The National tribune., 1889-10-10
THE McCOOk RAID.
What Tennessee cavnlryman Knows About

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As / have but
recently become subscriber to your excellent
paper, and never before having attempted to
write anything for its columns, ! wish, with
your permission, to make few statements in re-
gard to the Alabama and McCook raids. Having
read the articles from Comrades Samuel G.
Brown, of the 9th Iowa Cav, and S. l.. Ward,
9Th Ind. Cav, do not wish to contradict their
statements, but to give my version of the af-
fair as | saw it and as gathered il from others
of my company and regiment
The raid through northern Alabama was
commanded by Gen. Rousseau. Our starting
point was Decatur, Ala on the Tennessee
River. We marched day and night for Ia
days. never stopping to rest, only about twice in
81 hours, and barely long enough for our horses
to eat and make ourselves little coffee, which
we drank while eating our crackers and raw
meat few times we were permitted to sleep
for an hour or two, with our arms and accou-
terments swung to us.
We destroyed, perhaps. as much as 40 miles
OF the railroad running up aud down the Tai
ledega Valley. We did some rather hot Skin
mishng, but did not engage in any very hard
fought battles, as our business on the raid was
not SO much for fighting AS it was for destroy
ing railroad and Confederate supplies which
we succeeded in doing in no small quantities.
We finally arrived at Marietta, Ga, during
the siege of Atlanta. After resting three or
four days we were ordered TO move on down
the railroad in the direction of Atlanta. We
reached the Chattahoochie River Mt the railroad
crossing. and shortly moved on down the river
a distance of abont 30 miles, where all the sick
or those who had disabled horses were stopped.
This was near place called Sandtown. Hero
all the le-bodied men aud horses were set
across the river on a pontoon bridge. was
not permitted to cross the river, on account Of
my horse being sick.
Wa hn Mar Of he had
ders to remain there till o'clock the next
evening, aud If our forces did not return no
were 10 take up the bridge and go back TO
Marietta, which we did. and soon after our re-
turn our forces began to drop i'm in small squads
some on horseback, but mostly on foot. 4 few
oil my regiment got back, but most of them
were captured. As to the battle, and what oc-
cured after our forces crossed the river, | will
rely on what / gathered from the few of our
regiment who returned.
After tearing up the railroad for n considera-
Die distance aud destroying rebel supply train
our forces started on their return trip. but soon
were attacked By the rebels in oyerpowering
numbers. Our men stopping for battle soon
found themselves surrounded. Gen. McC0ok
SO IL WAS reported, made an effort to surrender
the whole force; but Col. Jim Br0wnlow told
his regiment if they would follow him they
would cut their way out, which they did But
on reaching the river they found that the
bridge was gone, aud in their efforts to cross
most of them lost their horses, others were
captured, and some were killed Most Of those
who succeeded in crossing were afterwards
captured. Some of them were pursued by
bloodhounds and taken, and only few men
Of our regiment got back TO Marietta. bare
footed, ragged, aud almost starved. IL ! recol-
leet right, the regiments that wcro engaged in
the McCook raid were the 5th Ind. Cav, 9th
Iowa Cav. tinstcad Of the 5th, as was stated by
Comrade Ward aud the 1st and 9TH Tenn.
Cav, and some other regiments / do not now
remember. One little incident wish 20 mem
ton aud then am done for the present. After
crossing the river on their return member Of
my company. j. ID. Cameron by name. having
lost his horse at the river, was pursued by
blOodhounds. Ho kept beyond their reach
for a while, but the hounds soon overlook him
In the woods, aud az there appeared no other
means at hand for his safety hc let one of the
hounds have load from bis Spencer rife
which settled tho hash with the dog aud he
made good his escape. II this should meet the
eye Of C0mrade Cameron or Ruy Of the 0thers
who were engaged on the McCook raid would
be pleased 10 hear from thsm.--JosEPH GAR
FITH, 20. i, 9TH Tenn Cav, Grapevine, Texas