The National tribune., 1907-03-28
DIsoBEYED ORDERS AT CHICKA-
MAUGA.
A TicElish Night on Picket Mt the Time
of Chicknmauga.

A TickIish Night on Picket Mt the Time
of Chickamaugn.
Editor National Tribune: / belonged
to the First Brigade, Col P. S. Post,
commanding; First Divson-Jeff c.
Davis Corps, Gen. A. Med.
McCook commanding the right wing
of Rosecrans's Army of the Cumber-
land. Davis's and Johnson's Divisions
crost the Tennessee River at Staple
tons Ferry, opposite Stevenson, Ala.
and then crost Sand and Raccoon Noun
tains to Wills Valley, going to the head
of the valley, where we found the as
cent of the mountain very difficult.
Posts Brigade was detailed to assist
tine trains and artillery up the noun
tain, and the balance of the Second Di-
vision past on over the mountain and
went into the fight, Sheridan's Division
of our Corps crossing the river al
Bridgeport and Lookout Mountain at
Trenton Gap, with the Fourteenth
Army Corps. The day of Sept. 10 was
spent pushing and pulling wagons up
the steep mountain getting everything
to the top about s p. M, when we
moved out about two miles and went in
to camp on small stream. Up to this
time we did not know that there was
any fighting going on. My company q
of the 22d Ind.) was detailed for picket
duty, and strong picket line was put
out around the camp. Col. Post rode
out to our advance post and told my
Captain, L. S. Mayfield, to select some
man whom he could trust and put him
out on videt duty, at least one-half mile
in advance of our picket line, and leave
him there all night, as the mountain
was SO infested with rebel bush
whackers that it would be unsafe to
relieve them at night. Capt. Mayfield
called for volunteers, but the boys were
all tired and no one craved the job OF
standing guard all night. Finally he
called me and asked if would go, and
] told him 1 would if he and Orderly
Sergeant Miller would go along and see
where the post was established, AMI
that l would do my best to hold the
post till morning. Col. Post gave me
my orders before / started He said
there was no couEtersign; that If any
person approached from the outside to
shoot him IL / could. and fall back TO
camp along about midnight. Well, I
went out, and some time in the even
ing heard the noise of horses hooss
coming at a pretty fast gait. I began
to study over my orders and the con-
sequences If / shot. and the more
thought about 1t the more l resolved
that If there was only one man APP
preached 1 would not shoot him, but
would capture him. He approached my
post on a keen lope, and I let him get
close enough so that had good beal
on him, when 1 halted him with the
usual salutation. who comes here?"
He stopt very suddenly, but did not say
q word. / waited a few minutes, and
then demanded for the second time TO
know who he was and what he wanted.
He in turn wanted to know who was.
promptly informed him that that was
my business and not his, and that un-
less he was very careful he was liable
to have serious trouble, as 1 had a good
squad Of men handy. / again demand
ed that he dfsmount and advance. which
he did, and when within about 10 PAGES
of me halted him and said, Now, tell
me where you belong?" He said he was
a Union soldier. By that time Capt.
Mayfield, who had heard the racket, APP
peared. and 1 turned the man over 10
him, who sent him to Col. Posts quar-
tiers. The soldier told Col. Post that he
was an officer on Gen. McCook's staff:
that the hardest battle of the war had
been fought that day, and that he Was
the seventh courier sent out and the
first to get thru. have often thought
of the consequences if / had killed him,
as 1 had been ordered to do. The bri
gade. all of McCook's train, most Of his
artillery and ambulances, and Mitchelrs
cavalry train would have fallen into the
hands of the rebels. AS it was We
marched Immediately. reaching Craw-
fish Springs. Sunday, Sept. 20. at 10
o'clock a M, and saved all this train,
and then started 1t on the Dry Valley
road to Chattanooga. We covered the
retreat to Chattanooga. Should this
narrative catch the eye of the man who
carried that dispatch or anyone who
knows anything about him / would be
glad to hear from any such person.
VIM. j. McAfee, Sergeant, Co. i, 22d
Ind Rlufffon Ind