CHAPTER IV.

CAVALRY SERVICE.

     New Field of Action. —­ Promotion. —­ Guerrilla Warfare. —­
     Characteristics. —­ Tendencies. —­ Captain J.H.  Morgan. —­
     Character. —­ Personal Appearance. —­ Anecdotes. —­ Success. 
     —­ Southern Cavalry superior to Northern. —­ Advantages. —­
     Riding Courier. —­ General Johnson evacuates Bowling Green. 
     —­ Excitement in Nashville. —­ Preparations for Defence. —­
     Commissary Stores. —­ Vandalism. —­ Rear Guard. —­ Line of
     Retreat. —­ Dreadful Hardships. —­ Losses. —­ Forced March. 
     —­ Desolation. —­ Cause of Retreat. —­ Other Counsel. —­
     Accident. —­ No Union Feeling evident. —­ Intolerant yet
     Sincere.

While at Nashville, recovering from the typhoid pneumonia, I resolved to seek a transfer to the cavalry service, as affording me a new field of observation, and perhaps a more stirring and exciting life.  As Captain F——­s was recruiting a company in and around Nashville, I rode with him from day to day over the country, and thus secured his advocacy of my wishes.  On the 4th of February, 1862, I was transferred to his company, and entered it as orderly sergeant, and a vacancy soon occurring, I was promoted to a lieutenancy, Our company was to have been attached to a battalion commanded by Major Howard of Maryland, formerly of the United States army, and as my captain was in service on General Hardee’s staff, I acted as captain during the whole of my term in this branch of the service.  Shortly after, my company was attached to the command of that celebrated guerrilla leader, Captain J.H.  Morgan, at that time, however, acting under the rules of regular warfare, and not, as now, in the capacity of a highway robber.

The system of guerrilla warfare has been indorsed by an act of the Confederate Congress, and is fully inaugurated over a large part of the South.  As there practiced now, it is distinguished from regular warfare by two things:  First, the troops are not under any brigade commander, but operate in small bands, much at their pleasure, with a general responsibility to the major-general commanding in their department.

One result of this feature of the system is to develop a large amount of talent in the ranks, as every man has an individual responsibility, and constant opportunities to test his shrewdness and daring.  It also gives a perfect knowledge of all roads and localities to the whole force in a given section, as some one or more soldiers will be found in each gang, who, in their frequent maraudings, have traversed every by-path and marked every important point.