the Colonel, and handed me a cotton handkerchief and a small purse with money in it which he asked me to hand to the Colonel, to send to his wife and write to her and say: "I am dying for your sake. God bless you and the children. Meet me in heaven." We took our former position and the order was given to fire. When I examined him a moment later I found that five bullets had struck through the paper in! to his heart. The facts about William Litteral I shall give here in justice to his memory. The evening before he left for home, he told me his wife was very sick and he felt he must go and see her. He had asked leave of absence, but Col. D_?__denied the request. He told me he intended to go that night and return as soon as his wife was better. I asked him not to tell me anything more about it. He did go home, but returned as he had said he would do,____but it was to an ignominious death. e was arrested, court martialed, and condemned to die as a deserter. William Littrell was a good soldier, a true Christian and a praying member of the Baptist Church. My heart is grieved within me when I think of poor William Littrell and his sad fate. His death was not justifiable. Soon after this I was ordered to attend the hanging of a spy. A few minutes before I got there, he jumped from the scaffold, and hung himself, swearing that, " no_______ rebel should hang him." A few days after these startling occurrences, the great battle of Murfreesboro was fought. I was surgeon for the 60th North Carolina Regiment, and up with the line while the battle was raging. The balls were falling thick and fast all around us, and the first man whose wounds I dressed was the son of Jonathan Waddy. Col. Deaver was thrown from his horse near me, and Mont Stevens picked him up and laid him in a hole where the dirt had been removed to make a place for old fashioned cooking. By this means Col. Deaver was saved..Stevens is still living. (1911) I dressed the wounds of seventy-two men that night and they were sent from the battlefield. I suppose the Confederate Army lost about 3,500 men in that two days battle, and it was said the Federal losses were about 6,000. I was at, and participated in every battle fought in that campaign by Joseph E. Johnston, Braxton Bragg, and Hood except Atlanta, Georgia, Chickamauga, Tennessee and Franklin, Tennessee. I was at Rocky Face, near Dalton, Georgia, Resaka, Georgia, New Hope Church, and Marietta, Georgia. Also, other places during this campaign. I was parolled at Asheville, North Carolina within two hundred yards of where I was enrolled. I remember saying to the boys that I had come home from Bone Co., Texas to go with them and I would stick to them to the bitter end. I held several positions in the army: I was first a private employed as surgeon, assistant surgeon, Third Lieutenant Co. A 60th North Carolina Regiment, Hospital Surgeon, Adjutant and Commander of Skirmishers under Joseph E. Johnston's general orders at Cassville, Georgia, called the English Order. That order was that a surgeon should to on the field of battle and take care of the wounded as they fell. I was proud of that order, and thought it right for a doctor to be present when the men were shot. At Marietta, Georgia, I was ordered to select seventy-two sharp-shooters and attach to Capt. Anderson of Virginia on his left wing. I did so, and by the time I got my men into position a company on my left gave way. The battle began and I lost all of my men but two, who were William Pounders and Henry Snyder. They are still living near Asheville, North Carolina. I was shot, receiving three wounds, one bullet struck me above my left knee, one above my right hip, and one on my ribs on the right side passing through my right lung and out between the fifth and sixth rib, on the right side of my spine. Pounders and Snyder dragged me down a slope to a small branch and laid me down. I called for water, and I remember they dipped some water in their hats and gave me, which I thought the best water I had ever tasted. At that time General Preston of Florida came up with his main battle line. He rode up to me and asked if I could tell him anything of the situation at the front. In broken sentences I told him, Yes; there was a double line of skirmishers and the Star Battery was just behind it and the battle line was just behind that in two lines. The General immediately detailed two men and ordered them to place me on a litter, and take me to the field hospital. Misters Pounders, Snyder, Davis, and Jamison then carried me to the hospital. Dr. Hunt of the 12__?__ came to me and wanted to probe my wounded side, but I asked him not to do so. He then took a small three cornered handkerchief and drew it through the wound. Oh! I thought it would kill me. Several fragments of bone came out and the blood flowed freely, and I was easy. Before he left me, as he stood at my side, Dr. Hunt said: "Dr. Cooper, if you have any business to attend to, do it at once. I am here to tell you there are ninety-nine chances for you to die, where there is only one for you to live." I remember looking up at him and saying: " I wouldn't give the one hundreth chance for all of his ninety-and nine." About twelve o'clock at night, I was aroused by a weight on me, and who should it be but Captain Toms, who was weeping bitterly. He said he was afraid I could not recover, but I told him I felt sure I would. In a few days my mother came to me at Barnesville, Georgia. She was a good doctor, and dressed my wounds---, while I prescribed for myself. Twenty-six days after I was wounded I was able to go home. I remained at home twenty-six days, and returned to my command at S____?___, South Carolina. I continued with them until the surrender of General Lee. The two men who helped carry me from the battlefield, -------Davis and Jamison--------I had not seen them for forty-three years after the war, and then I met them in Col. James Ray's office, and we helped them to get pensions. One other dreadful tragedy I will relate, and while it may reflect on our soldiers in some respects, it shows the hardships they were compelled to endure under the most discouraging circumstances. The great wonder is that so few comparatively, were not able to withstand and overcome the difficulties in mind and body by which they were assailed. When we were near Dalton, Georgia sixteen men were condemned to be shot by order of Braxton Bragg. One man was pardoned the day before the execution was to take place and one died in the hospital when he learned that he was to be shot. The next day these fourteen men were executed; Lt. Robert Clayton of Asheville was officer of the day, and I was surgeon for this dreadful occasion. A;; pf the army there was ordered out; the Infantry formed a hollow square with cannon in the rear, while the cavalry just back of them made such a strong line it was impossible for any one to pass. A long ditch had been prepared, and the rude coffins placed in front of it with a stake by it, while the guard appointed to this duty marched each man to the stake and coffin prepared for him, and each man bound to his stake. The senior officer ordered all in position and to make ready, and Lt. Robert Clayton, who always acted nobly in command, gave the order to fire. All were killed but two, as I found when I advanced to examine them. One had been shot in the side,----the other in the arm. I reported that two were alive and the guard advanced and fired killing them immediately. Orders were then given to fall back to camp. Oh! What a Sunday was that! The private soldiers were all bitterly opposed to the execution of these men, and that night several hundred of them left the army and never returned. I remained to attend the burial service of these fourteen men. Our Chaplain held service---until about ten o'clock. I can never, never forget that sad scene; I was heart-sick. The Western Army never seemed to do much good after this most dreadful tragedy. ************************************************************************************************************* The spelling was kept as it was in the paper I received from the archives. William Litteral's name was spelled two ways. Dr. Cooper makes special mention of John Pinkerton of Cane Creek, Fairview dying.....Cooper grew up along Cane Creek in Fairview. *************************************************************************************************************** After the war, Dr. Bob Cooper returned to his mountain home, where he continued to practice medicine. He did not marry until his parents had died. When he was forty-two years of age he married Kisa or Keziah Sparks, the daughter of Samuel and Susan Bryson and the widow of Osborne Sparks. Dr. Bob Cooper was educated at the medical college of Philadelphia. He returned to North Carolina to obtain his medical license and practice medicine in Fairview, the little community where he grew up. His parents were James Cooper and Elizabeth Maxwell. His grandfather was Adam Cooper, a revolutionary soldier who moved to North Carolina from Chester County, Pennsylvania.