Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1864-01-27
fordsyille elected even the praise Of tn.

he succeeded throughout the whole day, by
his stubborn resistance, in keeping back the
entire corps Of the enemy. AS the enemy
formed hislines on the hills west Of Perry.
Vile, with the. evident intention of turning
our left flank, Col. Wheeler charged and
put to rodt his advancing lines. When
the command.in.c chief decided to retire from
Kentucky, Wheeler was appointed chief Of
cavalry, and assigned to the duty Of cover
ing the retreat This duty. was performed
with great tact and success. His effective
force did not exceed 1000 sabres; yet, so
ingeniously did he display this small force,
thatsbe protected every approach to the ar
my, and compelled the enemy to. advance
in long lines of battle, under the impression
that heavy infantry force was in his front
thus retarding bis advance, and restrict
ing bis march tosix and seven miles q day.
Indeed, General Buell. stated officially that
General Bragg's rear was covered BY caVal.
ry which was handled with more skill than
had ever been known under similar circutn-
stances: =
After the Kentucky campaign, upon the
united recommendations of Generals Bragg,
Hardee, Polk and Breckenridge, Colonel
Wheeler was commissioned Brigadier Gen
eral, and sent to Middle Tennessee. Soon
thereafter, on the 26th Of December, 1852,
Rosencrans commenced his march on.Mur-
freesboro. For three successive days Gen.
Wheeler SO disposed his forces as to induce
the enemy to believe he was resisted by
our entire army. When General Bragg
was ready to receive the enemy, Wheeler
quietly withdrew at night fall within the
infantry lines. After fow hours rest, "to
horse !'' was again sounded, and with about
800 men he made circuit land fell upon
the enemy's rear and wagon trains. Train
after train was captured or destroyed, and
building after building filled with valuable
stores, was burned. The loss sustained by
the enemy in wagons, mules, supplies and
material was immense At night be camp.
ed bis weary horsemen under the light Of
the Federal camp fires, and on the follow
ing day, he Joined in the fierce carnage Of
the S1st December, charging repeatedly up.
on the enemy's lines and rendering most
important service il the great battle: Up
on the conclusion of the struggle around
Murfrsesboro and the withdrawal ofathe
Confederates, he was again called upon to
cover the retreat Of the army. For FIVE days
he held the enemy in check after our In
faptry had evacuated the town, and thus
gave our forces time to remove their trains
and secure their supplies. ssz5e# y ge1
After the battle of Murfreesboro, General
Wheeler was ordered to work upon the enc.
my's line Of communications. With scarce.
ly 500 effective men in bis command, he
commenced the march, and amid the beat
ing SNOW. and ice hunted up the enemy's
stores on the banks Of the Cumberland,
and along the railroad from Murfreesboro to
Nashville. A dozen transports, laden with
rich supplies and guarded by gunboat,
bound for the fsArmy of the Cumberland" !"
fell a prey to his bold troopers, and their
blackened hulls soon lined the shore. The
armament of rifed guns belonging to the
gunboat, number of small arms, and val.
liable supplies of ammunition, in addition
to the cargoes Of the transports, fell into
their hands, and were either destroyed or
brought of. Not less than twenty other
transports, guarded by ironclad gunbpats,
took fright, threw overheard their valuable
stores into the muddy Cumberland, and
thus lightened, were enabled to escape the
daring Confederates.
At Ashland, on the north bank of the
river, the enemy had collected immense
supplies of subsistence. Although the Cum
berland was much swollen by recent rains,
Wheeler swan his dauntless horssmen over
and drove off the guard, consisting of a
regiment of infantry, and destroyed stores
covering several asres of ground. About
this time he was joined by Forrest and
his command, the two uniting with him in
chasing the enemy into the forts at Dover,
and in capturing battery of splendid rifed
guns, more ammunition and small arms, a
hundred prisoners, wagon train, and a
number of mules and horses. On his re-
turn to army headquarters he took other
prisoners and train of cars. The loss in
fcted upon the enemy during this brilliant
expedition, in which formidable .gunboat
was forced to strike her colors to "Wheel-
er's horse-marines," delayed the advance
of the enemy for several months, thus pro-
wing it to be one Of the most effective raids
of the entire war. Before he reached head
quarters he received telegram from the
President announcing his promotion to Ma
jor General of cavalry. - .sa..
But cannot follow our hero through h'all
his brilliant service, nor recount the many
successful skirmishes. battles and expedi-
tions in which he figured. At the great
battle of Chickamauga, he took an import
ant part, capturing some 1900 prisoners "a
train of wagons and ambulances, and large
supply of medical stores and other proper
erty. Soon after the battle be undertook
to make circuit of the Federal army with
a force of about 4,5O0 men. He crossed
the Tennessee river at Cotton Port, and re.
crossed it near Huntsville, after an absence
of nine days, during which he crossed Wal