按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
activity had permitted scant opportunity for the development of such
a system。 It was at this time that I received my appointment as a
major…general of Volunteers。 My promotion had been recommended by
General Rosecrans immediately after the battle of Stone River; but
for some reason it was delayed until April; and though a long time
elapsed between the promise and the performance; my gratification was
extreme。
My scout; Card; was exceedingly useful while encamped near
Murfreesboro; making several trips to East Tennessee within the
enemy's lines to collect information as to the condition of the loyal
people there; and to encourage them with the hope of early
liberation。 He also brought back from each trip very accurate
statements as to the strength and doings of the Confederate army;
fixing almost with certainty its numbers and the locations of its
different divisions; and enabling my engineer…officerMajor
Morhardtto construct good maps of the country in our front。 On
these dangerous excursions Card was always accompanied by one of his
brothers; the other remaining with me to be ready for duty if any
accident occurred to those who had gone out; or in case I wanted to
communicate with them。 In this way we kept well posted; although the
intelligence these men brought was almost always secured at the risk
of their lives。
Early in the spring; before the Tullahoma campaign began; I thought
it would be practicable; by sending out a small secret expedition of
but three or four men; to break the Nashville and Chattanooga
railroad between Chattanooga and the enemy's position at Tullahoma by
burning the bridges in Crow Creek valley from its head to Stevenson;
Alabama; and then the great bridge across the Tennessee River at
Bridgeport。 Feeling confident that I could persuade Card to
undertake the perilous duty; I broached the contemplated project to
him; and he at once jumped at the opportunity of thus distinguishing
himself; saying that with one of his brothers and three other loyal
East Tennesseeans; whose services he knew could be enlisted; he felt
sure of carrying out the idea; so I gave him authority to choose his
own assistants。 In a few days his men appeared at my headquarters;
and when supplied with money in notes of the State Bank of Tennessee;
current everywhere as gold in those days; the party; composed of
Card; the second brother; and the three East Tennesseeans; started on
their precarious enterprise; their course being directed first toward
the Cumberland Mountains; intending to strike the Nashville and
Chattanooga railroad somewhere above Anderson's station。 They
expected to get back in about fifteen days; but I looked for some
knowledge of the progress of their adventure before the expiration of
that period; hoping to hear through Confederate sources prisoners and
the like…of the destruction of the bridges。 I waited in patience for
such news; but none came; and as the time Card had allotted himself
passed by; I watched anxiously for his return; for; as there was
scarcely a doubt that the expedition had proved a failure; the fate
of the party became a matter of deep concern to Card's remaining
brother and to me。 Finally this brother volunteered to go to his
father's house in East Tennessee to get tidings of the party; and I
consented; for the probabilities were that some of them had made
their way to that point; or at least that some information had
reached there about them。 As day after day went by; the time fixed
for this brother's return came round; yet he also remained out; but
some days after the lad was due Card himself turned up accompanied by
the brother he had taken with him; soon explained his delay in
getting back; and gave me the story of his adventures while absent。
After leaving my camp; his party had followed various byways across
the Cumberland Mountains to Crow Creek Valley; as instructed; but
when nearing the railroad above Anderson's Station; they were
captured by some guerrillas prowling about that vicinity; and being
suspected of disloyalty to the Confederacy; were carried to
Chattanooga and imprisoned as Yankee spies。 Their prospects now were
decidedly discouraging; for death stared them in the face。
Fortunately; however; some delays occurred relative to the
disposition that should be made of them; and they; meanwhile;
effected their escape from their jailors by way of one of the prison
windows; from which they managed to displace a bar; and by a skiff;
in the darkness of night; crossed the Tennessee River a little below
Chattanooga。 From this point the party made their way back to my
camp; traveling only at night; hiding in the woods by day; and for
food depending on loyal citizens that Card had become acquainted with
when preaching and pedling。
Card's first inquiry after relating his story was for the youngest
brother; whom he had left with me。 I told him what I had done; in my
anxiety about himself; and that more than sufficient time had elapsed
for his brother's return。 His reply was: 〃They have caught him。 The
poor fellow is dead。〃 His surmise proved correct; for news soon came
that the poor boy had been captured at his father's house; and
hanged。 The blow to Card was a severe one; and so hardened his heart
against the guerrillas in the neighborhood of his father's homefor
he knew they were guilty of his brother's murderthat it was with
difficulty I could persuade him to continue in the employment of the
Government; so determined was he to avenge his brother's death at the
first opportunity。 Finally; however; I succeeded in quieting the
almost uncontrollable rage that seemed to possess him; and he
remained with me during the Tullahoma and Chickamauga campaigns; but
when we reached Knoxville the next winter; he took his departure;
informing me that he was going for the bushwhackers who had killed
his brother。 A short time after he left me; I saw him at the head of
about thirty well…armed East Tennesseeansrefugees。 They were
determined…looking men; seeking revenge for the wrongs and sufferings
that had been put upon them in the last two years; and no doubt
wreaked their vengeance right and left on all who had been in any way
instrumental in persecuting them。
The feeding of our army from the base at Louisville was attended with
a great many difficulties; as the enemy's cavalry was constantly
breaking the railroad and intercepting our communications on the
Cumberland River at different points that were easily accessible to
his then superior force of troopers。 The accumulation of reserve
stores was therefore not an easy task; and to get forage ahead a few
days was well…nigh impossible; unless that brought from the North was
supplemented by what we could gather from the country。 Corn was
abundant in the region to the south and southwest of Murfreesboro';
so to make good our deficiences in this respect; I employed a brigade
about once a week in the duty of collecting and bringing in forage;
sending out sometimes as many as a hundred and fifty wagons to haul
the grain which my scouts had previously located。 In nearly every
one of these expeditions the enemy was encountered; and the wagons
were usually loaded while the skirmishers kept up a running fire;
Often there would occur a respectable brush; with the loss on each
side of a number of killed and wounded。 The officer in direct
command always reported to me personally whatever had happened during
the time he was outthe result of his reconnoissance; so to speak;
for that war the real nature of these excursionsand on one occasion
the colonel in command; Colonel Conrad; of the Fifteenth Missouri;
informed me that he got through without much difficulty; in fact;
that everything had gone all right and been eminently satisfactory;
except that in returning he had been mortified greatly by the conduct
of the two females belonging to the detachment and division train at
my headquarters。 These women; he said; had given much annoyance by
getting drunk; and to some extent demoralizing his men。 To say that
I was astonished at his statement would be a mild way of putting it;
and had I not known him to be a most upright man and of sound sense;
I should have doubted not only his veracity; but his sanity。
Inquiring who they were and for further details; I was informed that
there certainly were in the command two females; that in some
mysterious manner had attached themselves to the service as soldiers;
that one; an East Tennessee woman; was a teamster in the division
wagon…train and the other a private soldier in a cavalry company
temporarily attached to my headquarters for escort duty。 While out
on the foraging expedition these Amazons had secured a supply of
〃apple…jack〃 by some means; got very drunk; and on the return had
fallen into Stone River and been nearly drowned。 After they had been
fished from; the water; in the process of