Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-27

ton and march TO meet the enemy. At Pitman's
we met thirteen wagons loaded with commiasary
stores, egSroute from Camp Dick Robinson for Lon
don. These we're unloaded Immediately, and pro
ceeded to Lcndon for patients and stores. Some
Of the regiments had necessarily left their TENT
and camp equipage so that even had fatigue permit
Ted them to pitch tents they could not have enjoyed
the luxury.
Nov l4th-A hesyJ storm Of rain reused the BIZ
vouchers from sleep. Their blankets and cloths
ing were saturated with water. The morning was
most dismal. Wildcat Heights crowned with 8
heavy coronal Of mist froTned in dreary and dis
couraging altitude before rs. The roads were al
ready worked into tough muck, and the pathway
On the edges where the troops walked we're shiny
ard siipDery. Beyond was Rockcestla river, swift,
ard rercrted Cnfordabe. But the word was 81
a,y4-t The lads partook Of their cold ratiors ead
hot coffee, and took up the totisOne march. Every
step was lGborious to the sturdy, sgonizng to the
feeble Knapsacks almost too heavy under fairest
auspices, Tere now, doubly burdensome, and the
pack herse load was increased By the aggrsTstins
1eieA 1t Of water which solted blankets and heavy
army o7eTcoGts, aud tie nasty cline which spissh-
ed and plasseTsd each mans breaches IS high as
his knees in front snd rear and flIed his shoes N
I'll they oYerdowed with slush.
During the first mile we passed one Baggage
wagon cspsizsd in creek. As load Of commissary
stores and baggage were lost. The desolate team
ster and Jaded horses, 6edaubeo with mud, gazed
at It dismaIy and hopelessiy as we moved forward.
Z :
and the poor animals could not move them. A few
hundred yards further, barrels Of bread toss
ed ont of wagons and left to destruction in the for
ests. A stranger to the facts, passing would have
said, here is a terrified army fleeing from parsu-
ing enemy.
some are still pushing on desperately. 1onder is
one prone on bed of leaves. His head is bolster
ed on a rotten stump. Exhaustion is graphically
pictured his livid complexion and in his silent
form He is unconscious, while he sleeps the sleep
Of distress that the driving rain s beating mercis
lessly upon him. Ny comrade stsrtes me-"Is he
dead?" Oh, no; he's only an exhausted soldier. BE
wears no shoulder straps with silver ster on each
But it is yet early in the day. Surely il is not time
foT soldiers to yield to fatigue. They have march
ed only one night, and have slept the whole OF one
or two hours on the damp, frosted soil.
At last the ascent is accomplished by few. We
look back with sigh ofrelief and turn again with
emotions regret and disgust at the sorrowful and
weary file of men, still oiling through the miFe and
gazing wistfuy to the top. But here is picture.
On the top Of rock the crest of the hill, there
sits Toledo lad, 1ortlg letter. he protects the
precious page from the rain with his hat, and the
big drops patting on his bare head He looks care
worn and way worn; but his eye is bright, and his
hand steady. From head to foot he Is encased IN q
thick plastering of clay, and moisture drops from
his sleeves. He replies to my cOmrade. mo Co
lionel I've not given out; Pm little tired though
! I'll nske it. COlOnel-Ill never give up.
Why in the name of humanity does not the CON-
mander send back messengers to halt this column
Is there imminent danger ahead Cannot these fail
irg men be halted day for Fest2 At least letmes-
sengers be dispatched 70 inspire them to march,
march march to resist the foe. Anything to renew
their spirit But look at these wagon loads Of sick
solders. See them sh7ering in saturated baskets,
seated in pools of water which drip from their
clothing as it pours from the clouds. Hear their
uneeasing, discOrdant and narrowing chorus of
coughing. Here are candidates for the grave. But
the order is stern-"Bring all your SICK" "Oh,"
said one of the surgeons to me, thas the cruel
est order officer ever give. protested in vain.
urged that it would kill my patients. But come
they must shall lose perhaps thirty or forty Of
my regiment, and it will plant consumption in the
lungs of two hundred more"
And here is another picture. We splash along te-
dously through the mire, and mounted officers en-
courage their men by kind words of sympathy.
Nearly all relieve feeble soldiers by carrying their
knapsscks and muskets. Col Steedman, long rscked
with chils and fever, and scarce able 70 sit his
horse, rides with his scattered columns Col. Con
NELL suffering from illness, bears the burden OF s
sick soldiers knapsaek. Col. Coburn dismounts,
and pushes, through the mud, while feeble lad
rides his charger. The Captains on foot emulate
their superiOrs, and encourage them by example.
At Rockeaste river the column is VIGOROUSLY
over Wildcat. The dismal train hats at the ferry,
In the mud and rain The jaded men fall asleep
on the sod of nelghbOring meadow, waiting the
slew process Of crossing all that column in one
smSu float. The transfers stuff their worn out
animals with corn. a few, in desperation, plunge
into the ford where the water is swift, and some
narrowly escape watery grave. The 18th Ohio
loses two wagons and contents, including twenty
FIVE or thirty thousand rounds Of ammunition. The
18th l1ses q wagon and 10000 rounds Of ammuni-
ton at the ferry. The Tennesseans lose two Wag
ons and contents, with three horses, and the 3Sth
Ohio loses one wagon. How much more was lost
do not know.
huff
night in crossing. Afterwards throughout the day
the scene already feebly described, Increased and
assumed more sggravating forms The road con
stantly became more wretched. Men flung way
their knspsseks and stslked onward in utter DE- s.
perstiOu their officers refusing to insubOrdina-
ton Some stumbled and fell by the wayside,
where they lay and slept the sleep Of exhaustion.
And the sick in the uncovered wagons, and those
sccursed ambulanees, were raeked and pounced
over rocks and Futs until their weak bones aehe5,
their eountenances testfyng to their utter wretch
edness. And thus, hour after hour, through mud
and slime, and rain, over rocks and rails, and logs
up the toughest and steepest grades and down the
ruggedest descents, our weary footsOre, exhausted
soldiers and jaded teams struggled and toed in psin
all the miserable day ana far into night; even
st midnight feeble sragglers staggered into Mount
Vernon where the 18th and 18th rested, to find
their comrades.
This night the poor lads went to bed supperless,
for fatigue was oTerpOwering, and sleep sweeter
thsn meat. Some Of them marched fourteen, some
sixteen miles that day-thirteen the night and morn
ing before. This days work was more disastrous
than ordinary battles. God knows how many stur-
dy constitutions it wrecked, how many brave vols
unteers it will kill
But had almost forgot the episode of the day.
The few Tennesseans who had manfully breasted
the task with Ohio and Indiana, were mere strsg~
glers Their officers were scattered as badly the
men. The privates were huddled in shiYerIng
groups along the entire route. 1t seemed as If they
never could be collected. hundred yards or so
below house where halted for luncheon there
was party Of perhaps hundred or more. There
were two three With me, bitterly denouneing the
cOuntermarch At that moment officer rode
down the highway proclaimlng joyfally, Tennessee
ans and Kentuckians are ordered back to London p
The hundred below set up greatshOut Of joy, as
if they had attained the summit of their desires,
and those with me started back, almost running.
bidding glad goodbye. Alas poor fellows, you
were twenty-f0ur miles from london, exhaust
ed wet, muddy, almost out Of provisions, without
tents, and no houses or barns to shelter you from
the storm. London will be another charnel-honse
for patriot Tennesseans. If there was cause for