Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-02-28
"reminiscences Of the Third Tennes-
see Cavalry.
BY ADJUTANT WILL. A. M'TEER.
NO. XLVI.

old soldiers against the tender, awk-
ward men "just out of feather bed"
especially 30 when they were enlisted
for short period. General Johnson
made a great mistake, too, In the
morning by allowing everybody free
access to the saloons. There was many
of our cavalrymen drunk, so that by
| 10 o'clock the saloons had to be closed,
The twelve months men were guard.
ing the tables laden with the good
things to eat. A number Of the third
Tennessee, eighth Michigan, sixth H.
diana, fourteenth Illinois and sixth
Tennessee cavalry regiments combined
to have hearty dinner. They went
to the tables, but were promptly
halted by the guards. Two Of the cav.
alrymen then got into quarrel and
after using some threatening and
abusive language, agreed to go some
distance from the tables and light it
out.n A "hurrah" was raised by the
cavalrymeD. Let US see the fight!
Let US see the fight!n So the boys
wearing the yellow stripes went aside,
following the would be combatsnts,
who were gesticulatiug at furious
rate. The lieutenant commanding
the guards summoned his men all to-
gather, and, with fixed bayonet, took
all of them to suppress the row among
the cavalrymen. When the infantry
guards had gone from the tables
considerable distance one Of the GAYS
airy threw his hat up into the air
This was the signal at which they all
broke for the tables, aud before the
guards could get back, our old soldiers
were well laden with articles of food,
and most of them so far away that
they were out of danger. Little Joe
Pierce, Of company b, however, was
not so fortunate. He had cancelled
postage stamp, and ran to the lieutenN
ant, excIaimiug, Here, lieutenant, |
give you this in honor of the gallant
charge you msde!'
The lieutenant rewarded his impu-
dence by placing him under guard.
number of the boys of our brigade
found their way into the guard house.
Along II the At ,ernoon some of our men
who mad escaped arrest went to the
guard house without arms, demanded
the guns OF the seutluels, whose mex
perience led them To suppose that the
Old soldiers had right To them, or
they would not demand them. tamely
handed up their weapons. The boys
released all the cavslryflen arrested
during the day, Ghen lectured the
guards on their duty, delivering them
their guns, and then returned to
camps.
Drserters and thieves from the two
armies had bauded together in the
country around the neighb0rh0ud of
Pulaski, and madeathings intolsrable
by their depfedatlons. The civil courts
were suspended, and even had they
been in existence they would have
been powerless. General Johnson or
gained military court, which he
termed military commission, for
the trial Of these outlaws. 1t took the
strong military ann to reach tht m.
For some time men were tried almost
daily, and sentenced to be shot, and
the rentence carried into.efact. 1t was
ssd duty, but it appeared that moth
ing short of II would reach these rob
bers. some of our boys went out TO
witness these executions, but i never
could bear such things, and avoided
them altogether.
There was a singular case in our
regiment which came regularly before
the court martial. A youDg man,
Filbert Leath, by name, a private in
company IL" OF the Third, bad be-
longed to the confederate army, then
deserted and enlisted ia our regiment,
remained there some time, and again
deserted aud went back to the cOnfed-
crates, and, in the battle at shville,
was captured. Ordinarily, such desert
ers would meet with the one great pen
alty-that of being shot dead under
the sentence OF the court martial.
But, in this case, we were ready to be
mustered out of service, and some
leniency was extended to him. He
was tried, convicted, aud sentenced TO
be dishonora6W discharged. The
sentence of the general commanding
was, that discharge be filled for him,
placing "dis" before the word "hon-
be witten on the back Of the
discharge, that he be guarded to the
federal oAposts and there supplied
with this dishonorable discharge, to be
placed outside the lines and left to the
/ have heretofore spoken of the diff
fculty in disciplinng East Tennes.
seeans. 1t was so with us and we are
told that confederate off complain.
ed OF the same thing. They made
good fighters, even 10 going into battle
and making desperate charges without
orders, but In camps, or on the field,
they were hard to bring down to The
red tape of strict military discipline.
This was 80 universally true that some
very strict officers made allowance for
them. Especially did the East Tens
nesseeans dislike TO raise or take off
the hat to superior officer. We had
an exception In this respect in the per-
son of A. p. Rambo, regimental com
missary sergeant. He took off his cap
whenever he went into the
tent of any officer, even in our
own camps where he was as
ISOLATED every day. He was SO ACCUSE
toned to do 30 that he did IL from
force of habit and without thinking.
On one occasion he took the reouisi.
ton to division headquarters for ap.
prevail Lieutenant. Colonel Wells, an
officer In the regular army, and
= Il -