e town; but some of them were bitter Rebels, and, as Captain Poe,
Chief-Engineer of the Army of the Ohio, well remarked, "worked with a
very poor grace, which blistered hands did not tend to improve." The
contrabands engaged in the work with that heartiness which, during the
war, characterized their labors in our service.

At noon, the enemy's advance was only a mile or two distant; and four
companies of the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts--A, B, D, G--were thrown out
as skirmishers,--the line extending from the Holston River to the
Kingston road. But the enemy was held in check at some little distance
from the town by Sanders's division of cavalry. The hours thus gained
for our work in the trenches were precious hours, indeed. There was a
lack of intrenching tools, and much remained to be done; but all day and
all night the men continued their labors undisturbed; and, on the
morning of the 18th, our line of works around the town presented a
formidable appearance.

Throughout the forenoon of that day there was heavy skirmishing on the
Kingston road; but our men--dismounted cavalry--still maintained their
position. Later in the day, however, the enemy brought up a battery,
which, opening a heavy fire, soon compelled our men to fall back. The
Rebels, now pressing forward, gained the ridge for which they had been
contending, and established their lines within rifle range of our works.

It was while endeavoring to check this advance that General Sanders was
mortally wounded. He was at once borne from the field, and carried into
Knoxville. While a surgeon was examining the wound, he asked, "Tell me,
Doctor, is my wound mortal?"

Tenderly the surgeon replied, "Sanders, it is a fearful wound, and
mortal. I am sorry to say it, my dear fellow, but the odds are against
you."

Calmly the General continued, "Well, I am not afraid to die. I have made
up my mind upon that subject. I have done my duty, and have served my
country as well as I could."

The next day he called the attention of the surgeon to certain symptoms
which he had observed, and asked him what they meant.

The surgeon replied, "General, you are dying."

"If that be so," he said, "I would like to see a clergyman."

Rev. Mr. Hayden, chaplain of the post, was summoned. On his arrival, the
dying soldier expressed a desire that the ordinance of baptism should be
administered. This was done, and then the minister in prayer commended
the believing soul to God,--Genera