The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-04
OVERWHELMED.
Reinforcemeuts Came Too Late to save
Gale,nt Band from Capture.


Reiuforcemepts Came Too Late to Save .
Gallant Band from Capture.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I saw an
article in The NATIONAL TRIBUNE headed
Rescue that Fai ed" that brings things to
my memory as plainly as though happening
not more than Year ago.
was private in Co. c. Tooth Ohio, the
regiment the comrade said they tried to
rescue. / think someone made a great
blunder in sending a handful of men almost
bare-handed right among whole brigade
of well-armed soldiers TO be slaughtered or
taken prisoners. Else the mistake was in
not sticking to the cars and falling back out
of danger while it was in our power to do so
until renforcemrnts came.
On Sept. 5, while ON provost duty in
Knoxville, Col. Slevin, of the Tooth Ohio,
received orders to put all Of his available
men on the cars and send them to Jones'
boro distance of 95 miles, in the enemy's
country. to reinforce body of mounted
infantry that had left Knoxville that morn
ing at o'clock, and were ordered to Jones'
boro to hold Gen. Jackson and his mel III
check while Gen. Burnside was taking
Cumberland Gap.
They had to march . distance Of 100
miles, while we went on the cars. AT noon
there were about 300 men, a portion OF
almost every company in the regiment,
with one days rations, canteen, one planket
and 100 rounds of ammunition on our per-
sons.
Lieut.-Col. L. g. Hays, of the Tooth, in
command Col. Slevin and the rest OF the
regiment were left in Knoxville.
We passed through Greenville before
night, stopping a short time to get lnforma-
ton. What news the Colonel got l cannot
tell but the inhabitants there were very
friendly. At Limestone River were two
block houses, one on each side of the track.
The Colonel left % men to hold them, and
moved on again very cautiously distance OF
five miles. Here we found burning
bridge. 1t was then about midnight. We
stopped, put out pickets and scouts and
waited till morning.
stood picket one-half mile north of the
railroad, where the road forked, placing .
picket on each road and leaving reserve
at the forks of the road, in command OF
Lieut.. Hughes of Co. f. We were not dis
turbed till daylight. Then the rebels at
| tackled with an overwhelming force and
drove us back to the reserve.
Orders came for us to fall back to the
| main body. We met Ssrg't Streiter, of Co.
E, with his company, near the railroad,
diminishing with body of rebels who had
taken shelter in cornfeld. We were
| ordered to fall in with them, and drove the
| rebels through the corn, to find nearly 1000
| Johnnies and battery of four brass guns in
| line-os-battle in field just beyond. The
rest of our men were having brisk tight
with the Johnnies east of the bridge and
south of the railroad.
BY this time squad of rebs had got be-
| hind us. We then had orders to fall back
to save our train, which we did In good
order, taking killed and wounded with us.
| The Johnnies were in the act of tearing up
the track, but we drove them off, left a few
of them on The ground, and replacing the
rails retreated, with strong guard around
| the train.
We then fell back to Limestone Station,
reaching there at IL a m, Sept. 6. The
| Colonel telegraphed to Knoxville for orders
sending the train back with the killed and
wounded, and to bring reinforcements. The
General in command sent dispatch to hold
The blockhouses al all hazards till 3 o'clock
p. m.; that reinforcements would be there
We were eating dinner when the Johnnies
came up again, opening on us with the bat
terry, doing us but little harm, we were SC
thin in ranks. We stood our ground till
| 4:30 o'clock p. M. against odds Of at least
seven to one. Our ammunition gave ont
| and, we being surrounded. it left US no al.
| tentative but to cut our way through OIL
| surrender.
A council ofwar was called. The white flag
| was raised We were ordered to fall in line
and stack arms, which we felt very reluctant
to do. The Johnnies, seeing the white flag
| oil do
mons, till within two rods of our line. One
| of their horde shot one of our boys dead il
his tracks, without any excuse whatever.
| do not know the exact number OF killed
and wounded on either side suffice it t.
say, according to the report given by Gen
Jackson himself their loss must have beer
six or seven to our one at least. They pai(
dearly for their fun. / think our loss coulC
not have been more than % or 80. Their
were some go taken prisoners.
In the afternoon, just before our surrender
while we were falling back to the block
houses. We missed the color-bearer and Corp
Henry Williams, of Co. c. Wesupposed the.
had been shot, but learned afterward the,
had hid in the brush by the river till tn
rebs had passed them. The color-bearer tool
off his shirt, cut the flag from the staff
wrapped it around his body, put on his shir
again, and remained there till after dark
Then the two made their way out and 60
back TO Knoxvil safe.
We were marched under guard to Jones
boro that night, a distance of 10 miles; wer
kept in the Courthouse till the next morn
ing, when we were put aboard train of cat
tie cars and given free passage to Southern
notes.-the notorious Libby Prison and Bel
Isle-JAcoB FEwLoss, Co. C, Tooth Ohio
Kingsley. Mich