Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/236

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General Bowen, of Missouri. While we were at Camp Beauregard, some twenty-five miles east of Columbus, Ky., in the winter of 1861, when we were threatened with an attack by a very large force of Federals, these three companies that I first mentioned were addressed by this gallant officer. By order of General, Polk, we had been fur- nished with some old guns, known as " Hall's Carbines " ; up to that time we had nothing but pistols and sabres. General Bowen told us that these carbines were worthless, that he had tried to get the order sending them to us countermanded, but he said, " We have a chance to get rid of them, and will do it to-morrow. I will only furnish you one round of ammunition to the man," said he, " and I wish you to fire that before you leave camp, and then throw your guns away. After that, depend upon your pistols and your sabres, and you will come out victorious." Acting on his suggestion, we threw the guns away, and from that time the companies composing the 8th Confed- erate Regiment were armed only with pistol and sabre, and in the light of our experience, I am sure our efficiency was in no way im- paired by not being provided with guns.

When our army left Columbus, Ky., the cavalry was the last to leave that city ; when we retreated from Corinth the cavaly was in the rear. As you doubtless remember, as a matter of history, we went as far South as Tupelo, and from there we were transferred to Chattanooga, Tenn. Thence we led the way for Bragg through Kentucky; we fought with him at Perry ville; we fought over prac- tically all the ground leading back through Cumberland Gap to Knoxville, and at many points, until we got to Murfreesboro. There we located at Stewart's Creek, and there is not a foot of land be- tween Stewart's Creek and the outposts of the enemy around Nash- ville that w.as not traversed by this cavalry hundreds of times. When Rosecrans commenced his advance on Murfreesboro, as I now remember, it was six days we fought this army before it came in contact with our infantry. That night, at 12 o'clock, after our horses had been groomed and fed, we left for his rear, and we con- tinued in his rear practically until after Bragg had retreated from Murfreesboro; in fact, Bragg had retreated, leaving only Cleburne's Division, with one or two batteries of artillery and a regiment of cavalry between Murfreesboro and the enemy, leaving Wheeler in the rear of Rosecrans.

Leading back from Murfreesboro to the Tennessee river, and in the direction of Chattanooga, and Decatur, Ala. , every portion of the ground was traversed by Wheeler's Cavalry, and there are but few