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

KNOXVILLE, Sept. 10, lsbl.
To gather up and preserve every important item
of the war now raging, and Of the heroic deeds OF
those engaged in its conflicts, is duty ali should
endeavor to perform The men composing our ar
mics are intensely in earnest. They went into the
matter with 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 cause must be eradcated,
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.
The following incidents, which occurred in our
vicinity during the late Wheeler raid worthy Of
record and prSservation-the truth Of which eye
witnesses are ready to vouch for
When that redoubtable chietan, at the head of his
five thousand horse-theves 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
made of the clothes they had OF, and having set FIRE
to the town and burned, perhaps Internationally
several houses belonging to his best friends and ad
mrers 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.
A chance he thought presented itself. 1t was the
capture of the little garrison Strawberry Plains,
and the distraction of the railroad bridge which
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 swollen by recent rains, the fordng was
somewhat difficult. Having, however, crossed the
first without serious accident heapprOached the ford
Of the second; his artillery placed in position;
his sharpshooters 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 was on the p
posite 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 them,
making every shot tell ; and they continued firing
till after the rebels had crossed and had closed in TO
take them prisoners. God preserve the brave
Although volley after volley fred at them, only
one was wounded. They were all taken prisoners,
but succeeded in eluding the vigilence Of their
guard and escaped, and got back safely to camp
There is reason to doubt whether ancient or modern
history furnishes an instance of truer herOism than
this. In many respects this attack Of ten men, IN
protected by breast-wOrks, five thousand, with
their artillery, and their improved modern rifles,
exces the herosm of the three hundred Spartans at
the Straits of ThermOpoi.
A mile or two above where this took place, while
the rebels were resting and making arrangements to
attack the garrison at the bridge seventyfve others
of the same regiment dashed in among them, and
by their desperate fighting the rapidity and well
directed fire of their carbines, 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.. C., loyal resident of East Ter
nessee, who to escape capture or being robbed had
hid from the rebels in house close by, where he
witnessed the fight, says the result, he counted
after the fight twenty-six rebel graves and has
no doubt from what he saw, if there had been a