The National tribune., 1885-12-10
PARSON BROWNLOW.
Interesting Sketch OF How the Knoxville whig -
Was Escorted from Camp Nelson 10 knoxville.


| NATIONAL TRIBUNE from comrades with great
| interest Thinking that new subject
| would be of interest to other readers Will
| endeayor, from recollactons and some old let
| tiers which / have in my possession, to give
| short sketch OF Parson Brownlow's Knoxville
Wing, which Was destroyed by the Coniederates
| in lSol ard '62, and again reissued i'll October,
| 1868.
In August, 1863, was at Camp Nelson, KY,
| in the cOnvaiescCnt camp, having been IN july
badly afflicted with scurvy. But on or about
the Isl OF October, 1868, Parson Brownlow and
| family. with Horace Maynard and wife, came
| to Camp Nelson on their return TO their native
home at Knoxville, i'll East Tennessee. The
Government furnished transportation overland
| for the families liz a:nbuiances, and Govern
ment wagons for Brownow's press, type and
paper for the Knoxville Wig; then there was
a call for some one to take charge of the wagon
trains and escort TO leave Camp Nelson and go
through the mountains to Knoxville via Cum
! berand Gap which had been taken from
Gel. Humphrey Marshall by Burnside about
z the 1st OF October. / do not remember the
date. / volunteered to take command of the
outfit; was called TO Col. Fry's headquarters
| aud was by him introduced TO Browniow and
| Maynard, who received Inc cordially and very
| pleasantly.
As soon as preparations could be made we
| started the perlous journey, as the coun-
try was beset with bushwhackers and guer-
rillas l can still see Brownlow as he made
preparations for starting, with that stern
| though pleasant face; and Mrs. Brownlow,
most aniablc lady, and Sue Brownlow, who
defended the Union flag at her fathers door at
| Knoxville in 1861, as they started on their
homeward journey. The first night, if l re-
member right, was passed at Crab Orchard,
where Parson Brownlow made patriotic
address, bold, unvarnished Union spcech,-
! condemning the leaders OF the rebellion III
| Eatl
wickedness of civil war, brought on, as it
was, by false leaders aud ignorant followers.
| Horace Maynard followed in an eloquent ad
| dress to the citizens OF Kentucky.
Brownlow and party accompanied the
| wagon train, protected by the escort, until
we reached Barboursville, where they left us
and took their way under another escort to
| Knoxville; but Sue Sawyer BrOwniow left
| beautiful silk flag in my care to be delivered
to her at Knoxville. The flag was one pre-
sented TO her by the ladies of Philadelphia,
! Pa; which flag / delivered to her hands mt
their former residence in knoxville. The flag
bore the inscription, THE Union One and ln-
separable' and l saw it during the siege placed
| over her fathers door in the same place where
! she had SO heroicaliy defended the Union flag
| in 1851.
The wagon containing the press type and
paper for Brownlow's Knoxville Whig was
driven up to the old Wing Office and, to use an
artillery phrase, was unimbered to the front
| for action and opened fire on the enemy within
36 hours after it got in position. 1t was loaded
with red-hot shot from the old Parsons ex-
| haustless supply, and aimed and fired straight
at the heart of the rebellion. But shortly
afterward Longstreet besieged Knoxville, and
Tor fear of capture Burnside ordered Parson
| Brownlow to 20 North, to Kentucky, under an
| escort of cavalry, which he reluctantly did, de-
claring with clenched fists and set teeth that he
had rather stay i'll Knoxville and take mus
| ket and fight than to leave The Knoxville
| Wkia never missed an issue, but thundered
away during the siege under the combined
editorship of Miss Sue Brownlow and others.
The siege was finally raised by Sherman send
| ing re-enfOrcements TO the relief OF Burnside
1t would be hard task to describe the many
| scenes which occurred during the siege, and the
| final charge of Longstreets men on Fort SAN
ders, and the bloody repulse, which is well
known to history, and especially to those who
were present. But as TO our wagon trains in the
mountains: When the trains reached Cumber-
land Gap our mules were in a starving condi-
tion. Our men-30 in number-were almost
out of rations, and the roads were as muddy as
q Southern rain-storm could make them. /
applied to the Colonel commanding the post at
the Gap for rations and forage, which were
| most cheerfully issued; but while was in the
Coionel's office getting requistion signed one
of his soldiers, belonging to an Indiana regi-
ment if / am not mistaken, stole my overcoat
from my saddle.
After resting "a hours we started for Knox
vile; but when at the foot of Waldron's Ridge
our advance guard came back with the assur-
ance that there was trouble ahead. / confess
being then young and not used to commanding
In light. was somewhat nonplused, but as
quickly as could be done under the circum-
stances got the wagons close together, formed
20 men as support, and taking 10 men, led
them up the road to encounter the supposed
rebel cavalry. Our hearts beat quick with
patriotism-or fear. But imagine the feelings
OF the gallant 10 when at short curve or turn
| in the road we saw coming toward us not
Wheeler's cavalry or Thomas's Indians, but
four boys and four women, three colored and
the balance white, all on horses returning
from the village store, where they had been to
trade, and were as much surprised at seeing us
as we were scared to see them. Well, you can
imagine just how that brave advance guard
looked; and we all felt SO glad that he had
been fooled that we never thought of chatting
him until we were safe inside of Burnside's
lines at Knoxville, which place we reached
without any more blOodless victories over an
imaginary enemy. We arrived in Knoxville
just before Burnside was besieged by Long
street, the guard and myself being invited to
dine at the private residence of Parson Brown /,
low alter which all the escort was sent to their
regiments, your humble servant being men,
Der of Co. b, Goth Ill., then encamped at Con-
cord, below Knoxville
On or about the 1st of November was de-
tailed to recruit for the 18th Tenn. Cav, then
being raised by Col John Elliott; and by q
recommendation from BrOwnlOw l was ap-
pointed Second Lieutenant in the 10th Tenn.
Cav- which being consolidated with the 10th
Tenn. Cav. after the siege was over, l took
command OF the rear guard which guarded the
prisoners from Knoxville to Camp Nelson, KY,
where we arrived on that cold New Years Day
of 1864 so long to be remembered by many
suffering soldiers.
1t is said that it takes good calculator to
make both ends meet, but / think have sue |
ceeded, as will leave off where | commenced, |
viz, Camp Nelson, KY. Now, if any of Parson |
Brownlow's family or that of Maynard, or any |
OF the officers Or men who were concerned in |
the above-described trip should see this, |
would be glad to hear from them, either |
through The NATIONAL TRIBUNE or by letter. |
i would also be glad to have some one inform |
me as TO what has become of the old Knoxville |
Whig.-THoMAs j. West, Woodside, Polk Co., |
Mimi. |
The ith Mich.