Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-10-15

Interesting Details by Col. Shry-
Ock, OF Indfana.
HE is A PRISONER SEVEN DAYS.
Rebel Politics and Barbarity.

---H stl+ NASHVILLE OctOutf ", j QUO.
Learning that my son-in-law, Adjutant
Ryland, of the 87th Indiana Volunteers,
was wounded in the battle of Chicamauga.
l started for 1.-THE front" to attend him.
I left Nashville on Tuesday and Stevenson
on "Wednesday morning. in company with
a train Of ammunition under charge of
Capt. Ravenscraw. of Indiana. Travelled
twelve miles on Wednesday afoot and got
very tirrd; kept with the train the sue
ceeding day. We did not travel great
distance on Thursday and only five miles
on Friday; bit this again was afoot.-
Here a party Of five negroes met us and
told US that the rebels had attacked our
train two miles in advance, on Weldron',
ridge. but our Captain gave no heed to
the report, and moved steadily forward
We were soon rought to a stand by re-
treating teams, and now being convinced
of the truth Of the negroes report. we
began to pack our train for defensive ope-
rations. Captain Ravenscraw soon an
nounced that it was only "a scare" that
all was clear in front, and the teams
wheeled into line and went forward. but
we had not gone half mile until the for
ward teams again turned, and drove for the
rear with all possible speed. | had re-
quested the Captain in charge of the train
to organise bis guard and make ready for
defense which he did and soon afterwards
disappeared. and l never saw him again.
In his absence | took charge of the forces
myself.
| sent abont fifteen men out on the left
Of the road under Lieut.. Letter, and about
the same number to hill on the right of
the road. under Lieut. Sergent of Cass
county, Ind The armed soldiers under
these two officers took their positions. and
did such execution as checked the enemy
for nearly half an hour. The enemy came
dashing down the road, yelling like devils
incarnate. and the result was. surrender
Of all the transfers and citizens in the
valley towards Bridgeport. from the foot
of Waldren's Ridge back for distance
Of eight or ten NJ lies.
Having been hurried OF as prisoner. !
was unable to learn the extent Of the dam
age done our train only as learned it from,
the rebels and citizen prisoners. VIM.
Sergent OF Illinois. informed me that he
had in charge 80 wagons loaded with san
itary stores sent from Chicago. which were
all destroyed. Two trains of fifteen OF
, twenty wagons each, loaded with ammu-
milton, besides large number of wagons
loaded with army stores generally, were
destroyed. / was unable to count the
number of wagons destroyed. but was in
> formed by the rebels that it was 335. which
!. sh,nl- fc "a fnr he
reason that the rebels took $50 prisoners
aaost of whom were transfers. They also
drove off with them large number o
mules, king. as was informed. a larg'
number when the train was captured.
The rebels seemed in g great hurry t.
I.eaye. and after taking from the train suct
articles as they could carry. set fire toslbt
wagons and hnrried off with the prisoners
The rebels m ounted most of the prisoner,
on mules with a view of facilitating thei
retreat from the valley. By dark of the
same day we were captured, we had at
tanned the summit of the CHAMBERLAIN
Mountain, where we halted about an hour
when the comma and reached us. to move
forward, that the Yankees were pressipG
them in the rear. We were marched for
ty-eight hours without sleeping or eating
and without water. On the west side o
the mountain we haltcl. as they said, 70
the purpose of paroling us. but very
soon we, were ordered on again. w
lrearssd McMinny;lle about o'clocl
Sunday morning. where &c found the reb
els in possession. burning our stores
There the most inhuman act of all was per
petrated by the Southern chivalry. Afte
having marched our men for forty .eigh
2. hours without anything to eat or allowing
!. them to sleep. they compelled them, unde
q a threat of numbering them, to carry on
stores from the Court House to the bon
, fire in the street,. Against thatI protest
= ed, asking for time at least to eat har,
d cracker. The reply of the Captain in com
: mand. was. God d--n them, that wa
what they were brought here for" NJ.
r reply was, VERY well. sir. you may be
. prisoner some day. Some of our mel
: staggered and came near falling while car
: rying boxes of hard bread and THROWN.
" them on the fire.
Five miles from McMinnvile. on tn
Sparta road, they released us, and we mad
our way as best we could to Nashville
where we arrived on the 9TH day after on
capture. The prisoners were robbed O
Everything they had, money, overcoats
Isatchels, and in fact even their hats an
K boots. and the rebels informed ms that W
= were getting off well at that. / do no
think that the number of rebels in tho val
ley at the time we were captured exceede
n twelve hundred, although they said the
e had twelve thousand cavalry in Tennessee
A very noticeable fact, as soon as the
u robbed the citizens. was their anxiety
is know if Vallandigham was going to b
h elected Governor of Ohio. They regar
=, him as their style Of man. SIS
" A citizen living within twelve miles {
McMinnvil!e. went there on the day 10
l. lowing our capture, and on his return In
formed us that Wilder had overtsken tn
o. rebels near Woodbury.. engaged them, xii
: ed quite plumber, took 600 prisoner
" among them quite number who had bel
us in captivity. s7ad haf ita0 ~
Considering the large number OF wse
ons. mules, and great value of the stores
| scarcely know how to excuse our officer
for allowing the trains to go forward .
poorly guarded through country 9
, greatly ex posed to the raids ofthe enemy
!. cavalry. The troops composing these raid
70 ers were from Texas, Alabama. Tennessee