Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-06-10
"reminiscences Of the Second Tenues-
see Cavalry,
BY LIEUT.. JNo. w. ANDES.
NO. Xxx,

My last lett the writer and his com
rades in rather perilous situation, bu
We made our escape. When we turned
back, with the enemy in pursuit, We
were al least two miles from cur com
mand. l took Captain Rice's piS-
LOi back with me as trophy o.
the chas. after returning L was
so much exhausted from fatigue and
excitement, that / was compelled To
take rest Upon examination Capt.
Rjce's pistol proved TO be splendid
seIfcocker, and all the caps were
found to have been tested, but upon
trying them again some of them ex-
plOded with clear discharge. After
a short rest we moved on to Decatur,
arriving there without further trouble
and with all of our stock safe.
| l have given the details of my ex-
citing chase after Capt. Rice, not for
the purpose of psrading my own acts
! before the public, but it was
! one Of the mysteries of war that /
/ escaped at all. 1t has always been
mystery TO nae, as it also was to the
Confederate soldiers who saw il. After
wards 1 received, in various ways,
many complimentary messages from
Capt. IStCS anu MS DTaN6 men. IH0Y
invited me TO come through the lines
and visit them, vowing that not
hair OF my head should be touched
They rendered me reception
and agreed that L might bring
a portion of my command with
me. Quite q number of our men did
meet them under flags of truce, but
never cav them afterwards. We cap
tured some of the regiment afterwards
who told me that not less than one
hundred caps were bursted at me.
On the 18th of August, 1854, our
Brigade moved out in the direction of
Motion. We marched all night, ar
irving at Motion about an hour
before day. We charged into town,
where some Confederate troops were |
posted. killed two men, and |
captured a half dozen. We secuted |
the country pretty thoroughly, and |
started back to Decatur, having Skin |
mished pretty much all day. The |
weather was very warm, and the |
writer had taken off his blue uniform
and put on a linen buster, which
proved to be serious affair. AT one
time while the Fourth Tennessee Cav
airy were engaged with the en-
envy, I was ordered out with
my Company to reinforce them.
Seeing me- coming up with
my linen coat they mistoOk me for a
and fred a volley at US.
I sent forward some of my men in
uniform who corrected the mistake,
but took care not to wear the linen
buster again under such circum-
stances.
At night we camped in a ravine at
the roadside, while with Co. K and
a part OF Co. NJ, was sent out on
picket. My post was on top of a
hill some distance ont, a splen-
did position for observation. L
soon discovered that the enemy were
active, and that we must be on the
alert. In the first part of the night
our outposts were frequently fired
upon. They were all the time moving
their columns to the opposite side of
the camp from us, but they were dis {
and we were ready for them. z
CAPTAIN J. H. Knight was acting as r
officer of the Day, and kept wide
wake, riding the lines all night. He 2
anne to my post about thirty minutes {
Defore the enemy made their charge
nd warned me of what was going on,
hat we might expect an attack on our
amps The command had been
reused. and had their horses saddled; Q
was ordered to hold my position If +
iOssibie. and my men were all ready. l
APT. Knight proved to be correct.
he enemy had stolen. under cover of
light, in our rear, dismounted and A
,ere ready to storm our camps.
Just about twelve o'clock heard in
loud voice, Squadron. forward B
larch, double-quick, charge" and then D
,llOwed the now familiar war-whoop.
hey came on dismouted, having to
Ome only about three hundred yards B
cling like wild men; but they struck
os. @, I. A and d of the Second Cav q
Try, and being ready to received them g
nth q stroke of sabres, checked them @
{ once. Our whole com mand then "
harged upon them with terrible effect, 8,
Hing several. wounding many others g
nd taking twenty-five prisoners, =
Without the loss of a single manor
ur side.
One man in our regiment was =
harged with having killed a man
ere after he was taken prisoner, but 9
he proof could not be made. If 1T =
nuld have been his life would have
aid the penalty.
n