Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-11-18
"reminiscences Of the Second Tennes-
see Cavalry.
NO. XXXVJII.
BY LIEUT.. JNo. W. ANDES.

three stories high. Here l fOunC
twelve colored men, confined in sepa
rate cells with chains attached to thei
legs. They were under sentence o
death, by military court martial
They had gone cut into the country {
short time previous and had robbed
| and murdered an old planter and hi!
wife, maltreated his daughter in the
most outrageous manner and then
burned the premises. They were
tried and found guilty and were to be
hung the next day.
Some of them seemed rec0nciled tC
their fate and manifested no Other
feeling than that of the most stoliG
Indifference, while others were rest.
less and never still. Some were weep
ing aud praying while others were
swearing. They belonged to c0lored
regiment then stationed at Vicks.
burgh.
Some excitement had been mani
tested In some OF the cOl0red regiments
and rumOrs gained currency that they
would resist the execution Of the SEN
Ience against these men.
On the 26th, early IN the morning,
| the troops began TO march in the di-
TeCliOn OF the galiows which had been
| erected. The Second Cavalry was or
| dered 10 take possession Of the grounds
| Immediately surrounding, and every
precaullOu was taken TO prevent any
| outbreak. Several pieces of artillery
were placed IN position, to be used II
necessary 10 QueIl a disturbance. AL
| the col0red troops, with the exception
of one regiment, were ordered out ith
out their arms. AT 8 a. Ii. the con-
demned cuIpTits arrived under guard,
each one riding on his coffin. They
were afforded au opportunity to make
| such remarks as they thought proper,
but only two had anything 10 say,
| while the others held out stubbornly
| to the last, Al ten minutes before ten
| they were ordered to rise, the black
caps were adjusted, the ropes which
| held Up the platform were cut,
and they were launched into
eternity. Application had been
| made 10 the President for a pardon
| Tor three OF them, and as it had not
been heard from the execution as 10
them was postponed, All passed of
quietly without disturbance.
On the 27,h OF May, Lieut.. John G.
Hale returned from home, where he
had been on short leave Of absence.
RumOTs began 10 prevail that we were
TO be mustered cut al once, and nothing
else was tailed OF. Sunday. % b, We
had an excellent sermon from ga
Illinois minister, who preached about
"gOiDg bome.N A number of eur
men were sIckening and dying. On
the 3lst, the IOOked~fOr order was pro
mulgated, ordering US 10 Nashville to
be mustered our. 1t was read to US
on dress parade and received with
cheer after cheer. Some of the men
shouted themselves hOarse. On the
4lh of June the steamer came that
was to take Us up the river and en-
barked at once. When the steamer
came III sight and Whistled she was
answered 10y cheers nom 800 men
whose hearts were glad over the
prospect OF an early meeting with
loved friends at home. Soon the
Captain of the boat gave the
order tt move out, and ste
Whislled all aboard to the delight of
her blue coated passengers. We bid
the melancholy cid city of Vicksburg
final good bye and steamed away up
the Mississippi. We passed Memphis
on the b, arriving there at l p. M.
and leaving at 4. We passed Fort Pill
low on the 9Th, arriving at Cairo the
same evening, where We dIsem oarked
aud went into camps, remaining until
81 p. N. Oh the Sth, when we went
aboard the steamer Armada, and then
proceeded up the OHIO river. Al
Mound CITY We passed near hundred
gunhCa.s, anchored out III the river.
they were OIn&meDfed with lights o.
different colors and were having gala
time. They had the best OF music,
and as We passed saiuted US with
cheers, which were heartily responded
To by our boys.
AT SmIthlabd. on the l0.h OF June,
we took passage on the steamer
Columbia and left there on the 1lth
for Nashville, up the Cumberland
river, where we arrived on the Y b al
8 q. III. We di5embarked and went
out TO Edgefield, where we went into
Campo. On the 10Th the Fourth Ten
nessee Cavalry arrived from Mobile,
Ala, and went iatO camps near us.
On the l7th, we were transferred
Ia Cavalry Depot Headquarters, where
The writer was detailed Tor the special
service OF transferring cOnyalescent
troops, and sergeant A. w. Nichols
was detailed as chief clerk. On the
2lst the First Tennessee Cavalry was
mustered Odt. Thousands of troops
were stationed around Nashville now
while they Were coming in from the
South by every train, and thousands
OF them were departing every day for
the capitals Of their several States to
be mustered out. Men were aim(
wild with excitement.
l will soon close out my reminis-
cances. About one more and | will
give the final muster out, in which
[ will give name and rank by COM
panies. II I have said anything TO
wound the feelings of any man it has
not so intended. I solicit any officer
or private who has anything to add to
these "reminiscences of our noble old
regiment TO write it up and furnish
the CHRONICLE for publication, as I
have consulted with the editor and he
consents to do 50. Or if any one of
the fair sex desires TO pay a tribute to
a brother, a son, husband or a
friend, We would be glad to hear from
her. If any one wishes to do this and
prefers to DO so through the writer, he
may be addre sed at Sevierville, Tenn.
[ trust that we may hear from many
who doubtless have items of interest
to offer.
Chattanooga Market
Chattanooga Commercial Nov. g.