Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-20


Our mes was deficient in several articles in the
culinary department and we supplied ourselves
a0undanty, besides dining sumptuOusly for several
days on the Yankee bean soup
1t Is unfortunate that ever stopped the enemy
upon Big Sewen. We should have retired sll our
forces TO Meadow Bluff, and thus have drawn the
enemy across the two Sc wells into the vsey below
Then we should have compelled him 20 transport
all his supplies over these terrible mountains and
i@passabe roads instead of having 20 10 1t for our
selves and, at the same time, could lave thrown
nVe Thousand men. by hink mOVeme Z long the
Old State road upon the top of either big or little
Sewell. directly IN his rear, and have cut off his
supplies and compelled him to surrender or submit
to utter destruction.
We pursued the enemy as far as Mr. Tyrel's-
some eight miles-vhen we returned By the wav
Mrs I. Is quite favorite with our arn,y Thaug
both her sons are volunteers, and her husband one
Of our most reliable scouts. yet Mrs T. positively
refused to fee from her home on the approach of
the enemy. She penned her cLickans,' hogs and
cattle under her own eye, and, armed With nothing
but single gun and brave spirit she was deter
mined to stand her ground and pTOtecr herself and
property When the enemy apprC ched, they
pitched into her chicken coop and gar, IN and she
pitched into them. With pifchiOrk g run them
cut Of her house ard returning to the 5ther side of
her house, she found several Hsssisns cutting her
cabbage and bearing them off S1a.c ing 10 her
gun and leveling it at them, they dropped their
plumber and Fetreated In more thaa iouble-guick
AHS circumstances not only CccaSsIOuPd great
diversion among the army, but her heroic conduct
satisfied them that she could only be robbed by be
ing KILLED, and they never afterwards troubled any
thing she he'd by violence. Indeed, Rosecrans gave
her personal assurance that she and her prosperity
Shouts be fully protected but the virtue of this he
afterwards destroyed by purchasing Of Mrs. T. sew
eral head Of her cattle getting the receipts for the
same, and then never paying her one cent. This
she says RoseCrans did himself and she is reliable
woman Mrs; I. Is fac looking lady, of good
character, and extraordinary will and nerve. She
keeps one of the best hotels IN Western Virginia
and it is a favoFite resort OF all travellers
Inc next movement of our army is n0tyet deter
mined upon, out my impression is that we will move
immediately towards tue Kama wba in two columns
the one under Gen. FLOYD and the other under Cen
erals Lee and Loring. The precise routes of these
divisions it may not be prudent to state though the
enemy finds out all our movements befsre the
newspapers do We have net seen but single
Northern newspaper since we have been in The
mountains, and yet We have managed to have all
the time pretty accurate knowledge OF all the i'm
portant movements Of the enemy his numbers and
intentions. Il is just on the other side news
paper is the last source of Information upon which
General moves bus army, simply because it is the
last one to communicate it A good General finds
out the position and resources of his adversary be
fore the editor, aud doubt whether single strate
gic movement OF either frty has been made DUNG
the war upon newspaper infOrm4tioa. 1t is folly,
therefore, to abuse newspapers for Importing intel
ligence to the enemy which it Is the business and
duty Of al good Generals to obtain by far speeder
means at his own comm cd. Long before this let
ter reaches you our march will be known to the
enemy Gnd TO the Northern public, just as the enc
my's retreat was known to US long before it was |
known to the press of Virginia. Still, we had bet
ter conform to the wishes and respectful request of
our Government, and conceal as much as IS pru- |
dent
Gen. Floyd has abandoned the militis, under Geh |
Chapman. until their services may be needed again
Iy ha ruoyu Il hal -fn, e q
looking soldiers as you pOst ever saw-men who
jdst left their homes and business at a moment
call and few to arms in defence OF their homes aHd
country.