The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-06-28

experience. 1t was proposed to have a
corps. as the name indicated, of bridge
builders and skilled mechanics, which
would be OF great assistance TO the
army. The prime object Of the organ
ization was not to fight. but to serve
as engineers and pontoneers. Still, the
men were armed with muskets, and
given more or less drill as soldiers.
Col. 1nnes, with his regiment, was on
duty along the road, and took up q po-
sition on some high ground near La
vergne. At the appearance OF the rebel
cavalry they proceeded to hastily for
tify this with brush and logs. Innes's
force was 391 men all told. About 2
o'clock Wheeler and Wharton, with a
force of six or eight regiments. various
lily estimated from 1000 to 5000 men,
appeared before Innes and demanded
his surrender. Innes's reply was more
fierce than polite. Thereupon Wheeler
charged the works. but was driven
back by the accurate fire of men who
seemed to know how to handle a mus
ket quite as well as the tools they were
supposed to be skilled In using. Whar-
| ton had with him two guns. which he
brought up at close range and opened a
severe fire. but this did not dismay the
plucky Wolverines. who, in response to
the next summons to surrender, sent
the whole Confederate outfit to q sui
Wharton charged them again, to be
again beaten back. Accounts differ as
to whether this performance was re-
peated four or seven times, but often
as 1t was. 1t was every time met with
such severe and accurate fire as to
be driven back with discouraging losses
The last flag OF truce from Wharton
asked Innes for permission to bury the
| dead. to which Innes replied that "Mr.
Wheeler Is entitled to anything Of his
beyond the reach Of my guns. I will
| take care of all inside" Whereupon
| Wheeler withdrew, and many valuable
wagons were thereby saved. Gen.
Wharton. in the following report pays
the highest tribute to the gallant little
band inside their brush barriers
| "A regiment Of infantry. under Col.
| Innes. also was stationed In cedar
brake and Notifications near this point
| l caused the battery. under Lieut.. Pike
who acted with great gallantry. to open
on 1t. The fire at range Of not more
/ than 400 yards was kept up for more
than an hour, and must have resulted
In great damage to the enemy. caused
the enemy to be charged on three sides
at the same time by Coils. Cox and Smith
and Lieut.-c Malone, and the charge
was repeated four times. but the enemy
was SO strongly posted that 1t was found
impossible to dislodge him."
/ Waiting and Watching.
Il The leaden-skied, dismally-rainy New
Years Day had every moment OF 1t.
i tagging hours filled with intensest anx.
iety for the myriads OF men crowded
together upon that narrow plain Ever,
fiber and nerve In body and soul OF
; every man on both sides ached poig
nantly with the awfulness OF the day
before. He'll With all It's teff0rs coulC
not be worse than what they had passed
through. What would come next;
Bragg and his men felt certain that the
) Union army had been SO frightfuily
mauled that IL could do nothing bu
y get away as fast as possible from III
terrible foes. According to all history
all precedent. ROsecrans and his mer
should have been long ago fleeing ir
disorderly rout for the shelter Of tho
Notifications at Nashville. No arm,
had ever before stood its ground after
such frtghtful castigation. Every one
In the circle nf cedars surrounding ths