During the month General O. M. Mitch.e.l.l had overrun Middle Tennessee, and was holding the Memphis and Charleston railroad from Decatur to Bridgeport, Alabama. Two railroads led south from Nashville, Tennessee, both connecting with the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, one at Decatur, and the other at Stevenson, Alabama. Both of these roads were of vital importance to General Mitch.e.l.l, for on them he depended for transportation for the sustenance of his army.
These roads had been badly damaged by the Confederate army when it retreated from Nashville, and General Mitch.e.l.l was busily engaged in repairing them. If repaired and held, it meant that Chattanooga must fall, and the Confederate army be driven still farther south.
John H. Morgan, now promoted to a colonelcy, believed that with a small force the rear of the Federal army could be raided, the railroads cut, bridges burned, and their communications so destroyed that they would be forced to fall back. General Beauregard was not so sanguine. While great damage might be done, and the Federal army subjected to much inconvenience, the contest, after all, would have to be decided by the great armies. Then he needed every man, as Halleck was about to move.
At last he gave Morgan permission to make his raid, but with a force not to exceed five hundred.
It was in the last days of April that Morgan started with his little force, on what seemed to many certain destruction. But every man in the command was full of enthusiasm. They had unlimited faith in their leader, and where he went they would follow.
Following almost the exact route taken by Calhoun, Morgan"s first blow fell on Pulaski, Tennessee. So swift and unexpected had been his movements that the Federals were taken completely by surprise. The place was surrendered without a struggle.
Moving rapidly north, the command attacked and, without any loss, captured a wagon-train en route from Columbia to Athens. Thus at the very commencement of his raid, Morgan captured Pulaski, with all its military stores, a wagon-train, and some two hundred and seventy prisoners, and this without the loss of a man. Among the prisoners captured were a son of General O. M. Mitch.e.l.l, and our old acquaintance, Lieutenant Haines.
The prisoners were all paroled, and were astonished at the kind treatment they received. Both Captain Jumper, who was in charge of the wagon-train, and the son of General Mitch.e.l.l were loud in their praise of the way they were used by Morgan.
After destroying all the Federal property captured, and damaging the railroad as much as possible, the command continued on their raid, their route taking them by the plantation of Mr. Osborne. The welcome they received there was a royal one. Colonel Morgan stopped and took dinner with the family.
Here he heard of the adventure of Calhoun, and he laughed long and heartily over the way Calhoun had recovered his horse.
"Tell him," said Miss...o...b..rne, "that I forgive him his abrupt leaving, as no harm came to father. By the way, Lieutenant Haines has become quite friendly, coming out to see us two or three times."
"No one can blame him, even if you give him but a moment of your company,"
replied Morgan, gallantly. "But Miss...o...b..rne, I am sorry to say we took your friend prisoner. He was paroled, and no doubt is now on his way North."
Miss...o...b..rne blushed, and then said, "A good riddance; I trust I shall never see him again. But he was kind to papa. He even returned the horse; would not keep him."
"That is lucky," responded Morgan, "for if he hadn"t been returned, one of my men would be riding him now, and your chance of getting him would be small."
From Pulaski Morgan pushed northeast, avoiding Shelbyville and Murfreesboro, both of these places being too strongly garrisoned for him to attack with his small force. He crossed the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad ten miles north of Murfreesboro, burned the depot, and destroyed as much of the track as his limited time would admit. From there he rode straight for Lebanon, Tennessee, which place he reached just at nightfall.
The inhabitants received him with the wildest demonstration of joy. But trouble was in store for him. His men, wearied with their long ride, and elated over their continued success, became careless. They knew they were among friends, and thought that no harm could come to them, so they slept without fear.
The Federal authorities had become thoroughly alarmed over his progress.
Strong bodies of troops were in swift pursuit, from Shelbyville, from Murfreesboro, and from Nashville.
Just before daylight the Federals charged into the little city with whoop and hurrah. Taken entirely by surprise, Morgan"s men thought only of flight. Two companies under the command of Colonel Robert C. Wood being cut off from their horses, threw themselves into a college building in the outskirts of the city, and for three hours defended themselves with desperation. At last being out of ammunition they were forced to surrender.
In this unfortunate affair Morgan lost nearly two hundred of his best troops. The rest were more or less scattered. He himself was chased for eighteen miles, and the pursuit ceased only when he, with the remnant of his troops, had crossed the c.u.mberland.
The Federals thought they had thoroughly whipped Morgan, and he would give them no more trouble. But they did not know the man. He had started for Kentucky, and to Kentucky he would go. After crossing the c.u.mberland, he halted, gathered his scattered command together, and then with less than three hundred men, started for Glasgow.
"Lieutenant Pennington will meet us at Glasgow with reinforcements," he told his men.
But there were some of his officers who had misgivings. Chief among these was Captain Conway. Speaking to another officer, a Captain Mathews, Conway said: "It"s strange that the Colonel has such confidence in that young upstart. As for me, I look for no reinforcements. The best thing we can do is to get back as soon as possible."
"Captain, what is the matter?" asked Mathews. "What has that young fellow done that you have taken such a dislike to him?"
"Nothing; but the idea of sending a mere boy on such an important mission!
Why did he not send some one back with influence?"
"Pennington is well connected; you know his father is Judge Pennington of Danville."
"That makes little difference. His mission will be a failure; see if it isn"t. We shall see no reinforcements at Glasgow."
Just then Morgan came riding along, and seeing Conway said, "Captain, I want to thank you for the gallant manner in which you held back the enemy while the command crossed the c.u.mberland. You did n.o.bly."
This praise so pleased Conway that for a time he forgot his supposed grievance.
Without further trouble from the Federals, the little command reached Glasgow, where they were received with open arms by the inhabitants.
Houses were thrown open to them and food provided in abundance. But nothing had been heard of any reinforcements.
"What did I tell you?" said Conway to Mathews.
"Wait," was the answer.
The night was an anxious one. Morning came, but still nothing was heard of any reinforcements.
"We will wait another day," said Morgan.
About noon cheering was heard, and Morgan"s men nearly went wild with enthusiasm, as nearly two hundred splendidly mounted men came galloping into camp.
When the captain in command reported, Morgan thanked him in the warmest terms, and then looking eagerly around, said: "Where is Lieutenant Pennington? I do not see him."
"Lieutenant Pennington," answered the Captain, "asked leave to take twenty men and scout toward Cave City. I gave him permission to do so. He has an idea that the railroad might be reached and broken at that point."
"Ah! I have thought so myself," replied Morgan. "I shall wait for his report with interest."
The arrival of the two fresh companies had raised the command to as large, or larger, than it was when it started from Corinth, and every man was eager to go on. It was nearly night when Calhoun reported with his little company. He was jubilant over what he had discovered.
"Colonel," he said, "we can easily capture Cave City, and thus sever the connection between Louisville and Nashville. The place is lightly guarded."
"Oh! If we could only take the place, and capture the train on which my gallant men taken prisoners at Lebanon are being taken North, I should be supremely happy," said Morgan, with much feeling.
"Perhaps we can," replied Calhoun, with enthusiasm.
"How about going farther north than Cave City?" asked Morgan.
Calhoun shook his head. "It will not do," he replied; "all the towns are too strongly held for your small force to cope with."
"At least we can try Cave City," answered Morgan, and orders were given for the command to be ready to march at sundown. The vicinity of Cave City was reached about two o"clock in the morning. The column was halted and the men were ordered to rest until daylight.
As soon as it was light, Calhoun, with a soldier named Emory, was sent in advance to the place. They were disguised as countrymen, and were to linger around the depot, and when the charge came they were to prevent the telegraph operator from sending warning of the raid.
Dressed in homespun clothes, and riding sorry steeds, Calhoun and Emory played their part to perfection. Their entrance into the little place caused no comment, and excited no suspicion. Sauntering into the depot, they gazed curiously around.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SAUNTERING INTO THE DEPOT THEY GAZED CURIOUSLY AROUND.]
"What"s that?" asked Calhoun, pointing at the clicking telegraph instrument.
"That, my boy," said the operator, patronizingly, "is a telegraphic instrument. Did you never see one before?"