Today in History:

665 Series I Volume XXXI-I Serial 54 - Knoxville and Lookout Mountain Part I

Page 665 Chapter XLIII. SCOUT TO BEAN'S STATION, TENN,

Two regiments of infantry and 50 wagons reported as having crossed at mount of Chucky.

No reports received from General Sturgis Of any Movements of enemy to-day. I have not yet started the troops to Dandridge.

JNumbers G. PARKE,

Major-General.

General E. E. POTTER.


Numbers 2.

Report of Captain John R. Robinson, Twenty-seventh Kentucky Infantry.

MASSENGALE'S HOUSE,

December 30, 1863.

Major-General PARKE:

GENERAL: All is quiet in my immediate front. I have the honor to send you the following copy of report to Colonel Love, commanding Mounted Infantry Brigade, from Captain Robinson, who has just returned from a scout up the river. The report is as follows:

I have the honor to report that the detachment of 100 men, 50 from Eleventh Kentucky and 50 from Twenty-seventh Kentucky, with Captain Elms and Lieutenant Morris, Of Eleventh Kentucky, and Lieutenant Norris and Fisher, Twenty-seventh Kentucky, left the camp at 1 p. m. yesterday; pushed forward to Turley's Mill, north of the Holston. While near that place the advance guard, under command of Lieutenant Norris, came up with a small squad of the enemy and pressed them so close as to recapture 2 union citizen of Greene County and 2(Union)Fourth East Tennessee soldiers, who the rebels were marching to Morristown. The advance was fired upon by the rebel pickets from the south side of the Holston, at said Turley's Mill, where they are in force, variously estimated at from 3,000 down to two companies. The south bank of the Holston is guarded at all important points from Turley's Mill up to Noe's Ferry, where is a rebel regiment on the south side the Holston. As the road from Turley's(or May's) Ford to Noe's Ford lies along the north bank of the Holston, at the foot of a cliff of from one-half to three-fourths mile in length, where troops would be exposed to sharpshooters and a piece of artillery from the enemy, it was deemed prudent not to march up the river road, so the detachment marched out the Richland Valley road 2 1/2 miles, to McAllister's, and camped. During the night it was reported by citizens that a large rebel force crossed at Noe's Ford yesterday. This morning a scout, under Captain Elms, returned to near Turley's Mill and found all quiet. The detachment marched early this morning to Richland Valley, thence up to Station, and from thence, on the Morristown road, to Noe's Ford, Where it was ascertained that the rebels have a regiment and one piece of artillery, with rifle-pits on the south side of the ford. The advance guard, under Lieutenant Fisher, proceeded a short distance above the ford, but only saw additional pickets on the south side of the river.

This detachment also met a detachment of the Sixth Indiana Cavalry,under command of Captain Stephens,who had been ordered to Mooresburg, but after moving 3 miles above Bean's Station, and finding a rebel hospital of 21 badly wounded, a surgeon, and 16 sick and nurses, &c., and hearing that a rebel cavalry force visited the hospital daily, and that from 30 to 40 rebels were at Bean's Station night before last, that Moore's [?] rebel brigade was at Mooresburg and Vaughn's brigade at Rogersville, he deemed it prudent to return at once.

There is no rebel force, except small squads, north of the Holston bellow Bean's Station and Noe's Ford, but above these points the enemy have the forces indicated, with picket or scout lines from the Holston to the Valley road, a few miles above and parallel with the Bean's Station and Morristown road.

J. R. ROBINSON,

Captain Twenty-Seventh Kentucky, &c., Commanding Scouts.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAMES G. SPEARS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding, &c.


Page 665 Chapter XLIII. SCOUT TO BEAN'S STATION, TENN,