Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-11-30
"reminiscences Of the Third Tennes
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL A. M'TEER.
NO XXXV.

were the command we had to meet
most in Northern Alabama. There
was an officer under him who rode a
white horse. We were informed that
he was a Lieutenant, and / have heard
his name, but / have now forgotten it.
He was a brave, dashipg officer, and
frequently annoyed us considerably.
We never met Roddy, but that white
horse and his daring rider were to be
seen, and generally one of the nearest
men to us. His daring stratagems
were the trouble with US, for it was
hard to tell how to take him. On one
| occasion he came with four men on
the COuriland road, keeping them
selves concealed just enough to be
seen by our pickett, bat 80 that their
numbers could not be told. Advance
ing near enough that be could be
plainly heard, he commanded in
tones loud enough to be leading
a regiment by .fours, right, into
line. a0heeE, march !~ForoOard Make
ready! dim Fire ~ And his little
squad fred, at the same time advanc-
ing on the pickets. OF course, it got
up an alarm, for the pickets thought
they were attacked in force, but as
soon as he got our forces under arms,
the dashing Lieutenant started back
for his own camps. On another Occa-
sion, with his little squad Of four or
| five men, he came daehing on our
pickets on The CORTLAND road, MAX
Ing a bold attack, then as FIST as their
horses could take them, they went
over and attacked the pickels on the
| MoultOn road, and so on, until the
pickets around Decatur were all fired
upon. OF course, We naturally thought
that it was an overwhelming force
about to make an attack upon our
post, but at last we discovered the 10
evitable white horse, followed by
few others The battle of Decatur be-
ing over, we had but little to do except
occasional skirmishes and watching
the "white horse,' until the 14.h of
November, 1864, when the cavalry
AGED in a sharp skrrmish with the
enemy on the Courtland road, some
distance below Decatur. During this
time, Col. Thornburgh had gone 10
his regiment, perhaps to meet Hood
at Nashville; part of the Second was
ordered to Nashville or Louis
vile to get horses. This left
our brigade with only piece ofsa
regiment, headq Iarters,, and a battery.
Even Capt. White, A. A. Q. M, had
Joined his regiment. So Gen. Granger
consolidated all The cavalry in his Dis
| trict into one command, styling it,
Cavalry, District of North Ala
bsma." Col. w. +. Prosser icing the
ranking officer, he Was p aced in com
mand. This body consisted of detach-
meDts of the Second Tennessee, Tenth,
Twelfth ana Thirteenth Indiana Cav
airy, together with the few men of the
Third Tennessee Cavalry left on duty
there, and perhaps few of the Fourth
left in like manner. For some time,
duties almost without limit fell upou
the writer of these "reminiscences
The Acting Assistant Quartermaster
having jOiueu his regiment, Lieuten-
ant ReVeIy, aide de camp, having re
signed, the AcLtng Assistant Ins pector
General having joined his company
left Surgeon Jonu A. Souers anu my
self as the only staff. After a while,
when we became somewhat settled.
Lieutenant A. sydney Prosser was
added to the staff. Gen Hood, a.
formerly stated, had passed around US,
SO 1t became evident that We must
evscQate that part Of Alabama. Gen.
Granger had moved his headquarters
Gn Huntsville. Col. DOUiIJt. e Was
granted leave OF absence, aud |
was gone, SO Col. Prosser was
left III command of the Post
az Decatur; THIS lett Msj0r @. w. Hut
sell IN Command of the cavalry. Ga
tie DlUrBlug Of the 25Jn of November,
1854. every ming was put III readiness
before cay, for tne evacuation. Soon
after ayHght he rebels attacked the
picke1e GA Inc III JuitOn road. The VII
oetIes we're &Ilven baak until the en-
tire Reserve was engaged, aud even
tiey were closely pressed. We were
ordered TO reinforce them, aud being
prt ssed for men, l TOOK the Orderies
and guards of cur headqu .rters and
went myself to their ali. On the
right of the road, after Gro ssing little
stream, there was az open field with
gradual rise to the picket post. On the
left there was something of an abrupt
rise into ridge, ofcrescent shape, form
ing a hollow between the two points.
Coming to this branch, the command
W as LdiOH II ONL Ou SILbCI sue vi tno
road, the right under command of
Capt. L. F. Wallace, while the writer
assumed command of the left. Being
thus on an elevation, we could see the !
movements of the enemy, and autici- |
pate their Intentions much more read |
lily than those over the hill. It was
evident they were preparing for a
charge in force on Capt. Wallace; so |
our wing was formed inl ne just over
the ridge in the hollow of the crescent. |
ready, so that when the force came
upon Wallace we would make a
counter-charge on their flank |
and thus drive them from the field. |
BY some means the men did not -uu-
derstand what was wanted. / was on |
horse Col. Thornburgh had left in |
my care, being q large active animal. |
well fed and rested. Sure enough the |
rebels came screaming and yelling and |
Wallace had to give way. [ was |
watching their movements, and so did |
not turn to the men behind me; and at |
the proper time gave the command,
"F0reodrd," advancing rapidly to the
top of the ridge fired upon them with
q pistol The horse | was riding be-
came excited and started to join the
rebels. He was hard to manage, and
when refined around with his head
back near his shoulder, leaped side
ways toward them, aud in this way
carried me within thirty steps of the
last place I wanted to be myself. l
could not hear any firing scarcely on
o.,r a;6a on InnHinu hack a1noo hp