Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-05-16
"reminiscences of the Third Tennes-
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL. A. M'TEER.
NO. XII.
AT MURFREEsBORO'-M DEAD AND
DYING IN THEIR TENTS-BAT-
TIE at MIDDLETON.

AT MURFREEsBORO'-M DEAD AMI
DYING IN THEIR TENTS-BAT-
TIE at MIDDLETON.
1t took time to make soldiers with
soldiers habits of civilians from any
where, but particularly of East Ten
nesseeans. Raised in the free, pure
mountain air OF East Tennessee a
spirit Of liberty and independence
naturally grew in the men of that
locality until they were hard to disci-
pIine. As an Instance of this, strict
army discipline requires that soldiers
coming into the presence Of officers or
Officers in presence of superiOrs, to
raise or take Off the hat. This East
Tennesseeans, as class, would not do.
1t was very rare thing to find one
that would do it. In some other mat
ters they were equally Independent.
In the Annals of the Army of the
Cumberland it is stated that in the
battle at Stone River a brigade bad
made repeated attempts TO carry
rebel battery, but had been repulsed
each time. AT length the First and
Second Tennessee Infantry were sent
to make another attempt. They were
scarcely in front OF the guns until
they raised a wild slogan and went at
q charge for the guns, and succeeded
in capturing them with but a small
loss of men. Occurrences were fire..
quent that in the heat OF battle no
officers could command. Soon after
the regiment was camped in front of
Muir freesbOro', Col. PlCkens paid Gen
eral Spears a visit. Gen. Spears now
had no connection with or control
over cur regiment, but by some means
he ordered the Colonel to clean up his
arms, to have his men fire their guns
and pistols and rub them up. The
Colonel came into camps a short time
before sundOwn and told US to get out
our guns and pistols and sh Dot them
off. Our camps were just in the inside
Of the pickets in front. We, after the
style at home, got out our guns and
made spots on trees and boards,
stepped off some distance and tried our
skill at marks. With five hundred |
men shooting around in squads at and
near camps, made considerable racket |
and sounded very much like q sharp |
skirmish. Presently an officer with a |
red sash across his shoulder and |
around bis waist came dashing at the |
full speed of his horse right into our
midst, commanding the firing to
cease and wanted TO know what we
meant, and calling for the command
iug officer. Col. Pickens walked out
of his tent. The officer wanted to
know by what authority this promis-
cuUus firing, at this time of day, was
done. The Colonel told him, upon
which a torrent of curling followed |
with "a threat TO report il TO General |
II IsecTans, but we heard no more OF il. |
Now began a hard and a sad time |
for us. Most OF our men were fresh |
from home, unacCustomed TO a soldiers |
life, and did not know how to take |
care of themselves. The mud in |
camps was about knee deep-a LOB |
IDLY" The weather severe, brigaded |
with and commanded by regulars, sta
toned in front and placed on hard
duty, our men died in their tents too
fast 10 be removed to hospitals. The
ground being so full of water it was
necessary To- have beds of some kind,
SO, not knowing the effects, our men
gathered cOTnstalks aud s~dge grass,
pilIug them down on the bare ground
la the tents, then sleeping on them
from night TO night. This material
.OUk up the moisture and soon began
TO rot, rendering the air foul, whereas
-ailsO boards would have made prefer
lble beds and perfectly healthy. The
Whole atmosphere was foul too, from
horses killed in battle, then being
buried, and the rotten flesh giving
way the stencil was thrown out with
increased force. The reader can at I
nee understand that much evil must
esult from these combined causes. In
he Second and Third ambulances
we're daily driving through camps
I4uling eff the dead. The writer was !
citing as Sergeant Major then. aud he
\ ell Tememb eIs that James McClRna-
IAN, of COmpg Y "B," an old neigh
,or whom re had known from earliest
died ia his tent, and
| was three days before men
ould he got to bury him. All who
VI re able were on duty, while the sick |
.Ould not. All the hardships and prI-
-ations, as we'll as dangers, had been
passed through thus far without mus
er. On the 27th of January, 1858,
APT. John III. Yound, OF the United
jtates Army, mustered the first five
into service. We now
sd, serving as field and staff, the fol-
=" OAllCClE - 1OAGAf w ~ Il i'm
ns; Lieutenant Colonel, Duff. G..
'hcrnburgh Major, Albert G. Catlett;
.djutant. John b. Minis; Quarter I
laster, + Goddard; Commissariat, o.
;. McCammOn; Acting Surgeons, A. r
:. Taylor aud A. ]. Taylor Chaplain, {
V. M. Burnett; Hospital Steward,
ames N. Lyle. Companies had the
blowing officers; Company ga"
aptain, Samuel w. Pickens; First 3
Ben. Cunningham Sec l
nd Lieutenant, Larator Wear. Com
any 3d." Captain, Alex. p. Slatery;
'irst Lieutenant, Thomas NJ. Pickens; Z
econd Lieutenant, F. Davis. Com
any &C" Captain. Gid. r. Griffith; r
'irst Lieutenant, d. w. White; Sec- I
nd Lieutenant, John Misecarver. I
company ID" Captain, Shadrach
Isrris; First Lieutenant, John E
sevely; Second Lieutenant, Oliver Z
Tenry. Company e." Captain,
harles w. Cocker; First Lieutenant,
amuel L. Tillery Second Lieutant,
ohm G.. Giffin. Company "F" was I
Hy,f in, | \