The National tribune., 1901-03-21
BATTLE OF HENDERSONs MILL.
Reply of a 5th Ind. Cavalryman to "Bugls
Notes from Dixie"

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Being q
member OF the 9th Ind. Cav, 1 was
amused on reading "Bugls Notes from
Dixie" by Mr.. Mosgroye, in the issue Of
Feb. 2S. In his narrative Of the affray
at lIenderson's Mill, East Tennessee. there
is one thing stated that 1 think is cor
rect-that he and the whole outfit was
badly scared" aud saw multitudes Of
bluecoats where there was none. The facts
troops within three miles of Henderson's
Mill but the 9th Ind. Cav, and they not
exceeding 800 men all told.
Our brigade consisted of three regi-
ments of cavalry-the 14th ILL.,, Col. Ca
prom; the 65th Ind. Cav, Col. Foster, and
the 9th Ind. Cav, Col. Graham, Col. Eos
ter commanding the brigade.
We tianked the Confederate forces and
intersected their communication at Rhea-
town, between Greenyille and Joncsboro,
arriving at Rheatown about midnight or
soon after. Learning from cihzcas here
that the Confederates were bacl. in the
vicinity of Greenville, the 9Th Ind. Cav.
was sent down in that direction to in
form them of our presence. We found
them encamped about n half milo below
the Mil. The regiment was halted at the
Mill and company put forward % let
them know that we were there, and as
soon as it got light enough to do business,
and as the first Streaks Of dawn BEGAN to
creep up over the mountains in the east our
pickets aroused them from their morning
slumbers. Then business commenced; for
every mothers son of them seemed to get
mad, and the early quiet of that Sabbath
morning was broken, not by prayers, but
with mixture of profanity and yells,
with prelude of the rattling of carbiHes.
and for an hour or more we had n wild
time of it. To say that the Johnnies were
surprised would he putting 1t too mildly.
They were, without doubt, ''skecred,"
and they apparently had but the one idea
in view, and that was to shoe rs out
of the way and let them pass up the val
ley. Our force being small, IL SOou be-
came apparent that we would have to
"shOo" or be run over. We pressed our
arguments in opposition to their going any
farther, but they insisted so earnestly
that we stepped TO one side and let them
pass. This done, they seemed satisfied,
and passed on up the valley, noc noticing
US any further. | will state here that if
the 9Th Ind. Cav. lost n drop Of blood III
this afray | never heard of it.
After our Sunday morning exercises
were over we joined the 18th and 18th,
got our breakfast, and took % short rest,
looked our fighting tools over to see that
all was right, then the three regiments
mounted and started in pursuit of the
enemy, oTertaking them about half mile
north of Rheatown. This part of that
Sundays transaction Mr.. Mosgrove tells
in ''Bugle Notes" very correctly, with the
exception of who the Union forces were
that gave them the terrible licking they
received at this place. The 14th H.. Goth
and 9th Ind. Cav, were the only Union
troops on the field, and long before Burn
sides forces reached the field old Cerro
Gordo was well on his way to Jonesboro
"a-swearin' and a-roarin'," and his troop
ers were scattered in every direction, ske-
daddling over the hills of East Tennessee.
B. SUMNER, Dallas, Iowa.