The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-04-21
Successful Drive
That Put Fifteenth
District Over Top
Special to The Daily Sun:

our correspondent, armed WIFI
passports and ere len-ia!s from Gen
T. D. Brabson, arrived On the battle
front Thursday night 1t 1880.
1 Commander Joe 81. nks had nj
ready .scucd orders ftr an immediate
rehabilitation of his aides Colonies
Crawford Prather, Walt Williamson
Walter Earnest and Luckey Bitner
were busy sending out couriers il
every direction.
The news spread rapidly. and 1t was
~ long until the entire district was
under arms. As a farewell tribute
of loyalty and confidence in their
fighters, the Chuckey High school had
arranged for two hour musical en-
tertainment, which greatly encourag
ed the fighting squad and spoke wei
for the student body of the Chuckey
high school.
The war council assembled prompt
ly at 1890 p. m. Commander Shanks
called his officers about him, and witt
mays and charts planned out the at
tack to be made next morning at sun
rise. Captains VIM. Koontz and Lii
Armentrout were assigned to the Mil
burnton Sector and instructed to hold
the line at all costs. ]. G. Keeblel
and D. A. Grant were to command
the hills around Rheatown, LuckeN
Bitner was ordered to hold in cheel
the Limestone forces until relieved
by John Hice and his thousand picked
men, the Dinwiddie brothers were tc
place machine gun nests in the Rhea'
town hills General Shanks, with
Chief of Staff VIM. Koontz, com.
manded the Jockey forces, while Col
Prather was ordered to hold his five
crack regiments in reserve at Chuck
ey,
Promptly at sunrise on Friday
morning of the 18th, the battle open
ed all along the line. For four hours
all went we'll with our forces, but
about II a. M, Col c. W. Bitner who
was opposed by the main Washington
county force, called for help. Col
John Hico, with 1000 picked men wa
sent to his relief and the enemy quick
ly routed,
The enemy attempted to make
crossing south Of Chuckey, and for
time it looked like the city was IL
danger, but, the fighting "Dav,
Campbell" regiment was sent to re
lieve the situation, and the enem
was pushed back across the river, an
we brought back 100 prisoners.
About three p. m. it looked lik
the enemy would capture the point
of vantage around Rheatown, bu
the brilliant charge of the "Dinwit
die" brigade brought victory to ou
side and netted US 1000 addition;
prisoners.
At S p. m. couriers arrived frol
practically all fronts, with the ne"
$ that our forces had won, but nothin
+ was hear from the Clear Spring fo
- est, and great anxiety was felt owe
the fate of General Shanks and Col
Koontz, Armentrout and Peters.
Three picked regiments were ser
= to relieve the Clear Springs salien
where we feared that the battle ha
gone against US, but, upon arrivir
at the southern end Of the forest, "
were met by courier with the new
that Koontz and Armentrout ha
I completely routed the enemy nes
Dixon's Chapel, and that Koontz
company alone, had captured Lie
prisoners.
! This news greatly relieved US, b,
we still felt that our forces in II
"McMackin Woods" under commar
of General Shanks and Col. Peter
y had been captured.
e Scouting parties were sent out
0 every direction, but no tiding cou
S be had; however, we did not hay
o long to wait, for at TAB advan,
couriers arrived with the inform
tion that General Shanks, after beir
hard pressed for eight hours, had d
vided his forces, sending Col. Pete
> with the Rheatown Artillery again
the right wing of the enemy, viii