Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-29
"reminiscences of the Second Tennes-
see Cavalry.
BY LIEUT.. JNo. w. ANDES.



My last left US in camps at German.
town, Tennessee, twenty-three miles
from Memphis, after that ever mem
orable cavalry raid into Mississippi,
and the hand to hand fight with Gen.
Forests men. Lieut.. McMahan, OF
Company E, Second Tennessee Cav
airy, had been put in command o. che
ambulance train, filed pretty well
with convalescent soldiers, unable to
march in the usual way. From Pom
totoc they went direct to Mem phis.
When taey arrived there, so great had
been The scare by Forest, aud so anx-
| fous were they TO get TO safe place,
for they thought the enemy still in
pursuit, that they suggested to Lieuten-
ant McMahan that they would better
cross the Mississippi River. Certain
Iy, he replied, plunge in, toys, she's
fOrdabie," but they didu't take his adj
vice.
On The 9Th of February the writer
was detailed, with 100 men, to guard
about 500 mules TO Memphis We ar.
them over TO the proper authority,
aud remained in the Bluff City until
the next evening, during which time
a majority OF the mules were stolen by
cluZens, IN conf junction with govern
menL employees. The animals had
been captured on our Mississippi raid.
Memphis then presented very
gloomy appearance. We returned TO
G9TmantO Yn and remained there sew
eTal days, during which time The
weather was exceedingly unpleasant. |
1t was either raining or showing
pretty much all the time Here Gen. |
Smith dlsbaGded his command, or
ganIZsd for this special occasion, and |
each regiment reported 10 its proper |
Department. Some remained in The |
Department of Mississippi, while |
others went to the Western Depart |
ment. The Tennesseeans returned to |
the Army OF the Cum berlanG, as did |
also did the 5th Kentucky aud 72ad |
Indiana. The Brigade Was then COM
manded by Col. J. NJ. Thorn burgh.
We left Germantown on the 5 Ia day of
March, 1854, 10y way of COIersvlile.
We passed the plantation aud resi-
dence Of Gen. N. b. Forrest. He was
wealthy, and great slave trader before
the war. HIS plantation, with its nu-
-
looked lie village. Everything was
standing, aud appeared To have suf-
fered nltle from ihe misfortunes of
war. We crossed Wolf river, a muddy,
sluggish stream, narrow but deep and
high banks on each side The OnlV
chance TO cross " as To build BRUCE,
hich, owing TO its narroWness, was
done with comparative ease. We
passed through Moscow and on the
7th on TO Bolivar, and thence To The
Hatchie5 river, at which place we were
delayed on account Of nigh water.
This river is something like the Wolf.
Here again We had to build bridge,
and after crossing, we had TO pass
through a swamp covered over with
water. The Second was in the rear aud
did n0tsucceed in getting across until
just at night, consequently We had to
pass through this dismal swamp after
n ght. In places the water was nearly
deep enough 10 swim horse. To add
TO the gloom OF the occasion, we were
JVeTtakeu with severe thunder storm,
The glaze Of the lightning, the deaf
suIhg peals Of thunuer, AMI the violent
wind coupled with the fact that we
were in heavily timbered swamp,
rendered the situation anything but
q pleasant one. There were many
barrow escapes from drowning, both
by man and bsast. Before getting
through, the command became badly
The storm ceased, and !
after getting out OF the swamp. with
sOme difficulty We found a public road {
anu in short time came TO a house.
Tue inmates were aroused, who in !
OrlIed Us that our command had
,assed that way before US in the early E
'arC of the night. We went on, aud G
: Aan we reached the forks of the z
cad some one in ADVANCE would get 7
own, strike match and examine for y
he footprints of those who had pre-
eeded us. About 2 o'clock in the =
u JTniug We overlook The command >
ialled until morning. Ga the S.h z
ne passed Middleton, on the Oh
d,ttltn, aud on the 10th reached Lex q
ngJUn, The county site Of Henderson 1
county. On the Ilth We passed
hTo-gh ClaTks burgh and Hunting :
ton, in Carroll county, and
N the 18th through Paris. On the ?
3.h we reached the Tennessee River
.t Fort Haynes, near Big Sandy. We
russed the river in The steamer blue 8
BIRD" at Fort Henry. We remained
Iere on the 14-h, and drew ralions. S
IA the l5.h We passed Fort DJuelsOn.
a he Cum ber!aud, twelve miles from D
'ort Henry. The marks of heavy s
CITING were still visible here, where z
iraut obtained his first decisive vic .
cry. The fort is LOCATED on bluff in
very short bend of the Cum berland. =
nd has entire command of the river r
Glow, but the Federal gunboats did
le work. We arrived at the Cumber~ =
and Iron Works on the 10Th of March. 3
During the past two days the weather IL
7as exceedingly cold, and afforded
hose who are fond of such things
God pretext for foraging for some
hing TO drink which gave rise to 4