The regiment, under its Colonel, joined in the pursuit, following him to the Ohio river at Brandenburg, crossing over into Indiana, and following him in his circuitous route through the States of Indiana and Ohio, and partic.i.p.ating in the fight at Buffington"s Island, July 20th, 1863.
In the meantime the detachment of the 7th that was on the Sander"s raid, were at Camp Nelson refitting.
Information being received that two companies of Morgan"s command which had been recruited in the vicinity of Harrodsburg, Ky., (numbering one hundred and ten men) had been cut off from the main command and were scattered about over the country, staying with their friends, and owing to Capt. Rankin"s knowledge of that part of the State, he was ordered to take what men he could arm and equip and proceed there at once.
Taking twenty-six of his own company, they in a period of ten days, captured eighty-four of that number, including two officers.
Great credit is due to the colored people for the information they gave.
Another detachment of the 7th joined Col. Sweeny"s command of detachments and took part in the fight with Scott"s Cavalry at Richmond, Ky., July 28th, 1863, and made a brilliant saber charge against the same command at Crab Orchard, (Capt. Leaper commanding detachment,) skirmishing with them at Stanford, and following them on their retreat to the c.u.mberland river, compelling them to drop one section of artillery, said to be the same we abandoned in the mountains on the Sander"s raid.
After the capture of John Morgan, the regiment was disbanded for fifteen days and allowed to visit their homes.
At the expiration of that time, the regiment was got together at Cincinnati and marched to Stanford, Ky., preparatory to their march to Knoxville, Tenn., under Gen. Burnside.
The regiment broke camp about the 20th day of August, moving by the way of Crab Orchard and London, crossing the c.u.mberland river at Williamsburg, about the 25th.
Here, one batallion of the 7th, under Major McIntyre, was thrown out in front as the advance of Gen. Burnside"s command, and held that post of honor during the whole march, until they reached the railroad at Lenoir Station.
A considerable force of the enemy being at London, and some fighting going on, the regiment was ordered to that point, and on reaching there found the rebels gone and the bridge that spanned the Tennessee river, in flames.
The regiment then counter-marched, reaching Knoxville the next day.
Resting two days, we took up our line of march for c.u.mberland Gap, skirmishing with the enemy at Taswell and Powell"s river, reaching the Gap and beseiging that place three days.
At the end of that time, September 9th, that stronghold surrendered its garrison, consisting of two thousand, six hundred men, under General Frazier.
On the day previous to its surrender, a detail of officers penetrated the rebel pickets lines, much to the chagrin of Gen. Frazier, they were taken in headquarters, without being hoodwinked; of course they used their eyes and saw just what they went to see, the condition of the enemy.
Gen. Frazier immediately ordered them out of his lines which order was complied with.
That night they returned, not by the picket post however, and burned the mill inside the rebel lines, thus cutting off their rations, which may have had something to do with his sudden surrender.
They came back to camp unmolested and without the honor of a rebel escort.
On the next morning after the surrender, the 7th started back to Knoxville, and on the third day reached that city and went into camp.
Remaining there only a few days they started eastward on the railroad, but meeting with no resistance until reaching Johnson"s Station, a distance of one hundred miles.
The command moved on to Zollecoffer, and not being able to capture the garrison there guarding the bridge across the Watauga river, they returned to Jonesboro, remaining there one week, one batallion under Capt.
Copeland, doing the provost duty of town scouting and pressing horses.
The enemy attacked the command on the 28th of September and compelled it to retreat down the railroad as far as Bull"s Gap, where we stayed several days.
On the 10th of October, we started eastward again and had a fight at Blue Springs, losing several men killed and wounded, among them, Captain Higly, a most valuable officer, who was commanding a battallion and was killed in the thickest of the fight while encouraging and leading on his men.
The rebels held their ground until a detachment of the 9th army corps came up, charging them and driving them from the field at dusk.
They retreated during the night, and our command pursued them in the morning, following closely all the next day, and had a spirited skirmish at Raytown in which several were lost on both sides. Night coming on, we went into camp, continuing our pursuit in the morning as far as Jonesboro, and on the following day we moved toward Bluntsville, camping for the night, a few miles from town.
One battallion under Capt. Copeland, was ordered to make a scout to this place, but meeting the rebel pickets, he returned to camp, losing one man killed, James Barnes of Co. E.
The next day, October the 14th, the column moved on toward the town driving the rebels from the place.
They continued their retreat through Zollecoffer and Bristol. We followed and burnt the bridge at Zollecoffer, on our way and captured at Bristol two locomotives and fifty cars, which were all destroyed, besides a considerable amount of commissary store.
The men carrying away all the sugar they could manage.
The task being accomplished, the command fell back through Bluntsville and Kingsport to Rogersville, pressing all the horses that could be found, and remained there sometime, nothing particular occurring save the usual scouting in an enemy"s country.
About this time the regiment was deprived of its Colonel, he being placed in command of a brigade, and Major McIntyre succeeded to the command.
About the 4th of November, Gen. Shackelford, commanding the Cavalry Division, received information that a rebel force, 4000 strong, was approaching Rogersville by the way of Jonesville, Va.
He therefore ordered Col. Garrard to send a scouting party to that place.
A detail of 50 men from the Seventh being made, Capt. Rankin was ordered to take command. Before the scouts returned, the enemy made their appearance by the way of Kingsport.
In order that you may fully understand the event which I am about to describe, it is necessary that I should describe the country and the locality, our camp and its approaches.
The country here is alternately mountain and valley, running nearly parallel east and west, with occasional narrow pa.s.ses through the mountains from one valley to another, these valleys losing themselves every few miles in the main valley of the Holston river.
The brigade of which the Seventh formed a part was camped in the main Holston Valley about three miles above Rogersville.
The hospital, commissary and quartermaster"s department, with a provost guard, occupied the town.
Great caution was used by Col. Garrard in guarding these approaches, and for this purpose one company of the Tennesseeans was kept in Carter Valley, five miles from the brigade camp. This Valley being the first one north of the Holston, they sent scouting parties daily, over into Stanley Valley and Hickory Cave, which are further north.
On the night of the 5th of November, scouts reported the enemy advancing in force down the Holston Valley from Kingsport.
Lieut. Murphy was ordered to take two companies of the Seventh, on the night of the 6th, which was very dark and the rain pouring down in torrents, and make a scout up the Holston Valley.
After marching about six miles he met the enemy"s advance and at once engaged them, and notified the Colonel of their approach.
The enemy finding their advance resisted, threw a force across the mountain into Carter Valley, which was estimated at 2000 strong, and upon reaching the valley they dashed upon this Tennessee company capturing and scattering them.
This Valley now being cleared, they continued down it about two miles to a road crossing into Holston Valley, which road struck the Valley about the center of our brigade camp.
Here their force was divided, one half going across the mountain, secreted themselves under the cover of the night in a cedar grove, near the road leading down the main valley to Rogersville.
The other part of their command continued down the valley to where it comes into the Holston, one-half mile above Rogersville, where they again divided their force, leaving a part here and sending the remainder around a spur of the mountain, striking the valley one-half mile below the town.
They closed in on the place, capturing and scattering everything that was there.
This part of their programme being successfully accomplished, they moved up the valley on to the camp. In the meanwhile their main force was pa.s.sing slowly down the valley, compelling the small force in their front to retire, and giving time for the force below to accomplish the task a.s.signed them, and attack the camp from that side.
As they approached the camp, Col. Garrard had the train on the road, headed toward Rogersville, and the brigade drawn up in line, artillery placed in position on an eminence, commanding the approach from Kingsport.
While in this position we were attacked in the rear by the force coming up the valley.
At this instant, the force before mentioned as being secreted in the cedar thicket, being in close proximity to our left flank, poured a volley into the battallion of the Seventh, being not more than fifty yards distant, and made a simultaneous charge upon the wagon train and capturing it.