Knoxville tri-weekly Whig and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1864-1866, 1864-07-26
Il For the Knoxville Wing.
"lAWay down South in Dixie"
NEAR IsHAx's FoRD, TUTToN Co., GA,
July -, 1864.

knowing the anxiety among our huineTOus
friends in East Tennessee to know the where
abouts, condition, &C., of the East Tennessee
troops, we will. by your permission, Mr.. Editor,
try to give tLem some information and if we
should, in the course of this short letter, say
something on other than army matters, pardon
will no doubt be granted to an humble soldier
in Sherman's Army, and who expects to make
East Tennessee his home when this ''cruel war
is over"
Operations of this army have been unimpor-
tant for some days. After the fankmg opera
tons on the right Of cur army Of the first inst,
which proved so successful in drawing the enc
M from their stronghold on Kenesaw Noun
tain, the 23d Army Corps rested until the 9th,
on what is known as the '-Knick2jack" road,
five miles west of Rough Station, or Smyrna
Church. On the 9TH we marched to the above
named Station, which is five miles South of Ma
rietta on the railroad leading to Atlanta, and
about the same distance north of where the
railroad crosses the ChattahOOchee river. On
the Sth we marched early in the morning, and
at noon arrived at the Chattahoochee, and i'm
mediately made preparations for crossing One
brigade OF the 81 division crossed in boats with
but little opposition, there being small force
of the enemy posted on some high hills on the
last bank OF the river, with one small piece Of
artillery, a six pound howltzer. These fed al
the approach Of orr men, and abandoned their
artillery, which fell into our hands. while we
lost not man. During the evening the re-
mainder of Gen. Cox's division crossed over and
G. H. H,l -,
ion, and we have taken strong position and
one from which Johnston 5 hosts will not drive
! us.
To our friends we will say, the 81 and 9th are
right side Up, and the front. as usual. OF the
other Tennessee regiments we cannot speak so
fully as they are in another division Gen. Coxs)
ana our facilities for acquaintance are not SO
great. The 9th is now commanded by Captain
William Ausmus, Col. Cooper being in command
of the 1t brigade, and the other field officers,
1t Col. Maynard and MAJ. y. NJ Gamble, being
in hospital. The Sd, rs usual, is COMMANDED by
Col. Cross, who is the idol of his men, and com
mands the respect Of all who know him. These
two regiments are like twin hlothers They
have fought together, and bled tosether, and
many u rur'H nave uIed on th2 same battle field
together, and great is their attachment for
each otner, that one seems necessary part Of
the other.
We, as Tennesseeans, cannot refrain from
thinking Of the great change that has taken
place in the past twelve months. Notwithstand-
ing only one short year ago our once happy
Switzerland o. America" was held in bondag,
by the hired merccnaries of the purse. proud arts
tocrats Of Georgia, and other portions of the
South, ne, the renegades of East Tennessee, are
now away down here South of the Chattahoo-
chez, and in company with the hated Yankee
army are devastating the sacred soil Ofthi5 once
proud and naughty. but now humbled State
Something of a change, to be surel Then they
cooly informed our friends who were so unfortu-
nate 10 be left within their vile grasp, that we
were hopelossly banished from the land of our
birth, and which we loved better than any OTHER
spot on earth. But change has come over
the spirit OF their dreams" and not much to
their liking Cur land is now free from their
hated presence, except few rebel citizens who
occasionally commit depredations on the coun-
try in the form of guerrilla parties, and some
Sontemptible Copperheads These same men
are among those who said but. one party could
exist there, and we now. as we have always done,
accept the proposition. and extend it to them
We now tell you, rebel citizens Of East Tennes-
see, you cannot live with there, and the sooner
you make up your minds to go to a congenial
South, or to the North, which you have hated
so bitterly, and against which you have said
eyeryt hinU that WAS yyclysd or malicious tI,o
better will it be for you. You may hide your
politica! sins and other vile deeds before North
ern officers, by taking the amnesty oath, and
thus for time save your property and your per-
son. but East Tennesseeans who have witnessed
your course, and who have been the recipients
of the oppression prompted by such scoundfels
and villains as you are, never forget you, and