Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-01-13

From the Richmond Examiner 2sth ult.l
~ LII L..r---.--- - IL Z .A.-.,-r.

! tdt spout, Bal DdCn il-tO LIZ utll CAST YOUR
! eye upon a map and I'll tell YOU how he went
and how he came He came from Eev. Greek
/ a depot on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
| IN the county Of Hardy, along the eastern
| base of the Shenandoah mountains through
| Coyington to Salem, burnt things generally
| and returned over nearly the same route
| lmboden seized the gap where the Parkers-
| burg turnpike crosses the Shenandoah, and
| prevented a raid on Stanton. AyeriIl left
| five hundred men to hold Imboden there, and
| pushed on towards Salem. That General
| could not pursue without uncovering Staun-
ton, the force threatening nearly equalling
his own. General Lee was informed Of the
situation of affairs.
Here commences the reign of major gene
| rails and military science. Major General
| Tubal \. Early came; Major General Fitz-
hugh Lee came BrigadIer General Walker
came; Brigadier General Thomas came
Their stats came. They ali took a drink
General Eary took two. Brigadier General
Wickham came Col Chanbliss, commanding
brigade, came. They smiled also.
When Averill was opposite Stanton Fitz
Lee was at Fry Depot, on the Virginia Cen
trial Railroad a days march from that town
fortunate occurrence, indeed. EVERYBODY
thought Averill was freed now. Lee was
ordered across the Blue Ridge He passed
through Browns Gap and struck the Valley
turnpike al Mount Crawford, eight miles
above Harrisonburg-a miserable mistake
one days march lost. He then marched to-
wards StauntOn. Another day gone for moth
ing. He finally reached Stanton. where he
ought TO have been the first night Still
there was plenty ot time to cut AyeriI off
Lee and Imboden marched day and night to
Lexington, and then towards Coyington-
They had yet time enough to intercept him.
Here was committed the fatal and foolish
blunder While Lee and lmbOden were on
the road to Coyington, in striking distance of
that place, word was sent that the Yankees
were marching towards Buchanan, instead of
CovingtOn. No man ought to have put ere
dence IN a statement so utterly absurd as that
the enemy were going from Salem to that
place. Such statement presupposes Aver
i'll deliberately placing himself past escape,
and therefore, run raving mad. Such i'm
probable rumors should never be entertained
a moment, much less made the basis of inn
portant military movements The order was
obeyed The troops turned and marched
back, and at night were neither at Buchanan
nor Covington.
The story is told in few words. The Yam
KEGS passed through Coyingtou, and, to their
great amazement, escaped. The rumor about
Buchanan the tale of some frightened
fool. The enemy, in terror and demoraliza-
ton, fed from Salem at full speed, destroying
their train and artillery. jackson knocked
some IN the head; the citizens beat the brains
out OF others one farmer in Allegheny killed
SIX; some are scattered in the mountains and
are being picked up here and there; the rap
Id streams drowned many; but the main part
have gone whence they came, wondering how
they did get away. 1t is hardly necessary to
add, the humblest private in the ranks if he
possessed sense enough to eat and drink mot
only could, but 5roldd have managed better
Old Stonewall would have marched on, caught
and killed the Yankees. What Lee thought
this writer don't know. They who know, say
Imboden begged to 90 to Covington. He
made it plain to the dullest mind that the
Buchanan story was past belief What's done
is done.
No language can tell the suffering of our
men. They were in the saddle dayand night
save a few hours between midnight and dav.
They were beat up by their officers and their
sWords-thc only means of arOusing them
numb and sleepy. Some froZe to death
others were taken from their horses senseless.
They fOrded swollen streams and their Clothes
stltl-trozen, ratified as they rode. It raiued in
torrents, and troze as it fell. In the noun
tain paths the ice was cut from the roads be
fore they ventured to ride over. One horse
slipped over the precipice. The rider was
leading him; he never looked over after
him. The whole matter is summed uD in
couple of sentences. Averill was penned up
McCausiand, Echols, and jackson at one gate,
Lee and lmboden at the other. Some ass
suggested he might escape 6g jumping dolc7t
the rel and coming out in Japan, /. e., 90 to
Buchanan. Early ordered them to leave
gate open and guard the well. He did not
jump in.
Meanwhile, tie Yankee cavalry came up
the valley through Edenburg New Market,
up TO HarrisorIburg within twenty-five miles
OF Stanton, " their headquarters" This
was boarding. the lion in his den Tubal took
the field, at the head Of company l. ana a
party OF substituted men, farmers and plough
boys, called Home Guards" The Yankees
got after him, and the Major General Com
manding" lost his hat III the race. The last
heard IF him he was pursuing the enemy with
part Of his division-footmen after cavalry
with line prospect of overtaking them some
where in China, perhaps about the g great
wall" The Yankees were retreating towards
the Devil Hole" Early bound for the same
place They did very little damage in the
valley.
Here is the moral: The marshals under
NapOleon's eye were iRvincible-with sepa-
rate commands, blunderers. A general of
division, with Gen. Robert +. Lee to plan and
put aim in the right place does well. Mosby
would plan and execute a fight or strategic
movement better than Longstrect at Suffolk
and Knoxville or Tubal Early at Stanton.
JacRsons blunt response to some parlor or
bar-room StrategisUs in Richmond, "more
Men, but fewer ORDERS was wisdom in an
axlom-true then, just as true now as when
the hero of the valley uttered it. 1t is diff
cult TO direct, especially by couriers the
movement of troops a hundred miles distant
among mountains the ranking" general
never saw, except on an inaccurate map. 1t
Is not every commander who can point out
roads he never heard of, and by-paths he
never dreamed of, as the proper ones to cut
Oft an enemy. Bullets, not brains are need
ed here.
CHARLOTTE CORDAY'-The details given bv
Samson Of this remarkable Incident in the
Reign of Terror are, as might be expected,
more minute than any that have vet been
given TO the public; but they show the cir
cunlstances Of the case, as depicted by Mr..
Wards pencil from previously existing data,
10 be perfectly correct. Charlotte had not
returned ten minutes from her trial at which
she had conducted herself with unexample
frmness and ability, when ". Hauer the ar
list, was introduced. She conversed with
the artist, while engaged in his task, with
perfect calmness for an hour and a half
when she suddenly remembered she had for
gotten to write a letter. She had only pen
ned few lines when Samson made his APP