Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-11-25
"Reminiscences of the Third Tennes
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL. A. M'TEER.
NO. XXXIII.
BATTLE OF DECATUR.

of the Third. The writer was Of this
number. Some of the Third was Oh
du3y a. bridge headquarters, and &c
escape that terrible catastrophe. As
heretofore remarked, the Fourth Cav
! alrv had be- taken from US, go We
had the Sc md aud B .ttery "a" Oh
duty a Deca or. The br gale oTgani-
zslion was sill KEEP up. however.
o sec ION of the battery, uader
Lieutenant Murphy, had been sent t.
a hens and was on temporary duty
there Thiags passed # quietly until
tos 25 b OF o ;tober, 1864, when Con
Iedefate force made It's appearance
Within sight OF our pickets. We did
DOT under-fand the movement, so on
he rs b l. eufeDant Shocks, Of The
Ieuth Indiana Cavalry, was sent with
bl1 cOmpany 10 ascertain their
strergrh. aud the comm aud if pos
slb'e.~ lie went OUT oD-the r. al run
ming southeast, tire name Of which
nave forgotten, struck a cavalry picket.
hot skirmish fol we'd when the
rebels gave way, the lieutenant fol-
lowing at a charge. To all appear
victory for u time, but suddenly he
came in front of a regiment OF ine
faniry in line of battle! Shocks
checked up, the regiment opened fire,
when he had TO get 0ut Of their reach
Upon his facing about they came 10
force and drove him rapidly towards
camp. The writer was at dinuer, and
| hearing The fling, selZed very large
telescope of Col. ThOruburgh's, then
climbed the house, and laying fiat on
the roof near the comb, placed the tel>
Escape GU it, 80 that a fair ~ could
be had. Ii was about mile 10 the
woodland, but looking through this
powerful glass, the distance was appa,
Tently removed. Presently the rebels
came cut in full line Of battle, raised
their guns and fired. 1t appeared as
if they were shooting right into the
telescope. u d0dged." Then look
| ing up realized the true distance; and
| more, that their line reached from
about the river bank, uear one and
half miles southwark. Our com
| maDd was weak. The Fourth was
gone, the third was captured, so our
force consisted OF the Eighteenth
NJ lchigsn Infantry, the One hundred
and second OHIO Infantry, and these
regiments weakened by the capture Of
Detachment S, with the Third al
ADMINISTRATION mentioned. W.
had Of cavalry, the Second Tennessee,
aud one battalion of the Tcath Indiana
and a small detachment from each OF
the Twelfth and Thirteenth Indiana,
together with two sections OF Battery
"a" First Tennessee Artillery, aud
section of heavy artillery in the 1. IF.
IL soon became evident that We had
large force TO face, being no Iess than
an attack from General Il cod, then
on his way 10 Nashville. This force
attacking US was said 10 be nuder The
INN date Command of General
BeauTegard. Oar force was so weak
Lhat even the guards were taken from
the prison house agd placed liz line of
battle, and then the line did no: reach
naif vay ST uad our works. Capt.
b ach cook his four guns and ruu
them ouJ INTO little redouLt, some
Il : Ce 10 font Of cur for, ledvin
.,Is d III .nunItiOn behind a ridge Ia h S
Tear. | vent out with hlm, and at the
r ii 40 Iii-iuuuuted, leIViuG my horse
II Cnarse . an Orderly, and went in
tia III III. Ii ere bad b. II no ap-
.,"aia", VI at lieIy on the COuf.der-
i u % - tBat tue, 80 Gaps Beach
n | were VA ching, ard u In d |
- iad e uad b. s-eH ug- ter vt Tired |
"a lueui. suddenly aDd with. grea
at ,nty 'pe led ua Is with a fuil |
ia Try ma k, III he ~o "a. Tne
apts,u uad taken but little aminuui-
Iuu lutU the Tcuuub 80 when
a. shOt aud Shelf came ppur-
tug upon Us at sucn a RAE,
static U.CK to my harse, near by, /
. pT-vt IA 3hIs escape Ole Of The ar
'tiie men was Walkiug W me Arou nd
sE"u Of he edouOt, WHEN d shell |
* pi"d,n DeniHd, paCt passIng bet ween |
~ auu RItiIug a horse Just before us. !
Just a. | got To my horse Capt Beaun |
a Ied 10 ule 10 Iuu up more amUuuI- !
Bun 10 him. Mounting, [ started Il |
" AS ali uuforiuuate location for the |
calssOns behind tie hill. The rebel |
guns were OVershootiug our battery, |
anu | bad to pass thlUng ii { helT fire III. |
an oblique direction. Solid shot and |
pieces vi shell were blowing the |
ground untll it appeared a. If the
tartn was boiling like water, while lie |
r. ar'ug aud wniZZiog of lie dea lily
missiles rendered the air perfectly
That ume. Before, | always hal a
u
when L bad been placed NV BRASS |
barrelled pistol would have bsen no |
Comfort TO me then. Really, il 40.
peared as if nothing could live then, |
out belUg determined to 60 as far as
possible, the orderly anu l went
through and sent the calssons up TO
The guns. Lieut.. Murphy, hearing his
guns, came on horseback from Athens,
distance of fifteen miles, i'll eighty |
minutes, if L remember rightly,
The battle was now raging with |
despe ration by infan ry and cavalry, |
as well as artillery. When qui small |
L had pietIIes of battles drawn IN my |
mind. l now had before my eyes the |
real u ttion of one of those pictures |
Two armies stood out in an open field |
where the whole movements could be |
seen. A cannon ball struck one of |
Capt Beach's men about the upper
portion of the forehead, Carrying
away the top of his head, striking an
other in the face. and taking his whole
head. Men fell from their horses, aud
he horses went wildly running ana
snorting along the line Of battle. Col,
PrOsser rode the line back and FORTH,
commanding and cheering bis men,
DOtwit hstandiug several rIf18 balls
were shot into his saddle. Hisrer,
sOnal bravery did much in saving
Decatur. Tie brave and heroic Cap.
Aaron G. Mercy nolds, ofthe S2cOud, /
fell. Now aud then q soldier would
pick up his dead oomrade, throw him
across his horse in front of the sad ile,
aud carry him 10 the rear, then