The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1904-08-04
A Soft Snap.


miles east of Chattanooga on what
was then called the East Tennes-
see, Virginia and Georgia rail-
road. The Brigade left Bridge
port, and marching by way Of
Shellmound, Whitesides, Wan
hasnie and Chattanooga, finally
arrived at Ooltewah.
The town was small place of
two or three hundred inhabitants
composed mostly of women and
children, as the men were about
all in the army; some in the Fed
eral army and few in the Con-
federate ranks. The people of
East Tennessee were mostly loyal
to the Union and the old flag; but
a few were with the Confederacy
and entered their ranks to fight
for the confederate flag.
On the next day after our ar.
rival, the following of the 90; Cos
AT. and E. were ordered out to a
gap in the mountains on the rail
road to do outpost duty. The
gap was called Julian's Gap, and
as the railroad and wagon road
both passed through the noun
tains at this point, it was a very
important position to look after
and see that it was properly guar
ded. At the start we did not Ii Ike
the idea of the duty that we were
to perform, but as we marched out
the railroad to the gap which
was about mile and 8
half from the Brigade camp, we
concluded that we would make
the best of it.
Arriving at the gap we found q
cove, as the southern people cal
it, which is a small peice OF
ground surrounded on all sides by
high mountains and just about
large enough to make nice camp
for three companies and nice
clear mountain stream running
through the camp.
The next day the companies
staked off their streets, ditched
their quarters and began to build
their shanties, as We expected to
stay there until spring. In a few
days we had nice comfortable win
ter quarters and the boys were
ready to settle down for good
time.
The duty that we had to per-
form consisted in going on picket
about every five or six days and
the balance of the time was taken
up in running out over the noun
tains and getting acquainted with
the people who were mostly union
and treated the boys very kindly.
In few weeks time we had come
to know all the people that lived
within six or seven miles of our
camp and the boys paid them fire.
quent visits, especially if there
were any young ladies about the
house. The boys always had a
good excuse when they wanted
to see the young ladies and as 1 was
there and know something about
it myself, I will give an instance
where the excuse was always sat-
isfactory.
There was a union man by the
name of Joseph Miller, whose
family consisted of himself, wife,
and one daughter, u beautiful,
dark-haired girl with glistening
black eyes and voice like a
nighten-gale, aged about sixteen,
who was the attraction of the
boys. The father and his daugh-
ter whose name was Louisa were
arrested for their union sentiments
in the early part of the war an d
were confined in the Knoxville Jail
where they found Passon Brown
low confined for his strong senti-
ments against secession and the
treason of the southern states.
In time our army gained poses
sion of East Tennessee and the
union citizens that were confined
in the Knoxville Jail were released
and allowed to return to their
homes and families. Joe Miller
and his daughter Louisa returned
to the wife and mother in the lit
tie log-cabln home nestled at the
foot of Grindstone Mountain in
Brady county and about eight