Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-03-22
Of the Second TenneS-
ses Cavalry.
BY LIEUT.. JNO. w. ANDES.



West Tennis ea, where We remained {
few days. preparing for one of the
most remarkable cavalry campaigns o.
the war. On the 3lst Of January, 1864
the Second Cavalry made dash out
10 Mount Pleasant, ten miles away. On
the 2nd Of February We went to Mos
cow. a rather novel general order
! was given our whole command at that
! time, suggestive Of business. Tue
men were ordered to have their sabrss
ground. Grind-stones were brought
up, and in every company, at ali times,
men uid be seen grinding their
sabres To a keen, sharp e'ga. Now
/ the weather began to Improve
AID become beautiful arG spripgs
like. \ maiyity Of the
| troops here "ere raw, having
seen 40 service, and were not
up to the Incidents and usages of mile
tary life. This, Tie members OF our
brigade scDl discovered, aud the mis-
chief-loviug were inclined 10 have
some amusement at tue expense of the
uHiHitiaied. The Tennessee Brigade
~ SO kep. al the front, aud a. one Time
got up q false alarm, for the purpose of
frightening their less experienced
comrades. IC was carrying the joke
= long way, but the Second Tennessee
Cavalry scarcely ever had an equal in
getting up fuD. On Friday night,
February n, 1864, after all had re-
tired for the night, and were fast asleep,
some mischIevOus b0ys, having
previously Lassed word around what
they were going TO do, commenced
com menced firing their guns, inter-
miDgling their Voliies with shouts,
This was taken up by men in the reg
Iments Of the brigade. The result
was something Of panic in the rear.
The whole command was drawn up
in line Of battle, with artillery in posi-,
tl0n,and COurieTs sent post haste to the
front TO ascertain about the attack
The sequel was an order for the officers
of our brigade to report to Gen.
Smiths headquarters, where we lis
tened to . severe TepTimand and lee
ture from the General, who closed by
saying he would not court martial us
at that time, but if the OIense was
repeated he would do so. Col.
Cook, who was then in COM
mand of tie regiment, delivered |
US lecture and told Us to do SO no |
more. We promised we wouldn't, |
and We didn't.
In making Preparations for our raid |
into Mississippi, all wagon trains were |
turned over here. The Second New !
jersey Cavalry was detailed a5 a pack !
train, each man being furnished with |
mule and some Of Them two. The |
mules were equipped with pack-sad- |
dies, made especially for packing sup |
plies for the army, These saddles were |
fastened with straps and cTuppeTs, and |
furnished with ropes with which TO |
fastGn barrels OF "naTd-tack.p One |
mule could carry two barrels of crack
eTs, one confined on either side of the
saddle, with other things between. OH
eg5 were loaded with ammunition. Ia
addition 10 the troops heretofore men
toned, We also had some MIssOurians
and the Fifth Kentucky Cavalry in
our expedition, hicn was COM
10y Gen. Smith. On the 9th
Of February, 1864, the entire army wac
called Out il general review. The
next day We moved southwark from
ITiune, 10 the number of Z, coo cavalry.
We marched cut on The Holly SpriL gs
road, ana went twenty miles the first
day. On the night OF the 18th of Feb
TuaTy, the enemy killed two men be-
longing to the Fourth Tennessee Cav
airy, near FOLLY Springs The Second
was in advance Oh tue Is b, aud had
10 Ggnt ali tie way. We went as far
- New Albany, Miss. On the l4th,
we marched All day through rain and
muJ. Oar lot fell 10 lie rear on that
day, ana tile miserable condition ofihe
roads in tI.t swampy Country, pre-
vented Us from getting into camps be-
"a
the l5cn, owing ID the Inclement
weather, We remained in camps.
On the 10Th We moved in the direc-
ten OF POutOtOe, heavy fighting on
oar front all The while, Tie enemy
falling back. On the 18Th we passed
through OkalUna, still meeting with
strong opposition. On the 18Th, Mel.
W. f. PTOsser was sent with his bat
TALON TO the extreme right of oar lines,
near little town called Bueua Visa
lie was holly unaCquaiuted with the
country, and his close proximity to
the enemy made the utmost vigilance
u necessity. Every man was at his
post aud ia The saddle, ready for the
worst. IL was no Time for fl inching
and ali seemed 10 appreciate the re-
-ponsIDliijiss of the occasion. As we
" ere quietly marching on, about two
O'Clock D. H., af.eT crossing little
Tiuge He saw just opposite Us, . sb2 II
distance away, regiment of COnled-
crate soldiers ia camp, quietly
their dinner without hav-
ng out a single picket. 1t was
surprise. Oar advance guard
fred upon them, when Maj. Prosser,
always up in military tactics. turned
Ii his saddle and in shrIll voice or
Tered a charge. Every man raised the
war whOop and put spurs to his horse. {
IA an instant We were in the enemy's
amp. Tue COBfedeTates fled in every
direction. Some sprang to their horses,
While others took TO the woods with
,uC their horses. We saw they out
lum bered US, and in few moments {
We were as quietly as possible dashing
n our way, and come off without the
oss of q man. Just before sunset We
truck the main OkOlOna and Buena !
Tista road, where we had to cross
creek on corduroy. Just about [
ne mile below WAS Buena Vista,
5hich we could see from this )
o;pt. The country around town was
overed over with troops, which we |
BOX 10 be our own, and went leisurely J
q, suspecting nothing unusual. {
,nr command, being near where we
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