Arkansas true Democrat., 1862-03-13
Letter from Virginia.
WlNcHE TER, VA, Feb, la, 1862

UAsIfE tth, Az hCos A's ASpF-' EuroR TRUE DEMOCRAT Dear ST: After what may have appeared to you a somewhit unt accountable delay in writing, am 1 reminded, by the receipt of two copies at once ot the glorious old True Democrat, that owe you at least an apology for my pastpeglect, and promise thai it shall not be again said that forgot and ,voided my old friends 1 need not tell you sohy have long been sent suffice it to say, procras ination is not the smallest of my sins. Passing over the various incidents succeeding the battle o Greenbrar and all other matters pre- viops to recent advance into the dominions of Abc 1. will give you a short account of that ex pedtion and if your readers do not agree with me l that it developed the powers of endurance of the 1 human frame, then can only say they had better 1 come and try it for themselves next winter.
 1 The first day of January rose bright and ear, with cutting wind blowing from the west, tossing the capes of our great-coats over our heads, and 1 s,nding many wild chase after caps, hats, etc. The order fo ''fall in'' was given, and with l out word as to our destination, the ranks were sormed, ,1the 3d Arkansas marched to the turnpike l filed right and with hearts beating high in the hope of an encounter with the r.scally Yankees at Rom l ney, we pushed gaily forward for some five miles, when the order :" file right" cast damper upon our spirits, and the prospect of a long and weary march through mountainous and thiny settled ! country, over horrible roads, joined with uncer sainty as to our final destinations filled many gay and jolly fellows mind with gloomy thoughts and foreoodings. We camped that night some two n les from Pughtown, hamlet of some dozen or so 1 sLhouses-" the jumping of place of cyilization,' l $ 3 correspondent of Virginia paper has not in- tpty cllled it, and passing throueh that place the next morning, we entered the iutermnable wilder uess beyond. Some spoke of fanking" Romney --olhers of tearing up portion of the Baltimore nd Ohio railroad; still for four days all was wrap 1 o.d in rnystery--not even the commander of our
 Y sion, Gen. Lor;ng knew the deztnation of the xpedition. It is reported that he asked old stone { ya Jackson s where the devil he was going,' l when that officer coolly remarked that Eff he be
 eyed his own overcoat was acquainted with h lans, he would pull 1t off and burn it." Finally, 'n the hith night oi our march, when we had built ur bivouac fires, after marching through the fast tlling snow until F o'clock, few scattering shots we're heard from the front, and it became known
 
 .tion of the celebrated Belkely Sprngs-where ii Sas reported that the enemy strongly fortified md some Is, 0J0strong. Wet, hungry and miseIa- 1 ) e We stood around our fires untiI the morning ,r ke, whrn, without having time allowed us to 1 ai1tch a mouth huI of food from the commissar < gons, which had just come up, we were tumbles mo line, pieces were loaded, blyonete fixed. ead ne word '' .rfasl' given. Our forfes advlsaed pon the all front at ste same time, the gal. ,ni third leading the attack on the rear, when. pon re lching the point of attack. what was our ,urI rise and ID lrtiicAtion 70 find that the enemy a u fled precpitateiy. Then suherings com nenced in earnest. Col. Rust with the 37th Vr- .inia vo unteers, and 4 h Virginia mi ita, and hi, own regiment, w4s orIered to follow an unknown number af the u.tives to the hri3ge over Cap Creek, where the Baltimore and Ohio railroad crosses the same--to " whip them, burn the bridge md hold the point" Without the least knowl. edge of the ground, his command hlrrassed, tired, weak, hungry and sleepy, the lion. hearted colonel dashed forward. followed them up, and found his f.fce anlbr she'd With presence of mind that l would have done honor to an older commander, he order ed fall, and then shouted to some i'm iginary person, to 'Fbrng forward those Ms>is. sppl regiments and that Texas brigade, together wrh the two reserve batteries" The Yankees had Us completely at their mercy Up to this time, and had poured deadly fire into our ranks, but. after that order, not a shot was fired; we fell back in good order, and the next morning returned and ne the work in day light, which ought never to have been attempted at night. Our entire loss WIS killed and IT wounded, while the Yankees had at least 9 killed and perhaps twice that num- ber more or less, hurt. That night, your cores, pondent, well as most of our regiment, ate the fist meal for five days, and slept for the first time l m six nights.
 Our m arch from Bath to the Cross Roads, l5 mile, was of the hardest on record, the roads being as slippery as ice, the horses falling down and bru sing themselves every few steps Our march thence 10 RoInney and Winchester, wasnot 90 severe in point of cold, though the roads were most teiribl, muddy. What was gained by the expedition, have never heard, thoug h 1t will pro- bably have a sequel. We are under marching or ders for Knoxville, Tennessee. More anon.
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