Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07

On0er cover or night It was intended
that we should abandon the siege and get
. good start on our march to Join Bragg.
but before nightfall we got news from
Bragg himself that q large force under
Sherman was being moved to intercept
US. and that an early junction with him
was impossible. Under these circum-
stances 1t was finally decided to remain
and threaten Knoxville as long as posi-
BILE. and draw Sherman on from the pur-
suit of Bragg. and then to retreat north
ward into east Tennessee We remained
before Knoxville until the night OF De-
cember 4.
About noon the next day we encamped
at Blains Crossroads. having made eight
cen miles; that was. I think, about the
very worst night march I ever went
through. The roads were in fearful con-
dition. and in the inky darkness and pour
ing rain neither men nor animals could
be mired so that the column behind would
be blocked in the mud until extra teams
and men at the wheels could set the col
umn going for q few minutes. Strict or
not use fence rails for fuel but that night
they were ignored. and miles OF fence
were fired merely to light UP the road.
I recall some incidents illustrating how
prime necessaries. although we were in
our own country. We were so badly on
for horseshees that on the advance to
Knoxville we stripped the shoes from all
dead horses, and we killed for the pur-
pose all the wounded and broken-down an
finals, both our own and those left behind
by the enemy. During the siege the river
brought down to us a number of dead
horses and mules. thrown in within the
town. We watched for them. took them
out, and got the shoes and nails from
their feet.
Our men were nearly as badly of as
AtA~r a.
not have hoofs / have myself seen bloody
stains on frozen ground. left by the bare
footed where our infantry had passed
We of the artillery took the shoes off the
drivers and gave them to the cannoneers
who had to march.
Early in the advance Longstreet gave
permission to the men to swap shoes
with the prisoners whenever any were
taken, but each man was strictly re-
quired to have something to SWAP" and
not to leave the prisoner barefoot. 1t was
quite an amusing sight Ito us) to see
ragged rebel with his feet tied up in a
sort of raw beef-hide moecasin. which the
men learned to make. come up to q squad
of prisoners. inspect their feet, and select
the one he would swap" with. Gener-
ally however, the prisoners took IL all
very good humoredly, guyed one another,
and swapped jokes also with the swap
pers. 1t looked a little rough, but, as one
of the victims said. When man Is
CAPTURED, his shoes are captured. too.
We spent the winter between RUSSELL
Vile and GreenviIle. living OF the coun.
try, having occasional expeditions, ana
alarms enough to destroy most OF the
comfort of winter quarters
In the latter part of March we moved
back to Bristol, and in April Gen. Lee
sent for us to rejoin him by rail. Reach
ing Gordonsville, Va, the I'D OF April:
we were once more with the Army OF
Northern Virginia, just twelve days Pc
fore 1t entered the Wilderness ana pc
oan the death grapple that was only to
end. after eleven months of daily fighting.
at Appomattox.
tCopyrieht, 1872, by the Century Company