Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-12-05

their disappointment and denouncing the frauds with which they had been deluded. Some were imbued with the idea that they were to march up the Somerset road about three miles above London-to meet the enemy, and agreed to go that far, but not be}ond Upon reaching that point the head of the column failed to halt. A few Tennesseans madly broke from the ranks and moved back towards camp. Several threw themselves sullenly on the ground and refused to march.
 As we moved forward they continued to leave the ranks in pairs and squads. Then squads multiplied into sections, sections into platoons, and platoons almost into whole companies. A private came back from therront and appealed to an officer to stop the deserters. He said the regiment was disorganized-th men were going back to Tennessee; their officers could do nothing with them. The poor fellows, with despairng exceptions. continued to proclaim their loyalty, but could not stand the disappointment. Occasionally stout hearted fellow would proclaim his deter imitation to follow the flag wherever orders carried him-s' but it is hard on Tennes- scans, boys," he would say to the Buckeyes. In . march of four miles we must have passed two hundred stragglers. Some were lying prone on the ground, sobbing: some stood by the highway swearing deli- antly; others leaned against the fence, sul- 1 lenly, undetermined whether to move one way or another.
 Here was the adiutant of the regiment addressing q squad, "For Gods sake, boys, move on. Look at the Ohoans.- Don't let them beat you. You ale fight ing for the Union. Let's keep, Tennessee ans, together. Come boys" "Well, ad- iutant,' said one, ''it will do for you who ride to talk, but we who do nothing but march up and down this internal road, don't appreciate it.' ''Get on my horse, and I'l walk" said the adjutant, and the transfer has made And so the column trudged on heavily, and halted for jaded teams to dislodge from the mire, or pushed ahead, leaving vehicles to be extricated by whomsoever would do it. At midnight there was long line of struggling Tennes seeans, from the head of their column clean back to their camp. It was marked by the lurid hue of the atmosphere, illumined 1 by their blazing bivouac fires Ill the forests, around which they huddled in shivering groups. Hardly nucleus for the regi- ment was left in column, though many stout fellows pushed on, determined to fol- low where orders commanded. But there were pitiful scenes, and heart touching.
 Soon after mid d-night, the 14th Ohio and the artillery men, after scaling Wildcat :. nights. flung themselves headlong on the ground. None were covered that night or morning save by blankets and D vel neering of cold, white frost. The sick, too, in the open wagons, lay s}udaoriH@ and shivering and moaning in the sharp, cutting atmosphere of a November morn ing. The l7th Ohio halted and bivouacked at two o'clock in the camp which Iollicof- fer's rebels had occupied the night before their repulse. I have told you where the Tennesseeans wcre but l know not where was the remainder of the brigade. The Kentucky Sd, (Garrard's) l believe, did not move that night. l know not why The 3Sth Ohioan the 33d Indiana pushed forward to the summit of Wildcat, and halted not long before day. The teams were also moving all night long.
 The necessity to carry the sick obliged us to leave much stores and ammunition. am told we left teCenty-teco tunS of ammu- nition at London And yet, readers, we are making forced march to prevent the enemy from cutting us off, or to save Blue Grass.
 Strange that soldiers should leave their ammunition and march to meet the enemy. At Putnam we met thirteen wagons loaded with ommSsary stores. eh route from camp Dick Robinson for London. These were unloaded immediately, and proceeded to London for patients and stores. Some of the regiments had necessarily left their tents and camp equipage, so that even had fatigue permitted them to pitch ten ts they could not have enjoyed the luxury.
 November 14th--A heavy storm of rain reused the bivouachers from sleep. Their blankets and clothing were saturated with water The morning was most dismal. Wildcat Heights crowned with a heavy CO., rona of mist, frowned in dreary and dis couragng altitude before US. The roads were already worked into tough muck, and the pathway on the edges where the troops walked were slimy and slippery Beyond was Rockcastlc river, swift and reported unfordabe. But the word was en ayom The lads partool1 of their cold la- tions and hot coffee, aud took up the toii- some march. Every step was laborous to the sturdy, agonizing to the feeble. knap- sacks almost too heavy under the tairest auspices, were now doubly burdensome, and the pack k-horse load was increased by the aggravating weight of water which soaked blankets and heavy army overcoats, and the nasty slime which splashed and plastered each mans brooches as high as knees in front and rear, and filled his shoes until they overhowed with slush.
 During the first mile we passed one baggage wagon capsized in g creek. Its load of commissary stores and baggage were lost. The desolate teamster and jad- ed horses, bedaubed with mud, gazed at ii dismally and hopelessly as we moved for ward Further up the bill half dozen wagons were stuck, and the poor animals could not move them. A few huntrcd yards further, barrels of bread were tossed out of wagons and left to destruction in the forests. A stranger to the facts, passing would have said, here Is terrified army