The National tribune., 1894-02-15
WILDEE'S ME N.
More About the Wheeler Raid, and the Trip
from Chattanooga to Knoxville.


tanoOga TO Knoxville.
have read with great interest what has
been said IN former issues nv Comrade w.
Z. Doyle and by Chmrade ID ,lton and o hers,
aud lastly by C0mrade Wallace, of the 9S,h
Ill. Md Inf
When | read Comrade bottoms reply to
SwariZ, of the LIST DINO Cav, | supposed he
had settl,d the matter beyond all further
controversy, as he was substantially correct
in the main. Bnt | was wonderfully sur
prised AID amaz,d at ComIadc Wallace
statement, he being one of that little band
of Wilder's men who went in advance OF
Sherman to the relief OF the besieged Knox
vile. He (WalIace,, claimed that no par'
ct the 17h Ind. was III that crowd; that the
18th was up i'll Indiana visiting their friends,
etc.
Although it has been over 80 years since
thai time, the incidents of that affair are 100
windy impressed upon my mind for me tn
forget The fact that j, ut least, WIS !: particle
punt, and l am a m ST. certain that / be-
ionged 10 the 17th Ind.
] will go hack 10 the wind-up of the ia
nous Wheeler raid. After We had driven
Wheeler's furc-s across he Ten1es ee River
at Lambs Ferry, Ala. Wiider's Brgad and
part of the cavalry came up 10 Pam ROCK,
and went into camp 10 recnpera'e and pre-
pare for other emergencies. We had not
heen long IN this camp when call WAS
made for detachment, consisting OF those
who had horses capable 0i undergoing a
campaign, t. report 10 Gen. L. ny. So, on or
about Nov. Is, 1863. ai"'ut $50 men out of the
18th lnd and suppose All equal numbrr
uf the SO b ILL.,, accompanied by the LIST. Sd
and 10Th Ohin and I'd Nv. Cav, all under
command OF Col. Long, broke camp ut Paint
X, ok and ionk mp our march TO Chattanooga.
As To the 18th Iud. battery going with u.s. ]
am not POSITIVE hut do not think we had
any artillery with the brigade on that trip.
We arrived at Chattanooga he night be-
fore the battle above the clouds, and on the
day Hooker sIOrmed l. oknut Mountain We
lay on ridge north of the river, said ridge
beIng The identical spot where the 18th Ind.
battery was located Aug. 81, 1863, when IT
fired the first shot ever sent into Chatta-
nOOga by Union gun.
Notwiths anding The distance from where
we lay to Lookout Mountain was about four
Mills we could plainly see The outlines OF
Hackers gallant men IA they charged mp
over c.aggy slopes I'LL thew were hidden from
our view by The rain cloud that INTERVIEWED.
Still, We could plainly hear The crack of The
smal-arms, rs well as the cheering OF our
noble boys as they would drive the john
mes from point to point.
On that same at ernOOn we crossed the
river above Chattanooga on p0ntoOns laid
by Sherman's men the previous night We
then proceeded up the river by running the
gauntlet between the rebel batteries To-
Gated on the north end of Mission Ridge
and the Tennessee River. We Travelled on
till we struck the Dalton Railroad at Lyner's
Station, capturing The telegraph operator,
tearing d wn The wire, etc.
About midnight We went into camp, with
orders not 10 unsaddle our horses as we
were then in the immediate rear of the rebel
army.
About two o'clock in the morning a rebel
waaOD-train came driving into our lines, not
knowing we were Yanks We lay still Till
the last wagon came III, and then destroy ed
the wagons, taking the teamsters and III ules
prisoners.
At daybreak we started in southprly d.
reciion, and bad not g"pe far before we got
on the track of another wagon-train aud
alter chasing it for several miles, the drivers
seeing we were determin TO overtake them.
unhltched their teams and skipped, leaving
the wagons to be plundered and burned Ivy
munitiOn and officers baggage. etc. We
had run this tram right up to the eastern
base of Mission Ridge, and from where it
was captured we could plainly see the rebel
flags floating on top Of the ridge, and heard
the fighting then going on. l presume this
was about he time he old Fourteenth Corps
WAS charging to victory.
From this point we turned and went back
northwest, and that night went into camp at
Cleveland, having since we left Chattanooga
captured and destroyed two wagOn-irains and
their contents and captured several hun
dred prisoners.
That night was sent with detail on
picket. During the night and just before
diybreak we 1.-THE pIckets) could plainly hear
the tTanping of horses and the rumhling of
wheels in our front. Having no doubt a. to
the approach OF rebel force We so reported
to Col. Long, but it seemed as if he did not
heed our warning, for at The peep of day the
rebel cavalry came peil-mell into town af-
ter driving in the pickets, before the off ers
and men in camp were prepared to receive
their guests.
The consequence was disgraceful stam-
pede took place, aud / Will here say the only
stampede that any of Wilder's men was ever
a party to; this q on account of the lack of
diligence on the part Of the officers in camp,
they had ample warning hours before of
the approach of the enemy. In The SIAM
pede The Captain who had charge of the
prisoners and their guards took the wrong
road, and our regiment being in the rear was
ordered to dismouDt and hold the rebels in
check till the prisoners could be gotten on
the right road.
We took our position on the hill about
one-half mile west of town, and held it as
long as was necessary, losing In this little
episode two killed. When we withdrew
from our position we had quire race 10
reach our horses before the rebels, who were
mounted, could capture them, the rebs
yelling at US to halt. Well, we got out of
that scrape by the skin OF our teeth, but we
have always since believed that had Gen.
Long and the cavalry staid with US instead
of skipping out for Chattanooga as they did
and leaving the little squad of the 18th with
the sack to hold, we could have cleaned out
that rebel force, consisting only, as we after
ward learned, of small brigade under COM
mand OF Gen. Keley.-W. II. II. BENEFIEL,
Sergeant, Co. &, 17Lh Ind, Pendleton, Ind.
ITO be continued
MICHIGAN'S CAVALRY.