The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-02-04
sPuRRED MEN ONWARD.

| sPURRED MEN ONWARD.
How the nth Ind. Cav. Band Helped Cap.
= ture Fort.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The old
boys seem TO- be getting rather grabbed.
Why can't they correct each other gently,
and make allowances? Some of them re-
mind me of Chaplain. The army was far
from base and without mail facilities. Once,
| when the mails had not arrived for long
time. the boys-would call in squads on the
Chaplain and ask when the mail would
come. He got tired of this and finally hung
out shingle, onLwhich was inscribed: The
Chaplain does not know when the mail will
| arrive" Sergeant and squad called soon
after his departure to ask when he thought
the mail would arrive. They found his tent
empty, and the inscription above the door.
The Sergeant got ont his pencil and added ::
Neither does he care -" When the
good old brother arrived, he looked up and
observed the addition. He was shocked,
but he was more civil after that.
| started to tell about the band helping TO
capture the fort at Nashville, but don't
want to be reckoned with too harshly. 1t
was the band of the 11th Ind. Cav, Stewards
Brigade, with the 10th Tenn, 10Th Mo-. Sd
| ILL.,, 10Th Tenn. Cav, Gen. Hatch's .(Fifth)
| Division. Comrade Lacock is mistaken as
| to time. It was the second days battle. In
| the evening we played Red, White and
Blue" and yankee Doodle as medley.
| Comrade LacOck seems to leave out the
great move of the cavalry. In the forming
of the battle-line on the morning of the 18th,
| 1864, Gen. Jolnson's Division, of Wilson's
Corps, took their position to the extreme
IL - r:v A hal hiatt
here had blocked the river. Knipe's Di-
next, while Comrade Lacocks corps joined
our brigade farther to the left, or east of us.
In order to understand the shape of the
Union line, will say the river runs around
the city something like horseshoe bend.
ALI cavalry moved as soon as the fog would
permit. Stewards Brigade moved, and struck
squad Of rebels who had just come around
q hill with a load of picks and shovels to
fortify. We being so close upon them. they
had to surrender. johnson came up OIL the
battery on the river and charged, capturing it.
The whole line moving we cleared up all
as we went. Three forts in front of Hatch's
Division were captured. The last was taken
near evening. 1t was the hardest fight of
the day.
Pert Of the brigade veered to the right to
make quick time. The Johnnies rose from
behind the stone wall and let loose shower
of bullets, while their Napoleon guns seemed
to pour upon ms bushels Of canister.
It must be remembered this brigade was
dismounted. The 18th Cav. was double
quicked to the left-rear of the rebels to cut
them off, but, being SO near played ont, cut off
about 300 only. The fruits of the capture of
the fort were four guns, nine dead rebels,
1@A~ g h.
troops were armed with repeating guns. If
Johnny got his head above the works it
was sure death. All saw in this fort were
shot in the head but one The Chicago
Board of Trade Battery rained shower of
she'll. It seenedsto me this battery could
hit the head Of barrel mile off.
AS to the band, it had been detailed in the
morning after the first skirmish to assist
Surgeon Reed with the wounded, but the
line-0f- battle ;Was $50 rapidly advanced that
our charges were turned over to others and
we ordered up with the command.
Col. Stewart was almost a monomaniac
for music, and he didn't propose we should
stand around and do nothing during the
first day. Attic last fort captured we had
played the Louisville March," Little
Thunder" and Hail Columbia" Now for
the second day. Details were made to bury
the dead The ambulance took the wounded
back to Nashville. Our division was COM
paratively quiet As to orr position, the
cavalry had swept everything before Them.
and instead of facing south, us on the day
previous, we had driven the Johnnies off of
their two main roads Of retreat, and cur line
OF. battle was facing almost east.
The cannon was heard off 10 the left rear.
It was probably Johnson's and Knipe's Di-
visions. Then it was Thomas ordered the
infantry attack Soon after this, and late in
the evening, the band was heard again. 1t
was on that high peak Comrade Lacock de-
scribed. To the south or east Of US was
ravine. The 18th Ind. Cav. was in line-of-
battle. On the tableland east was the rebel
line, firing in our direction, and retreating
to the south of us. could see to the left
infantry troops firing rapidly. This must
have been Colnrade Lacock's command.
The band had been ordered to this place
By an Aid, aud soon after we received orders
to play. We played with snap and vim.
Soon after we finished, an Aid from Gen.
Wilson's Corps came up to rs and exclaimed:
"Who the - ordered you fellows to play
here!" A few days after Col. Stewart re-
ceived orders to disband and send rs to our
companies.
The General who commanded the rebel
line of retreat wrote history of Hoods
campaign, and referred to this band of the
11th Ind.-JoHN w. EDWARDS, Band, 18th
Ind. Cav, Independence, Ind.
Breathing impure air causes impure blood Clear
ynn vafry, hyt L. inu Sara