| From the Memphis Appeal |
| |
| June 29, 1863 |
| |
| Yankee Operations in East Tennessee |
| From the Knoxville Creek |
|
Mossy Creek |
| The following is the substance
of a letter from John R. Banner, Esq., President of the East Tennessee
& Virginia railroad, to his brother in this city, under date of
the 22d: |
| "I arrived at home
yesterday, at 3 o'clock. The Federals had just left. They have
destroyed all our bridges from this place to Knoxville, all our
trestles and about ten cars at McMillan's and New Market. All the rest
of our engines and cars are safe. They have broken open houses,
destroyed furniture, stolen clothing coffee, bacon, etc., etc.
carrying away with them everything they could, and destroying such as
they could not use. Among the sufferers are H. H. Hubbard, Patton
Howell, Dr. Walltroeff, B. M. Branner, myself and a number of others. |
| "They stole horses,
mules, tobacco, and several negroes are also missing, supposed to have
been stolen. |
| "After leaving here, they
crossed Holston river at Trogden's for, making for Powder Spring gap
or Bisin's cross-roads." |
|
Strawberry Plains |
| The following extracts from
private letters received from Strawberry Plains will show something of
the tender mercies of the Federal raiders and Tennessee renegades at
that point Mrs. F. A. Butler writes: |
| Dear Mother: The bridge was
burned, also the depot and commissary. Frank's store, our lodging
room, and our houses were about taking fire, but just as they
(Federals) left some men -- paroled Confederates -- brought water and
kept it from burning. We are all utterly ruined, but thank God Mr.
Butler escaped a few moments before they got in. They told aunt Tillah
"as would have seen hell if he had been there" and told some
one else they would have burned him. I can give you no idea of the
destruction. All our homes are rifled from garret to cellar. Every
article of clothing I have is utterly destroyed, not a vestige left
scarcely -- not a pound of meat nor provisions of any kind. |
| ***** |
| Yours truly, |
| Sallie B. |
|
Progress of the Yankee Raiders |
| After being repulsed at this
place, the Yankee raiders went up the line of the East Tennessee &
Virginia railroad, tearing up the road and cutting the telegraph
wires. As we then had no cavalry, except about one hundred, we could
make no effective pursuit. But three hundred started after them to harass
their rear and damage them as much as possible. |
| The enemy burned a small
bridge across Flat creek, about twelve miles from town, and crossing
the river two miles below Strawberry Plains, succeeded in dislodging
our force at that point after a short fight, in which no one was hurt
on either side, and burned the bridge across the Holston at that
place. This was a long and high bridge and will take two or three
months to rebuild it. At Strawberry Plains, they burned the storehouse
of Mr. Frank Butler. They also set fire to and burned two or three dwelling
houses. They also sacked Maj. Stringfield's house, carrying off
everything of value that was portable and destroying furniture and
other articles they could not carry away. One of the robbers offered
to sell some of the ladies' dresses he had stolen, but no one would
buy. |
| ***** |
| From Strawberry Plains, the
Yankees went up to Newmarket and Mosay Creek, burning the depots at
both places, and the bridge at the latter place. |
| ***** |
| From this point they left the
railroad, and started north to cross the river and make their escape
through Powder Spring gap by a road seven miles west of Rutledge.
***** |
|