Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-09-08
RETREAT THE FIRST GEORGIA
E-E I. " q : ~ LEEEE.,G E.ELELa.

! 1Lt UE.iilo CORES lcLuCEJ u luC SSatlIo-
ton Mercury writes deeply interesting letter
descriptive Of the engagement between Gar
nett's ard McClgllan's forces at CaTick's
! Ford, and subsequent events. The concluding
portion relates to the perilous retreat of por-
| ton OF the First Georgia regiment access the
mountains to Monterey. It is grafhic pic
ture, and we transfer it to our columns. The
writer says:
The foe was baflad of his prey But seven
companies Of the First Georgia regiment, out
| hanEed by them, had been cut of by the rapid
advance Of the Indiana line, sDd were driven
from ths road and up tie mountain into will
| derness where human foot had never trod be
fore.
Without food, with scarcely a blanket to
cover them, and no shelter from rain or wind,
or cold, but the dark foliage overhead aud
| around, or an untrodden mountain range, with
! out maps or guide, these brave GeOTgians took
up the line Of march in such direction as heir
! slight knowledge Of the country and the aid of
! a pocket compass advised Over the rugged
rocks and through the dense underwood, often
so thick that they had to hew passage with
| their bowie knives, the struggling line toiled
up the mo ntain until darkness closed round
! them and they lay down and slept. The sun
rose on the Sabbath morning and flooded their
| happy homes with light, and gilded the spires
| Of the village churches, whiher their mothers
and wives al sisters were going up to pray
! for the dear ones at war, and TO beg heaven 70
spare their lives; but be could not pierce the
| thicket to get glimpse Of that wan and fam
ished band, vino, with failing limbs but stout
hearts, were painting upward for the day. On
and on through the weary hours, and the laugh
had bushed, and their voices seldom broke the
deadly illness, and the face OF youth grew sad
and the face Of age anxious, but still not
murmur nor a 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, will chilled
limbs, and swollen feet, and falling hearts,went
forward once more. Bu. the pangs Of hunger
gnaved at their yitals, ana the line grew more
and more struggling, and the halls were fire.
Gueut and prolonged, and the anxious Close
up! Close up, bows :" Of the cheerful toned
officers, was DO longer responded to by qnick
ened steps. They tore of the nnrr bark Of
the birch and spruce pine, and found some
comfort and support in swallowing the juice.
Five dollars was offered the fortunate p 'sHes-
sOr of 2 bit of biscuit, two inches square, dis
covere} in an odd corner of his kDaPsack, and
refused. One Of the captaius-Jones, of the
Washington Rihes-had a son in his Tanks-a
up to his father and begged for food "Take
this my dear boy" he replied, shaking out
few crumbs Of biscuit from bis havsTsack, "eat
it slowly; ard may God save your life"
Strong men sat down and cried, the weak
dragged on unrepining. Some OF the fsebiest,
pale stripplings, whom the lightest blow
might fell, showed hearts of oak in that awful
extremity. Sill the " Cioss up!" was urged
on the laggard rear and the slow hours seemed
heightened into years, and the day sped on,
and the mountains closed before them, and the
third sun set and they were not saved.
Tuesday came, and their strength and cOUr-
age was gone, and despair bad seized them.
Now the men became mutineus. The officers
urged, and entTeated, and commanded them
make one more effort to save their lives; but
the latter bad 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 coH6dencs prevailed, and
again they went forward, hough with little
hope of success in their desperate effort to
reach human habjtation. And they would
have failed, in all reasonable probability, and
their bones would have whitened on that
mountain ridge, and the accidents Of their fate
would have been as fearfuly unknown as Of
those who have gone down at sea and left no
/ trace or 2 IN of shiD-wTeck. Suddenly, at mid
day, stranger appeared among them. "Who
are you, and where did you come from :" was
the eager questioning. 81 am VITginian-a
friend have followed your track, and We have
come to save Enu0 was the welcome reply.
Bot, though the face was as OF al angel, these
men misunderstood IL. They were on The very
verge OF destruction. An awful death awaited
them il they did not follow his guidance, and
yet they preferred famine, death, ard any
thing before captivity and how could they
tell whether be vas to be trusted? They were
in hostile country, and the man was utterly
unknown to them. "GO on" said the leader,
sftake rs out Of this wilderness and we will re
ward You; deceive, betray Us, and will blow
your brains out with my own hand, at the first
sight of the enemy.o
He carried them by a change Of direction
down the mountain: striking shallow sTeam
at its base, they followed It's bed, leapiug from
rock to rock, aud sometimes Wsding through
the water, for miles; then over field and oa.
into a road, and a wild cheer TuBg cut their
| 10Y at the unexpected deliverance. Attended by
a guide, the guide went to a neighbOTiDg farm
/ house, and returned by nightfall with a wagon
/ load Of provisions His name is Parsons, and
/ the ConfeGerates State government should be-
stow on him their fret gold medal.
! CHOW much did you eat that night?" asked
/ my narrator, son OF the late Gen. Irwin, Of
! South Carolina. "Why, nothing at all. scarce
| Iy; the fellows niDbled a little all through the
night: but the next morning, after such a
! breakfast as would have killed wolf, we stop
/ ped twice and cooked our haveIsacks full of
| provisions, and by nightfall there was not
| crumb in them" One Of The lieutenants who
! shared the horrors of that retreat was On the
! cars, going home to recruit bis shattered
! health. Typhoid fever had followed the ex-
/ posure and exhaustion-he looked ike the
genius Of famine. J. D. B.