The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-09-03
KNOXVILLE,
Comrade Tells Some Interesting Anecdotes Con-
nected with the Siege.

A Comrade Tells Some Interesting Anecdotes Con.
| nected with the Siege.
To THE EDITOR: OF the many reports con-
corning the guard from Spring Hill to
! Franklin Dec 80 or rather the morning of the
/ 3lst, Blue Shield" gives the only one yet
! that approaches correctness. Will you allow
! me to suggest few corrections even in his re-
! port? for was there" The skirmish-ine left
/ on the Duck River was not from Easements
Brigade, the Second and Third Divisions,
/ Twenty third Corps, but from Reilly's old Bril-
/ gade, First and Third Divisions, Twenty-third
Corps. 10 which the supporting regiments, the
! 18th and 10th Ky, belonged. The men were a
detail from the Tooth and 104th Ohio and part of
| Co. b. Sth Tenn. We left Columbia sometime
! after midnight, passed through Spring Hill at
! daylight under command of Maj Dow OF the
division staff, came first in sight of our friends
! belonging To Woods Division some two or three
miles north OF Spring Hill, arriving at Frank
! lin after all the troops had came into position.
| Ii we were not the rear guard, then Gen. Cheat
! ham was. for he came next, and there was no
! troops between us, and he was not far behind.
! ! now want to call attention to some unwritten
events with which our brigade was connected
when commanded by Col. ID. Cameron, of the
Goth III. During the siege of Knoxville the
/ enemy was reported to be building raft up
/ the Holston River, which they intended to let
/ float down under cover of darkness and de-
/ stroy our pontOOn, then attack and capture the
! hills of South Knoxville before reentorcements
/ could be crossed. If the pontoon was destroyed
/ the few troops stationed there would be In
! great danger, and the city and Notifications at
! the mercy of rebel artillery, which was not al
ways tender. A party was selected from this bril-
! gade, under command of an officer of our regi-
ment, and sent out 10 see about IT, SIX miles
up the river, sure enough, they found large
! raft nearly ready, closely guarded, within sight
| Of q Hn rain
/ do no good. So after consu itation among them
! selves, the officer and three others determined
! to cut the lines and let 90 the raft which they
| succeeded in doing under the very eyes of the
guard, as it were. When the raft commenced
! 10 move the alarm was given; the officer and
| one man were caught, put in large tent and
| guard put in front While the other rebs were
! hunting for those who were more fortunate, our
| two prisoners walked to the rear of the tent
! and, before light was brought, cut good sized
| rear door, walked away, Joined the others, and
| came into Knoxville, without the loss of a man,
! in time to report their doings. The large raft
| passed through the opening made in the
| pontoons for it and did no harm whatever.
| Comrade, DO you know where we got our ra-
| lions from during the siege, when Uncle Sans
supply began TO run low? If you don't let me
tell. A number of our boys, with other Ten
nesseeans, were sent up the river, so miles or
more, to our loyal friends Flatboats and old
/
meal aud dressed porkers, and fioated down to
us; always making the run within the lines
! during the night. The rebS caught on " and
then the fun began. The men OH board would
make breastworks of hogs, etc, and let their
craft float at will. Sometimes, when the rebels
! placed battery of artillery SO as to sweep the
! river, it became real dangerous; but the sup
/ plies came along all the same, and had it not
| been for the heroic action of the Tennessee vol
unteers and the devoted loyalty of her citizens
| our rations would have been much shorter than
| they were.
OF another occurrence l only know in part,
and state it as | have heard it, Withholding
the names, expecting that if it is not altogether
correct some cOmradc will set it right. 1t is
| said that when Gen. Grant had come to an I'M
derstanding with Bragg and his men in front
of Chattanooga he wanted Gen. Burnside, who
was cooped up in Knoxville, to know about it,
and that relief was coming 10 u.s. ard not car
! ing if L0ngstrCet posted also, Gen. Grant
ordered Col. Byrd. of the 1st Tenn then at
Kingston, TO communicate the facts as best he
could to both Burnside and LongStreet. SO,
the legend tells us, Col. Byrd received three
dispatches exactly alike. One he gave to a
soldier of his regiment, who secuted through
woods and byways until in sight of Long
streets headquarters guard, who halted him
at once; said soldier ran, and, in so doing,
seemed to accidentally drop his paper, which,
on being picked up by the pursuing guard, was
! found addressed 10 Gen. Burnside aud was
! from Gen. Grant; rightly concluding that such a
| find was the most important they did not pursue
! the soldier; but Longstreet knew just what
| Grant intended he should know. The Sec
ond was given also to a volunteer of Col.
| Byrd's regiment, who, in seeking to en-
ter Knoxville was apprehended by Long
streets men, who hung him to a tree about
| two miles north of Knoxville and liz plain view
of our camp on Temperance Hill. After the
te,,, l..
| buried, but was beyond recognition. / saw
| the body, but do not know whether he was
| executed as dispatch bearer, as intimated, or
not. Can any cOmrade throw any light here?
! The third dispatch was given TO a refugee
| Union man, who was at Kingston, but who
| lived at Louisville, Tenn, 10 miles below
| Knoxville. When preparing to start with his
dispatch and stating the nature of his business
| in the presence of his family, a young lady
| (rebel), sister to said citizens wife, whose home
was in Mississippi, but who was connected with
| the hospital service of the rebel army, and
! whose brother a Colonel commanding a
| brigade In Longstreets army isaid Colonel in
a few days commanded the charge on Fort
Sanders), tried to dissuade her brotherin-law
| from the undertaking Failing in this, she
offered to convey the dispatch herself, which
offer was accepted. Travelling on a pass, she
came TO Louisville, and there succeeded in
| sending the good news through the lines by
Ine manu- OF lau belonging 10 Wel-knoWn
| Union family of that town. i know this per-
sonally, as the lad was brought to me Officer
of the Guard on the skirmish-line, and by me
taken, as he demanded, to headquarters, and
! there delivered to one of Gen. Burnside's staff
certain papers, which he had safely concealed
on his person. l was then dismissed to duty,
and shortly in Special Orders the news was
! given to us parade.
Comrade Shield" do you remember how
we made the hills echo with our glad cheers Z?
Now, if any part of this is apocryphal, / know
full well some one will rise and say so if all
! true, ! can give all the names of the parties
cOnnected.-GEo. d. MOORE, Second Lieut.,
! Co. Il, 9Th Tenn.
! He Ast0Ok Cur Motive.
| To TIE EnrrnR. In unnr iSsnn of InI,r 90