The National tribune., 1895-06-06

"WE'sE In FUR THREE YEARS OR DURIN'
THE WAH."
Down in this canyon or gorge was the
critical time for the cavalry, as described by
Mai. Connolly, 14th Ill. Cav, in the issue of
Sept. 81. Bat strange as it may seem, the
Major does not deign 10 mention the re-
lief afforded by the presence of these two
Indiana regiments, who took the fight off
the hands of the cavalry and afforded them
safe retreat down to the ford Nor does
he mention that the 21st Ohio battery did
such effective service i'm Smelling the enemy,
the shots passing over the heads of the 10th
and 18th Ind. Be it remembered that the
infantry did the rest of the fighting here.
which was no small part of the battle, the
loss being 10 each infantry regiment five or
six men killed or wounded.
The next day, Dec. 3, the enemy with
drew, followed by our cavalry. Longstreet,
having been defeated at Knoxville, concen-
trated his army and went into Winter quar-
tiers at Rogefsville, and our division, or
rather brigade, returned to Tazewell, but we
never got chance to go into Winter quar-
tiers. IL was march, march, march.
From Tazewell we went TO Evans's Ford,
some - or IA miles distant, on the Bean
Station road, the 116ih camping at the ford
IN the horseshoe bend and the 117th Ind.
under command Of Col. Thomas j. Brady,
going some three miles farther on the Bean
Station road.
Here they were when Longstreet planned
their capture and so nearly accomplished it
by sending his main column down TO Bean
Station. and at the same time sending three
brigades under Gen. w. T. Jones down on
the north side OF the mountain, as described
50 well by Maj. Connolly. i would like to
ask the Major, if Longstreet was only after
the cavalry to capture them, as he speaks
of, why should he (LongstreeD send such
heavy force down on the north side Of the
mountain? Is it not fact that the real
object of Longstreet was 10 drive the cavalry
some distance back below the Bean Station
road, then have Gen. w. i. Jones pounce
down on the north side and capture that
big wsgon-train loaded with rations, which
was just what he (Longstreet) did do, and
incidentally, at the same time, take the
117th Ind. ain out of the cold" which he
Nongstreet) didn't do.
LoDgstreet's army at that time needed
those rations Of crackers, bacon and sugar
good deal worse than they wanted to fight
veteran cavalry on the plains around Bean
Station.
The 117th Ind, after some fighting, and
finding themselves cut off on both ends of
the road, escaped by a perilous route, climb
ing over crags on Clinch Mountain, and
finally reached Burnsides army in the
vicinity of Blaine's Crossroads.
While Jones was master of the situation,
having captured the provision train, the
10th was, during most Of the night, feeling
our way in the darkness out along the road
toward the camp where the General slept
serenely with his captured boodle-the
wagon-train. Had he Jones' wished TO
have taken u.s. all he had to do was to turn
his three brigades loose. That wagon-train
was what he was after then, and he retired
with ii in the early morn, quite leisurely,
am told, and with our regiment right on
the scene but for the disparity Of numbers
our officer commanding doubtless thought
it best not TO attack.
About this time Willcox's Division having
been SO changed by the reorganizations and
by the yeieranizing of the Ninth Corps and
soon by the organization of the Twenty
third Corps, to which all our three year
men-except the Ninth COrps-became
part, that we were not any more known rs
the Wilcox Division, our brigade lost its
autonomy, and for time was commanded
respectively by Col. Jackson and Col Kise
The l16th Ind. from Evans's Ford once more
returned 10 Tazewell, and thence to near
Maynardsviile, on Knoxville road, and while
here many officers of regiments which had
been sent from the army about Chattanooga
TO Burnside's relief at Knoxville, and who
were then in camp near there visited our
regiment
After Maynardville our regiment next was
camped in the woods near Walkers Ford
The snow was two or three inches deep, and
one night two Of our men froze to death one
being Milton III. Fuller, OF Co. l. Ii was
now very cold, and from our scanty clothing
and the loss OF so many blankets and so
many pieces Of our pup-tents, and although
we were camped in the timber and had
plenty of good wood, our suffering was ex-
cruciating. and our condition pitiable in the
extreme.
Right by us was camped the Cd n. c.,
worse Than our boys; and for real, true-blue
loyalty i never saw their equal Our boys
would approach one Of the old mouutaipeers
and pretend not to know to what regiment
he belonged, and would ask The answer
would most likely be as follows:
" j belong 10 the I'd North Kerliny re-gi-
ment We're in fur three years or durin'
the woh, and in some instances they would
add fiten fur the Guyment, Can't Won
boys give Teller chaw of tobalker? or
Cant you trade US some store tobakker for
some Of our caun bread?" The trade for
their corn bread was TO us desirable con-
summation, and the very best, sweet, nour-
ishing corn bread ever ate got of them at
this camp.
Here the 117th Ind. rejoined us, and
more pitiable, forlorn looking lot of soldiers
never saw. They were scant of clothing
and blankets, having lost so much at Clinch
Mountain and while on the perilous march
effecting their escape on Dec H. We for a
time forgot our sad condition at beholding
theirs, which was much worse than our own.