The knapsack. [volume] (Gauley Bridge, W. Va.) 1863-1863, 1863-09-10


The rest of the regiment having staid at
Parkersburg during the winter, joined us
at New Creek on the Goth of March, and
on the I'd of April we were ordered to
MOorefield. This is the county seat of
Hardy county, very pretty town in one
of the most fertile and beautiful portions
of the valley of the South Branch of the
Potomac. The people are generally
wealthy, and before the war, owned large
numbers of slaves. They have, however.
in their grand strike for "Southern rights y
|Ereatly damaged the peculiar institution.
|,They say I" the invasion of the sacred
soil of Virginia by the barbarous Yankees,
has seriously injured her local and cher
ished institution"
AT house not far from Moorefield, we
found very inconsistent specimen of hu-
manlty-a SecessiOnist in the shane of n
7" Yankee school-marm, six weeks ont
from Boston. This kind of an animal. is
not at all uncommon in the South res
ldence of two weeks in slave State is
time enough for them to see the divinity
of slavery. In their devotion to the cause
OF the South, they eut-Davis jeff. himself.
Probably this is in some degree excusable.
They speak and act from impulse and
sympathy, and are not expected to fully
understand the principles or workings of
government lthas not been their study.
and If they do give some attention to the
politics of the country they are dubbed
strong minded y at once. With all their
Ivltuperation, they are unanimous in one
thing-all willing to marry good lookino
Federal soldiers, their barbarous invasion
OF the South Notwithstanding
About the 1st of Nav, General Schenck
oY,1 <,fI HI .
our own regiment, the ed Ohio, DeBeck's
battery and squadson of Connecticut
cavalry. We soon after started ND the
South Branch Valley. AS far as Peters
burg, the country is pretty good, but above
that, it is one of the poorest in the world.
1t is surprising that the people can scratch
a living out of the hills in times of peace,
to say nothing of war and its devastations.
General MilrOy had about 5000 men at
Monterey, Highland county. When with
In forty miles of him, we learned that he
was expecting an attack. Our march was
forced one from that until May 9Th, when
we Joind Miiroy's command at Mcdowell.
We had fight there with the advance Of
Jackson's command, in which our forces
lost about three hundred men,-the enemy
fully as many. We had the better of the
fight, but jackson had 1900 men within
few hours march of the place. At two
O'Clock, A NJ, Gen. Schenck ordered re-
treat. five had remained there twenty
four hours longer, very few would have
escaped. The loss of our regiment in this
engagement was not so heavy as in some
others. We returned and camped two
miles above Franklin, but had to pull un
stakes next day, the enemy being close
upon our heels We took position above
the town, planted our batteries ready for
fight. The enemy, after skirmishing a
little, finding our position strong and the
troops determined to hold it, retired, and
in day or two left the cOcntry. We af-
forwards found out that the force that fol-
lowed us to Franklin was not large, the
greater part of the rebel army having re-
turned to StauntOn and started in pursuit
of Banks down the Shenandoah Valley.