Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-11-21
soldering in the Mountains.

WEBSTER, Nov. is, 1852.
Editors Inteiligs1cer
On the morning OF the 9th The 18th Va,
B7th Pa. aud Carlau's Wheeling battery
started on raid iuto the unhappy land of
Dixie, from Beverly. weprugressed about
l4miles the first day, passing through tue
burned town of Huuonsvilie, From that
tune forward our progress WAS through u
"dark aud bloody ground. aground tramp
led aud devastated by the alternate sue
Ccsses of each army. Every farm house,
often for 10 or 20 miles, has been consum.
ed, and the whole countryis but an "abom-
ination of desOIntion." We bivonaced in
the snow and crossed the Cheat Mountain
next morning, the scene Of the Grey Eagles
victory. Every few miles was the spot
where former fight had been, Green briar,
AlleghanY Summit, Cheat Mountain, where
thousands of IT bells wiutered in now desert
ed huts. of course every habitation was
but a nest for bush whackers, and our boys
spared not flesh or fowl when night stop
ped our progress, nor rails when the fires
burned low. we captured over 300 head
of fnescattle on the glades grazing for the
s. G. A. One of the drummers not know.
ing how to obtain himself bed of hny
without pillagiug, acted thus: Driving a
farmers sheep from flock uuobserved by
said farmer, be asked him ifhe would trade
a bed of hay for the woolly animal. Upon
being answered in the affirmative, he drove
the sheep back TO the flock observed by
said farmer, and reported to headquarters
the transactions. Not bad for a Virginia
homemade Yankee.
On descending the Allegheny ridge the
hu0h nnanaH nm ne IN, oil, do
zen shots. The indomitable scout Sleigh
ton here captured au old classmate Of the
writer's, Capt. Dudley Evans of the g. s..
4. OHe WAS in Highland Co., e6forcing the
couscript act. Sleighton says "a. are you
armed ~ mo y tfWell put your watch
on that stump" Evans did So, "Well,
well guess you had bettsr put that back" )"
He marched him in. Our main idea was
to meet Abdomen, as Irish Jonny, Of Co. F
calls him. We pushed on 10 Monterey, but
do not catch him. From there, unmolest-
ed, we go TO Franklin, tue county seat of
Pendleton, thence 40 miles over the noun
tain by bride path where a man could
not get 7Yheelbarrowr through. Dark,
impenetrabfe, intermiudble, iuFetnal pine
forests rite led-I5thrqughi0 with . the
roots matted together on the surface
about 8 inches apart and Is inches depth
Of mud between Wbefscthe mountain
was cleared ana harroEe it was smooth
as a barn noor. Major Peirpoipt Aptly
described itlas ''bOttom land seton edge,
so steep that one might fall of his feet aud
break his neck
o 0t.At Franklin, two days BefOre wa G3me,
Sleighton rode into town, and gave himself
up to eight OF ten hushWhacks. They were
IOYeFioyed one minute and the Sriued
to find 'themseIves surrounded by Union
men riding in at both ends Of the town.
On emerging from our lone path we came
on the pike FIVE miles from Beverly, and
were met by orders to march to Webster,
and by D.J. GnHith, our snterprisiug sut-,
Ter, ever ready to cater 10 the wants Of our
regiment. Our foot sore boys have now
trsmped 81 miles to this place TO ship on
the railroad Tomorrow. Twelve days we
have .trddeed aud cbeeFfdnST The boys
are promised shoes at New Greek. Results
of our expedition, some hundred of sscesh
cattle and 100 to 200 prisoners, Direct
lGttsts TO New Cree I'D IS lolRsraSd to