The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-10-04
THE ARMY OF TENNESSEE
NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER TWO. nMuuumnmuwmEu#mEwHuuuH uHmBmTmMmHEmMEI

victory over Nelson in two days fight ing at Richmond. Ky. He now went in haste to Bragg for re-enforcements to meet Buell.. who, he said' was marching on him. Withers's supero division, 10000 strong, was hurried 70 him. Hardee protested earnestly. He wrote to Bragg an eloquent letter, not to defy the rule of war. by dividing his army in the presence of the foe Smith was mistaken. Buelrs entire forces struck Bragg's army. now l4,OOO only, at Perryville, October 8. Bragg led his troops in person most gallantly. The battle ragged from the noon hour until darkness stopped 1t. 7b.0o0 against 14.0oo. The Confederates slept on the
 field and held all the enemy's guns and his head and wounded. At dawn the next day Bragg moved away and in two or three days began his retreat through Cumberland Gap. Smith never Joined him until the retreat began.
 Colonel Wheeler was made Chief or Cavalry and upon him devolved the task of protecting the rear of the ar my on its homeward march. Ills suc- cess was phenomenal. A finer display of the art of warfare by cavalry may not be found in military records than this. It was intelligent. resourcetul' intrepid and indefatigable.
 General Bragg sent for General For
 rest the last day of September, just as the latter had completed some Ce- cisive work in the vicinity of Nun
 fordville. to order him to turn over his
 command to Col. John A Wharton. of
 Texas. and return. alone, to Murfrees-
 boro there to orga. nize new brigade
 By percussion. the order was % nodi-
 fled as to permit Forrest to take with him the four Alabama companies which
 had been with him for long time.
 When Forrest arrived at Murfrees-
 boro, the War Department ordered to him the Partisan Rangers Regiment, lately raised by Col. John T. Morgan and then in camp at Oxford Ala. Col
 onel Morgan immediately took up the march, by way of Huntsville. It was a superb body of young men. admira- ply mounted. James D. Webb. of Greensboro, was lieutenant colonel. and Dr. Force was adjutant. Colonel
 Morgan rode a snow white, tall mare and was q very soldierly man in ap- pearance. At Huntsville the regimen. was received with demonstrations or pride by the citizens They presented 1t with a field piece which was mount
 The b1st Alabama, Colonel Morgan's reported to Forrest at La Vergne
 Tenn, upon arrival This place IS
 some fifteen miles east of Nashville where Rosecrans was in command aA successor to Buell.. removed for allow ing Bragg to get away. The regiment was in camp badly armed. The pick cts out on the Nashville pike were | driven in and reported the enemy ID forces approaching. The horses wert | left where they stood under hgn' ! guard and the regiment moved out or /, foot for its first fight. Awaiting de' | yelopments. the colonel ordered tns men to lie down behind heavy rai fence running at right angles up te | the pike, except the gunnern, wne planted the Huntsville piece in tht I road. ready for action. The enemy hae sent some cavalry around to charge th' canp and the horses while battery
 concealed on a wooded hill, up tne pike, should play upon the fence ane | the troops behihd 1t. The concealed battery opened at the signal. Th' Huntsville piece was instantly dis' mounted by hostile shot. The sno' | that struck the fence hlled the ar | with rails and fragments of rails. Int | regiment was not armed to fight. Sorn' men carried shot guns. others pispois | some had no arms. The march oacI | 10 camp was ordered and when 1t wa
 accomplished, the horses were all son'
 and the stuffed saddle bags and trunk | aIl missing. The Yankee cavalry ha' been there while the battery in th' woods entertained the regiment anv trooper was bruised by fence rail'
 or splinters. he did not tell 1t.
 J. W. D.