The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-12-13
Army Correspondence.
HARrsvILLE, Tenn, Dec. l, 1885,

Army Correspondence.
HARTsvILLE, Tenn, Dec. !, 1862.
To tile Free Trader-Since writing to you
from Tompkinsville we have made an
other push towards the land of Dixey.
We are now encamped on the Cumber-
land river about one mile from Hartsville,
Sumner CO., Tenn. Hartsville is o small
town, containing in ordinary times about
1000 inhabitants, and is built on three
separate roads, each wing of the town is
separated by fields from the other about
. quarter of mile. The inhabitants are
all secesh there is not Union man in
the place, but they are pleasant and kind
towards US. We are treated by them the
same as if they were our friends. Our
company is again detailed as provost guard,
and are located in barracks in the village.
The men occupy good sized two story
brick building, the first story of which
had formerly been used as a store-room,
! and the second story for printing office.
The store-room was all empty, the goods
had been removed long before we got
here, but the type and presses of the
printing establishment are still here, but
in perfect mass of pie.
| This place has been occupied by the
| Union forces now over month, during
which time all kind of intercourse with
surrounding country has been almost en-
| tirely cut off In consequence most OF
/ the citizens have ieft-the stores are all
closed and trade of every description
| stopped What few citizens remain here
are nearly destitute of the necessaries of
life
We left Tompkinsvile last Monday
night about 9 o'clock under peculiar cir
cumstances We mad recaived orders the
day before to be ready to march at any
moment, bat as no further orders arrived
We remained until Monday afternoon,
when, aim It simultaneous with orders
from Gen. Dumont, to pack up and move
ON TO this pace, u body of rebel cavalry
about 700 in number have in sight, and,
by the time our brigade was formed, had
dashed by the camp, within easy gun shot
OF US We had but 40 cavalrymen with
the brigade, but they were ordered in
pursuit, and after short ride came up
with the rebels formed In line of battle
They threw few shells at our cavalry
from some mountain howitzers which
they had with them, and our men fired
few shots from their carblnes, and then
returned to the camp. Meantime the in
fantry were formed along the different
roaus, ready for action should there be
any ether forces behind Intending to at
tack Us. We remained in this position
until about s o'clock, then returned 10
our quarters, and commenced packing up
for the march. 4 large share of our teams
had been seat back TO Cave City after pro-
visions Wo were, therefore only allowed
nolf our usual transportation. Everything
that could be dispensed with had to be
Lett ! Large aL.ount Of bacon. and other
com uli-saiy stores, Ule-s chests, trunks,
&c, were all ordered 10 be left behind
But, as ali the officers OF the brigade had
their provisions .n these mess chests, they
reconstructed with Col Scott about leay-
iug them behind, when the order wss
~iIaugvu ana the CHESTS allowed to be pat
upon the wagons, provided other articles /
OF equal weight and bulk would be throwu
off. Through tie ineliciency Of not in /.
competency Of our wagomaster, our mess !
chests and al! our cooking utensils were I
left behind, and We were obi ged to com /.
mence four day march with nothing to /
eat and but single coffe pot with which |,
to do our cooking, and that ~ould have |
been left behind had no, our boy, Johnny /.
Wagner, "a splendid little fellow too,) |
strapped it, with some coffee and sugar, to !
his haversatk. During the time we were |
packing up, reports came in from various
sources that We were surrounded by a /
heavy force; that from 1906 to ZOO !
rebels were about to attack US, and that |
our only hope OF escape was 70 get away |
that night, &c. These rumors. and the |
scenes 0! the afternoon, in connection with |
the confusion of packing up at night for a |
march, so confused and bewildered Mr. !
Hoag, the wagon master, that he scarcely |
knew what end he stood on He refused |
to let the pei sona baggage Of company A |
60 on The wagon, ami they had to be car !
ried from the barracks in town TO camp |
before they were admitted on, and even /
after he WAS ordered by Col Moore to go !
back to town for the mess chest of Co \, !
he drove down and came away without it |
The fact Is, i'll my humble opinion, there !
are many men IN the world who would |
make better wagonmasters than MI. Ii. |
Well, alter all this confusion and excite |
ment, we finally got off at about 10 o clock. |
We marched off briskly for some two or |
three hours, when we ascertaned that we |
had taken the wrong road and that cur |
only alternative was either TO return and /
make a new start or take by road through |
the country, which was almost i'm oassable, /
and get in the right road few miles from
town. So we took the latter, and when
daylight dawned we had made the dis
tauce Of four miles from Tompkfnsville,
with no other mishap than having several
wagons upset No enemy, however, was
discovered, and the next day the hearts of
the timid bea freer, and we made miles
more where We encamped for the night
The reports about being surrounded were,
of course, mere bugbears, gotten up by
secesh citizens.
This sudden departure from Tompkins-
vile gave the citizens of that village an
idea that we were scared by this by this
band Of guerrillas and their reports Of a
large force, and that they had made US
skedaddle. Many Of our own men, not
familiar with all the circumstances, were
Of the same opinion. Just camping
for the night, the next day (Tuesday), a
courier Came front from the rear, and re-
ported that We were pursued by the rebel
cavalry and that they were about to at
tack the train The column was at once
halted and the train brought forward, but
it soon turned out to be hoax, and we
were again allowed to 60 ahead.
Wednesday and thursday we got along 4
without any trouble, but Friday We had a /
vanity of adventures. shortly after leav- |
ing camp in the morning We were told |
that there was rebel force of cavalry in |
front Of US, awaiting our arrival Cos. A |
and B Of the l04th ILL.,, which was in |
front, were detached and placed in the !
rear of the train, the lOSth Ohio in front
of the train, and the lO6th Ohio in the |