The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-21
CROOK AND WHEELER.
A Chapter in the Career of the Great Indian
Fighter-General Crooks Battles
with General Wheeler.


w written Tor the Indianapolis journal
Quite recently General Crook has been
brought into greater prominence by his In
dian campaign, and this fact called to my
mind his pursuit and battles with General
Wheeler in Middle Tennessee l refresh my
memory from my army diary.
On the LIST day of October 1863 General
Crook, with two brigades of cavalry and a
portion of Wilders brigade of mounted in
fantry, left Sayle creek, on the Tennessee
river, above Chattanooga, in pursuit
of large force of rebel cav
airy under command of General Wheeler.
The latter had an advantage of several hours
in starting, Wheeer's force quietly crossed
the Tennessee river above us and proceeded
to the Sequatchee valley, where they sue
ceeded in capturing one OF our wagon trains,
loaded with supplies principally of clothing
Our force was delayed by rain and mud in
crossing the eastern ridge (Walden's) of the
Cumberland mountains, and we entered the
Sequatchee valley on the afternoon of the
I'd. The depredations of the rebels at this
point served to make our force more anxious
for the chase. We fed our horses and imme-
diately proceeded to ascend the western ridge
of the mountains, going into camp on the
summit at midnight
On the morning of the Sd, at
an early hour, the line of march
was resumed and we began to descend about
o'clock the same afternoon. Here. known
in the army records as Thompson's cove, we
first struck the enemy, and lively engage
ment began and continued until after night
fall. The heaviest fighting occurred in
country burying-ground, at point thirteen
miles from McMinnville. The din of mus
kerry, with the flashes of light, combined to
make peculiar the gloom OF darkness We
had several wounded, while the Confederate
loss was six killed and twenty-six wounded.
On Sunday, the 4th, we again started early
on the line of march, and at noon en-
tered McMinnville as their rear guard
turing and paroling 400 Union troops
belonging to the Fourth Tennessee infantry,
Pursuing in hot haste we overlook them
seven miles beyond McMinnville, where we
found them drawn up in dine OF battle. Here
a severe engagement lasted about three
quarters of an hour, when we drove them in
confusion before us. This engagement is
known in history as "Murfreesboro road"
Several were killed and wounded.
BY a strange coincidence our regiment
Seventeenth Indiana) at this time fought
upon the very same field where, on the
30th day OF August, 1857, we nae lively
skirmish with General Forest.
On the 9Th, we passed through Wood
bury and Readyville, reaching Murfreesboro
soon after dark We saw nothing OF the
enemy during this day, nor the next,
which brought us to within eight miles of
Shelbyville.
On the morning of the 7th we left camp at
an early hour and proceeded to Shelbyville,
arriving at ga. NJ From this place we pro-
ceeded upon the Lewisburg pike, and after
marching five miles came to road leading
to the right for some distance and then fol-
lowing in parallel line with, and finally
again into the pike at a distance of five
miles from the place of separation. The
main body of the rebels turned aside upon
this by-road, doubtless with the intention of
coming III upon our rear if we followed the
pike, while their smaller force en-
gagged our front Some Union citi-
zens apprised Gen. Crook of this ma
newer, and he took the by-road with his en-
tire command. We had not proceeded more
| than two miles when we came upon them
eating their dinner. The Ninety eighth Illi-
nois and Seventeenth Indiana regiments
were in the advance. General Crook gave a
command, that afterward became by-word
| in our regiment, run IN, men, and pick them
! upl' He led the charge in person, and there,
| on the farm of Richard Smms, the fight
opened up in earnest In a very few minutes
| the Seventeenth Indiana had five killed and
severely. Their dead were clothed in our
uniform that had been captured in the
| Sequatchee valley. We also captured a
! number of prisoners who wore our blue.
They exhibited much concern as 10 the