Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-31
The Wheeler Raid.

The Wheeler Raid.
The late raid Of the rebels turns out to be
a larger affair than was at first supposed
1t has been satisfactorily ascertained that
there were in the command, 5000, and as
many rs e'9h general officers Wheeler be-
ING the chief in command They entered
East Tennessee from Dalton-attacled
Clcveand-got whipped, and passing round
Charleston crossed the Hiwasscc river
south of thcre-madc descent upon Athens,
robbed all the storcs-scized upon some
citizons-torc up the railroad at intcrmcdi-
ate points from there to little Philadelphia.
They intended an attack upon the Loudon
bridge, but that place was held by General
Ammon and Il sufficient force, with a. many
large guns rs he needed They have Il great
horror tor our tortiticatiops.
Failing in their designs upon Loudon,
they crossed the Little Tennessee river
above and below Madisonvillc fell in upon
and destroyed Maryvilc The particulars
Of that affair have been given, and We are
pleased to make one correction Of the ver-
sion we gave in our extra, We lost no one
Of our garrison in killed on wounded, and
those they took prisoners have. in part
escaped One incident is worthy Of men
ton. The rebels set fire to frame build
ing on the west Of the court house, when
the wind was blowing from the west and
upon the court house, hoping to burn our
troops out, whom they had for hours been
trying to dislodge AZ soon az they fired
the dwelling the wind changed, and burned
ND the rebel houses on that line Of the street,
then it shifted south. crossing the street, and
consumed the leading rebel houses on that
side The only Union house we have heard
Of being destroyed was the house Of ParsOn
Dowel and he ought to be reimbursed, by
the sale OF rebel property TOR his benefit
From Maryvilie the thieves and robbers
ton. continuing on the line between Blount
and Knox counties, as far H. to the Seven
Islands. On the French Broad river. Cross
iuo over into III, lower end Of Jefferson
county. they made an attack upon the gar
ri,on at Strawberry Plains, and got--not
only rcpulscd bet whipped. They lost some
twenty-five men there our men since count
ing that many rebel graves We had 100
men in the fort, all told and the first at
tempt the rebels made to mount one Of their
gums. our men in the fort dismountcd it.
aud it fell into our hands. Our loss
was three or four horses killed by the enemy.
Crossing the Hoston river about twelve
miles east Of Knoxville. the rebels attacked
aud burned the railroad bridge over Flat
Creek Here the most desperate fight Of
the war cnsucd Major Smith, Of General
Ellison staff encountered them with -
mounted men, and lost but one man. The
Major is fine cavalry officer, and be and
his men fought with great bravery, against
Il most fearful odds
From Flat Creek bridge they came round
ON the north side Of Knoxville along the
waters Of Beaver Creek, taking care not TO
come closer to the Notifications of Knox
vile than q circle Of eight to fifteen miles
Crossing Clinch river at Ices Ferry. twelve
miles north Of Knoxville, they passed On
through Roane county to Post Oak Springs,
northwest Of Kingston. ten miles or the
rise, not having the courage to attack our
garrison at Kingston Before crossing the
Clinch they were attacked by fifty Of our
scouts who killed three Of them and cap
tured one loosng one OF our hundred day
men, who was shot through the breast
Through the vigilance, energy and skill
Of our officer, in command here. at the
Plains, and at Loudon we have been able
10 capture more OF their men than they
have of ours, bringing them in every day
from one to fifteen, for week the length
OF time it took them to make the circuit
from Maryville to Post Oak Springs Thus
far the raid has cost them ~ much as they
have pro6tcd by it. They have stolen all
the good horses aud mules IN their course
destroyed the growing corn consumed the
hay. oats aud vegetables IN then march
burned some Union houses robbed others
and robbed private citizens OF their money
.nd clothes In other words, they have