New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-17
WHAT | SAW IN TESNESSEE..lI.
BY EDMUND KIRKE.
Author o! "Amons the Piues."


some fierce Struggle, or the theeter Of some bloouy
drama, whose memory will live for generations.
Grass.grown crossroads where rude guide-poss
point ways no traveller ever went; sleepy hamlets,
unknown to the census.taker aud the taxgsiheIer,
where the speling-book and the mailbag never
were seen; lonely log meetng-houses, where come
ignorant pastor doled out to scanty crowd OF more
ignorant white trash" weekly portions of "wbole-
to.ne admouition," and-tls country newspaper;
have become world-fauous. Distan; lands have
heard of ihem; distant times win speak OF them, and
romance aud poetry will couple their names with
heroic deeds and make them holy places in our
paiiOas history.
Al every station on the Nashville road the traveller
sc-s Indications OF ,hs ferccness Of this struggle,
aud sidences OF valOr worthy OF the mo-, heroic
eyes. At Murf.rdsy.le. on little mound over
lookingthe Green River, . low earthwosk encireled
By ssaliow d.ieh sld inclosinS less than an acre
oi GROUND. There Col. Wilder and a small band OF
raw Indisaans arrested the nortiward march Of
Brsgg's army FOR 40 hours
1t Is tie whole of B,aggs force 1t is madness
70 resist! We must surrender exclaimed one OF
Nilders heutenanis.
II know we must surrender. But we II do 1t
when they make as replied the brave commander
FIVE thousand Relel musAels belchel fire upon
tlen, iuriug six iouIs, but crouohing behind those
mud walls th1t handful Of brave men sent back
storm OF hail tha, moved down the advancing ranks
a. .ie scyihe news down the Summer grass.
Surrender al once, or we II give no quarter,
was borae TO them by The flag Of truce.
ave ask none," was the soe reply, and the work
OF death went on.
Fifteen thousand men, Elk deep, their bayonets
eeamlnc in tae sur, then envelTed that little Hill,
spd a.ia and again, within Unity feet of that fgail
breastwo.k. pOuted in their deadly voleys, but at
each ds,4a1se clear ard loud rang out the words
"Aim low, BOYS. Lei evtry shot tell" and broken
and de,ma.ed tie ssssi'Guts fell back TO their
quarters
- sunrise of tie third day another flag ap.
proacaed lou are brave men. We would spare
your hives. We have posted cannon at every angle.
We can level your iaTenenments in hall an hour r.
Il 90 10, believe Il; convince Of it, and III
surrender"
reu isr.d.
Il he had held GU. another half hour should
not ie here TO tell you Of it, said the quiet young
sOrpoga Who tod the story.
Iato siagrAEs pool at the left OF the fort $50
hundred row lie buried in tie woods hard by How
grea. graveyard iOr 20 small q town.
But cannot par.io us..ze all that saw, where q;
every bridge wac a s;oekaje, aud Oh every hll
battlefield.
Here sDd there broken cars aud charred rolling
gcar ltrewn along the track reminded me that tie
guerrlss mad been recently at WORK. Al Bowling
GIeeu IN the bcd OF the Big Barreu--a ule stream
which runs near tie tOwu-I saw the fragments Of
d train thai, with It's freight H mules, Lad been
burned the bridge only three weeks before, snd
aI tie station next south Of Gailaln similar wreck
but closing uy eycs these relics OF al almost
see warfare, ani these uncomfortable reminders Of
per-onai dAugcr lerched my legs JG toe seat int
yacs.cd by the Abolition philosopher, au1 soou eil
ssietp.
was dreaming Of home, and Of certain laxen-
haired juveniles Who are accustomed ~ c,l.l nc
Mister Para" when heavy hand laid OF my
shoulder, and sraf voice said TO
'' DOs Mt want 10 'stalb yer, stranger, but .leEe
lant nary nOther si,,iu place i'll tho hole ktal."
drew in NY extIemtes, and he sezted himself
in front of ne. He Was q spare, muscular man ci
about forty, little above tie meuinm high', with
thick SANDY hair and beard, aud q clear, iull, gray
eye. There was Loihus about him to attract per-
ticuar attention except his ciobiDg, but that was
60 out Of all keeping With she place aud tie occa
soD that opened ny eyes to their fules. eAieai
and tcRnucd bin FROM lead 10 i0Ct. lie ore tie
gray uniform Of essioG officer and in toe Lreas,
81 his coat. rgit over hs he.I,, was Il round hole
scOrcued at ibe edge, and deeply st4ined III
blood Cv,I his shoulder was sluug a large ann,
f.volver ana a. Lis SIDE, IN esihern sAealA, buDy
"a sycapon th4t seemed sort Oi between IL
LoN'essuiie ana bg,cDe, g cle.,yer Hs lead Was
covered b. moose-eoioled, low-crowned Lat, and
falling from btneath l., and tied under his chm Wa
white cotton handkerchief stiGy saturated with
blood. Nine bulteruut-cad Dsuves, all heavily
armed had entered with Lin aud taken tue vacant
seats around me, aud Inst view iuclined 10
believe thai in my sleep the train bad gone ~
the enemy and eit n the bands Of tue Pbilslines
/ was, however, quickly feaesured, for, looking
about 1 discovered ths Union Guard aud my fei-
lov-ray 1ieIs E al their previous iaces, aud as III
concerned as if no unusual lhing had happened.
Still. IL was singular tat oihcer tad the new
conner in charge; ard more singular that any one |
10 the uniform re wore should be allowed 10 carry
his nrrno 80 freely about him. After while, hay
ing CLEANED all the knowledge Of bim that my eyes
could obtain. / said 70 him III pleasant tone;
"Well, 10Y friend, you seem 10 take things rather
cooiIy."
"Oh, yes, Sirl ortor. We been mighty hard
put but 1 reckon u good fur another pull now"
Where you froui'
"Fentress County, nigh onter Jim;own lJames-
town.. I'm scoutio' il fur Misunderstanding boys
inter camp; bat these iesrs wanted ter jine CunUe