The National tribune., 1894-11-22
AGAIN 1T IS KNOXVILLE.
II Was Tough Living i'm Those Days for
Soldier Rows,

Soldier Boys.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Some
weeks ago we had an interesting account OF
r-rre#t from Lcudon, Tenn, 10 Knox
vile, and siege, by Comrsde Breariey, 9th
Mich. he told something about how he
| Il.
What interested me was the similarity in
our commissary fare. Now, ] will try to
relate some similar facts rs they were and
| harp, ned, that COmrade Brearley did not
mention, and do not know of seeing any
| thing in print ~ 10 how We did fare.
IL August 1868, my regiment Dish Ohio
was ordered to move with Gen. A. E. Burn
sides command, with 18th Ky, ODD, 25i h
NJ ch., 111th Ohio and some other regiments
tina / do not remember, from Kentucky 10
East Tennessee. and to sever the communi-
cation of the rebel army between Greenvlic
! md Chattanooga, by striking the Georgia x
| Virginia Railroad, which was done by gain
ing London and Knoxville. By this we
fully opened a passageway 10 Kentucky by
| way of Cumberland Gap.
Our division of The army came to Lou
don, Tenn. | was doing Provost duty at
this time, and was by necessity in the viii
lage, under a Capt. Whue, of Kentucky
regiment who was Provost Marshal.
Soon after we arrived business became
active. An old-iime engine was obtained
| from Knoxville, taken 10 London, placed
| on Il raft floated to the west bank of the
| Holsion River, placed on the track at Lou
| don, and the army commenced raIlroading
| by gathering all the wheat and corn that
| cOuld be found IN the country. The old
! brick griSt-mlll was made to do duty for the
| Union, and soldiers were turned into millers
10 grind the grain, although the wheat, be-
ing somewhat damaged, did not make bread
very appetiZing
The -four was issued to the army, every
mess having lis own cook. All SORTS of
cooking utensils were gathered wherever
they could be obtained. The boys turned
this into br ad by the pancake route, mixed
with water from the river, without salt.
This also was taken with the beef we had
driven with us, and il being marched until
it could march no farther, the poorest were
always taken first.
This constituted our rations, with coffee.
And this made a lot of tough-iOoking boys
in the army; as soon as their meals were
taken they were sick. This is what is now
termed by the soldier-baters living on the
TAT of the land.
Gen. Longstreet made his appearance in
and around Sweetwater WolfOrd's and other
cavalry skirmishing, daily; our reserve be-
ing held on the hills west of London, ex-
pecting to have battle there. But on the
arrival of Gen. Burnside the army was
moved over to the east bank OF the Holston.
On the following morning our old engine,
that we have spoken of, WAS steamed up
and run into the Holston River This ell
CINE was called the "Bolze," as the boys
will remember
About Oct 10 we were still on the east
bank of ihe HOlston, when the writer WAS
detailed to 20 to Lenoir's Station to guard
our commissary stores, as our wagOn-train
lay there at this time limbered toward the
rear-KnoXville. LOngstIeet was trying to
cruss the Hoson at the rear Of Loudon.
We had been ordered to go from LenOirs
TO LoudOn with few wagons to issue ra-
tions 20 The army. We toiied all day and
marched aA-night 10 reach Burnside's m-p
but as soon as we came OH the ground we
were ordered TO retire without issuing
single ration. So from here our line of
retreat commenced back to Lenoirs Rain
and mud made the road almost impossible.
Whip and lever to lit our wagons were the
order of the night and part Of the next day.
When we came in, our wagons were
parked. At dark we commenced choppng
the train down, rendering it s-less. The
mules and drivers were taken TO ammun-
tion-wagOns and artillery to assist this de-
pariment to Knoxville.
Here is where Comrade Brealley, sup
pose, got his supply he speaks of. At this
place our Captain Of Conimissary was miss
ing when morning came. Two companies
OF the 11lth Ohio were left on picket. The
rest of the division had left for Kingston, ex-
cepting the two companies spoken of TIE
enemy eHdeayored 10 flank the burning
wsgOn-train. In this made my exit into
the deep cut in the railroad near by and
skipped, jumping every third railroad tie to
Concord or Campbell's Station. Here came
up 10 Conirade Brearley's rear-guard. The
two companies of the 111th Ohio were cap
tured off the picket-post, and ] never saw
again our Captain of Commssary or any of
the boys ] left at the burning train al Lee
nOir's Station.
From Campbell's Station I retreated IN
good order alone to Knoxville. now was at
the seat Of war that was TO follow; my regi-
ment at Kingston, 30 miles away. On ar
riv ny al Knoxville, / went out where |
found abOui 200 men at work on what be-
came Fort Sanders. They were all from nv
division. soon found Capt. Moore, Assist
ant Eng'n made known to HIM my escape
at Lenoirs, and he grasped the situation.
By the aid of Gen. Burnside WAS Transferred
permanently TO the I'd Engineer battalion
of the Twenty-third Corps.
This brought me practically TO the siege
OF Knoxville. When we were not on duty
or at work our camp lay near the First Pres
| byterian Church in front of frame house
that stood in an oak grove about 40 yards
up the bill from the old Taunery in the ra-
| vine between US at the fort. We dug
| trenches at night mostly. Some DAYS we
were to the east of the city on Temperance
| Hill. Here WAS battery. ] saw at this
bill mules SO starved they gnawed the
| spOkes out OF the battery-wheels, and ate up
ibe stakes to which they were tied, and
then fell 10 picking and eating the HAIR from
| one another.
: Here, Comrade Brearley, got the other
two ears Of corn you speak Of and lived on
them and worked five days before got any
| johDnycake, the corn being ground cob and
corn together, not sifLed nor bOlted and
some of the beef already described as bone.
| This was only one-iourth ratiOns, but it
lasted until March, 1854
On the morning OF Dec f. 1863, the siege
WAS practically ended; it was a beautiful,
clear, sunshny day. We were on Temper
ance Hill. Longstreet moved on to the
east along the ridge he occupied as his line
OF defense, passing a gap that was narrow.
| These guns sent shot and shell all forenoon
INTO this passage when troops came in sight.
This was the parting salute at Knoxville.
Parson BrOwnlOw's Knox Vile Wig was,
! ne I al Id . L.. - l.