Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-16
"Reminiscences Of the Third TenneS
sea Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL A. M'TEER.
ORGANIZATION BEGAN-ATTACK ON
CUMBERLAND GAP.

the Second Tennessee Infantry, aut
they being anxious to hear from hom
gathered around US aud would stol
our progress, first by one crowd, theI
another until We passed through
Emerging from one of these crowds
heard a familiar voice at distance
call nv name. Looking in the dirsc
ton from whence it came, there sat
Lieut.. &. w. Callett, of Sewer
! County-.hs fret Cquiintance L met.
We passed through the camps o. thai
! brigade and came 10 q guard, Where
some of the men talked while, then
one OF them spoke TO some Of the
! others and told them TO go with US up
to Gen. Morgan's headquarters. Some
| of Us had high ideas of the hospitality
and kindness of the Yankees. and this
seemed even beyond our expectations,
that some men should be sent to show
us the way to see the General We
did not know why they put their
bayOnsts on their guns, but so they
did. They kindly took Us up and the
General talked with us, asking q great
mauy questions about affairs IN East
Tennessee, rebel movements, etc, and
then ordered the guard, for such it
was, To let Us 90. We were some
what surprised, just thea realizing the
situation, that we were taken as
prisoners before the General.
Afterwards We understood all about
such thiugs, but il seemed strange to
US at the time that any precautions
were taken that would reflect any sus-
piciOn upon as. Our original four
now separated from the Others, who
had already been enlisted. We wanted
a chance to choose the arm Of service
or any other advantage that might be
taken; 90 We had not yet Ogen en-
listed. General Spears brigade had
been ordered out TO the reinforcement
Of Col. De COurcey, who had luet with
a defeat at IaZeweli. In hospital very
close to the Gap we found two or
three GcquaintaDces who were cOnya-
iesceGt, aGd kindly invited US to re-
main with them, which we did over
night. Stopping and resting, Oft my
feet, they began swelling, and by
morning L couldn't wear my Shoe,
and could only hobbie around bare
footed. During the time Spears
brigade returned, and next morning
my uncle, 4. NJ. Gamble, vino was
then Captain in the 6 IA Tennessee
Infantry, came to us and took Us to
his regiment, then at Camp Morgan,
Lee county, Virginia, some two or
three miles from the Gap. [ had 10
go barefOOted and very slowly. After
20 long g time We came to the guard
iiue and could not get to pass, until
We followed around on the outside of
the line, part Of the way climbing over
a steep hillside until We arrived at the
Generals headquarters. He too, put
US through - course Of questions and
then ordered the guard 10 allow Us 10
enter.
We found authority had been
granted for raising two regiments Of
cavalry. One by w. &. Pickens and
r. NJ. Edwards, and was then
called the First East Tennessee Cav
airy; the other by d. NJ. Ray and
w. Il. Cook, and was called the Sec
ond East Tennessee Cavalry" We |
had gone forth to the rescue of Col. |
Pickeus from his unfortunate attack
on Straw berry Plains bridge, and now
felt disposed to cast our destiny with |
him. His brother, Samuel w. Pick |
us, was authorized to raise COM |
Pany; so, on the Oh day of August, .
1862, at Camp Morgan, Va, We four /
were sworn into the service by Gen. /
j Joseph a. Cooper, aud our atltdavits |
Of enlistment pIaCsd with Capt.. PICK
eng, the first men TO enlist III Company /
A Of what was after wards called the |
Third Tennessee Cavalry. Il was GALE d .
aud known as the First East Tennessee
Cavalry until some time afterwards.
Col. JOnnsOn's Fourth Tenu5 ssee In
fAutTy was cha. Sed TO q cavalry Tegl-
ment, aud given the name OF the
4
| pTiZe my brass bsTftled pistol very /
hIg hly for the good it Gau done iD The
Meier family fl-t, Ueiug The true
friend OF my ETanIfAJher In the dan
gers among the biUOi-tuiis.y Indians
Of Florida Ia the war of lS!2-.u fact,
/ didn't know OuL that many an In
dian or British had been made 10 bite
the dust by il; aud, secunuly, because
it had safely brought me through so
many clOse places. Bus imagine my
chagT " hen now, tina 1 w4s safe Ia
tie Federal lines / stiempEe 10 shoot |
the load oui o! ii, aud Il WOuIdn't fire
al ali l couldn't make, persuade or |
coax IL to fi.e, and had 10 uuoTeacn il
o get The load Ou,.
We were sent TO a sulphur spring,
about one and a>haif miles below
Cum GeTiaud Gap, az he place of our
u III - GUS anu ENG y kI1iii =
went lovely UutlI the 7jh OF August.
Recruiting went on very rap
idly and y e were now crowded III cur
tents. \ while before day light an at
tack was made on our pickles, only a.
short distance below as. The first L
anew some one Of our company woke
me by ne expression They are fight
ing like hi down there" Then Iol-
lowed u scene of confusion, never wiz
messed among Old soldiers l got up
quick as possible, found my pants and /
raising one leg ID put my foot into the
pant leg, some one ran against me
from behind piHUg me into "a heap for
war;. Some got others c.o,hing which
was sometimes 100 big, aui sometimes
too little, some got one shoe of one size
while the other was "a different size /
Break fast was hurried |
Trough, in fact, appetites seemed 10
be in bad order SONS way. The firing !
continued at times, while our picket
line grad uslIy fell back until it passed
near us We were then taken up to
Gen. MOrgau's headquarters and there
armed with Oil HaTler's Ferry mus
kets. Next, we were ordered TO 60
back and bring our camp equipage
up near The Qualifications. Here we
did another thing that causes some of
Us 10 blush now. Bsing accust Omed
to keeping weapons out of the way Of
he rebels at home, we were now
+, fraid fbav m ghf oct orr puUs with !