The National tribune., 1900-07-05
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What the Veterans Have TO Say
About Their Campaigns.
HOW BROwNLow Rode OUT.
A Tight Fix, Council of War, and Dash
Through the Lines.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your |
issue of April there appeared very in |
teresting article from j. N. Jones, Co. A, |
Sth Ind. Cav, in regard to the McCook |
raid in rear of Atlanta, GaL, July, 1854.
Gen. II. NJ. McCook's Division of Cav |
airy was composed of three brigades, but |
at the opening of the Atlanta Campaign |
in May only the First and Second took |
the field
The First Brigade was composed of the |
I'd Mich, S6h Iowa and 1st Tenn; the Sec |
oud Brigade, of the I'd and 4th Ind. aud |
1st Wis, and Lilies 18th Ind. Battery.
When MeCook's Division reached the |
Chattahoochie River the I'd Mich of our
brigade, was turned back. This left only
two regiments in the brigade until the last
of June, when the 4th Ky. M't'd Inf. was
attached and remained until the close of
our service in 1865.
McCook's Division was occupying po>
sitien at Mason's Church, in front of At
lanta. when ordered on the raid south of
the city. j. Il. Harrison's Brigade was
temporarily attached to McCook's Diyis,
ion and was composed of the Sth Ind, I'd
troops and the 4th Ky. M'td Inf. were a
portion of Gen. l.. III. Rousseau's COM
mand, that had just reached Marietta,
Ga, from Il raid through Alabama and
Georgia. Gen. j. L. Croxton, of this COM
mand, Ws9 placed in command of our bri-
gade, and proved himself to be a splen.
did soldier and n popular officer.
Everything being in readiness, the di-
vision started on the raid June ~. With
out giving a detailed account of all that
took place up to the 30th at Noonan / vii
begin at that place. Here is where / took
issue with Comrade Jones, but desire t.
say in the beginning that it is not in
spirit of selfishness, but to correct an er-
ror into which the comrade has fallen.
He says that Col. Jim Brownlow, com
manding u brigade, cut his way through
with about 200 of his command; that Har
rison was captured with most OF his COM
mand; the two pieces of artillery having
| fired their last round of ammunition were
| cut down and spiked; that by this tim
we were completely surrounded. Gu
shattered remnant drew off the fighting
line and fell back into field, where TIL
prisoners were held that we had taken
McCook called council to consider terms
of surrender"
Now, according to the comrades ac-
count of what took place, Col. Brownlov
had cut his way out and left, and Harri
son was captured and his troops scattered
But that is not true. Col. Jim Brownlow
and his regiment were there from start to
finish. He was present at the council and
was the first one to decide what he pro
posed TO do if the command was to bo
surrendered. oar
Brownlow left the regiment in charge
Of Maj. ThOrnburgh, and rode direct to
where McCook was to hold the council.
SlcCook had spoken of their. calamity and
the prospect of being made prisoners, wher
| Brownlow remarked with considerable EN-
phasis that ''he would be did if he would
ever surrender"
What" asked McCook, twill you do!
How can you help itY' si
Why" said Brownlow, 81 can and viii
cut my way out. | would about as soon
be killed in the attempt as2to be captured
and sent TO Anderscpville or, Libby. They
treat us Southern soldiers worse in those
prisons than they do you Northern sol
diers, and | am going to cut my way out
| if my men will follow me-
Then Gen. McCook said: ''If you can
cut your way out can too" And he did,
Brownlow went in one direction and Nc
Cook another Brownlow returned to his
regiment and told his men what he pro
posed TO do, when the men cheered him
and said:
You are right, Colonel. We will follow
you"
When Brownlow cut through the line
portions of the division fell in with his
regiment and came out with it. Just as
Brownlow started and was well through
the line, Croxton became separated from
his brigade, and Brownlow, thinking that
he was killed or captured assumed COM
mand and pushed rapidly for the Chatta.
hoochee River, hoping to cross before day
| light. After n hard nights ride he reached
the river about daylight. n short distance
above Franklin. At this place he found
no means of crossing. but it did not take
linn long TO decide what to do. for in his
rear was hostile foe in hot pursuit
He and his men plunged their horses in
and swan to the opposite side, but in do
ing so several horses We're drowned. The
crossing was made under hot fire, as the
enemy had driven in the rear-guard ana
charged upon our men.
But few of our men were captured al
the crossing. 1t was some so or 100 miles
to Marietta and those who were so unfor-
tmIate as to lose their horses were in
bad fix, as the news of the disaster had
gone out generally over the country, and
every old Georgia cracker was on the
lookout for our boys.
BY Aug. 3 Brownlow and most of his
men had reached the Union lines. each one
with different story: but those who Were
dismounted could talk of lacerated feet
and aching limbs
The raid was a success as a military
enterprise, was well AIMED and faith
fully executed, and if St9neman's and
McCook's commands could have been
united as was contemplated the raid would
have proved a great success; however,
much damage was done by McCook-
w. II, CARTER, Co. G, 1st Tenn. Cav,
Knoxville rann