Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-27
BULL RUN ECLIPsED.
Lssaer from Orab orchard.


Of kentucky Disgracefid elimination and TeTIai
nation Of he Cumberland Gap Expedition.
CRAB ORCHARD, KY, Nov. l7.-My last letter was
written from Camp Coburn, near Grab Orchard.
The Wildcat Brigade, OF sorrowful fragments OF it.
hsd but just staggered into camp after its disastrous
retreat from Lqudon and its tattered remains were
still Struggling up the rugged road miles in the
rear, animated by the hope Of finally reaching ha
ven Of rest. As that Wretched struggle with the
elements over execrable roads, VIII be remembered
by five Thousand abused volunteers rs long az they
retain their faculty Ct memory, Z deserves cescrp
ton.
You will remember that wednesday afternoon,
Nov 18th, Gen. Schoepf issued an order requiring
all the troops to be ready to march at eight O'Clock
that eTenings Commanders Of corps were directed
to carry with them all their sick, leaving sHeh bag
gage and stores az could not BE transported. Pre-
Tiously tEsTe had been fdnoTs ct az advance, and
when the order to pFepsre to move was issued to
tbs troops, it was received With e&ultstior. TIE
Ten nesseans Tegs especially delighted, and pre-
pared with slserity to return to their fresi3es. Z
bad been currently reported that letters hsd been
received BY prominent Tennessesns from frienAs at
Louisville and Washington, assuring them that the
Cumberland Gap expedition would soon be pushed
to an issue. This order, therefore, confirmed the
report, and am told that Hon. Andy Johnson, Gen.
Carter, Col. Byrd, Col Spears, and others, were
elated at the prospect Of immediate fruition of
their hopes They did not seem to comprehend that
the order concerning the sick implied a retrogsde
movement. But when informed of the fact, they
were overwhelmed with sorrow and Indignation
Mr.. johnson turned from his informant. aud en-
tered his hotel without one word, in utter despair.
The information was withheld from the troops
until they were moving, when the fact flashed upon
them and they denounced it with the yehemence Of
disappointed soldiers. Many of the Tennesseans
displayed strongly mutinous spirit. Some swore
they would not recede foot of the ground which
had been conquered; others expressed determine
ton to desert and return to Tennessee at all haZ-
ards and many wept with vexation and despair
Their officers appealed earnestly to their patriot
ism, announcing to them that Gen. Thomas had or
dered them to countermarch in order to meet the
rebels, who were reported moving toward Grab
Orchard in strong force to cut them of, and that
retrograde movement was necessary to save the ex-
petition. II also stated by officers of various
regiments, that Zolliceffer was reported marching
up from Tennessee with strong column to form q
junction with Buckner, to penetrate the Blue Grass
country Such were the facts and statements prior
to the hour Of marching. The subsequent facts
will appear in the following diary:
LoSDON, Ky, Nov. l3.-Long bafore o'clock, P
NJ most OF the troops of thu Wild Cat Bridge with
three days ratons in their haversacks, were pres
pared to march The sick who could be removed
and there were many toe feeble to walk yet able
to ridewere transferred to those wretched instru.
ments OF torture to the i'll or the healthy-tWo
wheeled northumberland to common army wa
CONS, some of which were uncovered, thus exposing
men to the raw night air. But many poor bed rid
den fellows who were necessarily left, remained
confined 40 the hospitals, 8 prey to narrowing spS
prehenSons OF captivity. OF course surgeons and
guards we're detailed 70 minister to their wants and
protect them until they should be removed. But
how many men were closely packed in ambulances
and wagons l could not learn. COL Steedman
would not leave any, and he had over loo stored
away comfortable as possible. The surgeon OF
the SD Indians, Mortified at the order, protested
vehementiy, but he was informed decisively, the
Hes dnua ell -u1ua
be removed, and orders must. be obeyed.
be still protested that q removal would result
In the death of some of his patients, and he was
told to quarter them with private families at Lon
don. But the 33i Indiana brought away one hun
dred and eighty nine sick. did not inquire how
many were removed by other regiments, but the
number was large. Besides many feeble fellows
just discharged from the hospitals, bat unfit for
duty, shouldered their muskets and donned their
heavy knapsaeks preferFng the cruelties of fore
ed march TO the hazards of captivity
The I4th Ohio had the right Ct the column
Shortly before eight o'clock it marched solemnly
by the camp of 18th Ohio, its band mournfuIy
playing the dead mSrch--thus expressing the emo
items Of the troops. 1t followed by Standards
and Kenneys batteries with the baggage trains Of
each of the foregoing corps The 18th Ohio fell in
their rear aud its sarcastic lads, keenly apprecia
ting the occasion, burst into satrical paraphrsse
of their faTorite regimental dirty, one strain Of
which runs somewhat thus:
'' Old ZoIiicofsr can't take w.
can't take as, can't take US,
On a long summers day.
1t was impromptu at the Wildcat fight, SO was
the song as they retreated
sod zonicoGsr can't cGtcz us,
Can't catch US, can't each us,
Cause we're running away"
More fOrcble than elegant and more expressive
than poetical.
And 50 each regiment followed by its baggage
train and sad procession of inVaids, moved up the
10 and mad OQf nfk he
had fallen in behind the I4th Ohio, and moved on
sullen and sorroWfal bitterly expressing their dis
appointment and denouncing the frauds with which
they had been deluded. Some were jmbued 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 beyond
Upon reaching that point the head of the column
failed to halt. A few Tennessesns 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 multi
piled into sections sections into platoons and pa
toons almost into whole companies. A private
came back from the front and appealed to officer
to stop the deserters. He sail. the regiment was
dsorganized-the men were going back to Tennes-
see; their officers could DO nothing with them. The
poor fellows with despairing exceptions, continued
to proclaim their loyalty but could not stand the
disappointment Occasionally stout hearted fel
flag wherever orders carried him-"but it's hard
on Tennesseaus boys" he would say to the Buck
eyes. In march of four miles we must have pass
ed 200 stragglers. Some were lying prone on the
ground, sobl4ng some stood by the highway swe u
ing defantly; others leaned against the fence, sul>
lenly undetermined whether to move enc way or
the other.
Here wa theAdjutant of the regiment addressing
a squad, =" For Gods sake, boys, move on Look at
the Ohioans. Don't let them beat yoa. You are
fighting for the Union. Let's keep, Pennesseans,
together Come, boys" {" Well AdJHtant," said one,
It win 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'll walk" said the Adjutant, and the transfer
was made. And so the column trudged onward
heavily, and halted for faded teams to dislOdge
wagon from the mire, or pushed ahead, leaving We
hicles to be extrcsted by whomsoeyer would do it.
At midnight there long line of struggling Ten
nesseans from the head of their column clean back
to their camp twas marked by the lurid hue of the
atmosphere, illumined by their blazing bivouac fires
in the forests, around which they huddled in shIy>
ering groups. Hardly nucleus fer the regiment