Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-16

starte down the railroad, passing
back through BellefOnte and on 10
SottabOro', meeting some little opposi<
ZION from gueriilas and bush W b ackers.
We captured some ten or twelve pris.
oners that day. On the 5.h, passing
through Scottsboro', we went to Lbrk
lnsvIIle , and on the 7th moved 10 PANT
Rock bridge. Here we had a sIig 1T
sklrmish, driving the rebels away,
after which some of our men were
placed in a hidden position near the
orIdge, hoping to recapture the engine
we had l0sG at Huntsville. Sure
enough, in a few moments she love in
sight. Coming slowly over the bridge,
the men became eager, and at last one
could contain himself 10 longer over
the happy anticipation of capturing a
locomotive, that he moved up to get u
more favorable position. He was dis.
covered, whereupon the locomotive re-
versed and moved back beyond reach.
We remained at Paint Rock bridge
until the 10Th of December. Our
camping place was natural strong
| hold, being on the side of
sharp lutte mountain, where
| the rocks come up high and
made what might have been powerful
breastworks. Here a couple of men
acted as spies for US. As a gen
| erai thing spies are an unscrupuluus,
| dishonest and unreliable class OF men
coming from the rougher class; but it
was not 50 With these. They were
perfect and polished gentlemen, being
| brothers. One lived in Huntsville and
the other near that place. Born and
raised in that section of country, one
of them having served time In the
| Confederate army, and was discharged
on account of disability. Their loyalty
was not suspected. Roddy with bis
cavalry was laying just west of Paint
Rock river while We were just east of
| If, and every day exchanging shots by
way of amusement. These two gen
tlemen went several times into their
camps, got their position, their strength
| and even Roddy's plan OF operations
and made report to US. We also h ad
another who acted as kind of scout
| Captain Harris by name. l can give
his name, because he is where he eau
be harmed no more. Afterwards, as [
| have been informed, he and his family
were poisoned to death. He Was
rOugher man, OF the desperate kind.
His bone was in Huntsville, and he
made nlms elf a terror where he went.
There YVES also company of iOyalisls
who organized and attached themselves
TO our command. While here at
Paint Rock they were sent out
on an expedition. They met a COM
pany of Confederate cavalay, and after
a sharp fight, in winch they SUCCEEDED
IN kIIing some OF the rebels, came off
victors. They returned TO camps The
pr"udest men ever Oh horseback about
Paint Rock.
We lay al this place during the ter
ribie battle Nashville ahd heard the
muttering thunders Of the heavy aFtlI-
lerS tueIe.
On the 20th of December we again
moved forward. AT Browusboro' the
enemy's pickles appeared before Us
COmpany &C. Of the Y h Indiana
INEXPERIENCED, especially in bringing
on fight, SO Lieut.. A. 5. Prusser anu
the writer rode forward, threw the
com paDy Out INTO "a skIrmIs0 line and
adVanceu on The pickeis a. IA trUt.
lhey fred upon us and leii back Oh
their reserve, which was evidently
pretty strong one, and attempted to
mold us III cheek. Upon this we
oruered charge, ana rushed upon
them so rapidly that they gave way in
confusion. We followed up until we
Ga NE IN sight of their cam ps. Here
we could see them getting up from
their beds Qor it was early In the
morning catch aud saddle their horses
and Coming out into line. We knew
this was our chance, but our men
wanted TO see what they could of the
rebel Camps, and stopped to took We
ordered them forward, but they would
not GO! We rode forward and told
them to follow US. but they would not
come. Turning to the men behind
ne found them in 'crowdn LOOK
ing through all open space at the
rebels" L ordered Them in terms not
very polite out into a skirmish line,
and forbade their going to that open
space again unless they wanted to be
needlessIy killed.
Riding forward and endeavor-
ing to lead them again, they
still did not follow. Again turn
ing found them crowded into
that open space. Charging back
upon them with all the power L could
command, even resorting to terrible
threats. | ordered them out of-that
open space, and just as they moved
from 1t, except one man, shower of
balls was poured at US, the horse of
this man, throwing up his head, re-
celved one OF them, and fell dead, fol-
lowing his rider TO the ground. Had
they been half minute later in NOV
ing, the most, if not all Of them, would
most certainly have been killed. AT
length Capt. Wheeler, with his COM
pany of the II b Indiana Cavalry,
came mp, and, dismOunting his N co,
who were armed with long guns, sue
ceeded in Starting The rebels, then we
got 8 charge which went finely.
While We were thus engaged, Col.
Pfosser, with the Second Tennessee
Cavalry, passed around on the rebel
flank, and h them almost sur.
rounded. The river was very high
and running rap dly. We closed upon
them in the bend Of the river, and
forced them into it. Ten of them
were crowded, while number of
prison srs were taken. John f. Ran
kin, of the Fourth Tennessee Cavalry,
who was on duty at headquarters,
chased one of them to the river, the
# bel plunged into the river, and bis
horse wan with him to the other hore.
Rankin felt perfectly secure, ana
coming TO the waters edge fired rap
idly upon The wet reoel. But imagine
Rankln's surprise when his foe
climbed out the other side, drew his
pistol from its wet holster, took de-
liberate aim, the pistol fired, and the
ball went wnizzing by in close pr0x-
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