The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1901-09-20
"REMINISCENCES
Of an Es-Confederate Soldier
lConllnned.l

(Conlinued.)
In the fail OF '62 we were ordered
to Knoxville, Tenn, to support
Gen. Longstreet, who had Burn-
side surrounded in Knoxville. Our
regiment numbered about HOO
men, as fine body OF cavalry as
ever saw. After several days
we arrived there on
French Brood river, that cmpties
into the Tennessee just above
Knoxville, A Union Home Guard
was annoying our men great deal
by shooting from the brush and
then running. They detailed my
company TO 60 around there and
capture these men or drive them
out Of the country. We were TO
attack them at O'clock a. m. We
marched until midnight and found
we would get there sooner than we
wanted TO, so we halted by a large
dwelling house. went to the
house and found furloughcd reb-
el soldier that lived there, and he
gave me all the informa ton /
wan ted as to where these Union
home guards lived. took a man
by the name of Pat Hanley and
went in advance Of our company
and we rode up to the first house
where we had been told one lived
and hollow9d "hellon. A lady
came to the door and asked her
where her husband was. She told
me he had just started to Knox
vile, that Burnsides had ordered
them all 10 report there that morn
ing. | told her | was very sorry,
but we had come out after them
ourselves that we Were Union SOL
diers and wanted them to help us
whip some of those rebels. She
told me to hurry on down TO the
next house and there would over
take her husband. They had bak-
ed up large quantity of pics and
cakes for their husbands to take to
Knoxville. She was very kind to
us and brought out some of each
kind and treated us to all we could
eat. We went on that way from
one house to another and gathered
them up, They marched with us
thinking we were Union men. Pat
and ! had been so successful in
gathering them up that no Gener.
al in the army felt prouder than
we did that night. When daylight
came we struck lane leading
down to the picket post right above
Knoxville. We met a Union sol
dier that was going up the road 10
try to got his breakfast. asked
himif There were any more soldiers
between there and the picket post.
He pointed to a brick house across
the roas and said five had Just gone
there to get breakfast. Pat and |
concluded we would take these
men by ourselves. We dismount
ed at the gate. He went to the
front door and | to the back, he
getting to his door first. They all
started to run out the back door
but l met them all on the porch.
Four of them surrendered to me,
and one ran into a little room on
the end OF the porch and shut the
door. | called to Pat to come
through the house to me, and the
old haM and old woman OF the
house caught him, threw him down
on the floor, and tried to cut his
throat with butcher knife. He
called me to come to him but had
four prisoners and this man yet in
the little room, so | could not go
| saw our company coming ii
sight by this time and ] waveC
them to come quick, and had then
run in and relieve poor old Pat
| then stepped to the little room
and asked the man in there which
he would rather do come out anC
surrender like a man or have m,
come in there. He said if woulC
not hurt him he would come on
and surrender. We gathered on
prisoners and home guards anC
went back and reported TO Gen
Ransom, who was in command
of our cavalry at that time. Al
this was accomplished without tn
firing OF single gun.