The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-01-29
From Guyandotte.

elapsed since you have had any commu-
n;cation fsom US "Monroe Cavalry Boys;''
and as we have lately passed through Csc
cesh fire." we modestly claim a place
n your columns.
The most of you readers are well I
aware of-our removal from Camp Bolls,
Va, to this place, (Guyandotte, Va
Our regiment is quartered here, except
Go. A, Capt. james A. Waller, stationed
at Ceredo. 8 miles below, on the Ohio
river. Nothing of anything ont of the
general way of camp life, occurred to dis
turb the general nonotony, except STAN
| peds on Christmas eve, occasioned by
firing 10 the direction of our lpickets. sup.
posed to be by them, but afterward
proved false, until Saturday. morning,
January 4th We were awakened about
2 O'Clock A. NJ, and routed out of our
very comfortable hunks, with orders TO
pack up for march. We were up aud
was nothing but sheep-path, and hills
all the time. 1t is said, and the country
/ gives evidence of it, that they can make
shoes there only in warm weather, for they
i have to get on the top of the hills to get
room to stretch the wax ends in sewing
We got about l2 miles from Oatlettsburg
the first night, when darkness overlook
US. and our battalion separated by com
panies, putting up at farm houses for the
night i0Sz s ssH
Next morning we were off again by
daylight, reaching Louisa this night The
roads were no better, but if possible
worse. One of our boys thought histori-
ans were fools, making such fuss about
Bonaparte crossing the Alps thought it
conld not be compared to this. We
reached Louisa about I O'Clock P. NJ,
thoroughly drenched, it having rained on
Us for about the last 8 miles of our
: march - ai4 eAl Asz. sE
We halted at Louisa until noon next
, day when we started and reached the
mouth of Georges Greek, on Big Sandy,
where we again halted for the night.
Next DAY we reached Paintsville, KY.
Here general preparation were making for
, an attack on the enemy, supposed to be
entrenched about seven miles above This
was Tuesday, about 2 P. Nj after having
!, fed our Battalion was started out to re-
connoiter. About 8 miles above Paints
vile. at the mouth of Jennis Greek, a
. body of Secesh cavalry were discovered
and Capt Powell's company and our owr
: were ordered to pursae, Captain Bshal
= aud Dove following as kind Of reserve
We were supporting Capt. Powell, hi,
elcoDpany armed with carbines, ours with
: Euield rifles
After having gone about ! mile We
got ful! view of them and fred, Captain
Powell then ordered our long guns in ad
vance. We then went in the advance
Keeping up an irregular FIRE every time
The turns in the road presented the Secest
TO our view. We chased them about 8
miles, when coming to very sudden tur,
off by daylight, without an idea of wher.
We were going. We crossed the Big
Sandy at the mouth, into Catlettsburg
Ky. Here the boys ascertained thai
there was prospect of 6ght ahead 10 the
direction of Paintsville, aud off we went.
To attempt description of our route
, would only prove failure. Some of us
: had Imagined we knew what muddy, hilly
roads were, while we were yet in Monroe;
but Monroe equity roads are paradise
com pared with those we travelled
: The road for great part of the way
in The road, we ran upon body of III
fantry stationed on the hill side, on either
side of the road they opened FIRE on vi
: and as we had no Iafantry to support us
: or Aankers, and as we could not gel
through the woods after them we retired
y Here we lost one Que of our men, Albert
W Leonard, son of Rev. Leonard ,oi
!, !, New Ma,amoras, Ohio, a young man Is
years Of age-patriotic, brave, and uni
versally respected by his acquaintances.
We drop tear, tribute to bis memory,
His body was recovered and sent to his
beresved friends. ~ -
Our Captain was at the head of his
men aud exhibited the real grit of a
soldier, both in the march and fight
One of our men John Myers had his
horse killed and remained in the. woods
all night. -. .e
We returned to Palntsvllle as 1t was
now dark, aud started the next morning
in pursuit, but failed to reach the enemy.
we were in their old entrenchments. and
in my notion of things. they did not ex-
hibit any evidence Of slowness in their
defenses.
| Their force was under the command OF
Humphrey Marshall. The main body Of
their army had retired toward Preston
burg on Monday. 9s.a.,,s s.,.,
Our entire loss was men killed, one
fof Capt Powell's men and one OF our
own as stated above, Only sixty of our
men were present, the balance having re-
mained in Guyan. We left Paintsville
for Guyan on Thursday s Our trains
could not reach US on account of the aw-
ful condition of the roads
Gen Garfield was still at Paintsville,
suppose intending to follow Marshall
up. They had when we left the 42ni