Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-22
"reminiscences Of the Third TenneS
see Cavalry.
STILL on THE RETREAT.

STILL on THE RETREAT.
On the night of September Il 1862
we staid ct KemptOn. On tue morn
ing of the 25.h, Capt. P.ckens and
some more of Us were detailed to bring
in wheat to be ground for De Courcey'i
Brigade. Remaining here until the
afternoon, we started for our com.
mand; but, upon coming to De COur-
cey's front Pickets, il being about
dark, We were cautioned about ad-
vancing further in the dark, since
some bushwhackers had J-e1 81 work
just before so We slzp- here, aud next
morning Joined the command st
Halle Green, and from thence moved
to West Liberty, where We rested the
9th. 1t might be we'll 20 remark
here that throughout this retreat there
was a rebel command in front Of Is,
cutting down trees, anu placing other
obstacles in the road, so that some
times We had to make a new road as
We marched. At toe same time an
other command followed the rear, and
annoyed our forces by ba=hwLackiGg,
and picking up tired and Forn out sol
dieTs. On the 2S-h We remained a
West Liberty until the after
noon, when suddenly orders
were given to fail into line,
next a double quick march followed
for about one and a half miles, then
We slackened the speed, but marched
some distance without hal-ilg, when
We came ia sight Of rebels. l had
now let some OF the other boys have
my horse, and was marching on foot.
Finding a force IN front of Us, and
dark coming on, We lay IL line OF bat
tie on the top OF a dry mountain,
without water or anything to eat. On
moving down the mountain next
morning, We discovered where an am
buscade had been arranged to fire into
rs, which, hsd We moved on,
would certainly have been 3
deadly sffair, since the enemy could
have almost Put the muZz'es OF their
guns in the road, while they were be-
hind the sharp top o. . little ridge aud
could not have been detected.
On the 18th We did not get far until
We were again thrown into line of
battle in an old field when the enemy
again appeared before Us, but the First
Tennessee Infantry d3ubla-quicked
some stance when they were fred
into by the rebels. The First returned
the IRE, with which our artillery
Joined and soon drove them away
sgaiL. About noon We halted aud
roasted, or rather paTched some corn,
the first food We had hal since noon
the day before, and the corn was very
scarce, not giving four Of meal.
This was q day some OF Us will never
forget. Marching along a large drove
OF turkeys attracted our attention in a
yard at the side Of the road. Starving
almost TO desperation we very uatu-
rally made for the turkeys. The
Sixth Tennessee Infantry " IS just be-
hind Us, and when we started Colonel
Cooper, who knew our starving con-
ditiOn and sympathiZed with Us, made
some remark approving cur conduct.
This was heard by some and passed
rapidly from one TO another, aud it
gave him great popularity with our
boys. Andrew Knott, Esq well
known in East Tennessee, was riding
with Col. Cooper. Levi SUNNY, OF
our company, was after a large gobIer.
and so close upon him thai be had HE
hand stretched out 20 take hold Of
him, whereupOn Esq Knott swOTe the
rebellion had 10 be pat down If il took
every turkey in keutuczy, and be
was going TO help do l., AID dssbing
up on his horse, shot the turkey under
Summy's hand HIS c'mical appear
ance and expressions - ere q source Of
considerable amusement. L don't re-
member now whether ne gave the
turkey to Sunny Or kept IL. Our COM
pany had thirteen [ keys Captains
Easly's and Meadow companies had
something over twenty. Lieut.. Wear,
who was on horseback, allied to get =
turkey, but had a large Ted-laIled
rooster tied to his saddle. The fact that
something was secured for supper was
cheering and gratifying to us, and thus
we moved with our feathery burdens
quietly enough, when suddendly some
one approaching from behind rOaTed
out, wanting to know what command
that was? Looking around, we beheld
General George w. Morgan! Lieut..
Wear answered him. He next wanted
to know who was commanding il.
The Lieutenant did Tot get to answer
him, until he again asked if he was
commanding. Being informed ners-
lively, he asked il ne was an Officer.
and If il was by his authority the tur.
keys were taken. The Lieutenant told
him he was a recruiting officer, but he
had siven no authority for taking the
turkeys. By this time the General was
by his side, and on the side the red
rooster hung! The General then
and raved like 8 mad man,
declaring that if such a thing hap
pened again he would turn US over to
John n. Morgan as prisoners! The
passing by and cursing, Lieu
fanaDt Wear 0uiRtlV united his chick
en- and passed it down TO one Of the
boys, saying, with an oath, that he
didn't want the thing. any way. But
with all the Generals storming and
-aying we did not loose a turkey. In
ract. we would have fought him for our
turkeys as hard as We would have
fought John II. Morgan for our flag.
Mud after this we had more respect for