The National tribune., 1893-08-03
THE SABER BRIGADE.
Gen. Minty Tells of It's Part in the Shelby
vile Battle.


"HE next incident in the history of
the Saber Brigade in chronological
| - sequence is the battle of Shelby
vile, the descriptive account of
which appeared in The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
of May g. 1890.
| In referring to this battle, and before
passing on, desire to correct slight error
which appears in the account as published.
| In the order which / gave to Lieut.-Col.
| Kline, Sd Ind. Cav, / am made to say,
when you cross the intrenchments make
| for the rear" etc.
| The order which I gave to Col. Kline was:
"Colonel, you will move well to the left,
| push through the abatis and over the in
trenchments; when you cross them, make
| for the river above the town, and sweep
! down it's right bank, and I will join you at
Scullcamp bridge"
| The river here referred to was Duck River,
and Scullcamp bridge was the only bridge
within seven miles of Shelbyville by which
the enemy could effect their retreat.
These instructions, or orders, which /
gave to Col. Kline and Maj. Mix fully exem-
| plify the implicit confidence which / had in
the noble body of men whom | commanded.
| i knew that the force We were fighting con-
sisted of Wheeer's and Martins Divisions,
numbering not less than 1000 men, with
artillery; while my force numbered less
than 1000, and was without artillery yet
not for one moment did doubt that the 18th
Mich. would join me inside the rebel in
| tTenchments, or that the Sd Ind. would join
me at the bridge. Nor do l believe that a
single man in either of those regiments for
an instant doubted that they would be fully
and properly supported in the movements
they were making, or that | would meet
them at the point named. The grand sue
cess achieved proved conclusively that the
con iidence was not misplaced.
For the history of our movements during
the next few days l will quote from Vale,
pages 1878:
Con this day June 29) Bragg retreated
from Tullahoma by the wagon-roads, the
railroads having been, late on the evening
of the 28th, seized and destroyed at Decherd
by Col. Wilder's Brigade of mounted in
fantTy.
"On the Both, Minty moved under orders
TO Manchester, on the extreme left of the
army; and on the 1st of July, Forrest hav-
ing made demonstration on the Manches-
ter and Tullahoma road, on Gen. Critten-
denis Corps, attacking it while on the march,
Minty was ordered 10 the front, when, at
lacking Forrest near Walkers Mills, after
a sharp skirmish drove him south TO Elk
River. In this affair Col. Starnes, of the Sth
Tex Cav commanding brigade, and one
of the most efficient of Forests subalterns,
was killed.
"On July A. marching at a. M, Minty
reached Elk River about 10 o'clock in the
morning, and, reioining our division, from
which he had been separated since June "a,
was ordered to the front to force the passage
of the river.
THE Second Brigade had been fighting
Forrest for over four hours before Minty
came up, without being able to cross. As
Mintys Brigade moved to the front, some
of the Ohio boys called out: What are
they going to the front for? Are the First
Brigade the only men who know how to
fight?' And as the brigade approached the
river, the 4th Ohio dashed calamity across
the ford ahead of it, charged Forests lines
with fury drove him off, and secured the
crossing. Minty, pushing rapidly forward,
continued the pursuit to and beyond De-
cherd, and to the mountain pass at Cowan."
To give some idea of the comforts and
pleasures of the short but effective "Tulla-
homa campaign" again quote briefly from
Vale, page 1888:
GAS already intimated it rained every day
and night from June "a to July Is, not in |
CoutiuuOuo uiiEHiC VI o""h Po.''i o"o IA ouS |
cessive, notwithstanding tremendous |
showers at from 10 minutes to three hours |
intervals Thus for % days the men were |
compelled to slop around in wet clothing, |
to wade and fight through the mud by day |
and sink to sleep in the mud by night"
During the month of July the brigade was |
engaged in scouting and clearing the coun-
try between Columbia, Tenn, and Hunts |
vile, Ala, Oh the right of the army of small |
bodies of rebels who were maintaining an |
irregular or guerrilla system of warfare.
This brings me to the Chattanooga cam |
paign and the battle of Chickamauga, the |
histories of which are given III THE Ma |
TIoNAL TRIBUNE of Feb. % and March 3, |
1S93.-R III. G. MINTY, Brevet Brigadier- |
General, u. S. ", Ogden, Utah.
Merit has its reward This accounts for the in |