The National tribune., 1903-06-18
A NAMELEss MOUNTAIN HEROINE.
An Incident of tn. Iaand.r. Raid in Ea..
Tennessee.
BY J. FRAtsE RICHARD,
Historian, Army of the Ohio.

| dlStOrlan, Army or the OnlO.
Honor to whom honor is due, is q SEN
timcnt which can not be too strongly or
persistently enforcea. If this principle
be rigidly applied, irwill result in rescu-
ing from the doom afioblivion and placing
upon the brilliant ,lase of fame many a
humble being who never sought distinc-
ton. .oa
1t is my purpose to recall an incident
in the Saunders raid, in East Tennessee
in June, 1868. This expedition, it will be
remembered, was made up of detach-
ments from the 10Th Ill. M'td Inf, I'd
and 1th Ohio Cav, 1st Ky. Cav, 44th
Ohio Mt'd Inf, and 1st Tenn. M't'd Inf,
together with section of the 4th Ohio
L.. A., aggregating about 800 men, and
commanded by the dashing young officer
in charge of Burnsde's cavalry, Col. w.
L. Saunders, afterward killed at Knox
vile, Tenn.
| The object of the expedition was the
destruction of the railroad bridges in East
Tennessee and the prevention of easy
transfer of troops from East to West, or
vice versa. 1t was remarkably success
full in its purp Sc. The fine bridge over
yards long, was burned, and over 100
men, together with five pieces of artil-
| lery, were captured. After doing vast
| amount Of damage, and creating great
CONSERVATION everywhere, the raiders re-
| turned In doing so the various detach
ments had to dispute every inch of road
and forest and mountain pass. After cut
ting their way across Powelrs Valley, they
had to rely upon safely climbing the noun
tains and escaping, under cover of dark
ness, into Kentucky.
Capt James Mccartney, of the 112th
ILL.,, has written an interesting sketch of
this raid. From it l quote a paragraph
or two to introduce my "nameless hero
ine." He says: I'VE Travelled on all day
the 24th lOf June, 1861, and about 2
o'clock in the afternoon we came to an
other mountain cabin occupied by two
women and some children, but here they
did not have even a few cabbage plants to
eat. We finally convinced them that we
were Union soldiers trying to escape.
when they tod US that their husbands
had gone through to Kentucky. and were
then in the Union army. They then
brought from bed tick Il peck of corn
meal and offered it to us, but assured us
that it was everything they had in the
world to eat. As we saw five or six
children around the house, hungry as we
were, We refused to touch their meal
They told us that two separate companies
of rebel cavalry had been at their house
that day inquiring for 'Yanks,' and say
ing that n lot of them were lost in the
mountains somewhere. They told the
women they were going to catch and hang
them as soon as found, for these 'Yanks'
had been numbering people and burning
houses all through East Tennessee. The
women cautioned us to he very careful,
as the mountains were filled with rebels.
They gave our guide full instructions as
to the best route d-take; and, wishing
us all sorts of good, fortune, sent us on
After leaving thiSncabin and travelling
along trail in the mountains, the raiders
found place Of comparative security, as
they thought, and concluded to camp for
the night. Shortly litter sundown they
sent out small sreconnoitering party,
which returned about . o'clock with Il side
of bacon. This was ,parceIed out in mere
tidbits, but small as these were, they were
keenly relished as the first food eaten in
four days of weaffSome and sleepless
marching.
The 200 raiders in the group lay down
to sleep. All passed, off quietly until
about midnight, when n mysterious noise
aroused Capt. Mccartney. At first he
was unable to determine whether it was
caused by s0me1 wild animals. or
whether their purstiers had steaithily
crept upon them. Finally it was found to |
be the approach of Maj. Dow, who col |
lected some of the officers and whispered
information Of vital Importance to them. |
Here" said he in suppressed tones, sis a |
little girl IA years old who lives at the |
house where we found the women this |
afternoon. She says that very soon after
we left the house 1,500 rebel cavalry came
20 the house on our trail, swearing ven
geance against u.s."
The mother of this girl heard the plans
of the rebels, and taking her child out
of the house sent her on this pcrilous ex-
peditiOn, seven miles, through the dark
ness, along the mountain trail infested
with snakes and wild animals. Faithful |
to the charge, this dauntless girl deliy-
cred her message and saved the weary
and defenseless raiders from impending
The faithful heroine was not forgotten.
A collection was taken up in the dark,
and something over 81 was paid to the de-
liverer. At first she refused to take the
but was finally forced to
take it. She would not permit an escort
on her way back, hut returned alone. Her
fate and her name are unknown.
This event occurred in 1863, when this
heroine was II years old. If still living.
she must be some "a years Of age. If
any soldier or officer in that raid or any
comrade in East Tennessee or anywhere
else can impart any information on this
subject, so as to identify this heroine, let
him communicate the same through the
Tribune, so that can give her
proper credit in the history of the Army
Of the Ohio. Such information is special
|y valuable 1t is the material from
which true and impartial history is writ
ten.