Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29
A TIGHT FIX.

q small BODY OF soldiers On the ralIroad ieiio-
ing from Chattanooga to Nashville. The
time was IL o'clock on the morning OF Dec.
9, 1864, and the occasion was the concentra-
ton of the army of Gen. Thomas to give
battle to the adventurous southerner VINO had
followed all the way across the state OF len
nessee in effort to bring him to the trial OF
arms The train thus rudely saluted was
short train of only four box cars, the last in
q succession of ten trains loaded with troops
and material which had come up from Chat
tanooga This train had miscellaneous
cargo of detached soldiers and officers, but
its principal load was made up OF the rem
nants of colored regiment that had been
mostly captured aud confiscated in Georgia
Counting the officers who occupied the in
terror of the forward car, and were breaking
their parole in obedience to an order from
headquarters, the force numbered 300 men.
The train at the moment of receiving the
shot was crossing single track bridge over
NH Creek, six miles from Nashville, and was
moving slowly, because the engineer had
been forced to stop few hundred feet in the
rear to remove some distractions that had
been piled upon the track. The missile came
from hill about half mile further up the
road but little to the left of the tracks, and
other, the smoke from the rapid discharges
seeming to rise in q continuous cloud from
the muzzles Of the guns. Almost immedi-
ately the engineer, without reflection, brought
the train to a standstill in the very middle Of
the bridge.
Here was q perpleIing situation enough.
The bridge was too narrow to permit a pas
sageway upon either side of the cars, and to
scramble over the tops Of the train of box
cars including the locomotive, with arms
and equipments, would. have been a difficult
undertaking under any circumstances. But
In the face of this feu d'enfer it was a task
Of really startling magnitude. To add to tho
ADVERTISEMENTS of the situation, another
section OF the enemy's battery opened fire
from hill about half mile to the left, and
detachment of cavalry could DE seen riding
across the railroad within easy rife range In
the rear.
Probably very few of the survivors Of that
party of 300, who had thus ridden into the
Jaws of death, if asked today how they sue
reeded in extricating themselves from the
cars, would be able to tell. They could only
BAY that they finally found themselves stand
ing in very close order behind the railway
embankment that led to the bridge, while the
plicers were looking about to find either some
point for attack or some opening for retreat
On hill about fifty feet high, and within
Easy distance, stood a block house. 1t was
built to protect the trestle, and 1t was pre-
sumably garrisoned by detachment of
troops Would it afford shelter for the be-
leaguered travelersi Moved by a common
instinct, they determined to know and
thronged up the side of the slope swept by the
artillery But it WIS closed, and, to all out
ward appearances, Theoretically sealed.
Friendly ewes were indeed looking through
the narrow loopholes, but the inclosure was
too small to admit the reinforcement Be-
yond the block house, however, the hill upon
which it stood sloped downward into a ravine
Here, at least, was temporary shelter from
the fierce shrapnel that came from the weS
served guns Of the enemy.
A short council of war among the officers
followed The Murfreesborough turnpike
was known to be near on the side from
which no attack had as yet come, and to
make for this road, where detachments OF
the cavalry of Gen. Thomas might be met,
seemed to be the part of good policy. But
there was no time to be lost. The cannons
IT'LL thundered from two sides, the frag-
nents of bursting shells were raining over
the ravine, and the enemy had been seen
moving toward the only point where escape
seemed possible A portion Of the command
was consequently at once deployed IS Skin
mishers, and, followed by the main body,
they advanced to the crest of the hill on the
side of the ravine opposite the block house.
But they had hardly emerged from their
fastness before they met tho skirmishers Of
the enemy coming in, and a fierce conflict
followed. Slowly. step hy step, the now
completely surrc,oded detachment was
forced backw Ri ipto the raV,ne. The place
WAS fortunately fllr< with the PROSTATE
trees cut down 70 give range TO the fire from
the block house, and behind the logs and
sturnps e9ci man found his cover as best ne
could AT about the same time the booming
of another cannon from new direction told
Che story of artillery upon every side, and
gave a new hint of the desperate nature Of
the situation.
All eyes were now turned toward the block
house. The cannon balls Numbered against
the oakeu sides and sent the shingles flying
from its roof in every direction. Could the lit
tie fort resist such rain of metal, or would
the white flag soon be run up in token Of sur
render! Little tongues of fame were con-
tinually leaping from the loopholes, spd it
was evident that the garrison were as busy
as bees Were the enemy getting as good as
thew sentf 1t hardly seemed possible; the
odds were too overwhelming. But hour
after hour rolled away and the walls of the
little castle stu flashed and flashed in token
of the indonitable determination of the be-
sieged, and the fire Of the enemy, though
still heavy, slackened. Hope began to take
the place of the feeling of desperation which
had prevailed during the first of the conflict
Either night or Thomas must come.
AT length. near nightfall, a drilling rain
set in and dampened the ardor of the Skin
miShers, who from the earliest moments OF
the fight had been exchanging compliments
from behind their shelter of stumps and
trees The cannons still continued hurting
their missiles lazily against the block house,
but it seemed eviden. that the attack was TO
degenerate into siege. Finally the night
descended in utter darkness the cannons
ceased TO roar, and nothing was to be heard
except the dropping skirInish fire always
continued far into the night on indecisive
hattie fields. Now came the moment for re-
feotion. To lie still until morning was only
To invite a renewal Of the unequal conflict.
To attempt to break through the lines Of the
enemy in the darkness would be bold, but il
would probably end in the dispersal or cap
ture of the entire force What then was to
he douel
In this emergency a consultation was held
IN the block house between the officer IN
command and the officers of the detachment
in the ravine This was the conclusion
reached Half mile further up the rail-
road, near where the enemy had first opened
fire. was another block house, the creek st
this point forming q loon which the road