Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-02-20

Wit endorsements and on his Joining
him, he would seturn and give us battle. The
probabilities are, however, that he is in full
The people in and around Sprinield ex-
press %unbounded satisfaction at the arrival
of our troops, and q general rejoicing is
manifest throughout the Southwest at the
retreat of the rebels.
--
The Rubicon C~rossed--The Passage
of Gen. Mitchell's Division over
Green River.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga
zette gives a glowing description of the
march of Gen. MitchelPs divisions over
Green River. We extract from it:
When the army was fairly in motion, l
am sure that, in Kentucky, the sun never
looked down upon a more brilliant scene.
The long lines Of the soldiers stretched away
both toward the front and rear, much fur.
ther than the hills of Hart county permitted
the eye to reach. The brightly polished
muskots and bayonets glittered in the sun,
now flinging up the light from the bosom
of a valley, new throwing it out from
amongst the trees, and now sending it back
to the eye of the beholder from the crest of
4 distant hill. Gay music sounded at inter
walls along the line Of the marching host, and
the waving banners foated proudly oyer
their heads.
But before the great mass got in motion
| several incidents occurred less safe than
picturesque, and less profitable than either.
Many of the mules and horses had been
standing around o long time, and had be-
come rather unused to labor. The bracinc
air of the morning had put extra spirits into
them. Some of the teamsters evidently un
derstood their business imperfectly, and
from the combined force of these causes
there resulted number of upsets, runaways
etc. There goes a two-horse team tearing
down u hill, and threatening to make a fear
full onslaught upon the ranks of the fifteenth
Kentucky, but the plucky driver holds OF
to the reinsand brings up the horses agains
a tree, while the wagon, thus suddenly
CHECKED in its onward progress, turns up
side down. Away through the fields, il
the vicinity of the Tenth Ohio, four fright
ened horses are scudding along, dragging
after thom covered wagon. Various par
ties start cut on foot to catch them. Tht
runaways turn this way and that and double
on their track, in order to avoid their pur
suers. Every instant we look for the Wagon
to fly in pieces. At last it strikes a stumI
and goes down. The horses continue theit
flight with the fore wheels of the wagon still
after them. A horseman who had gone il
pursuit, is evidently d~ismounted, for hi
animal, saddle on back, is seen running il
company with the others. More horsemel
now take up the chase, and---but the bugl,
sounds, and l can watch the fugitive team
no longer. AS we move along a vicious
mule suddenly takes it into his head to ex
hibit his viciousness and kicks his single
trees, his gearing and his own legs to pieces
Here is a wagon broken down in a gully
there is another stuck in the mud but a
last all the OBSTACLES inthe vicinity of Bacol
Greek are passed we have reached a high
way over which but few teams have recent
ly travelled all seem to be surprised at tn
/, goodness of the roads, and the march goe
!, bravely on. BY the time the Seventeenth
Brigade is fairly under way, however, it
, nearly noon.
. Nothing Of special interest occurred upo
the march. The rocky hills become bolde
as you approach the river. The head Q
? the column reached Muniordville early j
the afternoon, and Immediately began t
pass the bridge. The pontoon bridge no
being in order, or, as some said, bein
'Hplayed out, 4" the whole force crossed up
on the high and narrow railroad bridge
1t was a .frightful passage enough. Tn
bridge is only about nine feet wide. 1t is
: thousand long, and, in the middle, a hur
dred and twenty-five. feet from the water
Over this went men, wagons, mules an
horses, in a continual stream, hour afte
hour.
About five o'clock in the afternoon, I too
7 a position on the eminence by u little gray
: yard, III which the honored dead Of Colont
Willich's Regiment repose, in the midst {
General McCook's camps. From here tn
t scene was indeed impressive. The whit
tents Of the thousands in McCook's divisio
: we're spread out thickly in every direction
its regiments were formed for dress parade
: and through the streets Of the town, an
r winding in amongst the tents and the nj
r merous regiments on parade, the dense co
T, umns Of soldiers, and the long trains of W,
Q CONS came, moving on. There was no hal
ing here. The river was to be crossed, an
0 steadily they continued marching down /,
|, ward il. The bridge was in sight from m
< position, and was filed with armed me
tramping steadily forward, while upon III
other side, the ascent from the river Or,
0 sented an animated sight as the might
r stream broke for the first time, and the v,
:. rious regiments filed off in different dire,
: lions to retrospective camping grounds.
The passage continued until far into Ii
night. ! rode up near the end of Ii
y bridge, upon the farther side, and watche
the passage after nightfall. The moon W,
9 shining and brightly too, except that, o
: oasionally, a thin heecy cloud sailed aero
. the sky, and intercepted a portion of Il
the narrow bridge but somel light Temporal
railing, 2 foo. or two high, it seemed in Il
beings was suspended in air. The ioI
BY the wagons, Of which only a certain nul
~. xyara nar,utttad IN he upop tho br;doa