The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-02-27

Is no man llVln9 whose WORD WouI(
60 further with US than that of tn,
| heightened gentleman who edits tht
Journal. But we know to certain
ty that the "Headquart ers'' of al
army is a good place fer a man tC
be deceiVed. The exact truth i!
never told to a private citizen a.
headquarters" however eminen
and trustworthy that citizen may be
The secrets of the commander are
kept in his own bosom and never Cli
Vulged except to his corps or divis
ion commanders. Fictions are uoi
unfreqpently invented for the ears
OF private gentlemen who are eager
fer information, and who think them
selves intimate at headquarters. In
this way General sometimes salts.
fies his friend and sends him away
feeling that he has learned a great
deal, when in reality he is as ignor.
ant as to the movements to be made
as he was before he came into the
Generals presence
Ii does not seem to US possible
that the wires could have remained
mp during the seige. General
Wheeler was there with his cavalry,
and he had telegraph instruments
with him. He would have stopped
every message before it reached the
Office in the city and would have re.
piled to it himself. The operator
at the Gap knew Wheeler was be-
tween him and Knoxville and he
would not have sent a message of
any Importance over the wires whea
he kneo0 the enemy would get it BE-
fore General Burn side could. We
still think the Federal General re-
ceived his information through
scouts. OF course we do not say
positively that the wires were not
up all the time. We were around
Longstreet's entire line two or three
times on mule back. looking around
at The situation, but We never thought
Of telegraph-never looked to see
whether the wires were up or down.
We took it for granted that our
cavalry had destroyed that line of
communication the first thing.
We do not remember much about
the days of the week while the war
was going on. One day to the aver
age soldier was about the same as
another. We think we have heard,
however. that the attack was made
on that fort near Knoxville on Sun
day morning. 1t was cold, bitter.
gloomy morning. and our boys met
: bloody reception. Knoxville, that
day. welcomed our boys-and some
of them were her own sons-''with
bloody hands TO hospitable grave"
That night, if we are not mistaken
LOngstreet's forces drew of, taking
the road towards Strawberry Plains
and Rutledge. It was known eve Y
where in cur ranks and had been for
day or SO, that Bragg had been
defeated at Missionary Ridge.
The Federals had possession Of
the country between Cumberland
Gap and Clinton. There was doubt
less a telegraph between these two
points. The latter town is not far
from Knoxville. A fast courier and
a cunning scout could, IN o very
short time. have brought Gen. Burns
side message from that point an
nounciRg the defeat of Bragg at Mis-,
siOnary ridge. and the General, in his
Office at Knoxville few hours after
the defeat, might have read the mes
sage 10 his staff and to DIR. Sewer.
Any how it don't seem reasonable
that Grant and burnside we're tele-
graphing to each other right through
the Confederate lines for several
days. and nobody thought OF either
tea ring down the wires or attaching
an instrument to take off the Mes
cages and thus find out what those
two distinguished gentlemen were
talking about. Wheeler wasn't do
ing his duty, or be would have found
out great many things which he
and others would have given u good
deal to know.
We do not kaoa0 anything about
the telegraph and only guess it was
cut down. But there is one thing
we do know aud can give the Doctor
positive Information about. It was
cold when that same
seige was going on. We bad to
dance pretty lively several days aud
nights to keep from freezing We
saw men with frozen blood on their