The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-09-19
Retreat sfshe Flrst asersia Regiment from
p Carrick's forA-A Thrilling Narrative.

Retreat sf the flrst GsoPsia Rec iment frem
Carrick's ForA-A Thrilling Narrative.
The Virginia correspondent Of the Charles.
ton Mercury writes deeply interesting let.
ter descriptive of the engagement between
Garnetts and McClellan's forces at Carrick's
Ford, and subsequent events: The concluding
portion relates to the perilous retreat Of a
portion of tho First Georgia Regiment across
to Monterey. It is a graphic picture, and we
transfer 1t to our columns. The writer says
The foe was bafiied Of his prey! But seven
companies Of the LIST Georgia Regiment, out.
danked by them, had been cut of by the rapid
advance Of the Indiana line, and were driven
from the road and up the mountain into
wilderness where human foot had never trod
before. -.
Without food, with scarcely q blanket to
cover them, and no shelter from rain or wind
or cold but the dark foliage overhead and
around, on an untrodden mountain range,
without maps or guide, these brave Georrians
took up the line of march in such direction as
their slight knowledge Of the country and the
aid OF pocket compass advised. Over the
rugged rocks, and through the dense under.
wood, often so thick that they had to hew a
passage with their bowie. knives, the strag.
Cling line toiled mp the mountain until dark
ness closed around them and they lay down
and slept The sun rose on the Sabba tn
morning and flooded their happy homes with
light, and gilded the spires OF the village
churches, whittier their mothers, and wives,
and sisters were going up to pray for the dear
ones at war, and to beg Heaven to spare their
lives; but he could not pierce the thicket to get
a glimpse Of that wan and famished band,
who, with failing limbs but stout hearts
were painting upwards for the day. On and
on through the weary hours, and the laugh
had hushed, and their voices seldom broke the
deadly stiffness. and the face Of youth grew
q murmur. not thought Of yielding; and the
second night came down and the cherries
halt was made.
Again the sun went up, and the steaming
mists curled away over the mountain tops
and these lost and now famished men, With
chilled limbs and swollen feet and railing
hearts, went forward once more. But the
paDgs OF hunger gnawed at their vitals, and
the halts were frequent and prolonged, and
the anxious "Close up Close up, bows rt of
the cheerfu1-toned officers, was no longer re-
sponded to by quickened steps. They tore off
the inner bark Of the birch and spruce pine
and found some comfort and support In sw al
lowing the juice. Five dollars was offered
the fortunate possessor Of bit Of bis.
cult, two inches square, discovered in an
odd corner OF his knapsack and refused -
One Of the Captains-Jones of the Washing.
ton Rifies-had a son in his renks-a lad Of
Is years, and tenderly reared. He came up to
his father and begged for food. "Take this
my dear boy he replied, shaking out few
crumbs OF biscuit from his haversack "eat it
slowly and may God save your life
Strong men sat down and cried, the weak
dragged on unrepining. Some of the fee
blest, pale s1riplings, whom the lightest blow
might fell, showed hearts Of oak In that awful
extremity. Still the "Close up" was urged
on the laggard rear, and the slow hours
seemed lengthened into years, and the day
sped on, and the mountains closed before
them, and the third sun and they were not
saved. s.- .r,~-
Tuesday came, and their strength and oour-
age was gone, and despair had seized them -
Now the men became mufinous. The officers
urged, and entreated, ana commanded them
to make one more effort TO save their lives
but the latter had lost all value, and famine
and fatigue was fast exhausting its remaining
store.
Still the habit of obedience, and old affec.
tion, and well-tested confidence prevailed
and again they went forward, though with
little hope of success, in their desperate effort
to reach a human habitation And they
would have failed in all reasonable probabii-
ity, and their bones would have whitened on
that mountain ridge, and the accidents
of their fate would have been as fearfully
unknown as of those who have gone down
at sea and left no trace or sign of shipwreck
Suddenly, At mid day, stranger appeared
among them ''Who are you, and where did
you come from }" are the eager q questions Il
am yirginian-a friend have followed your
track, and have come to save you. - was the
welcome reply. But, though the face was as
OF an angel, these men misunderstood it,
They were on the very verge of destruction.
An awful death awaited them if they did not
follow his guidance, and yet they preferred
famine, death, anything before captivity; and
how conid they Tell Whether he was to b
trusted They were in a hostile country and
the man was utterly unknown to them. $50
or, )" said tho leader, "take ns ont OF this will
derness, and we will reward YOU; deceive,
betray US, and l will blow your brains out
with my on hand at the first sight of the
enemy" ..t -. -.-
He carried them by a change Of direction
down the mountain; striking shallow stream
at Its base, they followed its bed, leaping
from rock to rock, and sometimes wading
through the water, for miles !; then over q
field and out into q road, and q wild cheer
rung out their JOY at the unexpected deliver
ance. Attended by guard the guide went to
neighboring farm house, and returned by
nightfall with wagon load Of proyisions.-
His name Is Parsons, and the Confederate
States Government should bestOw on him
their first gold medal.
"How much did you eat that night %
asked my narrator, sou Of the late General
Irwin, of South Carolina. why, nothing at
all, scarcely; the fellows nibbled little all
through the night: but the next morning, af-
ter such breakfast as would have killed q
wolf, we stopped twice and cooked our haver-
sacks full OF pro vision, and by nightfall there
was not q crumb in them" One of the Lieu
tenants who shared the horrors OF that re-
treat was on the cars, going home to recruit
his shattered health. Typhoid fever had fol-
lowed the exposure and exhaustion-he looked
like the genius Of fam mine. .tr j. d. B.
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