Chapter XXXVI: Appendix: NOTE P: Page 207

[Confederate account of the fight at Knoxville, in the Sanders Raid, condensed from the Report of Lieut. Col. Milton A. Haynes, C. S. Artillery, to Maj. Von Sheliha, Chief of Gen. Buckner’s staff.]

DEPARTMENT OF EAST TENNESSEE,
KNOXVILLE, JUNE 21, 1863.

Major General Buckner had marched toward Big Creek Gap with all
the artillery and all the other disposable force at this post,
except Colonel Trigg’s 51st (54th) Virginia Regiment, and Colonel
J. J. Finley’s 7th (6th) Florida Regiment; effective force about
1,000 men; leaving Colonel Trigg temporarily in command at
Knoxville. On the morning of the 19th, Maj. Von Sheliha, Acting
Chief of Staff, was informed that the enemy in large force had
passed by Loudon, and were at Lenoir’s Station, twenty-four miles
from Knoxville, and he requested Lieut. Col. Haynes to take
charge of the artillery defence of the city, and to organize his
force from the convalescents in the hospitals and from citizens,
to man his guns then in the city. At the same time he ordered
Maj. S. H. Reynolds, Chief of Ordnance, to issue to Lieut. Col.
Haynes as many field pieces as could possibly be put in condition
within a few hours, and to furnish him with all necessary
equipments and one hundred rounds of ammunition. This order was
fulfilled as far as was practicable.

In the mean time the citizens of Knoxville had been ordered to
report to Col. Haynes or to Col. (E. D.) Blake for duty for the
defence of the city.

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon of that day it was known that the
enemy was within five miles of the city, and their advance were
skirmishing with thirty-seven of our cavalrymen, being all that
were then in Knoxville. The eight pieces of artillery at the
ordnance department were immediately posted in sections. First,
at College Hill, under Maj. Baker (the exposed point); second,
on McGhee’s Hill, under Capt. Hugh L. McClung, and third, under
Lieut. Patterson and Lieut. J. J. Burroughs, at Summit Hill. This
last battery had been fortified during the afternoon, under the
superintendence of Capt. (W. F.) Foster, of the engineers, with a
cotton bale revetment. During that evening, the enemy failing to
advance, Colonel Trigg removed Major Baker’s battery from College
Hill to a point near the Asylum Hospital. In the evening about
200 persons, citizens and convalescent soldiers from hospitals,
had reported for duty, and each of the batteries was fully
manned, although in the morning of the same day there was no
artillery force whatever in the city.

During the night the pickets of the enemy advanced upon the city,
but the Confederate pickets, thrown out by Col. Trigg, after
an hour’s skirmish, drove them back at about 2 o’clock in the
morning.

At 7 o’clock on the 20th, four pieces of artillery, detached by
Gen. Buckner from his command, reached the ordnance depot, and
were immediately taken to the rear as a reserve. Soon after, the
enemy advanced at double quick time from beyond the workshops
in North Knoxville, where the Confederates had neither battery
nor soldiers to oppose them. Colonel Haynes took “a section of
Wyly’s battery, and moved them at a gallop to a point immediately
in front of the advancing column, and opened fire upon them
with spherical case. The enemy took shelter behind houses and
fences, and threw forward sharp-shooters within 200 yards of the
Confederate Battery which was entirely unsupported by infantry,
and 400 yards from any support. At the same time a battery of
three-inch rifled guns belonging to the enemy opened upon the
Confederates at 800 yards, and during the first two or three
shots killed and wounded some of their men and several horses.
The battery was then advanced and ordered not to fire at the
artillery, but at the infantry. The enemy at this moment forming
a column, advanced rapidly, but after receiving two rounds of
canister, they retreated.” ... “During the same time the battery
under Lieut. J. J. Burroughs and Lieut. Patterson on Summit
Hill, were also engaged and kept up a continual fire, during
which Capt. McClung and Lieut. Fellows were killed. The section
under Lieut. Whelon, before ordered by Col. Trigg to Temperance
Hill, opened fire from there upon the retreating enemy, which,
with the fire from Wyly’s battery, Burroughs’ battery and Maj
Baker’s, completed the victory.” ... “The enemy had one battery
of artillery and about 2,600 men, opposed by about 1,000 men,
part of whom were citizens and convalescent soldiers.”

Col. Haynes says in his report: “Among many citizens who reported
to me that day for duty, I must not forget to mention Hon. Landon
C. Haynes, Hon. Wm. H. Sneed, Hon. John H. Crozier, Rev. Joseph
H. Martin and Rev. Mr. Woolfolk, and many others who do not
desire me to mention their names. With such compatriots and such
fellow-soldiers a man might willingly at any time meet the foe.

“Our loss was two officers and two enlisted men killed and four
enlisted men wounded. Loss of enemy, forty-five.”