The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-07-22
From the cintinnat. Commercial }
The Chivairy" OF Knoxville.
A Few Inc dents Of Col. Saunders,
Expedition Snio East tennessee.

From aa intelligent gentleman "just
over" from East Tennessee, we have
learned some Interesting details connect
ed with the recent raid into that section,
some Of which show that while War,
himsplf, is "grim-visaged," hecan, new
eIthelsss, sometimes provoke . smile,
even amid scenes Of death:
Knoxville is, and has been for the last
two years, as we have often beer told,
infested by clique of intolerant seces-
sion leaders, to whom, in great degree,
as.been attributed the gross prosecutions
suffered by the Union citizens of that
section. They have all the while been
furious war men," last ditehers, "the
Yankees could only enter Knoxville over
their dead bodies" &C., &c.,-but for
tunatelg, until recently their courage bad
never been tried. Our informant gives us
an account of thin test, which, while it
may not really interest the general read
err of the Commercial, will, no doubt, be
heartily appreciated by every East Ten
nessean. 1t seems that when Colonel
Saunders (supposed at the time to be
Gen. Carter approached Knoxville, and
turned his artillery toward the town, the
courage of the chivalrous knights began
to ooze out at their fingers ends, and their
terror is described as having been
ludicrous in the extreme. Conscious of
their guilt they fed in every direction,
Except toward Col. s. and some OF them
were even craven enough to seek protec-
ton from the very people they have so
long and so grieyously wronged. Gro
zier-the doughty little John, or, as
Brownlow sty les him, John Hoopee-who
had so often promised his followers to
enter the ranks when the proper time
comes" and who have SO frequently re-
GREETED that be had not "a hundred sons"
to dedicate to the glorious cause"-is
reported to have precipitately padded
himself across the Holston River, "a
straddIe" q pine log, while Sperry, the
Uriah Heep of the Register, the tit organ
of the aforesaid clique, unwilling to abide
the tardy motions ofShe ferry boat, which
Glanced to be on the opposite side,
plunged frantically into the stream with
his half -emptied bottle in his hand (the
only thing he had not forgotten in bis
fiight), and by tlint of wading and float
ing. soon found himself stranded on tho
friendly rocks of dam short distance
below the ferry. The ferryman, alter
permitting him to exhaust himself by
most vociferous entreaties, at last relieved
bin from his perilous predicament and
landed him, ell dripping on the southerp
shore. Strange to say, Sperry, through
out all his tribulations neuer lost has bot
tie! Sneed-coinmonly known as "My
Lord Sneed"-- the same gentleman who
a few wears ago, sank "the Queen of the
Antilles TO Old Oceans Depths" and has
on several occasions, as we learn, pstrioti-
cally removed his august and overwhelm.
ing parsonage from East Tennessee, in
order that the enemy" seeing the pyiz,
bad fed, might desist from their inva.
sion-he, we understand, finding his line
of retreat cut of, incontinently subsideG
i into cellar, and, when called for by 1
servant, who opened the cellar door som,
two hours after our troops had left, arcs.
from his hiding place aud with eyes di
lated, beroically exclaimed: "Don't fire
I Grneral Garter! lily names SNEED tn
Hon. WM. e. sSEED, late of the Cnita
y States Congress-. An tie languogeef Genera