Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-18
OuR WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE.
rnE CAmPAIGN m vrHen1A.
rrom our Army in we.,sru y,rr,n...

AASEY's Regiment to his father in this vicinity
dated at "Encampmens Valley Mountain, Angus
80, 1sGl:'''
wrote you on last Monday by Mr.. Stewart, from
/ our last encampment, "Big Spring" The same af
ternoon our Regiment received orders to move for
ward to Valley Mountain. The left wing went VI
the same day, leaving the right wing behind, fcI
1 want of transportation. As the road has been il
/ miserable condition for the last two weeks, owing
to the heavy hauling in furnishing supplies to ths
| army, team could haul but q half load. Colonel.
/ Nancy and Sewer went on with the hrstdetachment
| leaving Major LOoney sick, and me in temporary
command Of the right wing Il had rained hard al
the afternoon, and ceasng at night, we had large
fire made up at my tent, and as usuai, were enjoy
/ ing ourselves talking over the prospect Of fight
our trip through Virginia and the people at home
/ when the Adjutant of Col. Gilhsm's Brigade rode
up with an order on Col. Nancy for two companies
OF seventy-hve men each 10 report "a healq HartePs
on Valley Mountain, for the purpose of going on
scout some nine miles beyond the mountain. The
order stated that four or five hundred Yankees
were encamped on the mountain, and the General
wished to have them captured. told the Adjutant
that he had unnecessary night ride of three miles
and to go back TO Col Nancy on the mountain and
| get two companies there ct his own eneampment.
But, second thought. went TO Gen. Anderson for
instruction. He thought it best to send two compa
mics. 80 awoke my own company and that Of
Captain Fields at half past IL O'Clock, took twenty
rounds Of ammunition, and started at half : with a
| few sea buiscuits in our havresscks. After going
four miles through mad nearly knee deep, and
wading several creeks. we found ourselves e day
light in sight Of Gen. LoRings teut, with the rain
pouring IN torrents, and running frem our caps
down our necks, and muddy from waist down. l
wentup to his tent QeaYing my command near the
road } found the General and two of his staff in
bed. Col Stark with whom was acquainted, in
troduced me to the General. He rose upon his cot
and shook hands, saying, well, you must have had
a rough time of it last night. did not intend the
order to go to the Big Spring. remarked that 81
thought myself it was q mistake" He said, Il am
sorry that you had so much unnecessary trouble;
however, you are here, and l will give you some
thing to do" He then turned me over to Col Gil
ham for instructions. The Colonel furnished me
with guide and ordered me to go to Cox's "a cabin
Ave miles off where the advanced pickets were
stationed,) there to wait for Col Burts regiment
from Virginia. His instructions were to advance
very cautiously. after leaving the pUkets three
miles OUT and if we encountered the enemy to let
in on him and capture if possible, if not, to en-
gage anti Coz Burt came up. f4g 5 &
At sun rise left Col Gilman and proceeded to
fulfill my orders. After going three miles horse
man came up with an order from Col Burt to halt
until he came up. which did. The Virginia regi-
ment came up in fifteen minutes While waiting. our
guide "Pottsp pointed out amountain TO the right,
which he supposed was filed with the Yankees, Il
being spur from the ridge on which they had
camped. This excited a good deal of curiosity for
while, but as we could see no enemy we occupied
our time better By lying down the rocks 70 rest
looked around a. the faces OF the men to see how
they had stood the night march, empty stsmsehs,
through mud from ten 70 twelve inches deep most
efthe way and dFenchng rain beatng m their faces
until after day light. discovered most them in fine
spirits and trying to make some impression on the
sea biscuit, which they soon became disguised with
and for jolity sung out their general signal ohoop,
Company 4, come and eat y Company A, il famous
for this cry They say if they get into fight where
he aaf of4 urill ali uOrlt
in the Yankees ears, company A come and eat
To resume; Col Burt came up and put me in
front We marched on TO Cox's. There we saw the
advanced picket Of about thirty men, and learned
that small party Of their men went out the eve
ming before under the command of a Lieutenant,
and had not returned. and the conclusion was that
they had been captured. Col. Burt came up and
told me the enemy had moved. Another militia
scouthad come up and informed him they had borne
oil TO the right, and that he supposed they were
trying TO move to HuttonviHe to reinforce that
place, and that he would detail me and company
of forty men from his right, to 90 forward with
couple of guides and reconnO1tre, and to discover if
the enemy were any where near. l Immediately
formed my command-abOut one hundred and
twenty five men and started. l had not gone more
than two hundred yards before the lost Lieutenant
came in and reported that he had seen the camp;
that fires covered the side OF the mountain and as
near as he could Judge there were about seven
thousand men. The Colonel came up and told me
tO.proceed with caution-to put out an advanced
guard and if the ground would admit Of it anywhere
to deIloy q skiFmsh either fiank-to try to keep
out OF an engagement with the enemy, If | found
any and to send back messenger to him if should
be attacked, but if | should De surrounded all he
had TO say was, to cut my way through and come
back.
went forward according to Instructions. Our
march was up and down the mountain all the way,
sometime sliding down, clinging 30 the bushes,
again pulling up by trees and logs, and wading
streams a cold as spring water. No enemy
were to be seen, and my company began to show
signs of fatigue, when about two miles from the
point where the Virginia Lieutenant stood the night
before and saw camp fires. halted for rest, about
two O'Clock. Feeling faint and weary from loss OF
sleep and fasting, Lieutenant Kelly dropped down,
completely used up. His face WAS spotted and the
perspirsti0n stood in drops on his forehesd, SIS
large as buck shot. told him 10 lie down and wait
my return, or go back to the picket, where four
others were left, he saw proper. Leaving
private broken down with him, proceeded on up
the mountain and about three o'clock P. n. reached
the point where the Virginia Lieutenant had seen
the seven thousand men. They proved to be two
Regiments under Col Rust of Arkansas They had
intendedto go behind HuttonVile but they and their
guide wsre completely lost, and struck in trail
which carried them where they were discovered
by our militia scouts. -f..f-.ss .t,ss
On hearing this laid down on the ground and
went to sleep. was soon awakened, however, by
Capt. Rector, of the Virginia Regiment who in
vited me TO go down to Ars- Potts and get sone-
thing TO eat At that time cared for nothing but
sleep, and did not get wide awake until was pulled
up. Looking around, found all my command ex-
cept eight ten stretched out sleeping so sOundly
that gun fired of would not have awakened them.
We found Mrs. Potts busily engaged in cooking for
and the men, with her kettles in the yard flsd
with potatoes and bacon, were doing their part in
getting something also The old Iady told US that
she could not send to mill as the 'NoTthersD were
down there and would catch her son if he went |
She told me that they were certainly thoes and |
about hundred and beventy-fve Of Than am |
buscsded in the road. On hearing this sent a |
man back on horseback. to Col. GilhRm's camp, for
one days ration of hard bread and salt expressing
the intention Of going turtle. the Aex5 day. The |
messenger arrived after shutdown, with 10 Sations /
and with order to come back to Col. Burt's com
mand Immediately. / could not obey the order at |
that time, as We were to leave the guide, and it /
was impossible 70 find the way back, and to march
3 set of men twehty,foaF hours one meal So |
we retired to the woods the top of little noun
tain and eneamped fer the night, and proceeded on
our way back next morning, after taking breakfast
at Mrs. Potts.
We met the Virginia Lieutenant befors men.
toned, out looking for as Gems. Lee ard Loring l
had been out st the picket and with Col. Burt
concluded that We had been captured. We got |
back 20 the picket and Yemsined until late in the
afternoon Col. Burt then received orders to re-
turn to the camp. We got back at ten o'clock,
hungry and wet, thinking evidently there had bean
much ado about nothing" =
found our tents on the ground piled up for us,
Tom Malone, who had been left behind sick had
come on up the mountain, and my tent was pitched,
With every thing ready to receive us. The cooks /
ItirFed around, and in the course of an hour had !