The National tribune., 1906-01-18
LOYAL TENNEssEEANs.
The Difficulties Experienced by the a
Tenn. Cav. in Being Organisation
Service AfteFward.

Tenn. Cav. In Bsiag Organized-Long
Service Afterward.
Editor National Tribune: I see In
The National Tribune Of Nov 20 q Mr..
p. Davidson, Of Colfax, Wash, asks for
a short history Of the 4th Tenn. Cav"
In your reply you say 1t was organized
at Nashville from Feb. 3, '63, to June.
1854" In this you are mistaken. Col.
r.. M. Edwards, Of Cleveland, Tenn,
was commissioned to raise q regiment
Of cavalry in July, 1852. at Cumber-
land Gap, while Gen. Morgan occupied
that place. When Gen. Morgan was
forced to evacuate the Gap Col. Ed
wards had succeeded in enlisting about
800 men. The regiment was to be
known as the LIST East Tenn. Cav. and
was SO recognized by Gen. Morgan, but
after its arrival at Nashville it was CIV
en- the 4 number In Gen. Morgan's
remarkable retreat from the Gap to
the Ohio River the 4th did heroic SER
vice, Notwithstanding its imperfect or
ganization and equipment for Col. Ed
wards was unable to procure the regu-
lar cavalry equipments, not even uni
forms, and the men were armed with
muskets and shotguns and such other
fire arms as they could find. After
their arrival at the Ohio they were or
dered to Louisville, KY, where recruit
ing was vigorously pushed. In jan
uary, 1863. Col. Edwards was ordered
to Nashville with his embryo regiment.
where it's organization was completed
in the Summer and 1t was fully
equipped for the field. Late in the
Summer 1T went to Murfreesboro,
where 1T met Wheeler on one Of his
grand sweeps in the rear Of the Union
army at Chattanooga. Returning to
Nashville late In the Fall, 1t was re-
mounted and otherwise equipped for an
n
into the heart of Mississippi. 1t re-
ported to Gen. Smith at Collierville. and
on Feb. 10 set out for Meridian, Miss,
the objective point Of the expedition.
But before reaching that point they
encountered Forrest at Okolona and
Gen. Smith had to retrace his steps.
Gen. Sherman had learned that there
was a considerable amount of army
stores collected by the rebels along the
Mobile G. Ohio Railroad and various
other places in the interior of the
State. and he organized two expedi-
lions, one to be conducted by himself
personally and to start from Vicksburg
and march straight for Meridian, and
the other to be led by Gen. Smith and
to leave Collierville in the vicinity OF
Memphis and move down the NJ. & 0.
r. r. by way of Okolona and meet him
at Meridian by Feb. 10. But Gen. Smith
did not get started until the day he
was to meet Sherman at the point of
junction, consequently Forrest was CIV
en- plenty of time to learn Of the move
ments Of Smith and to concentrate his
forces and meet Smith at the place of
his own selection, which he did, max
ing furious assaults on Smiths rear as
he retreated
This was the first baptism of fire the
4th received, and it showed the material
of which it was composed. 1t repealed
several assaults Of Forests furious and
reckless riders, and several times
saved Gen. Smiths column at some
points from utter rout.
In this expedition the regiment lost
"a men killed, wounded and missing.
II of whom were killed.
While this expedition is generally
considered failure. yet it was not en-
tirely without good results for Gen.
amount Of army stores and other Con-
federate property, and he succeeded in
bringing out with him a large number
OF mules and horses and prisoners, and
large number of negroes to work on
Notifications, besides killing a number
OF rebels, among the number the broth
er of Gen. Forrest.
This was one Of Gen. Sherman
strategic moves In aid of Gen. Rose
crans's operations around Chattanooga.
You perhaps got your information
from the Rebellion Records, which, l
am sorry to say, dc not give the regi-
ment full justice. From some cause the
Records are silent in many particulars
Of vital interest to the history of this
organization. and it is highly important,
IL the survivors Of the regiment cherish
the memory Of their deeds, that they
get about putting them In historical
shape before it is everlastingly too late
Alexander Eckel, Co. c, 4th Tenn
Cav, Knoxville, Tenn.