The National tribune., 1888-02-23

bridge spanning the river 10 be protected, and
Its natural defenses made i an important ont
post il the defense Of Knoxville.
We had the whole intervening country TO
the North Carolina and Virginia line 10 patrol,
and being the only mounted regiment IN East
Tennessee It kept Us busy. &25aading bands
Of guerriilas protected by the mountain fast
nesses were constantly making incursiOns into
the settlements, plundeTiug and numbering
undey the guise q any role tBat best salted the
Circumstances. They were often in sufficient
numbers 10 give Us lively tight, and several
OF our oct achmeutE we're eanght mapping and
gathered III by them. Ii was rare, indeed,
with al cur well-laid plans and hard riding
that We did more than 10 let them get away at
q lively pace.
North and east Of Strawberry Plains and
aboEt 10 miles distant, was spot called Biaine's
Crossroads. ! call il spot. because there was
nothing there but an old war wrecked house,
aud instead Of the roads crossing they simply
forked, enc leading up the Valley Of the liOl-
st0n toward ROdgensviile, and the other aug
ling 70 The left ia the direction Of Cumberland
Gap. During The siege OF Knoxville the Cross
roads hsd been The scene OF several sharp cav
airy ooInb3ts't and number from either side
in thEt dreary place had fought their last
fight.
For some reason which could not question
our Colonel had conceived the idea that the
crossroads was the key to bis position on the
north side OF the Eolston, and thither on the
morning Of June - WIS ordered with MY
company, with instructions to picket the roads,
patroi the country, keep my company well in
hand, and f2u back In regulation style If
should be oEerpowered. The only reason ]
could assign for the move was that rnulors
brought II by refugees had maeBiied some
band o. desperadOes into Breckenridge or.
Vaughn sweeping down the valley with an
overwhelming force. ] had secuted through
the country quite extensively, had studied the
character q these refugees, and in my own
mind ] was satisfied that ] understood the
military situation in East Tennessee fully a.
vel IS the Colonel by company as well as
myself weTe delighted 10 be freed from the re-
Etraints of camp life even for day. ] had no
doubt further than possible annoyance from
guerriilas, the expedition would result IN
simply an airing for the boys. Arriving at the
crossroads. ! found. a. I have stated the old
house and the forks in the road. The house
Standing ia the forks was large two-sJory
franc building aud showed that AZ some tine
il had been quite an imposing structure. About
it were the charred remains Of outbuildings.
The doors and windows were gone the floors
and parts Of the castings were torn loose and
scattered about, the plaster hung in shreds
from tie shattered walls, and In wat ] should
Judge TO have been the sittinR-rOom was the
dried carcass Of 8 dead horse Around and
about what scemed to have been the yards and
pleasUre-crounds was grown up with weeds and
bTiars. There was not = fence left standing on
the plantation. Shade, ornamental and frat
trees had taiea by the same hands that made
Biaines Crossroads the most dreary and for
EakeB spot ny imagination had ever pictured
! thought IL ghosts and hUbgOblins ever held
high rcYel on earth; II spirits Of the restless
dead eyer visited the scenes they loved in life
Anc moeEed and shrieked At the ruin wrought
had found tie place.
] sent ont patrols OF the two roads, with
information they c0uld and return By night
fall, and then looked the ground over 10 refer
ence 70 posting my pic1ets About 20 rod
east of The house on the valley read was q sharp
short rise ia the ground that as suddenl,
dropped of OF the opposite side, and then 70
shout 3 mile the read gently descended TO tn
bed Of a email creek that flowed into the Hol
Bt9n. Commencing about halfway between
the house and the summit ] have Ineutione,
Was dense growth Of slrab-oak that EXTENDED
for = long distance north and south on eithe
side Of the read, and through which the roa.
ran nearly straight for about half mile
saw Il E glance that the place for nav pickt
was short distance west Of the elevation, 3
any object approaching from the front o.
reaching the crest would be clearly outlines
against the sky.
When NIGHT closed about us every precsu
ton had been taken that ] considered neces
ssry for safety. The patrols had returned afte
1SoAAAAS At4S |yAAese 4NL ~ A3Aiss OGk ana re
ported nothing alarming. The guard was Il
charge Of trusty Sergeant and everything
promised 3 euiet night. On the east side 9
the house was q wing, or I" containing on
large rO5m. which had probably been III
kitchen. AID in that the men gathered, wit
their hoTses picketed just outside, ready il
event Of surprise 10 f0rn, mounted if necessary
before the picket could be driven in. A smsl
IRE, for h1bt only, as the night was warm
Ilekerec from the ground in the center OF tn
T0onl, casting weird and gh0stly shadow
through tie sBaBy cracks and erannies of th
Old bBiiding.
Outside tie night was Iowery and daFE
BIZ not 50 dark that an object could not b