Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-10-30
THE CITY.


OF Oberlin College, narTate his experience
in the KanaWha Valley during recent trip
to that region. For some reason or other,
the gas refused TO shed light upon the Occa-
sion for upwards Of an hour after the greater
part Of the listeners had arrived, and con-
siderable amuement was afforded, by cheer
ing every thing in the candle line, which was
improvised for the occasion. Finally, the
defect in the meter having been remedied,
Prof. Peck appeared upon the stage and pro-
eeeded to talk, as he himself expressed it, IS
he would 10 his neighbOrs, giving q plain
and unvarnished account of his trip. He
said that two reasons operated in taking
him 70 Virginia: One was, that his associ-
ates on the banner Committee, desired him
to be the bearer OF it to the Seventh Regi-
ment; the other was that he had received a
message from young man in whom he felt
greatly interested, who had been at Ober-
lin College, and who had been wounded
severely in action, land who afterwards died
from his wOunds,) wishing to know if he
could be brought to Oberlrn and there cared
for.
During the journey, he received positive
information at every station on the Ks-
nawha that at the next landing place the
enemy would be met, but in spite of such
warnings they arrived safely at their desti-
nation. The appearance Of going to war
was very different from the return. In the
one case the soldiers were fresh and inspired
with what was before them; in the other,
there were the awful results the sick,
wounded and dying. During the trip to
Virginia everybody seemed good natured,
with few exceptions. He had met but two;
one being drunken teamzter, and the other
an officer IN the 0. s. service at Columbus.
There were two classes of individuals to be
met with along the Kanawha; the rich and
the poor. There were here and there state
ly mansions 10 be seen, but everywhere were
found miserable novels, inhabited by equally
miserable inhabitants. Above the Ka-
nswha, the scenery is picturesque and ex-
tremely wild and romantic. The hills are
high and covered with close forests and un-
dergrOwth.
Everything in the way Of supplies Of pro-
visions and forage is brought from the North
at q great expense, as our Government is
opposed to taking anything without pay,
even from rebels. The service of the team
sters 3 of the most arduous kind. They
are compelled frequently to work day and
night without rest, and almost always to
sleep through fair or foul weather without
even blanket, in the bottom of their Wsg-
ons. Prot. Peck said, that it seemed to him
that screw of the largest kind was loose in
the Western Virginia transportation service.
At one point, two or thre thousaend horses
were brought in to q certain STATEN and the
Quartermaster in charge there was called
unon TO furnish forage. he replied, that he
had had no order to that effect and could not
do 50, and advised that the horses be turned
> cut to Craze. They were, therefore, turned
loose to shift for themselves, although the
/ Quartermaster acknowledged that he did
. not know of any grass anywhere within his
Jurisdiction.
At Gsuley, where the 7th Regiment were
stationed, the speaker noticed, particularly,
the cherries aspect Of the camps, He was
invited by Col. Tyler to make his tent his
headquarters, and did so. While there, 3
! scout entered and presented dispatches to
) Col. T. The duties Of these scouts is par
ticularly srduous, and the service requh ed il
peculiarly severe and dangerous, One oI
!, these travelled ls8 miles in 80 hours, on q
dark night night and over rough and hilly
roads.
One young man from Trumbull county
naued Wood, aprivate in the 9Th Regiment
had had some rather interesting experiences
in this way. On one occasion, when sent of
on duty, he was captured by the rebels; but
being quick-witted and plausible fellow
he passed himself off as a secessirnist OF
the way south to settle, having been driven
+ out by Cox. He played the part so vel
! that he was released and went on his mis-.
sion. He was again seized by another party
and put in the guard-houss. He had the
: good fortune TO meet there pair of out and
out rebels, whose confidence he gained snC
: from whom he learned the whole physica
> geography Of the surrounding country snC
the plans Of the enemy. On being called NJ
! in the morning, he took shelter under thu
y secession wings of his new friends, and wa
set free with them. The three rode away
from the camp, and at a cross road the fed
: eral scout put spurs to his herse, and befor
many hours was safe with his friends, Il
Z whom he eimparted the most valuable infor
s nation.
On another similar occasion the sam
young man, while on scouting duty, fell il
!. with recruiting party of rebels in one Q
the towns. Whisky was plenty, and h
z. went in with the rest talking secession, an,
drinking more or less. Having got Bafel
away, he while proceeding on his journey
- fell in with party who were guarding
.st battery. He was fired at by two men, bu
both shots missed. Without stopping b
put spurs to bis horse, rode past, and FIRE
= at them with his revolver, and escaped.
was noticeable fact that one Of the tw
seemed greatly affected from some cause o
-, other, and it was moreover ascertained tha
q funeral took place in that locality on th
following day.
The colors were presented to the sevsntl
on 8 beautiful day the regiment being
:. drawn up in line on fat table which pre-
a iected from the side Of high hill. Tn
Colonel shed tears as he received them, an
the entire regiment showed BY its name
= that the fact that their friends at home stil
3 held Them in remembrance, would nerv
Sd si them with new strength to the performanc
lssee Of their duty.
I'd In conclusion, Prof. Peck spoke Of tn