USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania volunteer cavalry which was recruited and known as the Anderson cavalry in the rebellion of 1861-1865; > Part 25
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All this while and for the balance of the day the rebel columns continued to crawl over the hills, like a swarm of insects, settling down into the fields or disappearing in the woods. As their lines extended and developed ours, the skirmishing became sharper and heavier, rising at times into the genuine roar of battle. Who of the few that saw that sight can ever forget it? We fully expected to see a grand assault upon our works. If Bragg had any such notion at 5 o'clock, at which time the skirmishing was heaviest, his purpose was changed before nightfall.
Our whole thought and attention had been turned to this scene most of the day, but toward the close of the afternoon an incident occurred that occasioned us no little anxiety-our pickets dis- covered someone coming up the mountain road by which we had come. We lay on our stomachs on the cliffs, out of sight, our horses bridled and saddled, tied to the trees behind us, ready to be mounted in an instant. All hands watched the road, and far down beneath us we saw a soldier, evidently leading his horse, coming up toward us. As yet he was a long distance from the top, but speculation and anxiety were rife among us, and the im- pression was that it was a rebel straggler or the advance of the rebel cavalry, which we expected every moment to appear in sight.
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But, no! He came alone. Up he climbed over that weary road, and when he was pretty well up the conclusion was reached that it was one of our own command. For a little while we lost sight of him, around a spur of the mountain, but at last he trotted in among us showing the gay jacket of the Anderson cavalry.
It was my old friend Howard Buzby, of Company E, with a dispatch from Colonel Palmer to Lieutenant Morton, which Buzby delivered, with the compliments of the Colonel. Buzby said : "The Colonel always sent his compliments even when sending an order to reduce an officer." The Lieutenant read the dispatch and then communicated it to the boys. It was as follows ;
"To LIEUTENANT MORTON, Commanding Company L,
"Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, on Lookout Mountain : "The mountain will soon be occupied by the enemy, and either go down into Wills Valley or down a road leading into Chatta- nooga, always providing they are not occupied by the enemy.
"Trusting to your good judgment in the matter and your now being made aware of the close proximity of the enemy, you will move with alacrity.
"By order "WILLIAM J. PALMER, "Colonel."
Eager questions on all sides brought out that Buzby could give us no information as to any other road down into Chattanooga except the one he came by, and he had to run the gauntlet of the rebels in coming upon that.
It was now night, and the mighty shadow of Lookout crept over the two armies. The fight dwindled away to a straggling picket fire, and here and there along both lines the bright twinkle of bivouac fires appeared emerging with the stars, and apparently in similar numbers. Two parallel semicircles of blinking light, broken in spots by intervening woods, marked the opposing armies. As we reclined on the rocks, looking out upon this grand historic scene, listening to the rifle cracks, and between them to the confused murmur of the camps, the music of the bands and the occasional cheer of some enthusiastic regiment, the order "fall in, men !" came from Orderly Sergeant John Shelmire, calling us back to duty and another night's service down the ridge of the
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Company L on Lookout Mountain.
mountain. Everything was packed up and all hands went, and we knew that "something would be doing" before long.
We stood guard all night on the different trails and roads, and before daylight we were quietly called in, and Lieutenant Morton explained to the men that he was going to try and get down into Wills Valley, on the western side. We mounted, and traveling along that side finally struck a trail going down the moun- tain. We started down, and had not gone very far before we came to a clear place which commanded a good view of the valley below. It was broad daylight, and we could see from the roads in the valley clouds of dust, indicating to us that a large body of cavalry was moving in that direction. We turned in our tracks and traveled up the mountain to the level again. The fatigues and privations we had undergone produced a feeling of indifference as to our fate, and as we returned slowly and despair- ingly to Summertown, every mind was made up to submit with stolid grace to apparently inevitable capture.
It was yet early morning when we got back to the point, and we dismounted and most of us sought the cliffs again. Looking over the rocks we saw that the blue and the gray armies still con- fronted each other. It was not very clear and the clouds floated below us, somewhat cutting off the view, but both armies had, as if by mutual consent, ceased for a while to shoot pickets. As the clouds broke away and lifted we could see the lines with the Union colors and the steel bayonets gleaming out proudly along the yellow works, and bands of music filled the air with defiant notes. We were ready for Bragg's assault, but Bragg was set- tling down into his memorable siege, confident of receiving in due time the surrender of an emaciated and starving army. Things looked pretty well for the Confederacy in this quarter, and some feared that our successes at Vicksburg and Gettysburg were about to be balanced. As we looked over the scene, my friend Buzby said, "It is the greatest panorama ever seen by mortal man."
It now became necessary to look more closely to our own safety. The rebels swarmed about the eastern base of the mountain ; their outposts were no doubt well up on the side of it, and on the only road we knew of that would take us down. It was not probable that they would permit that day to pass without feeling their way
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to our retreat. Our provisions were absolutely gone and horses and men were ravenous. To attempt to cut our way through, even if our horses had been in condition, would have been folly.
As we turned away from the cliffs, at the Sergeant's call, we found the Lieutenant and some of the boys talking to a stranger. He was apparently a rebel, for he had on a butternut suit. We found him to be a young man who lived back on the ridge of the mountain. He was fresh from the rebel lines, which he reported in close proximity. The scout, for he was a Federal scout, volun- teered to conduct us down by a route known only to himself. The path, if such it might be called, led down and over the extreme point close to Chattanooga, but about equidistant from both armies. The young man said it was an extremely hazardous undertaking, especially with our horses, and loaded down as we were with carbine and saber.
A council of war was held and the situation was thoroughly canvassed. At first it was proposed to abandon our horses where they stood, but this proposition did not meet with much favor, and we resolved to stick to them and risk it. Our guide intimated to us that if he was captured his fate would be the nearest tree. We soon fixed that. He hid away in the rocks his butternut jeans, and from the contents of our saddlebags we added another man to the Anderson Cavalry. The signal officer and his men had gone by this time-where we never knew. All things being ready -- girths tightened, carbines and pistols carefully loaded and capped, with the carbines slung over our shoulders-we followed the guide down the road by which we had ascended, pulling our skeleton beasts after us.
The gloomy and silent woods below were thoroughly scanned as we proceeded, lest a lurking ambush should start up around us. Our footsteps in the dust sounded painfully loud, and the occa- sional stumbling of a horse or the bouncing of a loosened stone down the declivity started the echoes like a rebel yell. After traveling thus for half an hour or so, we stopped at a sudden sign from the scout, who went down the road some distance and laid himself flat on the roadside, with his ear to the ground. We all fully understood this to mean that the enemy was but a little way below and that it was not safe to go any farther. We now fol- lowed the scout away from the road and then turned directly
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Company L on Lookout Mountain.
northward along the steep mountain side, climbing over boulders, rocks and fallen timber, wading knee deep through fallen leaves and twigs, scrambling through the bushes and thorn trees for hours.
It was with incredible difficulty that our miserable beasts were dragged and cuffed along. There was no sign of a path save to the practiced eye of the guide, who seemed to be familiar with every rock and tree, but we were surely getting down. We now heard the renewed picket skirmish fire, which seemed but a little way below us, and as it grew louder and louder it seemed to be right across our path. We still kept along the side of the mountain, and evidently the rebels were hurrying up from all sides. Down and down we climbed, and it seemed that in a short time we would be at the foot, and as the skirmish grew louder and nearer we expected at any moment it might burst in view.
Suddenly the loud "halt !" of a picket echoed and re-echoed, and then reins were dropped and carbines clutched, but only for an instant, for below us, not twenty yards away, a tall, blue-coated soldier stepped from behind a tree. We were now close to the edge of the woods, and we learned from the picket that a portion of General Sheridan's Division had been thrown out to the point of the mountain to hold the road for us and give us a chance to escape. The situation was still critical. We could see the infan- trymen here and there through the woods, and the skirmishing was becoming sharper and sharper every moment. The bullets cut the leaves and twigs around us, and several of the men nar- rowly escaped. The whole rebel army was in line of battle, and the earthworks around the town were bristling with bayonets. It was a thousand yards to reach the Union lines, and it must be made in the open, in clear view of the whole left wing of the rebel army. Our little company and the small body of Sheridan's men were the only Union soldiers outside of the entrenchments.
Lieutenant Morton mounted his horse and rode to the head of the company, and gave the command : "Prepare to mount ! Mount ! By twos, march!" Sergeant Vandling unfurled the little guidon and we rode slowly out of the woods, in full view of both armies. It was an anxious moment, the skirmishing was still heavy behind and on the right of us, and the bullets whistled around pretty lively. "Trot!" was the command, and in a little
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while we were sliding down the steep path to Chattanooga Creek, which we crossed under the railroad bridge and up on the other side, and in a few moments rode in behind the breastworks, cheered to the echo by the boys who faced the enemy there.
The next morning as the sun arose it revealed the rebel flag floating from the top of Lookout Mountain, upon the spot from which we had so long and anxiously looked down upon our com- rades.
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FIRST STEP TOWARD OPENING THE CRACKER LINE.
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JOHN M. ZOLL, COMPANY K, PHILADELPHIA.
S HORTLY before the battle of Missionary Ridge, when the Army of the Cumberland was hemmed in by the rebels at Chattanooga, Tenn., Oliver Edwards (of Company H, I think) and I were detailed from department headquarters to carry a dispatch to the commanding officer of a Michigan Engineer Regiment which was temporarily camped in the valley, quite a distance north of the Tennessee River.
We were awakened in our tents about 3 o'clock in the morning, the rain was falling in torrents, and we were ordered to saddle up quickly and to proceed on our journey without delay.
Accordingly we rushed things, received our rations and the dis- patch, and were off inside of fifteen minutes. Before we reached the Tennessee River we were drenched to the skin, and our rations, carried in our haversacks, composed of sugar, salt, coffee, hard- tack and "sowbelly," were mixed together promiscuously by the rain, forming a combination too difficult for a chemist to analyze and too hard for a cavalryman's stomach to digest.
After reaching the Tennessee River, which was much swollen by the rain, we were obliged to cross it with our horses to the north side, on a pontoon bridge, newly constructed. After making several attempts we finally crossed the bridge, but not without much difficulty, as it was very shaky and wabbly. We did not know what moment we would all be thrown or fall into the river, as it was very dark.
On reaching the north shore our troubles began. The roadway along the river was about twenty feet wide, running up against a precipice from forty to fifty feet high, and we were obliged to follow that road for about a mile before we could turn out and strike the road that led to the valley.
We had not gone far before we encountered some of our sharp- shooters, who were partly entrenched and were constantly en- gaged in exchanging shots with the rebel sharpshooters on the
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south side of the river. After ascertaining our errand and desti- nation, the Captain of our sharpshooters advised us to dismount and walk along the side of our horses, using them as a protection, saying if we did not we would probably be knocked off by the rebel bullets. We took his advice at once and dismounted in short order, walking and feeling our way as best we could.
The shooting on both sides was constant and somewhat noisy, resembling a skirmish line. Occasionally we heard a noise like that made by a cannon. On inquiring, our sharpshooters informed us that the noise was made by a rebel operating a Mississippi rifle, and their ambition was to kill the man behind that gun, which they finally did, after some strategy.
The darkness and rain was a fortunate thing for Edwards and myself, as we were exposed for over an hour to the misdirected efforts of the rebel sharpshooters. We fortunately escaped being shot.
We finally came to the road that led to the valley, and mounting our horses we ascended the high hill or mountain and urged our steeds forward, to reach our destination as soon as possible.
The rain had subsided, daylight began to appear, and after dili- gent search and inquiry we found the location of the Michigan regiment, and delivered the dispatch to the commanding officer.
The engineer regiment had an idea that they would be per- mitted to remain where they were during the coming winter, so they had built fine wooden structures, almost equal to houses, where they were comfortably located.
Of course, we did not know the contents of the dispatch, but found out that it was an order for the Michiganders to break camp at once and report to headquarters at Chattanooga without delay.
As soon as the news spread in the camp the soldiers threatened to shoot Edwards and myself for bringing that dispatch, for they mistakenly held us responsible for their removal.
The Colonel, however, took a different view of the matter. He treated us very kindly, gave us plenty to eat and drink, and sent us on our way back rejoicing.
We arrived in Chattanooga in good time that afternoon, re- ported to headquarters, delivered our receipt, and were ready for further details, of which I always received the lion's share, "be- cause I had a good horse."
OPENING THE CRACKER LINE.
A. J. MINOR, COMPANY H, LINCOLN, NEB.
A FTER the battle of Chickamauga, the Army of the Cum .. berland, under General Rosecrans, took up its position in Chattanooga, which lies in a horseshoe bend of the Tennessee River. As our base of supplies during the campaign had been at Bridgeport, Ala., so it still remained at that point, which is about sixty miles from Chattanooga. The Johnnies took position at the north point or end of Missionary Ridge, their lines extending from thence along the ridge to Rossville Gap, thence across Chattanooga Valley to Lookout Mountain, including the top and point of Lookout Mountain, and down the same and across Lookout Valley to a point opposite Brown's Ferry, with the Fifteenth Alabama on their extreme left. This command, acting as sharpshooters, became very annoying to our supply and pack trains, picking off the drivers and guards to such an extent that General Rosecrans determined to open up a new road farther east of the river. The route then in use was parallel with the river on the east side, and the Fifteenth Alabama occupied the west side.
Having a civilian civil engineer, by the name of Staunton, at- tached to his staff, General Rosecrans selected him for this duty. When Mr. Staunton was asked if he could perform this service he said, "Yes." Asked what assistance he wanted, he replied, "A good horse and two privates of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cav- alry, well mounted, with ten days' rations." When told that sol- diers would not obey him, he being a civilian, he answered that he would risk that part, whereupon myself and John O. Stokes, of Company B, were detailed for that duty. On reporting to Mr. Staunton, he told us of the remark made at General Rosecrans' headquarters, that soldiers would not obey his commands. "Now," he said, "boys, I don't intend to issue any commands at all, but if
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you will stand by me I will stand by you and treat you white." And he did that same royally.
We left Chattanooga about the 5th of October, and crossed Waldon's Ridge that day. The second day out the rainy season set in, and it continued to rain till those small mountain streams became raging torrents. On coming to one of these streams the third day, the banks of which were very steep, it seemed as though it was impossible for us to cross. After debating quite a while about what to do, Comrade Stokes solved the problem by putting spurs to his steed and plunging in. He went clear out of sight- horse, rider and all-but came up smiling, and by keeping his horse headed toward the opposite bank he landed safely. Mr. Staunton then took the plunge, came up and swam for the opposite shore, where he also landed safely. By going a short distance up the stream I succeeded in finding a place where the bank's were not quite so steep, and I spurred my horse in and got across without going under, though the water came up over my horse's back, fill- ing my saddle pockets and saturating my blankets and overcoat.
On the 9th day we reached Bridgeport, having succeeded in finding a practical route for our pack trains. The rains having put the ground in such shape that wagons could not be used at all, all provisions and supplies had to be transported by pack mules, and often they would mire down, and have to be unpacked, helped out and repacked again before proceeding.
At Bridgeport we found a contractor by the name of Boomer, with a gang of men from Chicago, rebuilding the railroad bridge that had been burned by the Johnnies during our advance in the fore part of the campaign. Mr. Boomer was acquainted with Mr. Staunton, and he gave us a welcome which I shall never forget. We had been in the saddle for nine days, the greater part of the time wet to the skin, when we came into Mr. Boomer's camp, just at dusk. He immediately gave our horses in charge of his men, invited us into his quarters, gave us dry clothes and set out a quart bottle of "commissary ;" after that, a good warm supper, con- sisting of ham and eggs, with butter and soft bread-something we were not much used to; then a good warm bed, for the weather had turned quite cool during the last two days. Mr. Staunton told us to tumble in, and we obeyed the command just as quickly as if he had been a commissioned officer.
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Opening the Cracker Linc.
We remained there a couple of days, all the time being fed on the best they had in camp. Then, having drawn a fresh supply of rations, we started on our return to Chattanooga, correcting our blazed trail as we returned and making it a feasible route. We got back on the 20th of October, and found that our old Commander, General Rosecrans, had been superseded, and had left for the North the day before. I never saw him again.
The route we laid out was used, but not long. It was not pos- sible to feed our army at Chattanooga with the supplies that could be packed on mules over the trail we made, nor by the wagons over the longer route over the mountains, where the roads were deep with mud. Something must be done and quickly, too, or General Thomas' telegram to General Grant, "We will hold Chat- tanooga till we starve," would have been fulfilled. Four crackers of hard-tack and one-quarter pound of pork were a soldier's rations for three days, and on October 30th, when the "cracker line" was opened, all the supplies in the Commissary Department of the army consisted of four boxes of crackers.
The enemy held all the river below Chattanooga to Wauhatchie, where General Hooker's command had arrived, and at Brown's Ferry, between the two places, they had 1000 infantry and three pieces of artillery, so that before Chattanooga could be rationed we must get rid of this force, and we did.
At 3 o'clock on the morning of October 26th, a picked force of 1400 men quietly took their places in fifty-two pontoon boats. After dark another force marched to Moccasin Point, opposite Brown's Ferry, and quietly waited. Those in the boats floated down with the current, the darkness hiding their movements, and just at break of day, when opposite the rebel pickets, the oars were used, and the boats made for the shore. The enemy made as good a fight as was possible, but our men had to win-they were "out of meat"-and the enemy was soon driven off and their artillery captured. In the meanwhile the troops on the opposite side of the river were ferried over, and soon all the positions recently occu- pied by the enemy were held by us.
Our engineers had built, at Bridgeport, a small stern-wheel steamboat and converted an old scow into a barge, and at 4 A.M., on October 30th, the boats started for Brown's Ferry with 40,000 rations and some forage for such animals as had not yet starved.
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After a hard trip, with several breakdowns, late at night they arrived at Brown's Ferry.
About the 29th or 30th, I am not quite sure as to the date, Company H was detailed as guard to a wagon train. We crossed ยท Moccasin Point to Brown's Ferry, where we found a small steamer loaded to the guards with hard-tack and pork. There we also met a part of the Thirty-third New Jersey, from the Army of the Potomac, with Zouave uniforms and paper collars. Our boys guyed them pretty hard about the paper collars, but we were glad to see them all the same. The pork and hard-tack were most welcome, for we had been living on short rations for so long that anything looked good to us that was fit to eat at all.
From this time on the army received their rations and supplies by steamer, wagon and pack mules; but from October 18th to 30th the sole supply for the army had been by pack mules over the route blazed by Mr. Staunton, John O. Stokes and myself.
CAPTURE OF OUR WAGON TRAIN IN SEQUATCHIE VALLEY, TENNESSEE.
SERG. T. J. MCCALL, COMPANY K, PITTSBURG, P.A.
W HEN the rebels had thrown their lines around us at Chattanooga, after the battle of Chickamauga, and star- vation stared us in the face, we welcomed the news that there was plenty of corn and vegetables in Sequatchie Valley. I for one rejoiced when Sergeant Yerkes came to my tent and told me that I was one of three detailed from our company to go with the detachment from the Regiment, then in camp on the west side of Cameron Hill. If my memory serves me right, the detail was composed of Abel Turner, Robert Kincaid and myself, of Company H. We were to meet the detachment at the pontoon bridge at 5 o'clock next morning, which we did, and found com- pany G, Captain McAllister in command. With the wagon train we crossed the Tennessee River and went up the road on the east side of Walden's Ridge. Owing to the starved condition of horses and mules our progress was slow. We understood that we were to go into the valley via Poe's crossroads. On arriving at the place we should have turned up the mountain, but for some reason the Captain intended to go up to the head of the run, and cross the divide into the Tennessee Valley, about thirty miles above Chattanooga. We went about six miles and camped for the night. In the morning the Captain received information that General Wheeler with a division of Confederate cavalry was in the Tennessee Valley, and we countermarched and went up the mountain. It began to rain-a drizzling, cold October rain-and continued until after 2 o'clock. About 3.30 we had crossed the plateau on top of the mountain to where the road came up from the Robinson house in the valley.
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