Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-11-16
"reminiscences Of the Third TenneS
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL. A. M'TEEl
NO. XXXIV.


After the morning Of The 28th O.
October, 1864. bad fully opened into
| day, being perhaps sunrise or after
raised. 1t was large flag, and fi0ated
from very tall pole, which went uE
from the centre of magazine, the
latter being somewhat taller than the
earthwoTks of the Notifications, and
situated on the side where the rebel
gopher holes were nearest. Some.
thing got wrong with the pulley sc
| the flag would go up about half way
| There the rope would tighten, ind re.
fuse 10 go farther. The flag would have
to be- lowered, OF ooufse. This occurred
some half dozen times, and
each time, as the oh stars and stripes
| came down. the rebels set up an IN
earthly yell, 20 the great chagrin OF
our boys. General r. S. Granger.
wno was III command OF the Military
Discipline of Northern Alabama, anu
Col. ThOrnbuTgh rode up. The Colo
mel was > provoked at their cheering
and the unsuccessful attempts to
raise the flag, that he ieaped from his
morse ana mounting the magazine,
selZ6d the rope and began TO pull up
tie colOis sgaiD, bat the sharp-shOOL-
erS made il so hot that he had to
jump down. At length q soldier who
mad had some experience as sailor,
climbed the pole some distance through
the swarm OF rebel balls, arranged the
rope so that it did its work, and then
came down ; bat not without hahn.
he received a painful wound in the
thigh.
One Of cur pieces of heavy artillery
was rendered almost harmless by
rebel soldier buTrOWed III " gopher
hole" immediately III front oft. When
ever any one attempted 10 manage the
gun, place it in position, or load it,
Mimic ball came WhistliDg along with
dangerous intent, generally disabling
the man who ventured 10 approach the
gun. At length The gun was loaded, ana
the Confederate having just fired,
his rifle drew back To reload. While
thus engaged, the piece of artillery
was aimed just bow tie top of the
dirt in front of the rebel, while an eye
was Kept on his place OF coucealment.
After awhile his u ably weapon was
seen coming slowly over the top of he
dirt, when our gun was fired. In a.
f1R hours the body Of that man be-
came bIeastw OTks 10 protect the living
Ia a desperate assault by some OF our
Infantry ou these gopher holes"
Some OF the rebels TOOK of their coats
and arranged them on ramrOds SO they
nAd eOueW nat the form of man then
raised these just above their piles OF
dirt, 50 our boys could see them. A
perfect roar OF Ijfie reports followed.
and Che Cking q moment, our boys
were driven almost 10 desperation
when tbey heard the Conf derates
screaming and laughing over the
success of their tTick. Such debls
could not BE- allowed 20 pass unpaid, so
some OF our boys in turn made balls
OF mud about the size of mems heads,
then placing their mats on them, puI
them on top of cur works. The
roar Of rife discharges came
now from the other side, while
The cheerlng and laughing was with
our boys.
Col DoOiittle, who was command
ing the post, determined TO move these
" gopher" gentlemen from such dan
L
river, both above and below Decatur,
were perpendicular and about twenty
five feet high, leaving a small passage
al that time between the peTpendicu-
lar bank and the edge OF the water,
SO that men could walk down this pas
sage with ease. some three fourths Of
q mile below the notifications there
was cane brake. A Lieutenant with
forty-seVen meu of the 18Th Michigan
Infantry passed down between this |
enc bankmen and the edge of the |
water into cane brake. Col. TnOrn> !
UuIgn aud the writer being advised as
TO lne movement, climbed pair of |
stairs in Gen. Changers headquarters |
up to scuJtle-hole on top or the |
house, which had a fiat roof. Here |
" as a fine view, but on account OF the
precision OF ann by the shaTpshOoters,
a couple of heads only was pOked
above the roof. After a while the
bright CLEAN of bayOnets could be
seen be seen in the cane brakes.
1t was exciting to know what
was coming end to witness
these bright reflections from pol
lshej weapons, where the men
We're completely concealed. Slowly
they advanced near the edge of the
cane. At length they converge from
it Taking advantage Of small ridge
they s.oop, and, bending forward, ad
vance toward the line of gophers
from the rear, while constant hiring
was kept up by our men IN the for1,
keeping the attention of The rebel
directtd to their front. Getting near
the top of the ridge the men lie down
and creep on all tours until the sum
nit is reached, when with wild yell
they raised aud came charging upon
the "gophers" from the rear. A num-
Der of rebels were killed, the AZ Mich
lganders brought 120 prisoners into
tue fort, and took possession OF the
line of gophers. A large number Of
the rahels LEANED from their hnles. and |