The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-11

Bragg instructed Captain George Knox Miller. of the sth Confederate Cavalry, composed largely of Alabama eompa- nies. to take 200 well mounted men and drive herd of fat blue grass beeyes. about 1000 in number, to Cum beriand Gap. The order was obeyed. Many of the cattle perished on the road. The fall was dry and water was very scarce. The country was poor and there was literally nothing for the cattle to subsist on but scanty dead grass ana dead leaves of the forest. With great difficulty the men found enough for themselves and their horses to survive on. The contemplating cap tan in command found at a farm an old hand mill. used to crack corn for hominy. He impressed it and taking ig along on horse thus provided the neal which enabled his men to avoid actual starvation.
 The prospects of the retreat were very gloomy. General Smith wrote to General Bragg daily or hourly of the extreme peril of his situation. "We have been three days trying to get over Red Hill," he said. we must almost Iurely lose our artillery" Bragg hand ed the letter to Colonel Wheeler. Wheeler spoke promptly: "Ten Gen eral Smith to abandon nothing. We VIII 6dN6 GftTytntuBs
 Wheeler hung sday and night on the rear of the two retreating columns. fight ting from ambush, charging reck- lessiy upon the head of every column of the enemy which approached. In two days Buell. withdrew his cavalry from the front and placed them in the rear of his pursuing forces. Bragg brought off the long trains Smith had captured at Richmond and the long Aaos .R al, Buell. discovered that he could not cut through Colonel Wheler's cavalry and therefore could not overtake Bragg, he bethought himself of Nash vile. If Bragg could reach Knoxville in time. he might use the railroad to get into that -city ahead of him. So he wheeled off to the right and has, tened to Nashville by the short way.
 Old soldiers even now say that the greatest suffering in the war endured by them was encountered in BraGgs retreat from Kentucky. As soon as Buell. quit the pursuit General Bragg rode across the mountains to the Knoxville and Bristol Railroad and hurried to Richmond to explain to 'he President the failure of his invasicn. After Bragg returned. the President sent for General Polk. who commended at Perryville.
 AHCHCtdt SOiiCtIeI Nuu DTOuSnL back with him Colonel 'Wheslers com mission as Brisadier General of Cav. airy, which he received in November, 1862. at Knoxville.
 General Breckinridge had started with 1000 men through Cumberland Gap to re-enforce Bragg in Kentucky. but turned back on report of the ap- proach of the main army in retreat.
 Arrived at Knoxville. Bragg hurried Breckinridge, and his command by rail to Middle Tennessee. He started Wheeler and his cavalry by the wagon roads, to the same destination. By De- cember 10 he had made Murfreesboro his headquarters and the entire army was there.
 General J. E. Johnston was already at Chattanooga in command of all the country south of Kentucky held by the Confederates.
 General Johnston ordered Forrest to cross the Tennessee into west Tennes- see. the rendezvous of thousands of troops awaiting orders, where supplies were plentiful, to join Rosecrans at Nashville or Grant in northern Missis- sippi. The Confederate commander wished to alarm and disconcert these forces and to destroy their depots of supplies. Forrest had been successful in organizing brigade at Murphrees- boro, but his frantic appeal for arms had not been honored. He was told direct from Richmond, there were none for him. General Bragg insisted that he should so on the expedition with his arms. pistol of old patterns. double barrel and single barrel shot guns, some with the antIuuated flint lock. The saddles and briiles were such as farmers used. The great comniander sent a small body of men forward with instructions to build two flat boats on the banks of the wide river and concealing them. await his arrival. h the night he crossed his 2,100 men and. horses by these crude boats. The boats