personal memoirs-1-第42章

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should　be　made；　however；　under　guidance　of　Card；　I　turned　the　head　of

my　column　in　the　direction　of　Alisona；　marching　up　the　river　and

nearly　parallel　with　it　till　I　came　to　Rock　Creek。　　With　a　little

delay　we　got　across　Rock　Creek；　which　was　also　much　swollen；　and

finding　a　short　distance　above　its　mouth　a　ford　on　Elk　River　that

Card　said　was　practicable；　I　determined　to　attempt　it：　Some　of　the

enemy's　cavalry　were　guarding　this　ford；　but　after　a　sharp　little

skirmish　my　battalion　of　cavalry　crossed　and　took　up　a　strong

position　on　the　other　bank。　　The　stream　was　very　high　and　the　current

very　swift；　the　water　；　tumbling　along　over　its　rocky　bed　in　an

immense　volume；　but　still　it　was　fordable　for　infantry　if　means　could

be　devised　by　which　the　men　could　keep　their　feet。　　A　cable　was

stretched　across　just　below　the　ford　as　a　lifeline　for　the　weaker

ones；　and　then　the　men　of　the　entire　division　having　secured　their

ammunition　by　placing　the　cartridge…boxes　on　their　shoulders；　the

column　pushed　cheerfully　into　the　rushing　current。　　The　men　as　they

entered　the　water　joined　each　other　in　sets　of　four　in　a　close

embrace；　which　enabled　them　to　retain　a　foothold　and　successfully

resist　the　force　of　the　flood。　　When　they　were　across　I　turned　the

column　down　the　left　bank　of　Elk　River；　and　driving　the　enemy　from

some　slight　works　near　Estelle　Springs；　regained　the　Winchester　road。



By　this　time　it　was　clear　that　Bragg　intended　to　fall　back　behind　the

Tennessee　River；　and　our　only　chance　of　accomplishing　anything　of

importance　was　to　smash　up　his　rear…guard　before　it　crossed　the

Cumberland　Mountains；　and　in　pursuance　of　this　idea　I　was　directed　to

attack　such　of　his　force　as　was　holding　on　to　Winchester。　　At　4

o'clock　on　the　morning　of　July　2　I　moved　on　that　town；　and　when　we

got　close　to　it　directed　my　mounted　troops　to　charge　a　small　force　of

Confederate　cavalry　that　was　picketing　their　front。　　The　Confederates

resisted　but　little；　and　our　men　went　with　them　in　a　disorderly　chase

through　the　village　to　Boiling　Fork；　a　small　stream　about　half　a　mile

beyond。　　Here　the　fleeing　pickets；　rallying　behind　a　stronger　force；

made　a　stand；　and　I　was　directed　by　McCook　to　delay　till　I

ascertained　if　Davis's　division；　which　was　to　support　me；　had　made

the　crossing　of　Elk　River；　and　until　I　could　open　up　communication

with　Brannan's　division；　which　was　to　come　in　on　my　left　at　Decherd。

As　soon　as　I　learned　that　Davis　was　across　I　pushed　on；　but　the　delay

had　permitted　the　enemy　to　pull　his　rear…guard　up　on　the　mountain；

and　rendered　nugatory　all　further　efforts　to　hurt　him　materially；　our

only　returns　consisting　in　forcing　him　to　relinquish　a　small　amount

of　transportation　and　forage　at　the　mouth　of　the　pass　just　beyond

Cowan；　a　station　on　the　line　of　the　Nashville　and　Chattanooga

railroad。



At　Cowan；　Colonel　Watkins；　of　the　Sixth　Kentucky　Cavalry；　reported　to

me　with　twelve　hundred　mounted　men。　　Having　heard　during　the　night

that　the　enemy　had　halted　on　the　mountain　near　the　Universityan

educational　establishment　on　the　summitI　directed　Watkins　to　make　a

reconnoissance　and　find　out　the　value　of　the　information。　　He　learned

that　Wharton's　brigade　of　cavalry　was　halted　at　the　University　to

cover　a　moderately　large　force　of　the　enemy's　infantry　which　had　not

yet　got　down　the　mountain　on　the　other　side；　so　I　pushed　Watkins　out

again　on　the　5th；　supporting　him　by　a　brigade　of　infantry；　which　I

accompanied　myself。　　We　were　too　late；　however；　for　when　we　arrived

at　the　top　of　the　mountain　Wharton　had　disappeared；　and　though

Watkins　pursued　to　Bridgeport；　he　was　able　to　do　nothing　more；　and　on

his　return　reported　that　the　last　of　the　enemy　had　crossed　the

Tennessee　River　and　burned　the　railroad　bridge。



Nothing　further　could　now　be　done；　so　I　instructed　Watkins　to　rejoin

the　division　at　Cowan；　and　being　greatly　fatigued　by　the　hard

campaigning　of　the　previous　ten　days；　I　concluded　to　go　back　to　my

camp　in　a　more　comfortable　way　than　on　the　back　of　my　tired　horse。

In　his　retreat　the　enemy　had　not　disturbed　the　railway　track　at　all；

and　as　we　had　captured　a　hand…car　at　Cowan；　I　thought　I　would　have　it

brought　up　to　the　station　near　the　University　to　carry　me　down　the

mountain　to　my　camp；　and；　desiring　company；　I　persuasively　invited

Colonel　Frank　T。　Sherman　to　ride　with　me。　　I　sent　for　the　car　by　a

courier；　and　for　a　long　time　patiently　awaited　its　arrival；　in　fact；

until　all　the　returning　troops　had　passed　us；　but　still　it　did　not

come。　　Thinking　it　somewhat　risky　to　remain　at　the　station　without

protection；　Sherman　and　myself　started　our　horses　to　Cowan　by　our

orderlies；　and　set　out　on　foot　to　meet　the　car；　trudging　along　down

the　track　in　momentary　expectation　of　falling　in　with　our　private

conveyance。　　We　had　not　gone　very　far　before　night　overtook　us；　and

we　then　began　to　realize　the　dangers　surrounding　us；　for　there　we

were　alone　and　helpless；　tramping　on　in　the　darkness　over　an　unknown

railroad　track　in　the　enemy's　country；　liable　on　the　one　hand　to　go

tumbling　through　some　bridge　or　trestle；　and　on　the　other；　to

possible　capture　or　death　at　the　hands　of　the　guerrillas　then

infesting　these　mountains。　　Just　after　dark　we　came　to　a　little　cabin

near　the　track；　where　we　made　bold　to　ask　for　water；　notwithstanding

the　fact　that　to　disclose　ourselves　to　the　inmates　might　lead　to

fatal　consequences。　　The　water　was　kindly　given；　but　the　owner　and

his　family　were　very　much　exercised　lest　some　misfortune　might　befall

us　near　their　house；　and　be　charged　to　them；　so　they　encouraged　us　to

move　on　with　a　frankness　inspired　by　fear　of　future　trouble　to

themselves。



At　every　turn　we　eagerly　hoped　to　meet　the　hand…car；　but　it　never

came；　and　we　jolted　on　from　tie　to　tie　for　eleven　weary　miles；

reaching　Cowan　after　midnight；　exhausted　and　sore　in　every　muscle

from　frequent　falls　on　the　rough；　unballasted　road…bed。　　Inquiry。

developed　that　the　car　had　been　well　manned；　and　started　to　us　as

ordered；　and　nobody　could　account　for　its　non…arrival。　　Further

investigation　next　day　showed；　however；　that　when　it　reached　the　foot

of　the　mountain；　where　the　railroad　formed　a　junction；　the　improvised

crew；　in　the　belief　no　doubt　that　the　University　was　on　the　main　line

instead　of　near　the　branch　to　Tracy　City；　followed　the　main　stem

until　it　carried　them　clear　across　the　range　down　the　Crow　Creek

Valley；　where　the　party　was　captured。



I　had　reason　to　remember　for　many　a　day　this　foolish　adventure；　for

my　sore　bones　and　bruised　muscles；　caused　me　physical　suffering　until

I　left　the　Army　of　the　Cumberland　the　next　spring；　but　I　had　still

more　reason　to　feel　for　my　captured　men；　and　on　this　account　I　have

never　ceased　to　regret　that　I　so　thoughtlessly　undertook　to　rejoin　my

troops　by　rail；　instead　of　sticking　to　my　faithful　horse。









CHAPTER　XV。



ORDERED　TO　OCCUPY　BRIDGEPORTA　SPYTHE　BATTLE　OF　CHICKAMAUGA

GENERAL　THOMASTREATED　TO　COFFEERESULTS　OF　THE　BATTLE。



The　Tullahoma　campaign　was　practically　closed　by　the　disappearance　of

the　enemy　from　the　country　north　of　the　Tennessee　River。　　Middle

Tennessee　was　once　more　in　the　possession　of　the　National　troops；　and

Rosecrans　though　strongly　urged　from　Washington　to　continue　on；

resisted　the　pressure　until　he　could　repair　the　Nashville　and

Chattanooga　railroad；　which　was　of　vital　importance　in　supplying　his

army　from　its　secondary　base　at　Nashville。　　As　he　desired　to　hold

this　road　to　where　it　crossed　the　Tennessee；　it　was　necessary　to　push

a　force　beyond　the　mountains；　and　after　a　few　days　of　rest　at　Cowan

my　division　was　ordered　to　take　station　at　Stevenson；　Alabama；　the

junction　of　the　Memphis　and　Charleston　road　with　the　Nashville　and

Chattanooga；　with　instructions　to　occupy　Bridgeport　also。



The　enemy　had　meanwhile　concentrated　most　of　his　forces　at

Chattanooga　for　the　twofold　purpose　of　holding　this　gateway　of　the

Cumberland　Mountains；　and　to　as