Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-02-21

L
IN the mountains were made by infan-
try, and we foot cavalry had some
| rich experiences. The plan was like
this: A brigade would march out to a
| given point Within striking distance OF
| the district to be raided would go into
camp as a reserve, and a regiment
would be sent out in light marching
order to do the real work Of the expe.
dition
"On one occasion our regiment hur
ried almost at double-quick through
a series of narrow valleys to destroy
some rebel salt works. The people
along the road fed from us as from a
pestilence. Unionists as we'll as rebels
scurrfed up the mountains as we APP
preached. No one stopped to ask any
questions, but everybody ran away, anG
the panic extended to the horses, COWS
hogs, and dogs. All this seemed very
uncanny, but the column in blue went
| sweeping forward without a straggle1
or a looter, to do it's work. The next
day a raid was made in another direc-
ton, our regiment covering thirty miles
in fifteen hours and destroying mills
which the rebels had been using.
"Some months later we were raiding
another mountainous district which
had been patrolled by rebel cavalry,
| when we came down into a settlement
near the river. Here the people did not
run away, but watched our movements
with interest. The boys feared an am
bush, and details We're sent to see that
no men were in hiding in the several
houses. One man sitting on the front
porch of brick house was asked: ANY
rebel cavalry here to-day? He replied:
Not since breakfast and when we
proceeded to search the house made no
objection. We were SO impressed by
the nominees Of the house that we
apologized for the intrusion, but the
owner said: THAT'S all right. If you
are not going to stay it is just as we'll
that you searched the house. If you
are going to stay, it doesn't make any
difference Ny name is Brownlow.'
Any relation to the Parson? asked
one of the boys, and when the man said
Yes all our squad shook hands with
him, and the spokesman of the crowd
said in an easy way, waving his hand
toward the main column, If you don't
see what you want, ask for it,. There
was good feeling all round, but Brown
low said quietly: We people of East
Tennessee want you to come to stay.
4 raid like this will bring down on us
tomorrow a regiment from the other
side. l can take care of myself, but it
is hard on the women and children, and
/ when I saw you sweeping down the
valley I hoped that you were coming
to stay The result of that Interview
was that our brigade camped the next
day within a stones throw of Brown
lows house, and stayed there
Infantry raids said the Major,
army as picket skirmishes. Most of the
boys remember the several raids we
made toward Red Clay early in 1864.
Our regiment was there one day, and
the next rebel cavalry regiment occu-
pied the place. The day after that we
drove them out, remained few hours,
and our rear guard was scarcely out of
the place when the rebels occupied it
again. Three days later we found the
place unoccupied, swept around it, and
were returning when we were attacked
half way to camp. Raiding is not occu-
patton of country. A raid has def
mite object, and its success depends
upon the mobility of the moving col
umn.
.'In the Western army infantry came
to have almost as much mobility as
cavalry. Our regiment was often out
a week at time covering almost as
much ground as cavalry command
would cover in the same time, and we
had all sorts of adventures. l remem-
Der on one occasion, as we approached
a rather pretentious house, we saw a
man in gray walking from the stable
to the house. We had come up quietly,
moving quickly, and our arrival was
wholly unexpected
when we reached the house an old
lady who came to the door said there
were no men about the place; that all
her sons were in the Southern army,
and that the men servants were away.
The orders were to search the house.
We went through every room without
finding any signs of man. AT last,
before giving up the search, said to
the boys: L will look under the bed
I did so, and was surprised beyond
measure to find man in Confederate
officers uniform looking me in the eyes.
4 covered him with my revolver and de-
manded that he surrender. He replied
promptly: I will see you in he'll first
Il knew we had a fight on our hands,
and we disposed ourselves to capture
the officer who had the advantage in
position. He was a plucky fellow,
however, and proposed to make his
fight in the open, but as he crept from
under the bed one of the boys who was
on the bed caught him by the hair and
chucked his face down on the floor,
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