In the afternoon of the preceding Saturday startling rumors were circulated in Knoxville, that a considerable body of Confederate cavalry had appeared on the south side of the river opposite the town, and had attacked Col. Woolford with success, capturing a portion of his regiment. It was said, “they are rapidly moving upon the town,” “they are already at Rockford, only nine or ten miles away and still coming.” At the same time Gen. Shackelford could be seen with his staff upon Gay Street, riding towards the pontoon bridge, which had been transferred from the Tennessee river at Loudon, and thrown across it at Knoxville. Placed by Gen. Burnside in command of all the cavalry, the reason of his then taking the field was the arrival of Gen. Wheeler, sent by Gen. Longstreet from Loudon to take possession of the heights on the south side of the river opposite Knoxville. Considering the importance and peril of Gen. Shackelford’s errand, he appeared to a citizen observer, cool and calm to the point of indifference. Readers of romantic fiction and lovers of American chivalry, are accustomed to associate with their ideas of the warrior and hero a gay, prancing steed, of fiery temper and proud head. The horse he rode was a gentle, well-conditioned pacer, with a short tail, and the _tout ensemble_ of such a quadruped, capable of serving equally well any and every member of a family. The chief of cavalry himself, as he rode along the street, was composedly smoking one of the short-stemmed pipes which were extensively used by the soldiers. As the conflict on the south side ended in possession of its hills being retained by the Federal troops, the unpleasant fears Union citizens felt concerning the capture of the town were shortly dispelled: but with the morrow similar apprehensions were aroused among a few leading public men upon being informed of Longstreet’s advance with his main army and of Burnside’s retreat upon Knoxville. [Illustration: MAJ. GEN. S. P. CARTER.] General Saml. P. Carter was of course advised of those movements and was strongly impressed, as well he may have been, with the imminent danger there was, that the United States army with only 12,000 men, would be unable to hold the town against 20,000 men including cavalry. In his regard for the safety of certain prominent Union citizens, he sent them word of the disastrous contingency shortly ahead, and, if they chose to escape the consequences of its occurrence, that he would provide them an escort as far as expedient on their way to the more favored clime of Kentucky. At such a time, men whose active locomotion may deliver them from imprisonment that might end in death, are apt to “Stand not upon the order of their going, But go at once.”