New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-11-18


as good a right as Postmaster Rddell to dispatch
mails for foreign countries. Competition is the
life and essence of commerce, therefore vive
McKeever and his express.
--
| Affairs In East Tennessee.
The following interesting statement of recent
events in East Tennessee we take from the Ycks-
burg Wing: "
| We learn from passengers Just from Virginia. by
| the East Tennessee Railroad, Of the unhappy ana
disturbed condition of affairs there. Last Saturday
morning, the train coming west from Bristol, Va,
on the borders of Tennessee, as it came heavily
laden with passengers, at a rushing speed on
down grade, was stopped by boy, at in the
morning, with a lantern in hand, about mile
from Union Bridge, over the Rolston river, giving
| Information that the bridge over that river was
| burned. Thus the crowd Of passengers--men, wo-
men, children, sick and wounded soldiers-were
/ saved from being precipitated some fifty into
the rocky bed of the Rolston river. The train was
backed to the town of Bristol. When daylight
came, some of the officials of the road, on loco
motive, went on a trip OF observation, and re-
turned in the evening with the information that the
bridge entirely destroyed, and with the request
| from the commander of a Tennessee cavalry COM
pany, stationed at another bridge, ten miles be-
| yond. over the Watauga river, that immediate
| sistance be sent him, to sustain his company from
an expected attack from the Union men, and there
| by save the bridge on that river. Gen. Charles
Clark, of Mississippi, who was then on his way to
Bowling Green, KY, called for volunteers for the
enterprise; and all who were there (38, all told)
started on the expedition. AT night they went
down by car to the burnt bridge over the Rolston,
| and led by guide, they made their way round
through the hills to another road bridge over the
same stream, and by O'Clock at night got ten
miles beyond, to where the cavalry company were
encamped, at the Watauga bridge. We had not
been there but few minutes when firing was
heard from our pickets on the enemy, but no ad-
vance was made by them. Next morning Sunday
reliable information was received that large force
OF Union men were gathered together in that
county, Carter and that they were prepared to
| drive the cavalry away and burn the bridge they
guarded. The loyal men from the neghborng
county poured in at Carter's Depot, where Cen
Clark and his staff were, together with many other
Mssissippans and Lousianians.
They were mostly without arms, but as good luck
would have it there was at the station freight
train with small arms, cannon and powder on the
way to Richmond. Possession under the direction
of Gen. Clark was taken of them and arms and
ammunition distributed. Lieut.. Merwn of the
Madison Artillery, had command of two howitzer
twelve pound guns, which, for want of better pro-
jeetes, were loaded with railroad spikes, and were
so stationed as to command the Watauga bridge
and the ford on the north side of it. CAPT. Peck
and Lieut.. Reading were active all day Sunday in
drilling the men in infantry tactics, and Lieut.. Mer
win in the manual of the guns, and right heartily
did they engage in it, their will was in the cause, |
and they tried to learn. All that night an attack
was expected, and from information received it |
was thought to be impending every minute, but it |
",
these operations could be overlooked and no |
doubt were too unexpected and formidable for |
them 10 venture on. In Bristol, on Sunday it was |
reported that ,i:, fight was going on at Watauga
way home, came down to the assistance of his |
friends, and at about 2 O'Clock Sunday morning,
with twenty picked horsemen, started out on re-
connoissance to discover the strength of the enemy
with an intelligent guide. He crossed the rapid |
Watauga, with instructions to the men not to cross
till they heard him fire. He soon came the
enemy at the premises of noted tory, Nat Taylor.
He fired and his men started across, but he found
the enemy in such force that he quickly counter
manded the order. The enemy kept up a random
fire across the ford some five minutes. Capt Miller
received two slight wounds, and several of his
men were shot through their hats and caps, but
. no one was hurt, except one or two of the en-
envy. On the point of this demonstration the Wa
tauga bridge was saved. .-.
But the bridge over the Hiwassee river, the |
bridge over Lick Creek, the bridge over the
Rolston river, and two other bridges on the West.
ern and Atlantic road were burned, the railroad |
torn up in various places, and the wires cut. A
very important bridge at the Straw berry plains
was saved by the heroic valor of one man, whose
named should be immortal, against the attack of
fifteen men. His hand in the encounter, was cut
Oh ne was shot IN the head, and wounded other
wise, but he saved the bridge and repulsed the
whole hfteen, killing, we did not learn how many.
HIS name was James Keelon-let it not be for
gotIen. All this damage, along this extensive
route was done at the same hour on F5idnqJ mint
last. This, with the arming of Union men through.
out East Tennessee, shows how extensive has
been the combination. II was an act in concert
with the Federal army in Kentucky and the Fed.
erai fleet on the coast. Lett be remembered that
this road is the main source of communication with
the army in Virginia, and that it passes through
country full of naturalfortfesses that are in posses
sion of the enemy, from which 1t would be hard to
displace them, and it will be seen how important
was the movement. Had the Federal army been
successful at Columbus, they would have made
Their way through the Columbian Gap or some
other mountain pass, and by the action of the
Union men in Tennessee and this extensive bridge
burning, have had a foothold in the very heart'of
our Confederaey. Last Sunday the UfIon men
poured into the town of GreenVille the home Cor
the once home) of Andy johnson, expecting to
greet him, but the Federal army did not come, and
he was not safe without that escort. This bridge
burning was part of a grand movement but like
all the plans of our enemies, their feeble courage
and Wise Providence make them idle of all re.
suits. We learn from eyewitnesses that the loyal
men OF Tennessee are aroused, and that armed
men crowd the railroads and highways of the
state, determined to yindicate with their strong
arms and true rifles the fidelity of Tennessee, and
eight gailantly will it be done. In the mean time
et not the Government forget her duty if hitherto
she has been neglecttul of it. t