The National tribune., 1906-11-01

VI tU iiich W 1cI SAooh-
Roddey's Trrn Next.
During this time Roddey. tardily
obeying his orders, had crossed the
Tennessee. Oct. Z and s. at or near
Guntersville. followed the railroad upI
to the tunnel, had it filed up and tried
to destroy 1t, then moved on through
New Market to strike the garrison at
Elk River Bridge and destroy the same.
At Salem he received newsJof the dis
aster to Wheeler at Pennington, and
saw that the only thing foro him to 40
was to get back acrossvthe river with
ali possible expedition. He started back
at daylight. Oct. IL, but at o'clock
met Gen. Mitchelrs force coming out
from Huntsville to bar his way to the
Tennessee. A heavy rain had set in.
and for n few minutes the fighting con-
tinued through it, with9the two lines
so close together that they, could sea
each others faces by the fash of the
guns. Presently the rain came down in
such torrents that it was impossible to
go on with the battle. and darkness
soon joined with the rain to more eff
fectua!'y stop the contest Roddey
slipped away during the night and made
his escape across the Tennessee.
Mitchell pushed forward through blind
ing rains and overlooked country, until
he became hopeless of reaching the
Tennessee before Roddey could cross
it in the darkness. when he reluctantly
gave up the pursuit, and directed his
tired men to march to such points on
the railroad where there would be a
possibility of finding food and forage
for the exhausted command.
The cavalry of the Army of the Cum
berland had given a very good account
of itself, and showed its possibilities
when handled in masses by competen.
officers having a real heart in the work.
ncf of mo hing and fighting
was done in the midst of the torrential
October rains; the activity of the move,
ment was something rarely eQualed in
an open country under the most favor
able conditions. Some days entire COM
mands made as high as SO or 81 miles,
over slippery mountains, through flood
ed fordings and over muddy roads.
where the horses sank in beyond their
fetlocks. In six days the whole COM
mand marched 247 miles. All the time
they were pressing hard upon the enc
my, striking him quick, sharp, stagger-
ing blows, which increased in rapidity
and effectiveness until toward tho eni
Wheeler's retreat became complete
rout. and every road leading to the
Tennessee River was filled with aban-
doned wagons, stores, horses, deserters,
sick and wounded. They took from
Wheeler six pieces of artillery, and his
killed, wounded and captured were be-
tween 1000 and 1900, so that Wheeler
regained the refuge of the south bank
of the Tennessee in sadly wrecked
condition. Against this, however, he
could offset the destruction of the long
wagon train at Anderson's Crossroads.
the depot at McMinnville and the rail-
road between Murfreesboro and War
trace. all of which were blows keenly
felt by the cooped-up Army of the
Cumberland at Chattanooga.
While putting the best face possible
upon the matter, Wheeler blames some
of his subordinate commanders very
force recrossed the Tennessee and for
the Generalization which followed his
defeat at Pennington. The trouble was.
as was always the case with Wheeler $
men, that they were more intent upon
plundering than upon the military OBJ
jects and Wheeler complains that even
his officers allowed their men to throw
away their arms in order to carry away
more plunder. h1 -
As to the condition to which his COM
mand was reduced by the terrific and
continually repeated blows of the enc
my, we have the vivid testimony of Col.
Geo. B. Hodge, who commanded one
of his brigades. He says:
within 80 minutes courier reached
me from Col Clay, asking for reinforce
ments. Being ordered by Gen. David
son to lead them and to take Command
of the rear in person, l countermarchcd
with my brigade and was proceeding at
a gallop, with my command, back, when,
ahead of me, ! encountered the whole
of Scotts Brigade, crowded in frightful
and horrible confusion, wild and frantic
with panic, choking the entire road and
bearing down upon me at racing speed
1t was too late to clear the way; they
rode over my command like madmen
some of them stopping only, as / am
informed, when they reached the Ten
| nessee. I was ridden over and my
| horse knocked down, but succeeded in
extricating myself, and Capt. Larmer's
company, 9th Va. Battery, which
threw into position behind a fence run
| ming at right angles with the road, and
opened fire upon the enemy, who were
| iercely charging the rear of the panic
stricken crowd. This company un-
| horsed and killed some 80 of the enc
my who were in the leading files o.
| the charging column, but was itseil
badly cut up and its gallant Captain
sabered out of his saddle. The enemy
were momentarily checked. I seized the
opportunity to gallop ahead of the fugi-
| tives and eXtricate my own brigade from
| the disorderly mob; this 1 formed lins
| with, and in some order received the
I
! heavy force and with determined OBJ
stinacy. Gen. Davidson sent me wori
| he was endeavOring to form fres.
| line with Scott's Brigade to support me
| and instructed me to use my own dis
| cretion in the rear. The enemy, finding
| himself determinedly resisted, brought
| up three pieces of artillery and com
| menced shelling my line. I could onI,
| reply with two mountain hOwitzers, and
was compelled to fall back, forming
| fresh lines at intervals of about a quar-.
| ter of a mile. Each of these he des
perately charged, and upon being re
pulsed, commenced extending hi:
| tanks, which his numerical superiority
| enabled him to do, compelling me tc
| form fresh lines in the rear and with.
| draw those he was enveloping.
| For five hours and half, over sever
miles of country, the unequal contes,
continued. My gallant brigade was GU
| to pieces and slaughtered. / had in.
| formed the officers and men that the
sacrifice of their lives was necessary
and they manfully made the sacrifice.
| Gen. Davidson could do nothing witt
| the fugitives. l received no supports
| and at o'clock, when with my bleed
ing and almost annihilated command
had formed my last line. the welcom,
order came from Gen. Wheeler to fal
back. as he was in position quarter
a mile in rear with reinforcements.
passed at 4 o'clock through his line
into Pennington, but only to resum,
the retreat, when. at 5, the division Il,
had placed in position was charged ant
broken by the enemy. Tho much o
my brigade with its cannon reached and