Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Memoir of Evelina McNeal Bills Polk Written for her daughter, Evelyn McNeal Polk Eldred

Evelina McNeal Bills was married to Marshall Tate Polk on January 10, 1856 at The Pillars, the home of her father, John Houston Bills, in Bolivar, Tennessee. They lived in Bolivar until they moved to Nashville in 1876. This memoir was found, hand written in a leather-bound notebook that was the property of Evelyn Polk Eldred. Transcribed by Olive B. Eldred, 1984. January 10, 1919 I have hesitated to begin these reminiscences. Perhaps I dreaded bringing back to memory those sad, sad days when our life seemed dead. But I will try and remember some of the scenes of that memorable time. It came suddenly. At least the getting up of the companies---making uniforms---all done by our own town women. The drilling, in the short time—your father doing most of it as he was a West Point graduate. The First Company Infantry under Cousin Rufus Neely; the Second Calvary (under) Cousin Jack Neely, Captain ---the Third Artillery---your father, Captain 150 men. We worked incessantly to make their uniforms and such things as we could give them for their comfort. Brother Robert Wood came in with 7th Company Infantry. All these companies gotten up in Hardeman County. This in 1861. Your father left me in my country home but I found it impossible to live there---no protection---so my father had me come to his house and I occupied the little cottage in his yard with Knox, my only child. Our Hardeman County troops went to Jackson, Tennessee and on to Union City where they remained until they went to Columbus and fought in the Battle of Belmont. Pillow under Gen. Frank Cheatam in command. Our army fell back from there and next stand was made at, or near, Corinth, Mississippi at Pittsburg Landing or Shiloh as it is called. The big battle was fought --- won and lost --- by the inability of Beauregard to comprehend the situation. Albert Sidney Johnson was killed on the 6th of April and Beauregard, after the Federals had sacked their arms on the bank of the Tennessee River to give them up--- called off the troops. The Federals, reinforced that night by Buell’s command, came in fresh and our troops were compelled to give back to Corinth. Your father was left on the battlefield with a shattered leg --- carried afterwards to the cabin of a poor old woman whose house was taken possession of by the wounded. There he laid many days --- a prisoner --- unable to have his leg examined until a Federal surgeon could have time to attend to the Confederates. When it was examined superficially --- they thought he might be able to keep it --- so he was put in a box and carried to a steamboat to be carried up the river to a hospital. The boat was commanded by a Captain Turner. His wife took a fancy to your father and had his cot placed in her cabin and said she would nurse him herself. So, they went up the river and passed all the hospitals and returned to Pittsburg Landing. Started up once again. The yanks grew jealous. Published in papers that a Rebel was being pampered, etc. When the boat reached Evansville, a mob gathered and demanded his landing. Captain Turner said he would not so it --- but that he thought the motion of the boat was bad for his leg, so he dropped down to the Marine Hospital and landed him there. As he lay on his cot on the riverbank, some women came and