The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-07-15

, in desperation by Grierson to hold his
t enemy in check. In the final charge
an aid of Gen. Grierson, mounted on a
beautiful gray mare, passed in few
PAGES of him, and escaped u shot of his
carbine to be killed few minutes later
by McCulloch's men, IL short distance
in the rear. He hurried after him on
foot to obtain mount, but On reaching
the spot found that others had secured
the prize, while the body of her gal
liant rider, despoiled and stripped, lay
on the roadside, victim to his own
rashness, and loser in the game he
had played so harshly on the defense
less inhabitants of that section.
1t wasSat this point that General
Forrest and Major Tate killed five of
the eEemy, who set on them. Forrest
was i'll the field in advance of his lines.
and med the attack simply with his sa-
Der at tierce. Aside from the necessi-
| ty of Il personal exhibition of courage
before his little force, which was great
! ly OutnUmbered ut this iuncture, Gen.
| Forrest was animated on this occasion
by an avenging spirit, evoked by the
/ OCdlll VI AiiS DIOlIlCI lGh ilOuIS DCIOIe,
and he was little inclined to shrink
from personal encounter, however
great the odds. AT successive thrusts
| he killed three of his antagonists, his
weapon burying itself to the hilt as he
pushed his last victim from bis horse.
In the III eantime, Tate dispatched the
remaining two, winning by his conduct,
promotion as Major. Forest always
had presence Of mind enough to use
his sabre at a thrust, an infinitely
more dangerous procedure than cut,
which is more easily parried and less
effective at best.
ESCORT AT MEMPHIS.
In the attack on Memphis, the Es-
cOrt was the first to break through the
inf;lntry camp to the right of the Her
nandO road, and soon after took a bat
terry. In this affair Cooper killed two
Of the enemy, at successive shots, while |
his horse was i'll full speed. One of
these was a Dutchman, who might !
have escaped, but his habits of thrift |
detained him too long arranging his |
heavy knapsack and other acc0utre- |
ments the other was negro soldier,
who fell in a few PAGES of his cOmpan- |
ion. After passing the battery, it was
renamed, and a shot fired into the |
Escort tore off Tom McCord's leg and |
put thirteen grape shot into his mule
\ regiment was ordered to charge, but
being slow, the escort proposed to take
it, and the General told them to go to
work at it.
Their pistol practice soon told on the
enemy, who abandoned their guns and
aimed to make their essape across a
field, in which Il number Of them were
ovcrtallcn and killed at a run.
But the CrOwning feat wiLs yGt to
come. General Forrest, ever on the
alert, sent Lieutenant George Cowan
and Cooper to watch on the HcrnandO /,
road, on the lett. They had been on
the ground but short time, when
sqUadronof cavalry was seen approach
ing, but in the early morning light its
character couldn't be made out Lieu
tenant CowaL now rode forward to
recOnnoitre, when the officer in com
mand dashed upon him with drawn
saber, and forced him to retreat a short
distance to where Cooper stood with
his cooked carbine concealed behind a
tent. As soon as Cowan cleared the
way, Cooper fired, and the daring an
tagonist fell headlong from his horse.
The facts were Immediately reported to
General Forrest, who started at once
with the Escort to meet the movement.
Taking advantage ofthe obscure light,
the General led his men to conven-
lent position, and burst upon the enc
my so impetuously that they were
quickly borne backward and endeavor-
cd to escape. At the first dash Sam
DonelsOn and Cooper broke for cross
ing to intercept their retreat Donel-
son being mounted on fast horse,
Known throughout the command as the
Yaller Ram was the first to reach
the spot, and reigned across the road
horse and rider were quickly over
thrown by the impetuous mass, but
fortunately for Donelson, he fell to the
side of the road. As he lay stunned
and bruised, Federal officer reined
III to give him the corp d5 grace with
his pistol At this critical moment
Cooper reached the scene, and seeing
his comrades peril, fred OF his antag-
Onist, repeating the shot as he fell to
make sure. At that instant another
was bearing down on him with drawn
sabre, and he had Just time to club his
Spencer rife and deal his opponent a
heavy blow in the face as the sabre
grazed his head; his own weapon was
broken offat the breech by the forcs of
the blow. He also gave number two
Il shot, for surety. He then leaped
his horse across a pit and went to work
on the passing horsemen with his pis-
tolls, of which he had four. After this.
party had passed, he deserted two on
foot, making off across the open field.
As he galloped up i'll easy range, he
called upon them to surrender he saw |
at once that the rearmost one meant |
fight, by the way he handled his gun,
and as this one turned to fire, he Killed |
him with his pistol while still in a gal
Top; the other threw up his hands and
surrendered. A great number Of Fed
eral dead were left on the scene Of this |
combat, and of these Cooper had killed /
six or eight. at least.
The pistol was tavOrite weapon
with this corps, and in fact, with ali |
the Western Calvary; and Il sabre
charge, though formidable i'll appear |
ance, had no terrors for the Escort. |
Lieutenant Nath. Boone, Jack Eaton,
and number of others, were splendid
shots from horseback, and in Il close
engagement made their craftsmanship
tell most effectively. Eaton rarely
.