Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-02-25
"reminiscences Of the Second Tennes-
see Cavalry.
NO. TX
BY LIEUT.. JNo. W. ANDES.

L
The great battle of Chickamauga wal
fought on Sunday, the 2)th day o
September, 1863. It takes lis name
from the creek of that name, few
miles from Chattanooga, near the
| State line, where the battle occurred
1t was one of the blOodiest Of the war
| The bravery of the troops on either
side was displayed, as on many other
| closely contested fields in that uphap-
py war. The 20:h of Septem Der, 1868,
was a day that will never be forgotten
by those who participat in that mem
orabIe struggle. 1t was bright, beauti-
full day, wheel nature had just begun
to put on the scar and yellow leaf of
autumn. There was considerable
! frost that morning and some ice. The
sun rose gTandly over the eastern
hills, and all nature seemed at
peace. Alas how many saw the
sun rise that morning for their last
time. Not a gun was fired until about
9 O'Clock a. m., at which time both
armies were in full battle array, facing
each other, ready TO begin the deadly
conflict. II appears as if each side was
waiting for the other to strike first.
Gen. ROsecrans did not intend TO make
an attack that day. But, at the time
mentioned, a gun was fired from one
of Gen. Briggs batteries, which APP
pesred to have been signal for com
Tnencing operations all along his lines.
In less time than it takes to write il,
there must have been hundred pieces
of artillery discharged. Then the To
tie of musketry became fc9feniog,
aud nearly a hundred thOusU 1 men
were engaged in mortal combat. The
battle ragged, without cessation, until
O'Clock IN the afternoon.
The Second Cavalry was s'a'ioned
Oh Rosecraus' right, there being but
one single regiment ON our right. We
occupied the ground at CraWtish
Spring, a large spring, the basin of
which is about 100 yards in cireum.
ference, and deep enough To- swim a
horse. A large creek ran off from il,
to the banks of which our woun,ied, q
large portion of them, were carried
during he day, several hundred hos
pitat tents having been put up there
Before night the tents were filed with
wounded and dying soldiers. Hun
DIRE DIS were laid out on the leaves and
the sedge grass of an old field just by,
and hardly out of the range of the
enemy's shells. Our regiment was the
last to leave the field on Sunday even
ing. As we were leaving, we were
closely pressed by C0nfedeIates,
and those who escaped the enemy's
bullets bad no time to render assist
ance to the wounded. L shall never
forget the piteous cries of hundreds of
our men, as we would ride by. Some
with an arm off, some with leg and
others seriously or MORALLY wounded,
when they realized that they were
about to fall into the hands of the enc
my, their appeals were heart-rending
While some were thus pleading with
all the eloquence of despair, others
were dying. Such are some of the
realities of terrible war. To add to the
horrors of the occasion, the exploding
shells had set fire to the leaves and
sedge grass, and hundreds of poor fell
lows were in danger of burning to
death.
We were compelled to surrender the |
position we had held. At the time
our Regiment retreated, which |
smoke it was impossible to distinguish |
a friend from a foe, twenty yards |
away. The whole atmosphere was
with the odOr of gun
powder. AS above remarked, the |
official reports show that this was one |
of the bloOdiest battles of the war. The |
killed numbered thousands, while |
hundreds died afterwards from
wounds received upon the battle-fie
On Monday, the 2lst of Septem Der,
we fell back TO Chattanooga, and COM
menced to erect Qualifications. The
greatest excitement prevailed, and
nothing was spared that could be used
or the construction Of works for de-
ense. Dwelling houses, and out house
we're torn down and used for that pur-
bose, and families in tie outskirts of
he town were forced to seek refuge
lsew here than in their own homes.
Houses which were not near enough
o use for bTeastwOTks, but which
night Ob-truct our guns were burned.
)ur cavalry covered the retreat of our
Irmy, anu when they came in the
enemy were right after them.
We had some fun as we came in at
he expense of Capt. 5. P Rowan, of
Company II. The Captain was sitting
IN his horse, near a large white-oak
rec. A minnie ball came along aud
truck the eide of the tree about oppo-
tie to and not aver fifteen inches from
lis head, thro wing the bark with
|
Iaimed, 81 am shot, boys" and, riding
fl some distance, djsmOunted. Ex-
showed that his face was
iadly bruised, but nothing more. He
vas almost kuncked from his horse.
nd considerably stunned, but We were
Don gratified to Know that he was not
hurt, and that the services
fthe gallant Captain were not be dis.
ensed with ye'.
There was heavy fighting around
on Monday evening, but
ur regiment was not again engaged.
Ne were ordered into town and took
barge OF a heavy wagon train, loaded
With wOunde men, ETC., which we
Don safely landed on the other side of
he Tennessee river, the same evening.
ne Educational Rupture az Friends
Station.