The National tribune., 1900-07-12

As the scout dismounted and slowly
leading his horse advanced towards the
yidets. peering anNlously through the
darkness IL discover whether they wore
the blue or the gray. every ear was strained
in expectation of hearing the signal cough.
He was soon again halted under cover of
their carbines and the counterSlgn de-
manded. 1t was given, and. much 10 his
relief, pronounced correct, and he then
| knew that they were friends. The dis
patches We're delivered. and after a short
rest we returned to Nashville, fortunately
not meeting any of the guerrilla bands
| which infested the neighhorhood;
| The regiment was not fully of1icered nor
organized as the 18th Pa. Cav. until Col
Palmer'S return in February, 1863. Three
companies We're then detailed for duty at
| Headquarters, which they performed until
the Spring of 1866; and the balance of the
regiment was attached 10 Headquarters
and used for special scouting and courier
duty.
In the Tullahoma and Chattanooga cam
paigns the wings of the army were fire.
quently 50 far separated that the courier
line would he 40 or 80 miles i'll length.
| Five or six men would be stationed at posts
| at intervals of four or five miles: one always
being ready night and day to mount and
| receive the dispatch from an approaching
| courier, and carry it at a gallop or trot, as
might be indicated on the envelope, TO the
| next post.
GEN. THOMAS.
The couriers who delivered the dispatches
at the different Headquarters had oppor-
tunities of observing many interesting
culiarly so TO me. had carried a dispatch
| 10 Gen. Thomas's Headquarters in front of
TullahOma, arriving at daybreak. The
occupants of all the tents, except one, were
sleeping soundly. and entered it to deliver
| the dispatch | found Gen Thomas in it,
| p1IIrh 1hSnrbaI m fi0n that hp
| did not notice me, and | soon became in
| tereSted TO such an extent as to forget was
| intruding.
The General was a yirginian, and the
| Tennessean had evidently been upbraid
ing him for his adherence to the Govern
ment After | entered, the General demon
strated the fallacy of the State Rights
| doctrine, eulogiZed our Government in the
highest terms, showed its great superiority
TO the Confederacy and European Govern
ments, and most eloquently portrayed the
| liberties and privileges of its citizens and
the obligations they were under, and es-
| peclally he, as an officer of the Regular
Army, to support and defend it. | do not
know what effect the Generals words had
upon the Tennessean, but l do know that
| to me they were as revelation and made
| lasting impression.
| Courier service was very arduous and
| trying on the nerves; as small detach-
| ments of rebel cavalry, would occasionally
give the courier an exciting chase, and
| buShThackerS. from some convenient hid
ing place, send their compliments by way
| OF leaden messenger. We never knew
| when this might occur, and consequently
| always had pleasant anticipations when
we started out with a dispatch. 1t was
| also very important service and very
| useful to Gen. Rosecrans in concentrating
| his forces at Chickamauga.
CHICKAMAUGA.
| a., =. e +l,,r, l.,. i
| tachments of the regiment were engaged
| in scouting, carrying dispatches, and OBJ
serving the enemy'S fianks, and at night
small parties were sent out beyond our left
| flank TO build fires to give the impression,
| both to our men and the rebels, that Burn
| side mad joined us. Some Of these de-
tachments penetrated Bragg's lines, and
narrowly escaped being captured
On the second day, when our right wing
was swept from the field, we first deployed
| in skirmish-line and attempted TO rally
| the troops, and finally covered the retreat,
and Were one of the few regiments on that
part of the field which retained its organi-
| Zatlon. 1t pains me very much to be COM
PEELED TO say that our brethren of the in
fantry service failed TO appreciate our
| efforts TO convince them that it was their
| duty 10 stop long enough to be shot at
| again. In fact, they became somewhat
| sarcastic, and inquired Of us in language
more emphatic than polite when We had
ever seen dead cavalryman, and some
| even went so far as to offer to swap places.
| IT was then that | saw Gen. Rosecrans,
gallantly rallying the troops; waving his
sword over his head, mounted on fine
| looking horse, with its fOrefeet paving
the air, and a color bearer by his side
waving a flag, it made picture never
| 10 be forgotten, and resembled closely
| the stereotyped pictures frequently seen
| in pictorial war books.
| After the battle the Army of the Cum
| berland intrenched itself at Chattanooga,
and it soon became evident that the only
| question was one Of supplies, and that un-
| less starved out il would hold the place
| We remained there several weeks, during
which time rice and sorghum i'll limited
quantities, and corn which had been
trampled under foot by horses and mules,
| and then carefully washed and parched by
US, formed our principal articles Of diet
We were then sent TO Sequatchie Valley, a
land which to Our eyes seemed literally
to flow with milk and honey.
! FIGHT WITH INDIANS.
In the latter part of November. 1863,
we were sent 10 the relief of Burnside at
Knoxville, and were among the first troops
10 reach him. Some Indians from the
reservation in North Carolina, who adj
| hered 10 the Confederacy, had crossed the
Smoky Mountains into East Tennessee,
formed a camp near their base, and were
making incursionS into the valleys, de-
spelling the Union people of their sub
stance.
We were ordered to disperse them, and
Col. Palmer, taking with him part Of the
| regiment, crossed an almost impasSa bic
mountain and reached their rear, whilst
he sent a detachment To attack them in
front. He found them encamped in very
inaccessible position, on bench of the
mountains, which could not be reached by a
mounted charge; and the regiment was dis
mounted aud brisk fight from behind
trees, rocks and fallen timber in regular
Indian fashion cnSued. They seemed
To think 1t necessary 10 accompany every
shot with genuine war-whoop, which
must have interfered with their aim, as
they only wounded two of our men, Capts.
Betz and Clark.
Il When they discovered detachment
OF our men working its way around their
flank they abandoned their camp, and
took to the mountains, hiding as quickly
: and successfully as a flock OF frightened
partrldgeS. The people in that section OF
, East Tennessee considered that skirmish
one Of the greatest battles Of the war, and il
sound were the only measure of "A great
battle ii certainly should be, as every dis.
charge of a musket or carbne echoed
through the gorges and sounded in the
valleys like the dischage of full battery
| of artillery.
We proceeded from hefe to cambridge, and
until Spring operated on Longstreet's
left flank. frequently penetrating his lines
and capturing a large number of prisoners
. and several forage trains. We had quite
AN exciting chase along the east bank OF
| Fn