The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-02-22
The First Tennessee Cavalry.
ondence of the Nashyale Union.


CAMr or rHE IsT TENNESSEE CAvALRY,
Near Nashville, Feb. l9, 1865.
Another old war-worn regiment from
crushed, bleeding, down-trodden, but IN
compromising East Tennessee, has reached
the capital of the State to be mustered out
Of the service. And your correspondent
avails himself of your columns to chroni-
Gle the fact, that the friends and relatives
OF thu officers and men may be advised of
that fact, and know where the regiment Is
at the present time. It may be said with
truth, without STOPPING to draw an invid-
ious comparison, that the old war-worn lst
Tennessee cavalry, as a regiment, has
passed through as many trying scenes, en-
countered and overcome as many Difficult
ties, experienced as mu n hard, rough SER
vice, and carved out for itself on the great
war-path as full, just and exalted q need
Of permanent and honorable fame as any
regiment in this or any other Government.
But the term of its enlistment having ex-
pred, the old regiment, war-worn and
battied SCARED, at length was ordered from
the front to this point, to be honorsbly DID
charged And sir, while l would indulge
but brief reminiscence Of its history,
leaving the full record of its honorable
deeds to low from the pen of ore who is
I feel certain, fully equal to the task he
has assumed, it will not be deemed AFRO
CANT 70 declare that the history Of this
regiment 10 intimately blended with, and
will be when written out, the history
of that section Of the State fsom
whence it came. And the historian
who should fall belog that stand
ard, will have failed to grasp the sub
yect he would handle, and prove himself
unworthy to harvest the ripe Of facts which
invite his labors. And the genius of his
tory whilst truthfully penciling down the
mighty events Of this fierce and bloody
war, which has ieyelled down old and es-
tablished land marks, and changed the
destiny Of States, pausing, will rise up
to her Hottest stand point, and bending
down and invoking the spirit of the past,
she viii point her finger with admiration
% this inland, mountain-bou region, and
trace out with her pencil the many devious
and blood-stsined pathways Of her thirty
thousand loyal warriors, who would not
bow the knee to the sanguinary Baal Of
Di'union; but who, overwhelmed and dis
armed by the then resistless power Of a
military despOtism, isolated and cut Off
from the world, bound by lofty mountain
barriers, fortified aud guarded by vigilant
troops, cut Of from al succor and the hope
Of succor, yet, with minds unconquered and
hearts unappslled, rising up in the majesty
Of freemen, rather than surrender their
manhood, they made their way in mid win
ter for hundreds Of miles, through woods
and wilds, over rocks and mountains,
plunging fearlessly through deep, swollen
rivers and fierce, rushing torrents which
barred their way, hunted down by active,
vigilaut bands Of armed men, bloodthirsty
as savages, and fierce, vindictive and abau-
doned az devils, who guarded each road
and pathway, beset each ferry, ford and
caroe-landing on the numerous rivers, and
even peopled with Prowling bands the very
woods, and dells, and mountains, TO spy out
their course and intercept their way, their
pathway crimsoned all along with the life
blood Of unnumbered butchered comrades,
who fell by the wayside, along the rivers
and in the wild woods, fated, poor fellows,
never to reach the end Of their journey,
nor again to revisit the loved ones they
left behind them in the green valleys Of
their mountain homes, and whose wives
aud children, when their more fortunate
comrades shall have returned from the war,
will gaze down the well beaten path their
cheerful feet 50 often tread, in anxious
watch, to catch the first outline Of the
tall, manly form Of q husband and
father, eager TO behold and welcome the
wauderer back, and the long absent Home,
will gaze down that path in vain, and the
warm welcome which wells up from loving
hearts, will be frozen up in their bosom5
for the wanderer will return no more along
that path his eyes will sparkle no more
with pleasure, nor his manly heart swell
with love, as be marks far of bis little
progeny, hurryiDg with shouts Of gladness
OF their tiny feet TO meet and welcome him
home No, bis bones lie bleaching in the
wildwood away, unburied, uuhonOred and
unknown. And yet, midst all these dan
gers, and triumphiug over all, the suryi-
vors undaunted, press onward, and Ct
length scale the lofty barriers Of the frown-
ing Cumberland, and passing beyond them,
bidding farewell as they gaze back, 10 fam
iIy, home ard all, an Offering rich indeed 70
lay upon the altar Of their country, they
rally % q man round the old banner Of
freedom and union bailing with shouts Of
glsdness and tears, many tears, OF welcome,
its broad stripes and bright stars a. il waves
proudly yonder in the breeze hall frantic
indeed, with delight to behold it once more,
and % enroll themselves as soldiers IN It's
defence. And her verdict Will be, Brave
and Wonderful Men. The Page OF history
no who're in his living record presents 20
grand and sublime e spectacle, 70 6x the
Intention, warm the hearts, call forth the
smulati0n and challenge the admiration Of