The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-16

feTas troops En- Rome--Poaod MiH--Yis;f 10 n
"Tan,s p'neyard, nadhis Acconn, Of Battle in
the Old Times

the O!d Times
Knoxville, Tenn, Sept 10, 1861.
rive companies of Texas troops arrived
mere last week on their way to Virginia =
Ihey We're detained several days awaiting
transportation. They deserve he onorab BILE men.
ton FOR march by land which they m ade
lnrouSn Louisiana OF peculiarly trying
character. The distance was about iln miles
ionr- hfths OF which they passed through wa
ter ana mud from an ankle to waist tteept At
one point they waded for nearly mile in wa
,r YET up 70 tne waist Frequently soldier
would step into hole and 60 entirely under.
one OF tnem told me he had done so 4 dozen
t'mes They were eleven days on the march.
an ana II rained on them every day. heard one
y, anem gay, we marched along shouting,
ana as happy rs If we had been at Il cam p
meenng' Gallant, noble fellows, When l
reHect on the deeds of our Southern soldiery
l am niied with admiration OF the sublime,
patriouc heroism which they have dispIa we'd
On last Saturday some of the Texans
amused themselves by cutting down Union
poles, several of which were still standing i'm
.he elty Ihey made clean sweep of these
symbols OF the old concern
learn that in one of the counties of East
tennessee, an old powder mill which manu-
lactnred part of the ammunition used by
jackson at the battle of New Orleans, has
neeh AGAIN put in operation 1t is worked by
the grandsons of the owner at that period -.
Inc quantity made is small.
erday made a visit to one OF Jac kson !,
Old soldiers. A few of these till survive. and
~ IL Always 10 me Il source of high gratfica-
tion To meet and converse with them know
three who We're in the battle OF the Horse
Hhte, the old gentleman referred TO being one
of them.
This gentleman Capt. James Campbell J
resides ten miles from this place ut a fine
iarm on French Broad River He is noted as
the pioneer throughout this region in the cui
lure OF the grape. He began the work with
OUT experience, six or eight years ago. His
Hrst cuttings We're plante in holes about 10
or IL feet apart, and the apparent waste of
ground involved in this plan would astonish
Frenchman or German He has about three
and half acres in vines which bear we'll -
he VIII make this year a quantity of wine as
he has done for several years past He cult
Yates the Catawba variety. East Tennessee
is found by experiments made to be well
adapted TO the growth and culture of tn e
grape.
Capt. G. gave me an interesting account of
the battle of the Horse Shoe, which was
fought on the eth of March 1914 The In
dians (Creeks) lay in the bend of the Talla-
poosa river behind a strong and admirably
constructed breastwork of logs. In it Were
three rows of port holes for riilemen, the low
est being intended for those sitting or living
down, the second for those kneeling the
third for those standing. Its length was
about quarter of a mile. Early in the
morning Gen Coffee, with his brigade of
horsemen, crossed the river three miles be-
low marched up, and got in the rear of the
Indians, with the river intervening. He was
accompanied by Col. Gideon Morgan, with a
~
with some friendly Greeks.
fhe attack was begun by Jackson in front
with cannonade on the breaStWork about
O'Clock a. M. No BREACH however could
be made. A general charge was ordered and
executed with success, about II O'clock The
Indians fought with savage ferocity. but
Were overpoWered, slain, and driven buck
Those who We're not killed fled TO the ri yer in
the rear with a view to cross il and make
their escape; but having left their canoes
unguarded, Gen. Coffee had sent over seized
and conveyed them all to the other side -
When they reached the river, therefore, and
found this resource cut Oft, they kept up the
fight across the stream with the forces oppo-
site This lasted for q considerable time and
several OF onr men We're killed and wounded
Col. Morgan received a ball in the forehead
ana his Cherokees said he danced like a part
ridge when shot He was the father of Mai
Morgan, of the Third Tennessee Regiment
near Arlington Heights, who recen tly had the
honor OF cscorting Prince Napoleon to Gen
Beauregard's headq uarters.
capt. Campbell, then very yOnng man
ana Il private IN a company under General
Coffee, said he had retired for Il few minutes
10 cool his heated rifle in q small stream Re
turning, he observed Il Captain rubbing his
eyes. ball from the rifle of an Indian had
struck Il tree, behind which he was standing
while loading his gun, and knocked the bark
into his eyes. He said. Captain, what's the
matter! Are you crying'" mo" he re-
piled 81 want You TO kill AN Indian for
me-" The request was complied with, a
Ddlt from the young soldier rIffe having il
lenced him.
The Indians had felled trees in to the river
In the effort 10 escape they would crawl out
on these, when Coftee's men Would pick them
on, and they would drop like turtles into the
water. One trlloW dar ted from the shore to
SWIM across, a distance of about fifty yards
he only rose once to draw breath, when fifty
or sixty shots We're fired at him. Only one
took effect-in the shoulder? He made an
other plunge and gained the shore, when he
was immediately captured by a Cherokee and
brought to Gen. Coffee. He tried TO get in
formation from him AS to whether other In
dlans We're stationed in the rear of Coffee ;
command. A tomahaWk was raised i'll a
threatening manner 10 make him communal
cate, when the fellow, instead Of shrinking
or covering, defiantiy threw his head for
ward to receive the stroke The Indians
made desperate fight and were nearly all
cut to pieces. They preferred death to Il sur
render.
About 4j whites We're killed, and upwards
OF hundred wounded, including sam. HOUSE. a
ton. The bodies of the dead We're sunk in the
river, aud the wounded We're borne on biers
or litters, made by stretching fresh ox hides
over two long parallel poles, the ends of
which We're fastened TO horse in front and be-
hind, the wounded man being between the
two animals. How different from the splen-
did ambulances captured "A the battle of Ma
nassa.
This battle broke the Greek power, but the
war did not Immediately end In Il subse-
Quent expedition, lower down on the Talla-
poosa river, Jackson forces advanced on
Indian town supposed to be full OF warriors,
but found it evacuated. 1t ntained a large
council house, fifty feet in diameter with q
low arched entrance capable of admitting
only one person 1T time. High up on the
central pole inside We're numerous arrows
sticking straight out, on which hung the
scaips of the nen, women and children mas
sacred at Fort Wimms. These We're taken
down and decentIy buried. Ia the neig hbor-
hood they found and rescued from captivity
a white woman and three children: whose
husband had been one OF the victims of the
mass acre.
Capt. Campbell said 1t was impossible
for Gen. Jackson 10 be taken by surprise. On
a march, when the troops encamped even tor
a single night, he invariably threw up II
breastwork OF logs. Nor could his troops be
defeated, because they had perfect confidence
in him a General. Nearly every thing in
war depends on this. Our troops near Wash
they cannot be whipped" So mote il be-
l..