The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-05


bivouacked at two O'Clock, in tho caInD
which Zollicoffer's rebels had occupied tie
night before their repulse. have told you
where the Tsnnesseeans were. bat l know
~ot where was the remainder Of the brigade.
The Kentucky 81, (Garrard' 81 / believe, did
not move that night. know not why. The
3ssh Ohio and the SD indiana pushed for
ward to the summit OF Wild Cat, and halted
moving all night long. 4 - ~
The necessity to carry the sick obliged us
to leave m 1ch stores and ammunition. i am
told we left taexty- fuo tons of mmunitionl at
London. And yet, readers, we are making a
forced march to prevent the enemy from cut
ting us of, or to save Blue Grass. So
Strange that soldiers should leave their
ammunition and march to meet the enemy.
Al Pitmaa's we met thirteen wagons loadea
with commissary stores, en- route from camp
Dick Robins m for London. These were un-
ioaaed immed! ateiy, aad procesded to Lon
don for patients aud stores. Some Of the re-
Fiments b I'D necessarily left their tents and
camp equi Page, SO that even had fatigue per-
mitted them to pitched tents they could not
have enjoyed the luxury.
November IA heavy storm of rain
reused the biyouaekers from sleep. Their
blankets and clothing were saturated with
water. The morning was most dismal.
wildcat Heights, Gro waed with q heavy cor
cnal of mist, frowned in dreary and ciscour-
aging altitude before US. The roads were al
ready worked into q tough muck, ana the
pathway on the edges where tie troops
was Roeacastle river, swift, t,and reported un-
fordabie. But the word was en- asaut. The
lads partook of their cold rations and hot
coffee, and took up the toilsome march.
Livery step was laborIous to the sturdy ago
niziug to the feeble. Kuapsacks almost too
heavy under the fairest auspices were now
doablT burdensome, and the pack horse lead
was Increased by the aggrayating weiR hit Of
water which soaked blankets and neavy army
oyfrcoats, and the nasty slime which splash
edand piastereti each as breeches rs high
as his knees IN front and rear, and filled his
shoes until they overfowed with sIusn
During the first mile we passed one bag
gage wagon capslzed In O. creek It's load OF
commissary stores and bag ggage were lost
The desoiiite tearnster and jaded horses, be-
Gau bed with mud, gaZed at ii disInally spd
hopsiessiy as We moved forward. Further
up the hill Il half dozen wagons were stuck
and the poor animals could not move them
a few hundred yards further, barrels of
bread We're tossed out of wagons and left to
destruction in the forests. N stranger to the
lacts, passing, would have said, here is ter
riiied army fleeing from a pursuing enemy.
Going up the mountains, we passed Ten
nesseeans; some are pushing on desperately.
4onder Is ore prone on bed of leaves. His
head is boisCered on a rotten stump. Ex-
haustion is graphically pictured on his livid
| complexion and his silent form. He is un-
conscious, while hs sleeps the sleep OF distress
| that the driving rain is beating mercii+ ssiy
upon him. MY comrade star ties me- Is he
deadf' oh, no; he's only an exhausted SOL
| dier. He wears no shoulder straps with 8
| silver star on each. But it is yet early in the
| day Surely it is not time for soldiers to
yield to fatigue. They have marched only
| one night, and have slept the whole of one or
| two hours on the damp, frosted soil,
Why in the name OF humanity does not the
| commander send back messenge to halt this
| column Is there imminenL dagger ahead ?
Cannot these failing men be halted for rest
At least let messengers be dispatched to in
| spire them to marcn, march, march, TO resist
| the foe. Anything to renew their spirit. But
| look at these wagon loads OF SICK soldiers
| See them shivering in saturated blankets,
| seated in pools OF water which drip from
| their clothing as it pours from the clouds
| Hear their unceassng, discordant, and har.
| rowing chorus OF coughing. Here are cand:-
! dates for the grave. But the order is stern
| Bring all your sick.' "Uh," said one of the
| surgeons to lrse, "rhat was the cruelest or,ie,
| officer ever gave. l protested in vain urged
that it would kill my patients. But come
| they must. l shall lose perhaps thirty or
| forty of my regiment, and it will plant
| consumption in the lungs Of two hundred
| more -
| And here is another picture. We splash
/ along tediously through the mire, and Mount
| ed officers encourage their men by kind words
| of sympathy. Nearly all relieve feeble SOL
diers by carrying their knapsacks and mus.
| kets. Col. Steedman, long raeked with chills
| and fever, and scarce able TO sit ON his horse,
| rides with his scattered columns. Col. Con-
| nell, suffering from illness, bears the burden
| of q sick soldiers knapsack. Col. Coburn
| dismounts and pushes through the mud, while
a feeble lad rides his charger. The captains
| on foot emulate their superiors, and encour-
| age them by example.
! AT Rockcastle river The column is victori-
ousiy over Wildcat. The dismal train halts
at the ferry in mud and iain. Toe laded
men fall asleep on the sod of a naighboring
| me sdow, waiting the slow process OF cross
| ing all the column in one small foat. The
team s;ers stuff their worn-out animals with
| corn. A few, in desperation, plunge into the
| ford where the water is swift, and some mar.
| rowly escape watery grave. The 14th Ohio
loses two wagons anh contents, including
| tn enty tive or tuirty thousand rounds of am
| nunition. The 18th loses a wagon and
| twenty six thousand rounds OF ANN uni tiOa
| at the ferry. The Tennesseeans lose two wa q.
| ons and contents, with three horses ;; and the
3Sth Ohio loses one wagon. How much more
| was lost, l do not know. 4.
This was morning, but the column was
! long after night in crossing. Afterward
throughout the day the scene ALREADY de-
| scribed increased and assumed mere aggra.
vattpg forms. The road constantly BECAME
l moro wretcned. Men flung away their knsp.
| sacks and stalked onward in utter despera-
Lion, their officers refusing TO sea insu bordi
| nation. Some stumbled ar ELL by the way.
| side, where they lay and Sept the sleep Of ex-
| aaus,ion. And the sick in the uncovered
| wagons, and those accursed ambuIances,
were racsed and pounced over rocks and ruts
| until their weak bopes ached, their coue to
! nances testifying to their utter wre caednes ss
| And thus, hour after hour, through mud ard
/ 6.
up the toughest and stsepest grades, and
| down the ruggedest descenJs our Weary
| footsore, exhausted soldiers and jaded teams
struggled and totied in pain a IL the miserable
| day and far into night: for even st mid nigh
feeble strsggiery staggered into Mount Yer.
1 non, where the l4th anc 18th rested, to mud
| their comrades.
| This night the poor lads went to bed sup
| PEERLESS, tor fatigue Was oyerpowering, aud
\ sieep sWeeter than meat Some of them
l 4. RI t{r
! night and morning before. This dag s work
was more disastrous than ordiHary battles -
| God knows how m any sturdy constitutions
| it wrecked, how many brave volunteers ii
| will kill. .
CRAB ORcHARD, Nov. II The 3sth Ohio and
| the 33d Indiana are coming In slowly. The
| former was more deliberate, but suffered its
proportion. The Iatsar are sleeping in the
| woods without tents. know Not waetEe,
| toe Tennessseans have got back safely to Lon
| don.
| There is not m uch beauty or gaity in a sol
diers fife, il it is like this. But the toll, and
| suffering, and sacrifices, and the manly ef-
| forts of brave men obeying orders under cir.
| cumstances such as have sketchsd, are yery
eloquent Win soldiers respect, love and
cheerfuliy fight under officers who abuse them
as slaves do osutesf aas
The amount of physical suffering caused By
tell how many sturdy frames will pend un-
der disease contracted from this ruthless ex.
posure.s The mortality list Of the regiments
| will shortly begin to make . record. May
OF the sick who were drAgged ont Of theiI
beds in the London hospitals, to be tortured
on the rugged roads, saturated With rain and
chilled with cold, must die. MAny of the
| well must fall Ill. All, WE'LL gthere are 25l
| sick In the 33d Indiana; Only . couple OF hun.
dred or 20 sick in the l4tA Ohio; only : bun.
dred or so sick In the SSH Onio; only sovor 4
scores sick In the 18th Ohio; only . 1sv INN.
drsds altogether. II they die, recruit the ..
| giments. 80 - 4sg zgs-@s q -
The Ices Of the property Is ncthinr. TIL
Government 10 rich Only thirtv hovsas -.