Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-07-16

to lay my tired body in fence corner an,
| pass the night.
| The most prolific Imagination cannot realiz
! true view of this great retreat, and pen pic
/ lures avail very little in its description. Or
| Sunday morning the rebels discovered our re
treat and sent thousands upon thousands o
troops after us. All of our secrecy and strate
Sy mad gained us but the time between mid
night and morning, and when each dera
soldier was tired enough to lie down anywher,
IN search of his So-much needed rest, rebe
cavalry and artillery came rushing after him
ana with weary step he had TO wheel into line
OF battle. The most heroic bravery was tbs
rule TIN oughout the army in battling agains
the rebel guerillas who infested our rear
Slocum fought until his men dropped dowI
from fatigue, and Helm zeIman relieved him
Hooker came TO the rescue of HeIntzeIman
and the impetuouS Kearney charged into the
very centre of the rebel lines. In every en-
engagement the enemy were SoundIy beaten
and our rear guard, first one army corps and
then another gathered laurel upon laurel in
the hundred skirmishes of that retreat.
1t was in this series Of brilliant battles that
Generals Mccall and Meade were wounded.
IN Mondays fight the Reserves fought like IL
gers against the enemy, and when they re-
treated, literally cut to pieces, from the field
General Mccall was left behind, wounded,
and, no doubt, 4 few moments more saw him
q tA1S'hS4 ~ tiiC ChCiIg NSuSIdl tltN NOUS
was also taken, but | am glad TO say, was un-
injured. General Meade, though badly woun-
ded, was borne from the field by his troops.
General Seymour nosF commands the rem
uant Of that fine division, once the pride OF
Pennsy ylyania
The march was fully protected. Not a sin
gle valuable article fell into the enemy S
hands. Thousands of dollars worth OF prop
erty was destroyed because il could not be
carried, bqs the rear guard kept behind the
last wagon, not allowing single team to fall
INTO the enemy'S possession. Food was burn
ed, ammunition blown up, whiskey and mo-
lasSes barrels brOached, wagons, with horses
dead by the WaysIde from sheer fatigue, We're
burned, or had every spoke and axle broken.
Soldiers threw away their knapsacks. but at
tentiye fatigue parties piled them in vast heaps,
and their ashes mocksd the rebels. whose ut
most eXertlons were too feeble to secure them.
Muskets lying in bitches were bent and bro
Ken. Not single article OF all thrown away
by that grand army on its grand retreat could
be useful to the rebels. Fire and water, the
knife and the axe did their work, and did it
we'll.
Still the enemy pressed us, and through all
the night the jaded army with its baggage
had to be urged on. vast herd Of cattle
passed me early on Monday morning, and, just
after it, drove of a thousand rebel prisoners.
L started early, and again witnessed Sundays
icdIiui SCeneS w OunuG0 ana SICK iimpGG
along, many a one lying down to sleep his
last sleep under the grateful shade Of the
roadside woods. The same confusion of wag-
onS, and soldiers, and cannon, and the para
phernalia OF war, blocked the passage; and,
in addition to the rebels laundering behind
us, and the long, weary, dusty way before,
hunger and thirst began to stare us in the
face Thousands had thrown away their hav-
ersacks, containing all their food, and not a
hjta eOul6 a Stra q
spring could be found anywhere to quench the
thirst Of the poor soldiers. They lay on the
ground drinking from bitches filled with mud
and filth. Wells, dug with their hands, some
times furnished scdnt supply.
But it was not one-tenth enough for the ar
my. Horses died from thirst and were left
lying where they fell. Everywhere could be
heard the cry for water, water, though above
1t sounded loudly the voices of the officers,
who urged every one forward. Monday was
far more terrible than Sunday. Hunger and
thirst came to the aid of Secession, in the in
Fiction of deep and painful wounds upon the
Union army.
At one O'Clock on Monday | came in sight
OF the James river, away off in the distance,
Its muddy current swiftly coursng between
its low banks. How many hailed with de-
light that glorious river which betokened the
end of our weary, terrible journey. The hill
top was lined with gazers who feasted their
eyes with the sight of the glorious stream
lhe malt we made, however, was a very short
one, and after dusty march of four miles we
reached Turkey Landing, on the river. Here
witnessed the most frantic glee on the part
OF the troops. Soldiers would rush down the
hillside and plunge into the stream in per-
ect frenzy of delight Many whose thirst
had been most excruciating for hours before,
standing neck deep in the water, drank to
their hearts content. The horses, too. were
wants were cared for, and the
hungry soldiers were the only ones left who
we're still in worse misery than the army gen
orally.
the enemy, finding that their boldest efforts
made no impression upon our slowly retreat
ng rear guard, but that, on the contrary, they
)nly resulted in defeats, and capture of can
ION and prisoners, on Monday conceived a new |
ieSign. A vast column was sent down the !
1ank of the James river, on the City Point |
Dad, with the intention at first of checking
'ur advance to the river bank, or if too late |
or that of fanlIing our rear guard and cut
ing it off, The movement was discovered |
Early in the day, and gunboatS went up above |
Turkey Landing TO she'll the rebels so soon as |
hey were within range. Along came the COL |
INN raising terrible dust, and half dozen |
sunboats, aided by the signal corps, at once |
et to work to check it. From three O'Clock |
Until evening, they kept up constant firing, |
very shell falling among the rebels. Thou |
ands must have been Killed and wounded |
nd hasty, disorderly retreat ended the |
ropes OF any early achievement of the wishes
II the commander of that column.
A poetic young man, in describing the |
movements of lot OF goldfish, says -
They flashed and darted about like bright |
oil a hot