Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-05-24
"Reminiscences of the Third Tennes-
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL A. M'TEER.
No. XII.

Indiana Cavalry, were moved ~ carr.
suring some three miles west q
Murfreesl,aro'. on the Salem Pike ace
near Stone River The Fourth Regu
lara had btr,r !aken from us, aud Col
u NJ Raw. Of the Second, now com
nso,iad the brigade. II wss lovely
snot far AN enct mpment, the health o
he command good, while duty was no
pressing. Camps were kept in excel
Ispt order. and, at this time, there ap
rasrad to be many attractions for
ao,dier's life. Two young men, calling
themselves McLane, aod claiming tC
| hail from Monroe county, came into
! the regiment. They were intelIi.
gent, fine looking boys, and soon ma de
| themselves very agreeable, if not
something of favortes. They enlisted
in Company "a" and of evenings
would gather crowds OF the regiment
| together to witness their dancing and
fiddIipg. They kept their bright new
uniforms in the very best condition,
and, TO all appearances, were enjoying
soldiers lives and soldiers fare 10 a
fuller extent than almost any of tht
command. On the night OF March
2Oth, 1868, they were on picket, with a
squad Of others from the regiment,
and were placed together on the out
posts. This was the last ever seen or
heard of them but Gbuut day break an
attack in force was made on our pick
cts. The command was ordered out,
and the Second and Third placed in a
field facing in direction of the attack,
then in line of battle marched out
very near the place where the pickets
were firing. then the Third was orders
ed to the right, across a field and into
a woodland, Oh a high point. About
this time a wild yell was raised by the
rebels near the direction in which the
regiment was going. 1t came nearer
and grew louder and louder. As vet
they could not be seen, being across q
ridge. The Third was ordered into a
trot, then front into line, which orders
were obeyed just in time to meet their
charge, forming our line on the top of
q little ridge. A volley was fired into
them, whereupOn they stopped their
charge and fell back along on an opp7-
site ridge in a woodland, and within
easy range. Here the two commands
stood, neither yielding an inch, and
ueither advancing, for over hour, all
the while pouring the shot into one
another's ranks with all the fury 10 be
commanded. Their fire was too high,
the balls striking into the trees
a little above US, and knocking
the bark and rotten wood down
upon us. Being called upon rather
unexpectedly we were not very we'll
supplied with ammunition, but had
enough TO stand the ground for some
time. While thus engaged, another
body OF rebels passed in rear of this
command opposing US, endeavoring
to get into our camps, but they were
met by the Fourth Indiana Cavalry
and driven back. / remember that
while the firing was hot and rapid, the
balls making almost 8 clatter in q !
dead oak near me, knocking the rot |
ten sap wood over us. / heard appar-
emily q larger ball than the others |
come lower and make loud and dis |
tincC sap" into something. Turning |
my head, / saw old James Carver, OF |
Company b" trembling and pale, |
pulling back on his reins. l felt sure |
that he was badly wounded, as did |
others, but in few minutes he got |
back a few feet in rear of the line,
when his horse fell dead.
Al length Col. Ray came up, and
finding The ammunition scarce,
ordered Us 10 fail back ; but the order
was not readily obeyed, the men
standing firm TO their places. A cloud
arose some distance in rear coming to-
ward US. IL was easy TO understand that
were coming, so Col.
Ray counteTmanded his order. A
aud two Illinois Infantry reg
lments came, and we were soon mas
tiers of the situation. In this engage
ment, as hot as it was and as long as
IL lasted, our regiment did not
lose u single man killed. There were
some three or four wounded and three
horses killed. Some cOlOred people
told Us afterwards that they saw the
rebels carrying four of their dead off
the field. Whether this was all, and
how many were wounded, of course
we could not learn. The Second Ten
lessee lost one young man killed on
picket.
It might not be amiss right here, to
1--WE an illustration of the braggadocio
If some men, and what it is worth.
TODD by the side of Sergeant George
Wade. An elderly man continued to
Dad his carbine, get behind US and
ire across at the rebels. We didn't
ike this and at length threatened to
boot him if he repeated it, ordering
linn up into the line. Then he told US
Il killing a rebel, that he saw him fall,
tic, pointing out the precise spot.
When the affair was ended we went
'ver and there was no appearance of
any OF them ever having been at the
place he pointed out TO US.
The fight ceasing and the rebels
we went back to camps,
each man relating the wonderful
.hings he had seen and laughing over s
he ridiculous occurrences. And, after
/ fight everything that happened
Gems to present itself in some ridicu-
Gus way so that incidents occurring
n cold earnestness and very serious at ,
he time are laughable when the affair
: over.
The McLane boys had evidently
een spies, and their attempt was to
cad Wheeler's forces into our camps so
hat we would be taken by surprise
According to the Newport Sentinel,
Hiram Hanks, Of Cooke county, was
rrested, bound over to court and COM
nitted to Jail last Tuesday, charged
nth rape on the person of the widow
John Woody.