The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-07-12
THE SAUNDERS RAID.
Nice Work Done on a Flying Trip Into
East Tennessee.


With your permission will give the Or
ganizatiOn OF the Saunders raid made in
June, 1868, into East Tennessee for the pur-
pose Of destroying the East Tennessee and
Geoga Railroad, which Is as follows.
The lsl Tenn, as a regiment; a detach-
inent OF 200 men with officers from the
ll2th H.. the same from the 18th Ohio, all
mounted for the occasion; a detachment OF
300 men and officers of the 2nd Ohio Cav,
$50 men and six officers from the 9TH Ohio
Cav, D5 men and three officers from the lst
Ky. Cav. and one section OF artillery from
Battery ID, 1st Ohio l.. A.
The orders received by the regimental
commanders issued 10 days before starting
were that the details were TO be made OF
picked men and horses, regardless as to who
claimed the horses. aud the officers 10 be
selected and all were TO be kept of OF duty
OF any kind for 10 days for regeneration.
We crossed the Cumberland River June
Is, 1863, captured supply train and 1JO
prisoners at Wortsburg. We captured q
battery complete with horses and harness
and 100 prisoners at Lenoirs, on the railroad
Is miles west Of Knoxville; burned the s,s-
tion and WOO en- mill. Then we begun
our work Of destruction OF the railroad, and
reached Knoxville at dark and exchanged a
lew shots at College Hill. We drew Oh and
went over hill 10 the northeast of the city.
and lay IN the woods till daylight when our
artillery fired three shots. The first blew
up q calSSOn, tne second OlSmOunteu gun,
the third killed Capt. McClung and three
other men.
Now we drew off over the ridge and struck
the railroad east Of this city and began our
work Of destroying the track, heating and
twisting the rails and bending them around
.rees, burning bridges and trestle- works
reaching Straw berry Plains before night ~
miles east of Knoxville where we captured
another battery complete, with 100 prison
ers.
The next morning We continued our work
OF destruction, burning wagon'road bridges
as well as railroad on through New Market
and on 10 Messy Creek, where we burned a
Confederate machine-shop land depot and
store houses filled with provisions and
munitions OF war.
By this time the Johnnies were harassing
our rear and "Mudwal" Jackson was ap-
preaching our front AS We had already
destroyed go miles OF railroad and burned
1900 feet of bridge and trestle work. we then
struck north for Cum berland Gap. Near the
Gap. and on the Knoxville road we captured
another supply train and 30 prisoners. The
Gap was too nrongly guarded for US. and
We burned the tram and paroled the prison
ers, as We had done on all previous occa-
sions
We now headed for Big Creek Gap. which
was found 100 strongly guarded for Us. when
We headed OF for Childer's Gap, which was
guarded by q cavalry command which was
soon brushed out Of the way. and we cross
ed over the valley and into the mountains.
We spiked our guns and cut the wheels
down IN front of Big Creek Gap. We crossed
the Cumberland River July l and Joined
our commands about the 4th, with the loss
OF 3o men out of q whole number of i,5OO
offtcers and men.-R. @. RANKIN In Nation
al Tribune.