WHEELER’S GREAT RAID.
Our march was up the Holston river to find an unguarded ford, but the
pickets were everywhere. We halted in a field at night, and Company D,
armed with picks and spades, was directed to go to the river bank and
there make a way for the artillery. A guide from the vicinity showed
us a way across, by a ford unknown to the Yankees. We captured a few
pickets.
Wheeler now divided his forces, himself leading a column into
Sequatchie valley, where he captured and burned 2000 wagons. He then
overtook the remainder of the command as we descended the mountains.
Our route was by McMinnville and Murfreesboro, and the way was
sufficiently familiar to us, since we had traveled it so often under
Forrest the year before.
When we reached the vicinity of Murfreesboro, Captain Kyle with his
squadron, consisting of Companies D and F, was ordered to ride around
the place, reach the railroad leading to Nashville, and try to capture
a train. We came to the railroad a little before daylight, but there
were no trains running; the enemy had learned that the “rebels” were
in the country. Captain Kyle heard of a lot of wagons down toward
Nashville and decided to take them in. This he did without resistance.
The teams had been engaged in hauling wood to the garrison at
Nashville, and the wagons were drawn by oxen, the only instance of this
kind that we saw during the war. The oxen being fat, and also too slow
of foot to go with us in any other form, were converted into beef.
We crossed over to Shelbyville pike, the scene of some of our
operations in the spring. Learning that a small force of cavalry held
Shelbyville, General Wharton ordered the Rangers to attempt their
capture. We saddled up early, and rode briskly, reaching there about
daylight, but the enemy had left. There were several stores in this
place, established by some enterprising Yankees, and stocked with
clothing and dry goods. Rather than have their doors broken down, the
owners opened them. Winter was coming on, we were a long way from home
and nearly naked, and here was our chance for winter supplies. Some of
the boys got a black “Prince Albert” coat. This was presented to the
chaplain, who wore it a long time.
The line of march led by Farmington. Here the enemy had taken a strong
position in a cedar thicket. Over the ground were scattered large
boulders. The enemy, armed with Spencer rifles, were lying behind
these stones. The Rangers were ordered to charge this position. We
got up pretty close; in fact, into the edge of the thicket; but they
poured such a destructive fire into us that it did not take us long to
discover that we had more than we could handle. We took some prisoners.
We also got some of these rifles, the first of the kind I had ever
seen; they would shoot seven times without reloading. The casualties
are not remembered, except that Major Christian and Lieutenant
Blackburn were wounded. Love, of Company C, was killed.
That night at headquarters they were discussing the incidents of the
day. Wharton said the Rangers had done all that any soldiers could do;
that it was impossible for mounted troops to drive brave men, armed
as were the enemy, from such a position. General Wheeler said they
had done all that he expected; had held the enemy engaged while our
artillery and wagons ran by through a field, thus saving the command
from a bad situation. Then Colonel Harrison spoke:
“It was no fight at all! I’m ashamed of them! If they can not do better
than that I’ll disown them!”
A staff officer put in:
“I always thought that regiment somewhat overrated anyhow.”
This aroused “old Tom,” who got up, shook his finger in the fellow’s
face and broke out furiously:
“Who the ---- are you? There is not a man in that regiment who can not
kick you all over this yard, sir!”
As he strode off to his horse, he was heard to say:
“By ---- I’ll curse them all I want to; but I’ll be ---- if anybody
else shall do it in my presence!”
Moving on to the Tennessee river, we crossed that stream at one of the
fords along the Mussel Shoals. From there, in a more leisurely manner,
we went back to the army, still besieging the Federals at Chattanooga.