A division commander was detailed every day to take charge of the wagon train and artillery and keep it moving. When a wagon stalled, the whole line of retreat, infantry, wagons and artillery behind it, would have to wait until it would move again, thereby seriously impeding our line of march and causing the cavalry in the rear desperate fighting sometimes to hold off the enemy.

It was reported of General Cheatham, when he had charge of the train, that one of his wagons was stalled, and he put spurs to his horse and rode up the line and reached the wagon. The driver was whipping his mules and the two infantrymen were standing by the roadside, resting on their guns. At the sight of this, he jumped off his horse, took hold of the spokes of the wagon wheel and tried to turn it, but all to no purpose. The two guards still stood resting on their guns. General Cheatham lost his patience and turned around and slapped one of the guards in the face. This happened to be an Irishman, who said, “Be God; if you were not Gineral Cheatham you couldn’t do this.” General Cheatham pulled off his sword belt, coat and hat and threw them down by the side of the road and said, “Now, there lies General Cheatham and here is Frank Cheatham; now light in.” They say that at this invitation the Irishman lit in and got the best of the bargain, of which General Cheatham never made any complaint. The two men then took hold of the wheels in conjunction with General Cheatham, and started up the wagon, and with that the whole line of retreat.

This incident was currently reported and generally believed by all who knew General Cheatham, but I would not be willing to vouch for the same, as it is almost past belief.

After leaving Crab Orchard, General Buell dispensed with his cavalry, as they were unable to cope with ours and moved only with his infantry and artillery in advance. To enter into the details of the rest of this campaign, would require too much space and will only say that the brigade of General Wharton, which always includes the Terry Rangers, in conjunction occasionally with other cavalry, were expected to and did succeed in retarding the pursuit of the enemy, restricting his advance to from six to eight miles a day only, thereby protecting our infantry column, as well as the artillery, ordnance and thirty-eight hundred wagons loaded with valuable army stores. On this retreat the infantry were called on only one time to fire a gun. We met the enemy in a general engagement at Mount Vernon, Barren Valley, Rocky Hill, Bushy Mound, Wild Cat, Pitman’s Road, Little Rock, Castle River and many other points, inflicting on them considerable loss. This mountain service on the part of the Rangers proved a most severe tax on their endurance, on account of being deprived of rations. At one time, for nearly two days, we depended on picking up raw corn left in the camps of artillery and wagons, where the horses and mules had been fed. A number of times, after fighting all day long, we had to go out into the hills ten or twelve miles to find forage for our horses before we could retire to get a little rest. Our camping places were frequently by the light of the enemy’s fires.

To give the reader a better idea of the valuable service we rendered, I will quote an order issued by General Wheeler, read to us at Cumberland Gap, October 23, 1862.

GENERAL ORDER NUMBER THREE:

“Soldiers of the Cavalry Corps, Army of Mississippi:

“The autumn campaign in Kentucky is over, your arduous duties, as the advance and rear guard, for the present, are finished. Your gallantry in action, your cheerful endurance in suffering from hunger, fatigue and exposure, render you worthy of all commendation. For nearly two months you have scarcely been for a moment without the range of the enemy’s musketry. In more than twenty pitched fights, many of which lasted throughout the day, you have successfully combated largely superior numbers of the enemy’s troops of all arms. Hovering continually near the enemy, you have engaged in no less than one hundred skirmishes. Upon the memorable field of Perryville, alone and unsupported, you engaged and held in check during the entire action, at least two infantry divisions of the opposing army. By your gallant charges on that day you completely dispersed and routed a vastly superior force of the enemy’s cavalry, driving them in confusion under their artillery and infantry supports, capturing in hand-to-hand conflicts many prisoners, forces and arms. Your continuous contact with the enemy has taught you to repose without fear under his guns, to fighting wherever found and to quietly make your bivouac by the light of his camp fires. On this continued series of combats and brilliant charges, many great men have fallen. We mourn their loss. We commend their valor. Let us emulate their soldierly virtues.

“JOSEPH WHEELER,

“Chief of Cavalry.”