The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-02-19

w. CtsERoN & CO., publishers,
SUNDAY. FEERUARY ls, 1865.
AScoutlng Expedition.

in obedience 10 orders received from
MAJ Cen Rousseau on the 18th instant,
at II q. m, I proceeded with 80 men of
18th Tennessee cavalry, Capt. Poston's
company, on the Nolensville pike, in
search of guerrillas Ten miles from
town I learned that there we're three
guerrillas at the next toll gate, which
Is IA miles from this city, Knowing
the impossibiiiy of approaching the
place without being discovered a long
way Of, ! pressed two country wagons
and placed four dismounted men in
each wagon, getting IN one myself. We
then drove up and stopped at the toll
gate, rs If ID pay toll, upon which two
men appeared at the door, and as rose
up IN the wagon one Of them in a very
rough manner asked me what / wanted
there. I then asked him who he was.
lie replied 10y saying that / could not
come into the house, and then turned
and ran 10, slamming the door after
him / jumped from the wagon and
forcing open the door, called to him
not to run or be would be shot 1 had
previously given orders 10 the men not
20 fire unless they were fred upon or
could not hale any ore running from
tie house, bat before I could force my
way through the house, and just as !
stepped into the back yard, heard the
men distinctly hating him several
times 10 which ne paid no attention,
but ran off through the corn6eid, some
Of the men fred, and 7 an sorry ID cay
killed him
do not think the command can be
blamed for his death 1t is a circum-
stance TO be- depIored, and no one r,-
gret7 IL more than l.
Tie innocent is as brave as a lion,
but tine guilty fees from his shadow.
Be that as it may, the report published
IN the Dispatch Of the 18th stating that
his life was threatened 10y one. of the
men is utterly yos. and uiD5n to.uda-
ton
After leaving the toll-gate about q
mile we encountered and gave chase 10
three guerrillas, who proved 10 be no
match for the old l4th Two Of the
men were oyer-hauled, one Of whom,
Joshua P Luck, formerly q business man
Of this city was, killed as he rode with
his pistol in his hand and one named
Williams aF1s "Lee, was captured
the otheT-Fos5-made mis- escape
Patterson was NOT Of this party, as
stated 10y the Dispatch
We camped six miles 10 the left of |
Eolensylllc, and returning next morn
ing resumed the trail Of the guerrilla |
who had escaped the previous day
Finding {. impossible to proceed at a
fast raitwith the prisoner whose wound
was bleeding afre5h, sent him with
half the command to procure a wagon
and carry him slowly to Nashville,
with orders to have him turned oyer, 50 !
that be could procure medical treat
meut
Fin cedar thIcket we found the horse
that Luck was riding when shot, tied to
"a cedar, and cavalry saddle and bri-
die United States pattern) lying by
him I have turned the horse over
in dirt road half a mile from the
pike, a lady told me that four bush
whaczers had passed her no use, in
quiring If there had been any Yanks
there One Of these men was Fost, who
told a negro that he was going to get
out Of the country, for it was getting
too ID bot for him
Putting the negro on the horse we
captured we followed on the trail of
the guerrillas and tracked them to
where they had crossed the Nashville
and Chattanooga Railroad, one mile
above Antioch. Atthe house of a man
named Morgan, ! pressed a young man
to guide Us TO the Nurfreesboro pike,
one and half miles from which we
met q negress who told us that the
Cuerrillas had robbed and burned
suffers wagon on the pike Passing
on, we come 10 the place, and were in
formed that we we're two hours and
half behind them that there were FIVE
guerrillas, and that they had three har-
messed mules leading We followed
them six miles on the road leading to
Wilson county, and then found they
had made a sudden turn to the left
Meeting a young man, he told us that
they were going toward a woodward,
where We followed them, and learned
that they had dashed in among and |
fred on the choppers while they were |
at dinner, robbing many negroes and !
some white men. was told that Capt |
Stesrnes had been robbed I saw one
wagon they had capsized and broken
heard they had burned several, but did /.
not see them.
can safely certify TO the best of my |
knowledge and belief and information. /
that there were only five guerrillas in /
all engaged IN the attack on the wood 1
yard Where the Dispatch got that
great cock snd bull story from about
several hundred Confederate" cavalry
appearing six miles from town, l cannot
tell, unless It was from the fertile brain
Of the editor, which 9 fear Is ever full I