The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1863-07-03
s For the Virginian.
eeRen Caudill,s Army,

2
n seRen CaudilPs Army
Who has not heard Of Ben Caudilps Army? |
viii anybody anywhere acknowledge nim-
aelf "a far behind the times, and SO little
posted in the history Of this revolution as 70
deny the knowledge of the existence Of ben
Caudilps Army?
Now happen to be acquainted with the
,h;.torv Of Ben Caudill's Army, and would
consider myself as having wronged the pup
lie Is we'll as having neglected my imperative
duty, were not to place said history on re-
cord. That the reader may understand why
This noted command bears the title at the neao
If this communication, I will give the origin'
by referring to the winter Of lS6l-z' Wnen
the 5th Kentucky Regiment, then under COM
martd Of Col. t(now GEM john 5. Williams
was experiencing the severe campaign OF that
winter in its epdeavors to hold possession OF
Eastern Kentucky.
It must be known Chat Capt. Benjamin =.
Caudil commanded one of the companies OF
that regiment, which company was composed
principally Of men from the county Of Letcher.
During one Of the mastery retreats OF TINS
regiment from Kentucky, and while passing
down one Of the pent in streams Of Letcher
county, the roads along which were az no
time more than four feet deep with mud, an
elderly matron appeared in the door of one OF
the cabins which present themselves at every
!. point where there is a suficiency of bottom
s land and level hill-sides .'to justify a crap,
and addressed herself in the following manner
4 TO the soldiers as they piodded along: is
: tins Mister Williamses Company" Upon be-
ING answered in the Affirmative, she continu-
ed to ask, in her anxiety once more to behold
son or husband Can you tell me where
Ben. Caudill's Army ISL"
ya, sTheee questions were received BY the boys
with great delight, and manifestations of that
lively appreciation of the ridiculous which
can always be seen in soldiers, and has since
afforded the foundation Of many good jok'
IS on "Ben."
i. In the month Of August, 1862, when tn
5th Ky. was in Tazewell county, Va. .sBen'
was granted the privilege Of proceeding wit
) his company to its native county of Letcher
There he remained during the campaign e
the remainder Of the Brigade in the interie
Of Kentucky that fall, and when the army {
Gen. Bragg and the army Of everybody ell
.ny ways Southern was under the necessit
= -
at evacuating the State, ben" remained. de
mite the master efforts of the Home Guards
force him from s.the land of his birth"
"Ben'' has never been troubled with the
vnlar. genuine, blue-b ellied Yankees, to az
great extent, bat has had more contention
With the Home and State Guards than an
body. !. =
hssBv this time the army under "Ben" h
crown to considerable size, SO large, indee
was it. that the old women were astonish
.t its tremendous proportions, and were &C
strained to exelaim, ''Well, now, j do decla
Old Kaintucky has done powerful well IN t
warp Bat notwithstanding the pride viii
they all felt in the reflection that the men
kthe good State of Kentucky had rallied to !
standard Of Southern rights in such astoull
I ing numbers, the said old women could
hslp-thinking that it would have been tar
ter for the peace of the land had "BenD
manned at home and never instigated the vi
e Rut to the. record. have said that %
8 had many ups and downs with the lao
Guards principally ups. Well, he did. I
don the expression, but (altho' "Ben" wa wa
preacher Of the gospel and a fervent.man)
raised particular hill" amongst the
Home Guard fraternity, and finally succe
ed in almost entirely Kidding the country
them-that is, the country which he propc
TO hold, viz: the line Of the Kentucky RI
from Pound Gap o,Jackson, Breathitt coul