Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-02
"reminiscences Of the Second TeHnes-
see Cavalry.
BY LIEUT.. JNo. w. ANDES.
NO. xxx.


June 25th, 1865, received a leave
of absence for twenty days. 1t was
just on the eve of our muster-out, and
Capt. w. o. White and Capt. Lon.
BLIZZARD, of the Fourth Tennessee Cav
airy, received leave of absence about
the same time. We had all been on
duty long time, and were calculating
upon having good time. Money was
necessary prerequisite to this,
however, and not having been
paid anything for eight months,
we were without it. First
we attempted to get it from Paymas-
ters in Nashville on our leaves of
absence. They had been pretty well
cleaned out, however, and we resolved
to go to Louisville, which we did.
Lieut.. Webber, of Company E, about
this time also received leave of ab-
sence and joined US. Arriving at
Louisville, we soon found a Paymas-
ter and succeeded in getting eight
months pay. We remained there
until the 18th, when We left and re-
turned to Nashville.
We went out to camps and found
everything in state OF excitement
over the fact that orders had been
issued to prepare for mastering out at
once. The blank rolls had been issued
and the company commanders were
busiIy engaged in filling them out.
Capt. j. A. Montgomery was not
able to make out his rolls, and / was
compelled to give up going home AID
assist him. Capt. Montgomery, Capt.
Wynn, Lieut.. Davis and myself
rented room in priva
house, where we could work with
out interruption, and went to work
to complete the rolls for the final
muster out. We completed them and
were mustered out on the 9th day of
July, 1865. The regiment was not
paid, however, until the 14th, when
every body was set free and such
jubilee have not seen before or since.
Then came the parting hour. Old
comrades that bad fought side by side,
shook each others hands for the last
time. It was time to think over
and review the past. They thought
that sad winter night, when they stood
picket in snow and sleet when the
enemy was stealthily slipping up to
the deadly conflict. When the crack
ling of a twig, or the beating of
heart could be heard. Then the pleas
ing thought of duty performed, and
that We are now soon to meet loved
ones at home, would pass through the
tions that language can never express.
The birds OF the air, while warbling
their sweet songs, were never happier.
For the satisfaction of MEM
bers OF the Regiment I here
append the distance travelled
on the Mississippi River: From East
port to Paducah (mouth of the Ten.
nessee River), 200 miles; from there
to Cairo, go miles; thence to Column
bus, 20 miles; to New Madrid, 55; TO
Memphis, 175; thence to Helena, 80
to White River, 3d. to Vicksburgh,
$40; to Natchez. l20; to Port Hudson,
120; to Baton Rouge. 20; to New Or
leans, 1870; total 1910. We returned
the same way to Paducah, LILO miles,
thence up the river to Nashville,
making In all about 2 $40 miles.
Then, counting our extra marching in
the neghborhood of Vicks-
burgh. Will make over 5000 miles.
In November, 1862, [ suppoae
we must have travelled 1000 miles.
In his official report, Col. Prosser
estimates that the regiment marched
lO,OOO miles on horseback, which Is
under rather than over the amount,
and We were transported by boats |
fully 1000 miles during the war. |
The reg ment served in Kentucky, |
Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia,
Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. |
We were at Cairo, Illinois, but did |
not leave that place. There are few
counties in Middle tennessee, or in |
the Blue Grass regions of Kentucky,
in which the Second did not travel.
We were at Vicksburg when the i'll
fated steamer Sultana blew up, and for
days afterwards it was no unusual
sight TO see the body of some poor fel.
low floating down the river. Two
men Of The Second Cavalry. were on
the boat, but fortunately escaped with
their lives. They were Peter e. Potter
and Ebert PilkertoD. They had been
captured at Athens, Alabama, where
the Third Cavalry was captured.