Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-09-14
The Late Raid.
KNOXVILLE, Sen


| To gather up and preserve every important item
of the war now raging and of the heroic deeds of
those engaged in lis conflicts, is duty all should
endeavor to perform. The men composing our ar
mics are intensely in earnest. They went into the
matter with Il willingness and readiness to lay,
whenever an occasion demanded the sacrifice their
lives and their all upon the altar of their country
Their sentiment from the beginning of it has been,
cost what it may in blood and treasure, this rebel
lion must be crushed, its must be eradicated,
and peace secured on firm and permanent bases
How these men fought and how they achieved vic
tories will be the enquiry not only Of the present,
but Of all future generations.
Tho following incidents, which occurred in our
vicinity during the late Wheeler raid worthy of
record and prsservaton-the truth of which eye
witnesses are ready to vouch for.
When that redoubtabe chieftain, at the head of his
five thousand horse-thieves, had performed the feat
of capturing the small town of Maryville making
prisoners of two congregations of men, women, and
children, there assembled on the Sabbath, quietly
worshiping their Maker. Having picked their pock-
cts and robbed them and other prisoners they had
VI tHc Nlotiico kicS SCI
to the town and burned, perhaps unintentonally
several houses belonging to his best friends and ad
mircrs he started with his raiders up the valley Of
the Holston, hoping to be able to accomplish some
thing which would reflect additional honor to his
command.
chance he thought presented itself. 1t was the
capture of the little garrison at Strawberry Plains.
| A.. r. H. ls.l 4
there spans the Holston. To accomplish these he
had to ford both the French Broad and that river
the latter few miles below the bridge. As both
rivers were swollen by recent rains the fording was
somewhat difficult. Having, however, crossed the
first without serious accident heapproached the ford
of the second; his artillery placed in position;
his sharpshooter arranged at suitable points along
the bank and every precauton taken to secure their
safety while making the crossing. But unfortunately
for many of them, whose spouting blood crimsonsd
the muddy water of that river, there on the OPP
poste bank spartan band--ten men of the 10th
Michigan Cavalry-who had forgotten fear, and
were rendered desperate by the contempt they felt
for the rebel hordcs in disregard of their numbers,
and in spite of their missiles opened fire upon thenl
making every shot tell and they continued firing
till after the rebels had crossed and had closed in 10
take them prisoners. God preserve the brave
Although voley after voley was fred at them only
one was wounded. They were all taken prisoners,
but succeeded in euding the vigencc of their
guard and escaped, and got back safely to camp
There is to doubt whether ancient or modern
history furnishes an instance of trer hcroism than
this. In many respects this attack of ten men, TN
protected by breast-works, on five thousand, with
their artillery, and their improved modern rifles,
eAcels the heroism of the three hundred Spartan at
the Straits of Thermopoli.
A mile or two above where this took place, while
the rebels were resting and making arrangements TO
attack the garrison at the bridge cvcntyfvc others
of the same regiment dashed in among them, and
by their desperate fighting, the rapidity and well
directed fire of their carbnes, compelled the rebels
to fall back to the crest of ridge where they took
courage, formed in line of battle, and, owing to
their immense superiority of numbers succeeded in
taking some thirty of their assaants prisoners and
killing and wounding few. The prisoners, like,
their comrades, made their escape in few days to
camp. Rev. Mr.. G., loyal resident of East Ten
nessoe who TO escape capture or being robbed, had
hid from the rebels in house close by, where h.
witnessed the fight, says, as the result, he counted
after the fight twcnty.sN new rebel graves. and has
no doubt, from what he saw, if there had been a