The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-02-22
wILDER'S ME
More About the Wheeler Raid, and the Trip
from Chattanooga TO Knoxville.

| ---aLS,1
More About the Wheeler Raid, and the Trip
| from Chattanooga 70 Knoxville.
Continued from, last .ceekl
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: That same
day Nov. 27) we marched back to Chatta-
nooga. On Nov. 90 we marched back to
| Cleveland Dec. l marched to Columbus in
order to cross the Hiwassee River, but the
river being too high to ford we returned to
Charleston and crossed on the railroad bridge.
On Dec. we marched to Loudon; Dec.
8 crossed the Little Tennessee River and
marched through Marysyille and on to
Knoxville, having to run the gantlet in
order to get through the rebel lines. On
Dec. we crossed the Holston River at
Knoxville, and marched back to Marysville.
On Dec. 8, 8 and 10 went On wild-goose
| chase after Longstreet's wagon-train over
the Smoky Mountains, North Carolina,
marching through Murphy. A few miles
beyond we went into camp. Here we were
met by quite a number of Cherokee Indians,
who said they were loyal to the Union and
friendly to the Yanks.
| From this point we about-faced and
marched back down the river to Charleston,
and went into camp and remained there till
| Jan. /, 1864.
During our stay at Charleston we had to
| subsist almost entirely off of the country, so
in order to provide breadstuff for the troops
a detail was made from the 18th and 9Sth,
consisting of about 10 men from each COM
mand, to 60 about five miles into the country
and take charge of and run grist mill, the
mill and plantation adjacent to it the prop
erty of man by the name of Getty, whose
father was the founder of Gettysburg, Pa,
Mr.. Getty being Union man and at that
time was living in Athens, Tenn.
While at said mill the writer was detailed
as foragemaster to hunt up wheat and corn
and have it hauled to the mill to be ground
into breadstuff for the brigade.
There was stillhouse few miles from
this place, and as it was about Christmas
time we concluded to take a load of corn to
said stillhouse and trade it for our Christmas
supplies. The fact is, we had brought into
our quarters 10-galon key full of commits
sary spirits, and oh, what merry Christ
mas our little band of 18th and 98th boys
did have in that old Getty mansion.
The people of the neighborhood were prin-
cipally loyal to the Union, and were over
joyed in the presence of the Yanks." Upon
the solicitation of the youngsters in the sur
rounding country we concluded to get up q
dance on Christmas Eve. So cards of invi-
tation were sent out to the young ladies
and gentlemen to come in and participate.
In order to make the affair complete, the
foragemaster got up rousing big supper.
We had big fat turkey and COOLIES" of
chickens, honey, ETC., as well as plenty Of
drinkables.
After supper the dining-room was cleared
up, and the dance set in in dead earnest.
We had enough girls to run two sets, and we
paid daTkey SIS to play the fiddle. Well
we danced all night till broad daylight and
went home with the girls in the morning"
Among the guests at the Getty mansion
on that occasion were two or three Vicks-
burg paroled prisoners who lived close by
the mill, and who came in by special invita-
tion to take part in the festival with their
Yankee hosts.
Having met with such success in this
dance, we unanimously agreed to more than
duplicate the affair on New Years EVEN
fact, had all the necessary arrangement is made,
when orders came from Longs Headquar-
tiers, Dec. 81, 1868, for us to return to our COM
mand. / leave it to the comrades to Judge
of our sad disappointment in having to leave
that old Getty mansion and the neighbor-
hood without even chance to bid goodby
TO the fair damsels with whom we had
passed such pleasant evening
On the morning of Jan. /, 1864, that ever
aforementioned cold New Years day, our
detachment of the 18th Ind. crossed the
Hiwassee River in an old coal barge, and
took up our march by way of Chattanooga
to Nashville, where we arrived on the 18th;
here we met those of the regiment whom we
had left at Paint Rock, Ala, two months be-
fore. At Nashville we turned over our faith
full horses, that had carried us on many
successful raid.
The old 18th had been ordered to concen-
trate at Nashville, to take into consideration
the subject of re-enlistng for three years
more, or during the remainder Of the war,
of which about $50 did, and went to their
Hooser homes on veteran furlough. A
peculiar feature of veteranizing was the
refusal of nearly all of the boys who were
in the East Tennessee (Knoxville) campaign
to re-enlist, while nearly all who were left
at Paint Rock re-enlisted / can only &C
count for it on the ground that those who
went on the East Tennessee campaign en-
dured such hardships and suffering from
cold and exposure that they concluded they
had had enough of it for awhile at least.
Many of them did afterwards re-enlist in
other regiments and served till the close of
the war.
Now, Comrades Swarts, of the 1st Ohio
Cav, and Wallace, of the 99th Ill. MID Inf,
and Others who have participated in the East
Tennessee controversy, trusting that what l
have said will satisfy your minds beyond
doubt that at least fragment of Wilders
Brigade, and especially part of the 18th
Ind. MED Inf, was really in that campaign
from Chattanooga to Knoxville in advance
of Sherman, etc, will close.
Since writing the above L have learned
from Comrades Johnson, Tilson and Hare,
formerly members of the 18th Ind. battery,
and who now live in Pendleton, Ind, that
their battery was with us on the trip to
Knoxville, and while there the battery
fired a salute in front of the famous Parson
Brownlow's residence, in honor of Brown
lows patriotism and great sacrifice in main
tanning his loyalty.-W H. II. BENEFIEL,
Sergeant, Co. G, 18th Ind. MID Inf, Pendle-
ton, Ind.
Household Treasure.
Compared with the many useless medical
advertising sheets and pamphlets with which
81 III