Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-07
"reminiscences of the Third Tennes
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL. A. M'TEER.


NO XXXvI.
FALLING BACK TOWARDS STEPHENS
LoST-A FALL FROM THE RAILROAD
CAMP NEAR COON CREEK.
On the &c h of November, 1854. we
moved to Huntsville, and staid there
all night. On the morning of the
9th every thing was hustle and prepa-
ration to get every thing away. We
had some two or three engines on the
railroad. and they were kept very
busy switching about and gathering
scattered military stores. Two of
these were left about the depot
while the command was moving out.
One of them run off the track, and
having nobody to get it back, and the
rebels coming close, it had to be
abapdoned, aud fell into rebel hands.
The command moved by way of
Flint Creek, Gurley's Tank, Browns
vile, Point Rock river, Larkinsville
and to near Belle Fonte without any,
thing of unusual interest occurring.
II is always hard to feel tlat one is
driven to give up place. This is
especially so with soldiers, who's
business it is to hold by conquest. SO
it was natural to "whIstle 10 keep the
courage up" and when our column
was well under way, the bands began
playing an air to which the boys had
put the words:
'Great big house and nobody living in it,
nobody living in it,
Great big house and nobody living in it,
Down in Alabam."
This brought cheer after cheer along
the column, and was really a help in
the retiring march.
Near Bollef0nte we came 10 a
swamp. IL was an awful swamp I
have never seen its equal except the
Tlppah swamp in Mississippi. The
cavalry was behind, guarding the
rear. The wagon train stopped, wag-
Ons mired to the axle and rendered
progress impossible. Col. w. F. Pros
ser, Lieut.. a. 3. Prosser and the writer
rode on in the dark past the wagons,
and on until we found Gen. Changers
headquarters. We told hum the con-
dition of the train. He was very
much excited and said we would be at
tackled before day light, that there were
3 500 rebels just across the mountain
IN little cove. and that the train must
come ont OF that swamp. He ordered
Lieut.. Prosser and the writer to return
and bring the wagons into camps i'm
IA dlateiy. We went back, aud after
priZing number of wagons from that
hit0y swamp mud, got the thing in
motion again. Thereupon we started
on TO the front. The fog came down.
We got lost from the wagons. After a
while we came upon a squad OF in
fantry solniers lying around a large
and brilliant rail fire, We passed them
only short distance, certainly not
exceeding fifteen PAGES, when we dis
covered that We had left the road. The
reader will be surprised when I say
that dilIgent search Was made for that
rail fire Saiu, but not Que Vestige of
II could be seer Oh account of the dem
sity of the fog After ram bling around
for a while, ii was disc vered that the
wagons were again mlred down. We
found one loaded with oats, and beiug
almost pletely exhausted, stopped,
fed our nor, e., mad up fire and slept
till morning. 1t was all We could do.
To obey our orders from General
Granger was an utter possibility.
The next morning We could see and
soon reached the camping ground OF
General Granger.
Ga the 1st of December we arriv ed
at Coon Creek, some distance below
Stevenson. Col. Prosser had been over
that section AMI thought he was we'll
acquainted with the country. The
Gen eral informed US where he would
camp and directed US TO 60
TO the place. Arriving at Coon
Creek we found it very much swollen,
so that it could lot be forded. The
Colonel then aimed to go on TO the
place, which was on the same
side Of the creek, but lost his way
Dark came on US, and at length 9 rug
ged mountain confronted the column.
There was farmers house close by,
so the Colonel got the man to pilot US
to camp. He took US back almost be
way we came for some distance, then
started off at an angle, until we came
to the railroad, then We took the rail
road, riding on the dirt thrown up in
the center of the track. Here the
writer got another scrspe. AS the boys
came on the trace many of them would
scream IN imitation of the whistle of
the locomotive, and some did it almost
to Perfection. We rode some distance
Sa Nryn< l. L. Is l. al