Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-07-05
From The Camp. the Battlefield and Hospital
COLONEL INNS, ias
Or, I'VE Don't Surrender Much. y

Or, We Don't Surrender Much"
Lavergne, Tenn, a mere hamlet,
but a position of great strategic impor.
tance, between Nashville and Murfrees-
boro, had been garrisoned by small
Union force early in December, 1862.
When Gen. Rosecrans commenced his
movement from Nashville to Murfrees-
boro, in the latter part ofthat month,
the movement which eliminated in the
battle of Stone river, it was absolutely
essential that Lavergne should be
held, yet the General could spare but
a small force for it, and he knew that
the rebel cavalry General, Wheeler,
would attack it with one greatly su-
perior. In this emergency he knew
of no oneAin whose bravery and un.
fiinching resolution to hold the posi-
ton against heavy odds he could SO
fully rely as Col. VIM. P. Innis of the
first Michigan Engineers. Innis' reg
iment consisted of but 389 men. and
Wheeler would attack with 5000 cav
airy and two field pieces, while Innis
had no artillery and only some rudely
extemporized breastworks. Edmund
Kirke" Mr.. ]. R. Gilmore) tells the
story of the battle, as he heard it from
both sides, as follows:
"Col. Innis," said Gen. Rosecrans
@will you hold Lavergner
"I'll try, General
M ask if you will do itr exclaimed
the laconic General.
"l wILLF' quietly responded the
Colonel, and he kept his word.
Just as the New Years sun was
sending its first greeting to the little
band that crouched there behind the
wagons, the head of the rebel column
emerged from the woods which skirt
the southern side of the town, and
Capt. Firman, riding forward to the
fimsy breastwork, cried out:
"Gen. Wheeler demands an instant
and unconditional surrender"
"Give Gen. Wheeler my compli
ments, and tell him we don't surrender
much" came back to him from behinC
the brush-heaps.
Mounting then his Kentucky roam
the heroic Colonel rode slowly round
the rude entrenchment.
"Boys," he said, "they are three
thousand-have you all said youl
prayers ?"
awe are ready, Colonel. Let then
come on !" answered the brave Mich
gan men.
And they did come on!
"Six times we swept down on them,
said Capt. Firman to me, "and 81,
times rode up with a flag, and sum
moned them to surrender; but eacl
time Innis sent back the message, va
ried now and then with an adjective
'We don't surrender much He sa
his horse during the first charges, a
if on dress parade, but at the thirt
fire | saw him go down. l though
we had winged him, but when W,
charged again, there he sat as cool a
if the thermometer had been at zero
One of our men took deliberate aim
and again he went down; but when
rode up the fifth time and shouted
"We'll not summon you again-sul
rendersat once p it was Innis who yell
ed out: Pray don't, for zoe don't su,
render mach At the seventh charg
l was wounded, and the General sen
another officer with the summons
Your people halted him a hundre'
yards from the breastwork, and an ol
ficer, in a cavalryman's overcoat, cam
out to meet him.
["They had killed my two horses,
said Col. Innis to me afterward, "and
was afraid they would SINCE my uni
form-the fire was rather hot-so
covered it,
"EWhat is your rank, sir ?" demand
ed the Union officer.
"'Major, sir
AGO back and tell Gen. Wheele
that he insults me by sending one ol
your rank to treat with one of mine
Tell him, too. | have not come here t
surrender. l shall fire on the enext flag
'1t was Innis, and by that ruse b
made US believe he had received rein
forcements. \ Thinking it was SO, W
drew of, and The next day Innis sen
Wheeler word by prisoner, that h
had whipped US with three hundre
and eighty-nine men!'