The National tribune., 1902-03-20

tral Railroad. destroying as it went, as
was evident to us by the ever-lengthen-
ing column of smoke on our rlght Keep
ing pace with our march OF 10 nlles.
On the 2Sth we made a short march OF
nine miles to the bank of the river op-
nosite Louisville. where we waited sew
eral hours for the completion OF brldge,
after which we crossed and occupied the
town. A portion was in ashes when we
entered having been fired, so 1t was said,
nv an exaSperated soldier because wom-
an sDat in his face. He set fire to her
house. and the flames spread to others.
The duty of picketing the roads Leading
into town was assigned to our regiment,
which established its headquarters at the
Court House, where books and papers OF
valuable record were strewn over the
floors in indescribable confusion.
We remained there all the following
day waiting for the Twentieth Corps to
pass.
At an early hour call came TO our
corps to assist Fitzpatrick in n fight with
Wheeler, and Gen. Davis sent Bard S
Division for the purpose; but kilpatrick
had already extricated himself from his
difficulties, and later in the day came IN
and pitched his camp near ours. de had
attempted to release our prisoners at MIL
len. but encountered Wheeler at Waynes-
boro, and also learned there that our pris-
oners had been removed two days pre-
vious.
Shortly after dark the Jail, near which
our regiment was encamped, was dlScoV-
cred to be on fire, and the flames soon
warmed up Gen. Davis to such degree,
his tent being Just across the road, that
he sent his Adjutant- General over TO in
yestigate Our Colonel resented the charge
that we had fired the Jail, and sharp
words passed between him and the staff
officer, who went back in high dUdgeon.
Gen. Davis then summoned the COM
batants and delivered a lecture, the pur-
port of which we did not learn. Neither
did we discover who fired the jail. No
officer in Sherman's army was more op-
posed to unauthorized burning or unneces-
sary foraging that Gen. Davis. Such was
his disposition also when he was our Di-
vision commander, and many times we
were restricted to camp when other COM
mands were foraging with q free hand.
This quality drew from Gen. Sherman the
statement that 81 must award to Davis's
Division the credit of the best order dur
ing our movement through East Tennes-
see, when long marches and the necessity
for foraging to the right and left gave
some reason for disordered ranks"
We left Louisville in the direction Of
Miilen, Dee. l. Our division, having
charge Of the wagons, moved only eight
miles during the day, which gave Us plen-
ty of time to forage; but the troops ahead
had taken the best of everything. so the
next day our mess decided TO send its rep
resentatives ON in time to get our share
Of the more appetizing articles Of food,
Dnly to be secured by first callers.
AN ENCOUNTER WITH REBEL CAVALRY.
This duty fell to myself and a mess
mate, and having been taught from child
hood that the early bird gets the first
worm, we determined to leave camp at
the first streak of dawn and get well
ahead of our advance. We walked rap
Idly through a wooded country, three
miles, without habitations. and just as
the sun was rising emerged into clear
Ing extending two miles farther, with only
one house in sight, and that was in the
hands of a party of five foragers who
were ahead of us. much to our regret.
We hurried on, hoping to oyertake
them, but they left the house q quarter
of a mile ahead of us, and soon after en-
tered another wood. A few minutes later,
as we We're about to enter, we heard q
dozen or more musket Shots and two
members of the party came rushing out,
exclaiming that they had been fired on
and three had been shot. They further
declared that the woods were full Of rebel
cavalry.
We now considered ourselves in 4 pre-.
dicament, five miles ahead of our army
uuu d4H!OSl lace 10 lace WIN Ile enemy
The open road stretching back two miles
the coming of our advance guard, but il
was dotted with groups of foragers NOV.
ing toward us, and these We're TO be ouI
reinforcements, provided the enemy would
give sufficient time for them to arrive
Strange TO relate, we We're not moest
ed, and when our number had grown tc
oO or more, we formed ourselves into 9
skirmish-line and, without commander.
or commands, plunged recklessiy into the
wood. A few steps brought us to tn,
dead bodies Of three missing foragers anC
little farther on we found the smokin;
embers of camp fires and scattered re
mains of corn, where horses had been fe,
over night. Evidently regiment hat
bivouacked there.
The wood proved to be but a marrow
belt, and when we reached the other edg
we saw the enemy waiting for US acro.s
another clearing, but we prudentIy wait
ed for our advance guard to come up a!
hour later, when, our numbers beinj
greatly increased by new arrivals Of for
ayers, we reinforced the guard and dis
persed the enemy, so that our column
proceeded without q halt. We now turnet
our attention to foraging, and when n
the close of the day our detachment O
two laid the trophies Of q successful fora
at the feet Of our messmates in camp, w
AOuhN iHtul DNtIJOyel because oil our
turn, as they had heard just enough G
our encounter to believe that the worm
had caught the early birds.
GUARDING THE WAGON TRAIN.
We halted near Buckhead Greek,
march Of II miles,
1t was discovered that Wheeler wa
paying close attention 20 our left hanl
with the evident purpose of finding
weak or unguarded opening to our SUI
ply train.
Our brigade was continued on the 8
In charge Of the train, and for the bette
security of our ordnance wagons our reg
ment was required to walk In single ri
on either side of them at some distanc
from the road, but always keeping til
train in plain view. Our taarch was
short one, ouly six miles, as we had
wait for q pontoon TO be thrown over
streom.
We halted near Lgmpkin Station. {
the Augusta & Savannah Railroad, abol
10 miles north of Millen
The next morning our brigade was r
ieved of the care OF the train and plac,
in advance. We crossed the railroad S
miles below Waynesboro, in which {
rection we heard artillery and musket
firing, but as we turned our backs TO
and marched away We soon ceased
hear it,
The occasion was an attack by Kilps