The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-10-17
Tho Retreat of the Forty.Second Ohio
from Cumberland Gap.

Tho Retreat Of the Forty Second Ohio
from Cumberland Gap.
The following letter of p. NJ. Uowlos, of
The Forty, Second Reg, to his mother, which
We publish BY permission, gives a worry mi
mute and interesting account of the retreat
from Cumberland Gap:
PORTLAND, jackson Co.. Ohio,
Oct. 9Th, 1862.
DEAR MOTHER IL wrote you a short line
fow days ago, from Greenupsburg, Ky. |
will now give you an account, in detail, of
our doiugs for the past eight weeks On
tho morning Of Aug. nth, tho day was
usher cd in by heavy firing. I stayed in tho
Gap with Geo Finney the night before, and
saw large forces of Secesb aud our men
skirmishing, south of the Gap. hurried
down to Camp Virginia Tho long roll was
beating just as arrived. Wo were in line
of battle most of the time for 4S hours,
sleeping at our posts. In that time We
wero put on half rations. About night of
the 18th, had orders to strike tcnts, and
pack everything. tents and all, so we could
carry them. When this was doue, we
marched 8 or mlos across ridges, and
haltod at tho Harlan road, Obe most vuner-
able part|of the Gap,) about Ia milos from
the main force at tho Gap, and on the top
of q secondary ridge of the mountains We
stayed there till Sept. 9Th. Sept 4th VIC
drew our last -four, about OF. per man,
The rations had been gradually reduced to
aoou' ta''ous' ou' We ma"ageu 10 get
nioug by three or four going out aS far as
the enemy's pickets would allow, and for
aging ior greer. corn "un string oeahs' "h'cn'
wnen maue .n'o succolusn, oecame our
oina'u stay io' 'mo W 'utse "eeks' ~ was
no uncommon 'n'ng Ior oecesn anu Union
men 70 s'eal 'ho,r corn OUT OF tne Same he'd'
we "au se'ora' 's'.,o eA'ru''s"1s a' various
umeS' ln ono Vi 'nesv' our Dr'gaue won't
tntougn urge cornhe.u, anu tue corn was
All gone ehceP, as'r'p OF ,e~ yafus 'nrough
tno con'er. iua' ho'u nao uoo" Tue scene
OF more p'cke'hLlh ana Joking from ootn
s'uee' .'a' any p.ne' vi ''Io s'Ao know OIL
Sep'. 4sn anu o'n, ute~ wna' was sa,u 10 Do
"uee ooot wv VI 'p'oo u"Ss' anu l tn,nk IL
was, ou' u tas'ou very goou' sept eth, our
brlgaue was orueteu 10 DO roaoy 10 starr
win nVo uays ra"ons III our naVersacKs
we startod ABOUT sunuown, ana marched
t,l' "a W. neAt aay, anu camPoa ia o'u
camp ra''e" oue nns.oan Vi peing pu. on
,e'ei ,',,, s'ouuI' ;,l ou' ",;o usu' as pu' y" !"
hi''s'uo' WV" an o,e'a',o' V, eo"'o 40 uo
e'ooo, w I'oop aoou' o." Nou''
anu ,po" ea'o uP l nunu nhyseP' "nen
wasea up, oono VI sarus from my
panAo'. anu IVY rsg go aoo ,oo. 'o"eor
.aan oouu'o"i nm; s p'so''oeo VI putting our
hegImous on n'''s'uos ior camps, was con
tnuou' ~'u guy vi l"o ou1ooP''ous' uur'he
'n1 "n1'o uiatcn W tue oH,o'
Dn. am getting n"oau, INC n'gnt Oh
tne e'n 'naue % somo ~o uiheS IaSt lo' no
wafer. Mex mo,nlug tue ooys lounu
o,s'or" III su o.u, ueser'ou uls''''ory' w"ere
.n,Gk WIN u.t' ana fuoo's" "s Gtuuo cu"' on
Mn'0" " '1'y nv" 'o'euio'ou W o"'u' ou
ooal coa' Oh MI 70 P'oooS =" s'ho"' bu
tnis water was qu''o hccep'ao'e 70 US lor
ny ,naAs & e'V"s WIZ 10" oo"uo,
satsneu mrs" EV'n oeB'pS w oo pretty
naTI' Uut " our o" ." wo cav n'
"ei, "o ailnou a' "i""'"es'o'' ou, ueS
uua'.on' az h.snt, "o ll'n. rounu 'ot
Ino ou hon'uoSy ooSn' ~no 'o,c 'no U"t
soho "eeEs ago. III cau'p ho'e' lney hau
neen 10 honmohu' hou were ia tne hgn
.nore' "hu ro'roa'eu w. sqo"us 70 'i's p'aee
1ney had Kept tne mn mere gong; ana nae
collected considerable bacon; ana we go
nearly all we wanted 10 oat I'LL "o lsit mere
whlch happened "neh 'he rost OF inc DVis
loh had evacuatou tho Gap anu passed
town u =, NJ Sept. 2lst)
AT o r. M, sept list, witnessed mill
Ary execut'oh' one OF the 81 NY ooyi
snet MS comrade on the loth' ana was sen
tenoeu by court mart'a' 10 oe shot II
was solemn s'gnt TO SOC man mArchinl
10 'he death naIcn' escorted ny guards WIN
arms reversed, following MS coma 10 th'
new'y'mado grave wh''e no was yet ENJOY
ing good heaI'n' WIN every prospect; le'l
10 a'e natuTal uea'n' OF h''ug as long at
any OF u.s. no Soohou 70 DO per'eeuy ln'
d'uerent 70 "ha' was going on' ana Kep'
step 70 tue music perfectly, ~n'le 'nS moan'
tn' SQUAD OF inc uea'n maFon Drought tears
TO the eyes OF many
Al T.: M we we're called into limo, and
waited tll the DIVISION passed then marched
over 'he bridge where our wagons nad soeu
packed anu ihe Wonk OF destruction began
NE o Ssn SStnod over iou I'm new army wagons anu