Henry Miller War Experience
Narrow Escape #23
Ironton Register 21 April 1887
Submitted by Debbie Meinhart
“What is your narrow escape?” we said to Henry Miller.
“Well, you know I belonged to the 173rd, so it will not come as a surprise if I have more than one. One pretty close call was in the latter part of ’63. I, with nineteen others, was detailed for escort duty and sent from Knoxville to guard a train (R.R.) against there to Paducah. Our cargo was flour.
The Railroad ran along steep hillsides at several places on the Cumberland River. The hills were often covered with laurel; while passing through one of these places, the train was fired on by rebel bushwhackers. The assault was as much a surprise to us as a clap of thunder from a clear sky.
“I was standing near the door of one of the box cars, within two feet of the many guarding the door. He had his thigh broken with the first volley and fell back into the car. I flattened out like a postage stamp behind many flour barrels. We lost no time in getting away from there. Our engineer was scared so that when, by some accident, the locomotive became detached from the train, he ran several miles and left us.
When he found he had lost us, he came back looking for us. When he found us, he hitched on and hurried us out of that. Fortunately, he had taken us out of imminent danger before he got uncoupled. I don’t think what would have become of us if he had not. After getting away, we counted forty-seven bullets that came through the same hole. I have no idea how many bullets missed or came through the same hole. At that time, many of us thought there were a thousand.
“My other ‘Narrow Escape’ was at Nashville on the 15th of December 1864. Hood was on the hills above the town. The battle was raging furiously.
“We were staying close by Fort Negley. An aid was sent down for a fresh regiment. He came straight for us. It looked as if we were to see a battle and know what it was to be in one. The Aid spoke a few words to Col. Hurd. Then galloped off and ordered a colored regiment forward. If it had not been for the colored regiment being handy, we would have been in a battle, and I might have been killed.”
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