With News of Federal Gunboats moving into position, General Joseph E. Johnston orders Confederate forces, including the 14^th Tennessee, to withdraw from their fortifications around Yorktown and march twords Richmond. During the retreat there is fighting at Williamsburg and 1703 soldiers are lost.

As the Confederate forces continue their withdrawal twords Richmond, the Naval base at Norfolk is abandoned and the Ironclad C.S.S Merrimac is scuttled. Confederate President Jefferson Davis’s wife, Varina, along with their kids and many residents of Richmond evacuate the city, as the fall of the capitol to the Yankee’s seems evident.

At the end of May General Johnston decides to attack a divided Union army. Yankee General George B. McClellan, in his attack on Richmond decides to split his army in two. Johnson attacks the Yankee’s at Seven Pines. During the battle General Johnston is wounded and President Davis appoints General Robert E. Lee as commander. General Lee reorganizes the Army and calls his new forces the Army of Northern Virginia.

The 14^th Tennessee was engaged at Seven Pines. We were part of the ‘Tennessee Brigade’ which had the 1^st, 7^th and 14^th Tennessee regiments under the Command of General Robert Hatton. The 14^th was under the command of Colonel W.A. Forbes

As the men marched down the Plank road leading to Seven Pines they were halted and put at parade rest. General Hatton addressed the men. "Boys, before the dawn of another day, we will be engaged in a deadly conflict with the enemy. We are only representatives of the gallant little commonwealth of Tennessee upon the soil of Virginia. I appeal to you as Tennesseans, show yourselves worthy sons of a noble ancestry. Just in our rear is the Capitol City of the Confederacy. Around our Capitol City has been gathered a vandal hoard of Yankee’s. Their object, their aim, their purpose is to plunder and pillage our Capitol. Shall it be Sacked?" The men shouted "NO, NEVER!" General Hatton was shot and killed during the battle of Seven Pines. The commander of the 4^th Texas Brigade, Colonel J. J. Archer was promoted to Brigadier General and put in command of the ‘Tennessee Brigade’. General Lee re-organized the Brigade and added the 5^th Alabama & the 19^th Georgia and they became known as Archer’s Tennessee Brigade and became part of General A. P. Hill’s Light Division.

May was a rather quite month back home in the Palmyra & Clarksville area.

Col. Rodney Mason, Commander of Yankee troops in the Clarksville area, asks for re-enforcement from General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant sends 3 Regiments to Fort Donelson and 2 Regiments to Clarksville.

John Cross served in the 14^th Tennessee Infantry during the Civil War. He joined the Regiment at Camp Duncan Clarksville, Tennessee on May 17, 1861. He enlisted at the rank of private and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

On July 12, 1862 the Regiment left Clarksville for Nashville, Tenn. They arrived in the afternoon and marched to the fairgrounds where they spend the night. The next morning they disembarked for Chattanooga, Tenn. Here the changed trains and in open cars traveled to Knoxville, Tenn. This wet and cold train ride caused much damage to the health of the Regiment. At this point they were assigned to guard the railroad from Knoxville to Virginia.

The Regiment was ordered from Knoxville to Lynchburg, Virginia where they changed trains and proceeded to Manassas Junction, Vir.

Following the battle of first Manassas, the Regiment was ordered to join General Robert E. Lee at Staunton, Vir. Where they were assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia. The Regiment continued from Lynchburg to Valley Mountain. On this hot August day the Regiment marched up the mountain without a sufficient supply of water. Many of the men passed out from heat exhaustion. When the men finally reached water many of them passed out from drinking too much.

Camp life was not all hard work and marching for the men of the 14^th Tennessee. Horseplay, gambling, card games, music and dancing were forms of entertainment. When no women were available as dance partners, the men filled in as female partners. The female partner was designated by tying a handkerchief around the mans wrist.

After the battle of Cheat Mountain (September 1861) the 14^th Tennessee took part in the following battles: Bath Expedition (January 4, 1862), Yorktown Siege (April-May 1862), Etham's Landing (May 7 1862), Seven Pines (May 31-June 30 1862), Seven Days Battles (June 25-July 1 1862), Cedar Mountain (August 9, 1862), Second Bull Run (August 28-30 1862), Harper's Ferry (September 1862), Sharpsburg (September 1862), Sheperdstown Ford (September 20, 1862), Fredricksburg (December 13, 1862), Gettysburg (July 1863).

On December 13, 1862 in the battle of Fredricksburg, John Cross was wounded when he was shot in the foot. He was treated at Wayside Hospital #9 and sent to Chimborazzo Hospital in Richmond, Virginia for treatment of a gunshot wound to the right foot. He lost two toes from the wound. He returned to duty in May 1863.

In his application for a Tennessee Civil War Pension, John Cross wrote, "I was wounded in the heat of battle at Fredricksburg." He also stated that he returned to his Regiment early, preferring that to the Hospital.

John returned to duty and received new clothing at Camp Winder, Vir. He arrived on May 3, 1863 in time to engage in the battle of Chancellorsville. He was again wounded in the battle. He was treated at Wayside and receiving Hospital #9 and was then sent to Chimborazzo Hospital #1 in Richmond. He was treated for a leg wound.

John described this wound as, "I was shot in the thigh about halfway between my knee and hip and the ball ranged up and came out under my hip bone, which gave me much pain.

In 1906, Dr. Galsgow wrote in John Cross' pension application, "I find him suffering from nervous tremble, known as palsy, caused from the wound he got in the hip and thigh. I have been his physician for 10-12 years and noticed the tremble increasing all the time. He is unable to do manual labor at all. While he can walk some, he can't use his hands, they are continually shaking all the time. He is disabled from any work and will continue to get worse.

John Cross recovered from his wound and returned for duty on September 2, 1863. His hospitalization had caused him to miss two major battles, Gettysburg (July1-5 1863) and Falling Waters (July 14, 1863). He returned in time to fight the following battles: Bristoe Campaign (October 1863), Mine Run Campaign (November-December 1863), The Wilderness (May 5-6, 1864), Spottsylvania Court House (May 8-21, 1864), North Anna (May 23-26, 1864), Cold Harbor (June 1-3, 1864), Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865), Squirrel Level Road (September 30, 1864), Jone's Farm (September 1864), Pegram's Farm (October 1864), Harmon Road (October 2, 1864), Appomattox Court house (April 9, 1865).

Robert E. Lee surrendered John and his Regiment on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Court House. He and his Regiment were paroled and returned to Tennessee.

W.F. Thomas and J.M. Lewis, two old friends wrote about John Cross, "He was a good ant trus soldier, who fought from the first of the war to finish and he has his parole he got at Lee's surrender. He has been an upright honorable citizen ever since the war and is totally disable to do any work as his hands shake so he can't write his name.

John returned from the war to Stewart and Houston Counties in Tennessee where he lived the remainder of his life. He raised a large family of twelve children. His occupations included mining iron ore, blacksmithing and farming. He died at his farm in Houston County Tennessee on July 4, 1906.

John Cross had a brother, Samuel Stacker Cross who served in Company B, 50^th Tennessee Regiment. Samuel contacted measles while in service and died from complications of the decease in 1868.