Adventures of a Confederate officer.
A correspondent of the Memphis
Appeal, published at
Atlanta, Georgia, says that some three months since Col, Bob.
Martin, 10th Ky.,
Morgan's cavalry, asked for and obtained a leave of absence for ninety days to travel for his health, which had been much impaired by a gunshot wound in the right breast, greatly effecting his lungs and causing hemorrhage.
Quickly collecting 15 men, he moved, not to our rear, but through
Middle Tennessee into
Southern Kentucky, where, after numerous skirmishes, in which a number of the enemy were killed and a regiment of negroes charged and stampeded, he was surprised on a dark, rainy night, just as he was preparing to retire, having divested himself of his hat, coat, pistol, and boots.
The enemy approached from a point deemed inaccessible, and the first intimation of their coming received by
Col. Martin was a volley fired at himself and men at less than ten paces distant.
To beat a hasty retreat, without hat, coat, pistol, or boots, was the only course left the gallant
Colonel; so, darting through the crowd with the speed of an antelope, he quickly distanced his pursuers.
A short distance from his starting point he spied one of his horses, which had broken loose.
Hastily securing and mounting him, without saddle, bridle, or halter, he raised a yell, and, unarmed, charged the enemy, drove all but six from the field, succeeded in recapturing all the equipments and clothing belonging to his party, (save his own hat, coat, pistol, and boots,) but was in turn driven by the six.
They, however, soon retired, and the
Colonel's party hastily reformed and occupied the camp for the remainder of the night.
Next morning he crossed to the west side of the
Tennessee river, where he remained until
Christmas night, when he learned that the
Yankee Lieutenant Beauregard (8th Kentucky cavalry) who made the night attack on him would attend a "soiree," seven miles distant. He determined to surprise them.
Leaving a small guard with his horses he proceeded, accompanied by eight men, on foot to the house.--The armament of his party consisted of two shotguns and two pistols.
On reaching the house he discovered that the "blue birds" had flown.
Beauregard and six of his men had quartered themselves at a house about two miles distant. The
Colonel, with four men, reached the quarter just as the
Yankees were retiring to their rooms.
He entered and took possession of them with little ceremony.
A few days after he and
Capt. Christy proceeded through
Western Kentucky to
Cairo, Illinois, where they spent a very pleasant day. During his scout he captured one steamer and paroled forty Yankees, besides obtaining valuable information.
His accounts from
Middle Tennessee are truly heart rending.
The negroes who have not been enrolled as soldiers are raining around the country, committing great excesses.
Murders are committed daily, houses burned, and crops destroyed.
He but confirms the sad accounts we have heard before.
The information brought by the
Colonel, though prudence forbids its disclosure, is not unfavorable to our cause.
