Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-29
LETTER FROM NASHVILLE.
The sdVentufe of a Soldier within
tina Lines of the Rebel Army.
NASHVILLE, Dec. q.

NASHVILLE, Dec. Il.
EDITOR LEADER being once s7reader
of your excellent paper, I shall give you
a little account of my being among therob-
els a prisoner, and they not knowing it. Be-
ing unfit for duty, from lame ankle, II
was in the hospital here, and was detailed |
as q safe guard five miles ont from the
town, on tho H.rding Pike, was there
when Hoods army came into the vicinity
of Nashville and became aware Of their
presence on Friday night, the ID inst.
After night kept dark, and tried in the
morning. when it was Light, to get back to
our lines, but some rebel cavalry got ht-
tie the start of me and just before l reach
ed our picllets the rebels drove them in and
formed strong picket line between me
and our forces. lay and watched them
through the day, and at night l went
back to a negro cabin on Hr. Chesthams
place where was cared for and chinked
up into the garret of the cabin and thus
secreted myself from the gaze Of those
traitors to our government. They we're
ali around me, and so uear were some of
them that 1 could have reached them With
my hand. 1 heard them talk and Jaw their
manners, which were not much Of the
military style, for such rambling and
struggling I never before saw "'s1or's ro'-
diers. For thirteen days 1 kept out of
their sight, until the grand movement of
our army, on tho 18th, whom General
Hacks division of cavalry came through
ana relieved me. You may believe 1 was
glad, indeed, 10 see the blue coats coming
once more. The rebels are, the most of
them, very sick of the war; they say it is
the rich ma rs quarrel and the poor mans
| fight. Colonel White, commanding q
brigade saidifit was left to him tosay what
should be done, he would go that day to
the Yankee pickets and give up and live
under the old Government again. But he
said all he had on earth was in the South
and he must stand by her, stand or fall.
One good joke happened them while
was there. The night of the 10th, forty
five men, with their horses, guns, and one
piece of artillery, left, and said they were
going home; if they could get across thu
Tennessee river they would fight for Davi
no more. General Chalmers sent ont
: hundred men after them, but it wa
thought they would see no more of tn
. forLy-fve or the one hundred either.
= Some people in the neighborhood wer
very CAD 70 see the rebels come through
1 They were going to take Nashville back
but after almost two weeks foraging, cut
ting timber, burning fences, and eonscript
ing all the white men and eontraband ne
gr0es they could get, they were glad t
> see them leave again.
. They came very near getting me mum
a Der of times once they surrounded tn
\ house TO search for q cOntrsband, bu
luckily for me he had gone to the sprin
Z for water and came up before they foun
y me. MIR. Cheatham's folks and the negroe
= were very kind and true to me, whic
= probably saved my life, for it (my life
i would not have been worth much had the
. found me- 1 had a coed time to read m
" - Bible. So much good came of the scrap,
! NV heart best pretty fast some of tho tim'
= Yours truly,
) L. w. ROBERTS,
o Co. G, 10th o. v C.