The National tribune., 1902-03-13
GEN. GREEN B. RAUM AND STAFF.

comotives and cars made the transporta-
ton of the troops somewhat slow, so after
the Second Division embarked by rail,
Gen. Sherman ordered Gen. Corse with
| his Fourth Division to march to Corinth,
a distance of 100 miles by the wagon
| road.
The weather was propitious, and the
whole movement was, under the circum-
stances, made with great promptness.
J Gen. Sherman did not leave Memphis
until the morning of Oct. IL, when he
took train for Corinth, accompanied by
staff, orderlies and clerks and the battalion
of the 18th q. s. Regulars as a body
guard. A number of officers also went
forward on this train to join their COM
mand, and Gen. Sherman was accOmpa-
MED by his brother-in-law, Brig Gen.
| Hugh Ewing
| 1t must be understood that the Union
/ forces occupied the country and held the
! railroad from Memphis to Corinth; small
garrisons were stationed along the line to
guard the road. Col Anthony, of the
| Goth Ind, held Collierville, 26 miles east
of Memphis.
Gen. Sherman on his train passed
Corse's Division on the march to German
town, eight miles from Memphis; about
noon the train reached COlliervile and
! passed beyond the station about half n
mile, when it was suddenly stopped. A
rebel force had attacked Col. AnthOny's
picket line; the rattling of musketry made
it evident that an attempt would be made
to capture Gen. Sherman and his train
THE AFFAIR AT CoLLIERyILLE.
l cannot give as interesting an account
| Of this military episode as has been left
of record by Gen. Sherman himself. He
says: II was in the rear car with my
staff, doing, but observed the train slack
ing speed and stopping about half a mile
beyond the depot. i noticed some soldiers
running to and fro, got out at the end
Of the car, and soon Col. Anthony, Goth
Ind, who commanded the post, rode up
and said that his pickets had just been
! driven in, and there was an appearance
Of an attack by large force of cavalry
coming from the southeast. / ordered
| the men to get off the train, to form on
! the knoll near the railroad cut, and soon
observed rebel officer riding toward us
with a white flag. Col. Anthony and
Col Dayton Zone of my Aids were sent
to meet him, and TO keep him in conyer-
sation as long as possible. They soon re-
turned, saying it was the Adjutant of the
rebel Gen. Chalmers, who demanded the
| surrender of the place. / instructed them
| to return and give negative answer, but
| to delay him as much as possible, so as
TO give us time for preparation. / saw
Anthony, Dayton and the rebel bearer OF
| the flag in conversation, and the lat
ter turn his horse to ride back, when
| ordered Col. Mccoy TO run to the sta
tion and get message over the wires as
quickly as possible to Memphis and Ger
mantOwn, to hurry forward Corse's Divi-
sion. then ordered the train to back to
the depot, and drew back the battalion OF
Regulars to the small earth redoubt near
| it. The depot building was of brick, and
had been punctured with lOop-hOles To
its east, about 200 yards, was a small
square earthwork or fort, into which were
put part Of the Regulars, along with
the company of the Goth, already there.
| Inc rest OF the men were distributed
INTO the railroad cut and in some shallow
rlne-trenches near the depot We had
hardly made these preparations when the
enemy was seen forming in long line
on the ridge to the south, about 400
yards off, and soon after two parties of
cavalry passed the railroad on both sides
or US, cutting the wires and tearing nm
some rails. Soon they opened on us with
artillery (of which we had none), and
their men were dismounting and prepar,
ing to assault
To the south Of US was an extensive
cornheld, with the corn still standing. and
on the other side was the town of Col.
herylile. All the houses near, that could
give shelter to the enemy, were ordered
to be set on fire, and the men were in.
structed to keep well under cover and TO
reserve their fire for the assault. which
seemed inevitable.
"A long line Of rebel skirmishers cams