Show me a people possessed of greater heroism, patriotism and love of country, than the men and women—of whom I propose to say more—of East Tennessee!
It had been the custom of Capt. Buckley after we entered the wilderness, to ride on before the battery after he had seen it under way, taking with him as orderly, William Fisk, and hunt for forage. On this morning they started as usual, and were nearly the first to pass the tavern. They were successful in securing two of the chickens before-mentioned, but could get no information as to any grain in that vicinity. Continuing on, it was well into the afternoon before they came across any other citizens. Turning a bend in the road they suddenly came in sight of a log cabin just off the trail we were following. No one was in sight, but a few vigorous hulloas from the captain brought into view two men and three women, evidently father, mother, son and two daughters.
Capt. Buckley, in his most suave manner, asked if they had grain or any knowledge of any in that vicinity. They very promptly answered that they had none, neither did they know of any, and the captain was about to continue his journey, when the younger daughter said, "John Cooper has some." "Who is John Cooper, and where does he live?" asked the captain. "A right smart piece down that road, on Pond's Creek," she replied, pointing to a path which opened from the main road directly opposite where they were standing. Mounting their horses the captain said to Fisk, "We will go and see John Cooper," and started down the path.
After riding a little more than two miles, they reached a log cabin, and noticing what appeared to be a grist-mill a little further on, the captain thought he would investigate before going to the house. The result of this investigation was between twenty-five and thirty bushels of corn, wheat and oats, upon which the captain's seal was immediately placed.
They went to the house and were pleasantly greeted by Susan Cooper, wife of John Cooper, as the lady informed them. In reply to the captain's question as to whom the grain belonged, she informed him that some of it was John's and the balance belonged to neighbors. No objection was made by her when informed by the captain that he should be obliged to take the grain, but he would leave a receipt for it, which would be paid if her husband was a Union man.
At the captain's suggestion Mrs. Cooper expressed a willingness to provide dinner for her guests, the number of which had been enlarged by the arrival of an artillery captain and two buglers, who had come down into the ravine in quest of grain, and had been invited by Capt. Buckley to partake of the meal then being prepared by Mrs. Cooper, which consisted of fried chicken and bacon, with a liberal supply of corn bread. The lady was considerably embarrassed by her inability to supply dishes for so large a company, and apologized for her impoverished condition in this direction by saying that "It was a long time since John had been where dishes could be put off."
Three things in connection with these people are thoroughly impressed upon my mind:—First, the very small environment within which they lived; secondly, their entire lack of interest in anything not entering upon their own lives; and, thirdly, the exceeding simplicity of their lives, and the little that was required to make them apparently contented and happy. Mrs. Cooper, for instance, living at the bottom of that ravine, the only entrance to which was down a narrow mountain pathway, in a log cabin having but one room, with about two acres of cleared land, surrounded upon all sides, save at the entrance, by a solid wall of rock towering seventy-five feet in height, passing months at a time without seeing anyone save the members of her own family, certainly had as monotonous an existence as could be imagined.
The grain secured by the captain did not reach our bivouac at Chitwood until late at night, but so badly was it needed by the horses—they having been without any grain for one day at least—that the drivers were aroused and their horses fed immediately.
The time had now arrived when we must commence our descent from the mountain top. It is less laborious for the cannoniers, but much more so for the wheel-drivers, of which I, unfortunately, happened to be one. It has always been a matter of surprise to me that we brought the battery safely to the foot of that mountain. I consider that the agility displayed by me in dodging that pole as it flew about in every direction—sometimes over one horse, then the other, at one time pointing to the earth, and then to heaven, caused by the dashing (sliding would perhaps be a better word, as the wheels were locked) of the caisson over the rocks, sometimes making necessary a jump of four or five feet, and be able to shout to my comrades as we reached the bottom, "It never touched me," was one of the best things I ever did.