The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-22
Knoxville No. Z
BY James Mitchell.

On the night of the 18th Of No.
vember, 1868, after the fight that
morning we pushed our lines little
closer to the yankee line of breast
works. We dug pits at night and had
them we'll filed with sharpshooters
the next morning. The next night
we would do the same thing over. We
would, under cover Of darkness, go up
just as close as we could and dig
more pits and FIJI them with sharp
shooters, who would stay in the pits
all day and annoy the yankee cannon
eers. They kept them from working
their guns, and they. would pop any
yank who would show his head over
the works. We noticed that some of
them wore white beaver hats, we sup
posed them to be loyal citizens of
Tennessee, whom Gen. Burnsides
spoke Of as helping in the fight around
Knoxville.
On the 22nd, we were as close as
we could get and everything ready
for that night, but for some cause we
did not 60, and everything rested just
as it was until the morning Of the
Goth, when the batteries along our
line opened on Fort Sanders. Ker-
shaw's brigade did not go into the
charge on Fort Sanders. We. were on
the right towards the river on lit
tie stream called second creek, with
y orders to be ready. AS soon as we
saw the flag at the fort come down,
we were to charge. Wofford IS, Bryan s
and Humphreys brigades of our di-
vision charged the fort and had vir-
tually captured it, and had silenced
every battery in the fort. The men
in the fort had stopped firing and
were only throwing a few hand germ
AIDES over into the moat around the
fort. Some of our men were al
ready mounting the works. One col
or bearer had succeeded in planting
his colors on the works and one of the
Georgians of Wofford's brigade said
the last he saw Of their color bearer,
he folded his colors and darted into
port hole, calling to the boys to come
on. We were not repulsed, but for
some unexplainable cause, just at the
very moment when the fort was al
most taken, our troops were order
ed to retire. Our men were mortified
to think that they were ordered back
after the fort was as good as ours. 1t
was reported that Maj. Goggans, of
McLaw's staff, who had been at tile
fort, rode back to Gen. Longstreet and
reported that the fort was surrounded
with such a network Of wires that it
would be impossible for the men to
get in without axes. There was not
an axe on hand, and Gen. Longstreet
ordered the line recalled. So ended
one Of the most gallant charges of the
war. Gen. Burnside allowed us to re-
move our dead and wounded around
the fort under flag Of truce. And Il
rumor reached us that evening that
Gen. Bragg had been beaten at Chat
tanOoga. We stayed around Knox
vile for a day or two, when we left
and went in the direction of the Cum
berland gap. On the 9th, we reached
place called Rutledge, where we
halted for two days. On the 9th Of
December we took up the line of
march and OH the 9th, we reached
Rogerville and rested there for few
days. We moved from there to Bean
Station, where we had some fighting,
We were out Of rations and wanted
some. That night Col. Nance sent the
same boys on a scout that he sent out
at Campbell Station and found only a
few struggling yankees, and they ran
up on ware house or depot full CT
meat and -four. They came back and
reported to Col. Nance and he had
the regiment formed in line Of bat
tie and marched down and took pos.
session Of the supplies, had rations is.
sued and then told the boys to help
themselves. Such grabbing Of hams
and sacks Of flour. After we were all
loaded, we were marched back to ON
old camp, where we made up fires and
in a few minutes such baking Of
hoecakes and frying Of ham. We soon
had the woods smelling Of fried ham
The other hungry fellows who had not
been with us, smelled ham frying and
came over and wanted to know if we
had drawn rations. We. told them
YES, Col. Nance had founI uS some