Year: 1861

4


profound peace. We're we not a volunteer ar


my, who are supposed to know something Of tn


purposes for which they are enlisted, and feel


natural interest in the cause they have espousod


even inquiry would be silent where there is s,
little to crafty curiosity. The marching anj


cormtermarching Of regiments, and the arriya


and departure Of troops only excite remarks a,


to their appearance and the efficiency Of thei


officers as exhibited in their drill, SO thoroughly


are soldiers reduced TO machines.


Under this State Of things, an order directed tc


Lieut.. ArmstTong-in the absence of Captain


Ballentine and during the illness of First Lieut.


Maxwell, in command Of the Shelby Light Dra-
goons-from Lieut.. Col Logwood, second
battalion Tennessee Cavalry, to be ready on the
morning Of the 9th to march at daylight with
farty men and two days ratious, scarcely led to
an inquiry as to the probable destination of the
expedition The order was received about four
o'clock on the Sth and the following morning
found forty of the Shelby Light Dragons, Lieu
tenant Armstrong in command, and forty Of the
Memphis Light Dragoons, Capt. Taylor com
manding, IN their saddles ready toTeceive march
ing orders. The expedition was commanded by
Lieut. Gel. Logwood, and the party caught
the first sight of the sun on the morning of
the ninth from the nights above Colambus,
beyond which lay the direction of their route.
A man well acquainted with the country king
between here and Paducah, acted as guide, and
after passing beyond BlandyilIe, led the expo
dition forward principally by yunfrequented paths
and by-Toads toward the point of their destina-
ton, which proved to be the vicinity of Padu-
cab, a distance Of about forty-iive miles from
Columbus, though it had been rumored in camp
during the day that the purity had been called
out to operate against a force said to be landed
al the mouth of Mayfeld creek from the gun
boats reported to have been disabled by onr
batteries on the Sth. This report, together with
the r1mor of an action in which Lieut.. Arm
strong was reported killed, and which may have
reached you, were of course without foundation.


Nothing Of interest occurred until the party
got within about two and a half miles Of Paducah
with the exception Of the taking Of young man
prisoner, about eighteen miles this side, who had
made himself somewhat notorious in that neigh
borhood as a Lincoln partisan, and who was tied
to his horse and taken forward by the party as
the lirst fruits Of the expedition. He was a per
sistent friend of the Federal cause, even under
what seemed to be almost insurmounta5le diff
culties, and to all the jeers of his captms he
censoled himself with assuring them that he yet
had a chance for his white alley"


Arrived within about two and half
miles of Paducah, the command sep
arated, the party dismounting, and "a portion
making circuit Of tl7ee-quarters Of mile, and
reaching the main road at point between the
picker and Paducah, thus cutting off their re-
treat IN that direction. No sooner had this
party accomplished their purpose of intercepting
their retreat than rapid firing in their rear eyi-
denced the fact that the game had been sprung
from the cover, and the detachment in advance
Immediately fell back 70 the scene OF the firing
This was about two O'Clock OF the morning Of
the 10Th. The party who made the attack upon
the pickets had advanced by the main road to
the picket stand, and as they seem to have had
no sentries out at the time, OF if 80 they were
asleep, as our party took them entiroly by sur
prise killing three of the enemy at the first vol
ley, and taking one prisoner a few minutes
afterysrd one of the picllets came up, who had
been off after water, and in the greatest consteg
nation, informed the assailants that they had
been killing our piekets, when he was in
formed that unless he surrendered he would
share the same fate Discretion in this instance
was certainly the better part of valor, and SO
thought the Fedeyalst, as be, Ike philosophie
Dutchman, as he was, resigned himself to the
necessities Of his position, making two Of the |
pockets taken prisoner.


About this time an incident occurred which |
cast gloom ever the whole party, and shaded |
the enterprise with the somber hues Of the /
grave. OF course, it is never expected that an
affair Of this nature should be carried to a sue
cessful termination without casualty on oJU /
side, bat the painful nature of this affair was |
doubled by the fact that the death Of comradc |
lies at our own doors. Mr. John Gallagher,
member Of the Shelby Light Dragons, whose
family reside in Iowa, but who has been for
several years resident Of Memphis, was of the
party who proceeded by the main road to the
attack, and was among the first to discharge
his piece at the sergeant Of the picket, who vas
at the time with the horses, a short distance
from the ground occupied by his men. lie
seems to have emptied both barrels into the face
of thesergeant, who iell in the sgonies Of death,
when seizing the horse which the Federalist was
in the act Of mounting at the time Of his shoot
ing. Mr.. Gallagher mounted and rode toward
his friends, one Of whom mistaking him soT a
Federalist attempting to escape, fTed at him
twice with his revolver, both balls taking ef-
feet. one in the left breast and one in the thigh.
Mr. Gallagher's exclamation Of you have
killed a friend" awoke the party TO sense of
what he had done, but the injury was beyond
reparation, and Mr. Gallagher was placed On
the horse with Alr. John Sutherland, Of the
Shelby Dragons, in whose arms he died in about
fifteen minutes after leaving the scene Of the
disaster. lie was brought several miles this side
and left at the house of friend Of our cause for
interment. He was brave and worthy young
man, and his place IN our ranks win remain va
cant as a constantly recurring memorial Of the
necessity of the greatest possible caution to pre-
vent such accidents hereafter No blame can
attach to the man who shot Mr. Gallagher, how
ever, who was not member Of our company,
who did not know him, and whom the circum-
stances warranted in taking for an enemy.


Immediately on the firing commencing, an
infantry picket some half mile nearer Paducah, /
fired signal gun, and it is supposed reIoated to
quarters. The long roll' of the drum imne
diateIy followed, and our men could distinctly
hear the noise and confusion that reigued in Pa
dueah in consequence Of the alarm The horses
and arms Of the killed aud prisoners were now !
hastily gathered and the party fell back 10 where
they bad left their horses in charge of small
squad" They found everything all right with
the exception of tlte prisoner whom they had Ia
ken the day before. and whom they had left
pnioned closely to the horse in sitting position,
and his hands tied behind him. BY some means
or other his horse had broken loose about the
time of the firing, and being a spirited young
animal, no doubt the poor fellow became a sec
ond Mazeppa, bound as be was to horse frantic
with fright, and which had doubtless taken to
the woods on the isrt report of firearms The
d" chance for his white alley was a desperate
one, as running the gauntlet of the trees and


4. 60. I.