The National tribune., 1901-11-14


steep declivitieS of the mountain road
We who guard the cracker line ar
kent in constant readiness day ana mgh
for expected attacks, but our Army a
Chattanooga is undiStwbed by such
fear. as no attack there seems probable
nor does the enemy interfere while ou
bows hurow with pick and spade in plaIl
view from the nights of Mission Ridg
and Lookout Mountain.
Bragg, from his Headquarters on thu
Ridge, looks down upon his crOuching foe
vet dares not tempt the desperate courage
of such men as fought at Shiloh VIII
backs to the Tennessee, striking doWT
upon that bloody field the flower of Johns
tons Army He looks beyond our trenche:
with greater interest, where the Cumber
land Mountains hide our precarious lines
Of transportation from his view. and hopes
for the success of his bold raiders whose
work of destruction, if thoroughly per
formed. will tame defiant spirits with the
pangs of hunger.
wHEELER's RAIDERS.
The whereabouts of Wheeler's raiders
has been a question of such vital interest
to Us that it always absorbed the larger
part of our discussions Of the military
situation. Oct. they are reported fal
to the westward of Us, with our cavalry
in hot pursuit.
Our interest in Wheeler having subSided
we look with anxiety for the approach of
reinfOrcementS for without them We Will
soon be reduced to desperate straits by
short rations. The wear and tear of
wagons and mules is slowly but surely
depriving us of the means to supply our
army at Chattanooga. Each trip Is made
with fewer wagons and lighter loads at
longer intervals, while the debris and car
cases on the roadside are increased, mark
ing the most desperate mud-hOIes and the
steepest declivitieS.
a little more than five weeks ago the
comrades of our brigade, endeared to us
by participation in the same marches, bat
ties. and campaigns. marched away from
us at CapertOn's Ferry to the bloody
field of Chickamauga, without an oppor-
tunity for them or for us to say "GOOd-by,
boys" Our parting, after such long serv-
ice together was unexpected and sudden.
Since that date no orders have come to
us from our brigade, division, or corps
commanders, but we have tried to obey
various orders from various officers. Our
orders received Oct. 8 come direct from
Gen. Rosecrans that we shall proceed to
Chattanooga by the Haley Road as soon
as the regiment appointed to relieve US
arrives.
Oct. 10. before the arrival of the regi-
ment to relieve US, another order came
from Gen. Rosecrans that both regiments
shall remain to guard this crossing, as
Wheeler's raiders are broken into small
detachments, one or more of which may
attempt to recross the river here.
Gen. J. ID. Morgan has removed his
quarters from Stevenson to this point,
SO we shall look to him hereafter for or
ders while we remain.
The 10Sth Ohio and the two sections Of
EdgartOn's Battery have rejOined us.
Our first mail for week came Oct IL
and was accepted as a happy indication
that the cracker line" is in working or
der. We therefore attended divine service
"a rare privilege-with thankful hearts,
for the cutting off of our ratiOns is a dep
rivatiOn easier TO endure than the inter
ruptiOn or the destruction of letters and
papers from home.
Oct. Il, five companies Of our regiment
were sent out to work on the Sequatchie
bridge and the road to Jasper
Rain fell all day Oct. IS.
Oct. II brought more rain, more mud,
more dead mules. more work for our boys
IN the woods-mOre everything bad, less
everything gOod-especially rations. But
what care we, who are well housed in our
comfortable cabins, with boarded walls,
canvas roofs, brick freplaces, bright fires,
and nothing to do? Our particular she
bang" is the pride of its occupants. We
have a real door and half window sash
only three lights missing, but replaced with
crackerbox lids. Now, when a visitor
calls he does not thrust himself into our
very midst without even a Hello but
he knocks at our front door and waits
until we scrutinize him through our win
dow, and demand Whom do you wish to
see, SirI'
Oct. - four members of our regiment
returning from Chattanooga by the river
road. We're fired on by the enemy from
the opposite bank. Believing that they
had encountered small party, they put
spurs to their horses to run the gauntlet
but the farther they rode the faster flew
the bullets. Two then sought shelter in a
house, and are missing, while the Other
two craw!ed up the side of the mountain
and escaped to camp.
So little information about expected re
Inducements has reached us lately that we
had almost ceased to speak about il. ant
were therefore agreeably surprised Oct
10, when three regiments belonging tC
Hookcr's Corps from Virginia appeared
with orders to relieve us. They were the
9th and 73d Pa. and the 33d y. J. OuI
Ohio regiment-the 10Sth-started al
once for Anderson's Crossroads, while VIC
. are ordered TO follow. Evidently no re
Inducements can be thrown into Chatta
nOoga: starvation will ensue so mucl
sooner. We must open the way to carry
our line Of supplies with us.
on THE MARCH.
We DTOke camp OCt. ~. heaChlnt
Jasper, we picked up our five detached
companies, and few miles farther cam,
10 the Little Scquatchie, which we had tC
ford, after stripping to the waist The
water was three feet deep and icy cold
so tha; when we emerged our faces were
blue and teeth chattering, while the wa
ter-line across our bodies felt like tn,
track Of buzz-saw.
Marched - miles, cncamping near
large spring.
We started early Oct 2l. and 50 di,
the rain, and it kept company with NJ
all day. Another branch of the Seuuatchi,
River blocked our way and gave us a mo
meDtary shiver before we found that ;
cavalry company would provide horses TO
our crossing. Once safely over we campe,
on the bank, while the wind blew coli
and rain fell in torrents The half-de
serted camp of the 10th Mich. affordet
us shelter-withOut invitation. the Mich
ganders nearly all being absent at work ol
the road, which here begins the ascent o
Walden's Ridge, and must be traverse
by our wagons on the way to Chattanoogs
80 miles south.
One of the owners of the tent appro
prlated by our mess was somewhat dis
concerted to find it occupied when he re
turned from the performance of som
duty, but we kindly allowed him to ente
and share with us the cold comfort it al