of observation near the
railroad. However, on our approach they scurried away like quails. But
in many places the track had been torn up, and culverts destroyed, and
when we came to one of these breaks, the train had to stop until our
engineers could repair it, and then we went on. Right here I will say
that those Michigan Engineers were splendid fellows. There was a flat
car with our train, and on this car was a supply of extra rails,
spikes, and other railroad appliances, with all the tools that the
engineers used in their work, and it was remarkable to see how quick
those men would repair a break in the road. They also were provided
with muskets and accouterments the same as ordinary soldiers, and when
the necessity arose, (as it did before we got back to Murfreesboro,)
they would drop their sledges and crowbars, buckle on their cartridge
boxes and grab their muskets, and fight like tigers. It was "all the
same to Joe" with them. After getting about thirty-five miles from
Murfreesboro we saw no more of the enemy, the railroad from thereon was
intact, and we arrived at Stevenson about 10 o'clock on the morning of
the 13th. The train was loaded with rations and early on the morning of
the 14th we started back to Murfreesboro, having in addition to the
force with which we left there, a squad of about thirty dismounted men
of the 12th Indiana Cavalry, who joined us at Stevenson. The grade up
the eastern slope of the Cumberland Mountains was steep, a drizzling
rain had fallen the night before, making the rails wet and slippery,
and the train had much difficulty in ascending the grade, and our
progress was tedious and slow. This delay probably was the cause of our
undoing, as will be revealed later. We didn't get over the mountains
until some time in the afternoon, and went along slowly, but all right;
and about dark reached Bell Buckle, 32 miles from Murfreesboro. Here
trouble began on a small scale. A Confederate cavalry vedette was on
the alert, and fired at us the first shot of the night. The bullet went
over us near where I was sitting on top of a car, with a sharp "ping,"
that told it came from a rifle. But we went on, proceeding slowly and
cautiously, for the night was pitch dark, and we were liable to find
the railroad track destroyed at almost any place. At 2 o'clock in the
morning, just after leaving Christiana, about 15 miles from
Murfreesboro, our troubles broke loose in good earnest. We encountered
the Confeder