The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-03-26

1 McCook seemed TO he angry, and talked
violently. The burden of his talk was to
the effect that be WAS in command of bri-
gade of mounted infantry, " cavalry, and
had been guarding bridge: that the enemy
appeared; his orders were not to fight and
consequently had TO reIire. As he retired
the enemy kicked him with artillery and
when the enemy had crossed the bridge he
went lack aud burned it. There was only a
brigade of them and they could be taken in
without any trouble
Now, i cannot lie mistaken in the above,
for the idea of being kicked by artillery :"
was so cOmical that / laugh over il even
now, as have done hundreds of times since
and particularly when think of McC0ok's
earnestDess in reporting to Gen. Thomas.
Gen. Thomas turning to Gen. Brannan,
who had heard all of the report. directed him
to send down two brigades in line. with his
thlrd brigade IN reserve, and take this rebel
brigade in.
Then the march WIS renewed, the Generals
and stats passing on and the troops follow
ing. And l remember that some of the
troops as they passed said to our men: "No
light here, boys. The rebs always get away
before We yet around" And they were an
swered: All right, scare 'em away; we've
no objection
Those troops had been marching all over
the country, and with the exception of Mill
Spring, in Kentucky, had been 10 no battles.
were tired Of marching, and wanted 10 do
some fighting; while our troops had been in
some very interesting entertainments, and
would Just as soon march az fight.
it was not long after these troops passed
Before there was music, and we too Joined in
the procession. Our advance was perpendicu-
lar TO the road, our regiment moving by the
LETT Hank, while part of the brigade moved
forward IN line-Of-b battle, we being on their
rght with another of our regiments march
lng by the flank following us.
The regiments in line made a dash and
captured quite few prisoners, and there
were said 20 be two guns abandoned bv he
enemy, though / did not see them. When
halted we fronted just as we Were, and the
regiments which had been in line changed
'front.' TO our Inc, making the line perpendicu-
lar TO our advance. About 50 PAGES 10 the
rear Of the right Of our regiment was
Loomis's battery. Here we lay down.
How long we remained in this position /
cannot say, but it could not have been long,
when We were fiercely attacked, beginning
on our right and the right of the line gave
way, the enemy having overlapped it, and
were between us and the point from which
we had advanced.
Being fanked, the line gave way, we TAX
lng up the retreat after those OH our right
had given way. Five guns of the battery
were left there, and the writer carries a me-
mento received within 80 feet of the left gun
OF that battery, which aids in fixing these
things IN his memory.
1t was retreat, not a break for owing to
the memento above mentioned the writer
dld not travel quite as fast as the others did.
and so got little behind, but when he did
get 10 the line, only a little ways, it was
standing up as nicely as any body of troops
could, only they seemed TO be just little
bit mad, as they had been just a little proud
Of the fact that the brigade had never lost a
foot Of ground IN any action before.
have often wondered whether or not our
being driven TO the left that morning had
any bearing on the ultimate SUCCESS Of hold
ing Chattanooga. i am very sure that strk-
ing the enemy's brigade" ian army corps)
before the brigade was ready to strike us
was OF vast benefit TO us-J. HINsoN, SD
Ohio, Puyallup Wash.
War Relic.
lBoonsGoro tlId.) Times
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