Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

October sixth, we lay in camp making amends for the wear and tear while crossing the mountains. In the evening I obtained a pass of Major Alexander Magruder, a good officer and a gentleman, to go to Knoxville. We found every thing in better condition than we had anticipated. After riding about town a few minutes, to make a survey of its location, we inquired for the residence of Parson Brownlow, which we soon found on Cumberland street, just east of a bridge across First Creek, in the corporation designated as East-Knoxville. We could but look upon the silent domicile with reverence, though it is but a plain two-story frame, with portico, while on the east end, and above the windows, some grapevines wove their autumn wreath. At the west end is a smaller house — the old office of the Knoxville Whig--which is about six feet from the other; and between the two houses stand three locust trees that tip their pennates above the roof of the “Tennessee patriot.”

October seventh, started on the march at sunup. Passed through Knoxville, and moved up the Rutlege road eight miles and went into camp near Morris's old storehouse. Rained all day. Remained here in camp until early on the morning of the ninth, when we went back to Knoxville and went into camp on the north side of town, and remained here till the night of the twenty-second. During which time our regiment sent two large details to Cumberland Gap, and did as much foraging, scouting, and picket-duty as other regiments here.

October twenty-second, remained in camp. Nothing of interest. At nine o'clock in the night we started on the march for Loudon. Marched till two o'clock and bivouacked till daylight, when it commenced raining very hard.

October twenty-third, started on the march at daylight without breakfast, and the rain pouring down in a torrent. Marched through the rain and mud till late in the evening, when we arrived at the Loudon bridge. Went into camp as hungry, wet and muddy as we could be; but in a short time huge fires were built — coffee boiling and meat broiling, and a fog rising from the drenched clothes of the boys, while they were growing all right again.

October twenty-fourth, in the morning our brigade crossed the river on the pontoon-bridge, joined Colonel Wolford, and went to Philadelphia. Here we found the rebs, had sharp skirmishing a short time, and they fled; drove them about live miles toward Sweetwater, skirmishing some all the way. About sundown they made rather a stubborn stand with artillery. Artillery firing was kept up on both sides till after sundown, when our force turned about and came back to Loudon. Our brigade crossed the river to the camp we left in the morning. Our command lost during the day five or six killed and wounded. We got into camp about eleven o'clock at night.

October twenty-sixth, our brigade crossed the river to Loudon and joined the division and went back to Philadelphia. Found the rebels here again. They fell back as before to the hill where we left them on the evening of the twenty-fourth, but skirmishing more severe. The One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois cavalry charged them from the hill, in which it lost three killed and wounded. The Twenty-seventh Kentucky mounted infantry was thrown forward into line of battle on the left. Company B was thrown forward as skirmishers under a shower of shot and shell. Captain Pulliam commanding, pressed the skirmishers forward with great coolness till they were in about three hundred yards of the rebel battery, and on line with it, when General Sanders ordered us to retire. At dark we returned to Loudon as on the twenty-fourth.

October twenty-eighth, all our force at Loudon crossed over to the north side of the river, and our brigade out to Lenoir's Station. Regained here till the morning of the thirtieth.

October thirtieth, Colonel Pennebaker moved up to Leaper's Ferry with our brigade. Sent two companies across the river, and beyond Unecia on scout--company D, of the Twenty-seventh Kentucky, and one company of the Eleventh Kentucky mounted infantry, Captain Hammer commanding. They were attacked by a brigade of rebels, and after two hours fighting, Captain Hammer fell back to the river in perfect order, and none of his men hurt. The rebels now began to close in, confident of capturing the two companies, but we began to reach across the river with our long-ranged Enfield rifles, and held them back until Lieutenant-Colonel Ward crossed over with three companies, A, H, and C. We had but one small ferry-boat to cross in. Captain Pulliam with our company, B, got in the boat and started across, and when we were about half-way across, the rebels rushed down and poured a heavy volley into the boat, killing one man. The Captain received orders to go back to the shore, which we did under a perfect shower of bullets. The rebels made several bold attempts to capture the companies across the river, but our continued volleys from both sides of the river were too hot for then. On one of their bold attempts to lay hands on their prize, Lieutenant-Colonel Ward, who is always found in the thickest danger, not knowing but he would be overpowered, told the color-bearer, Sergeant John Defever, a young man of seventeen years, to never let the flag fall into rebel hands. When the moment grew more threatening, the Sergeant furled the old worn flag and plunged into the rapid Holston, and while bullets dimpled the water he swam with the flag safe across. About sundown we were reenforced by the Eighth Michigan and One Hundred and Twelfth Illinois cavalry. The rebels, thinking we were too many for them, fell back. The companies across the river returned one at a time in the little ferry-boat till all were over. Then we straightened up and went into camp, and we do not think we ever saw a much darker night, and raining very hard, and had been all the evening.

October thirty-first, our brigade moved on to