Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-22
"reminiscences Of the Se2ond Tennes
see Cavalry.
BY LIEUT.. JSO. ". ANDES

ride from Oko'oua 10 P0uto.Cc. ride
which no one who made it can ever
forget. FJE three days aud nights we
were not out of our saddles, except q
few hours on Sunday night, mentioned
in my last letter, and all ,hs time We
were battling for dear lie. Oar men
and animals were very much exhaust
ed aud sadly in need q resi- and re-
freshmen. L was ne uncommon
thing for men 10 go To sleep en- their
hor=es when 10. directly engaged with
the enemy. Some would ride out OF
ranks and stop, and others fall ez-
hsUsted from their horses. DlGiDg
eighty-fivs hOuIs We were not out of
our saddles exceeding twelve.
Ga the 22nJ q February il fell to the
turn or cur Brigade 10 march in front.
We had levy lighting i d4y-charge
after charge being maGa sl.IE he line
At one time We were Pos.ei on q ridge
on a beautiful plantation, the road
running abou. midway Though q love
Iy landscape. The Fourth Tenuess5 {
Cavalry was On our extreme left,
mounted, with tie FIah Kentucky
Cavalry or their right, extending
about 10 JL5 road, Then came The
Second Cavalry the two latter being
dismOUuted after the usual manner,
every fourth DaI being Jeff ia the rear
TO hold he horses. We were o. tie
brink Of The ridge aforesaid
laying concealed on tie
ground. Tue horses were held back Of
the ridge, where, il case We we're
driven back they would be accessible.
The Third Cavalry was on our right.
The men OF the several regiments mad
Instructions not 10 ire until orders were
giFen-tO await Ia readiness U8tiI the
men in front fell back il the rear Of
the line Of dIsDuul,ed men. Finally,
the enemy made his - pGaTance. Not
knowing anything Ct cur GlsnluuL6d
men, he rode up Ia nST IelsuTGly. The
advancing column cane within q few
hundred yards Of Us te.OEe q gun was
fired. They came or nearer and near
er, when the order was given 10 fire,
and q solid v0iley Tol-ei on. along cur
entire line. a large number CT sad
dies were emptIeJs AID he Confederate
column fell Uack Ia disorder. Soon
they rallied 10 the charge, but our men
I = y
with a heavier loss than before. TIE
Fifth Kentucky was armed with Speu-
Ger rifles, and were able to DO much
execution. The third time the enemy
came pin double column, heavily re
iulOrCed. As far as the eye could
reach, either way, the advancing Con-
le leTale hosts could be seen, coming
with GEshIng speed and the usual
yell. Oar boys stood long enough 10
fire, and then fell back, every man
taking care Of himself Two OF our
men, Isaac !. AtChley and Caleb
Chance, were killed, or il was supposed
so, 81 least, as they was never heard Of
again.
The writer made q very narrow
escape. I had been LEFT in charge OF
the horses. When our lines were
broken there was great deal Of con-
fusion. When the horse were reached
men Were not careful 10 get their own
horses or not. There being some
horses without riders, L remained
little too long looking after them, and
the men were all mounted and gone.
l gathered the halter strap Of a surplus
horse, and, putting spurs TO my own.
started. The enemy was almost upon
me, commanding me 10 halt. They
poured voiIsy &C me, but this only
caused me to spur on nay horse 10 still
greater speed. l lay down as close 70
my charger as possible, and tle balls
came thick ana fast. 4 mimic bali
passed through my coat sleeve, and,
passing on, killed the horse | was
leading. L 2 narrow escape, upon
which L congratulated myself aud re
csived the congratulations Of my
friends. OUT stand at this place was,
after all, qGif6 a success. Several OF
The enemy were killed and HOuuded, !
and e took quite q number Of pris
oneTs. We passed through Pouto.oc, /
where the main body OF the enemy
halted. since we had left this place /
We had done 8 great deal Of naEd !
fighting, and I have devoted cOls.d
cradle pace to IL, for the reason that il |
was enc Of the most important cam !
paigus il which we were engaged, ami |
one of the most important OF the war. /
l. was believed that our less fell short. |
Of that OF the enemy.
We passed on by way of New Al |
bany, crossed Cold Water River, on /
through Mount Pleasant and arrived /
at Germantown on the 10Th of Febru- /
airy, from where We had started on |
the 10th.
One accident came under my obser- I
walton Oh this trip which 1 viii relate, 4
as showing the hard realities of war.
We were stopping one day for dinner /
and TO feed our horses, not far from /
Holly Springs. L WAS sent Outin charge /
Of q foraging squad. About one mile /
from camps we found plenty OF forage, |
and were returning. We passed fiGe |
at which there was Cap /
tain and q squad of men, a group Of |
women were standing on the porucO,
ana appeared TO be pleading for some
tnlng very earnestly. halted in front
OF the house. 1 heard the Captain say
he would spare the house Is minues, |
and would order the men to carry out /
whatever the women desired. They |
plead with him not to burn the house.
and paid no attention to the removal
Of property. Finally the officer or
iered a Sergeant TO set fire to the upper
story Of the building, and in an instant
The order was executed, and soon the
whole building was wrapped in flames.
learned that the house belonged to q
Confederate officer. The prelext for
burning ii / never learned.