Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-07-29

Hunters Disastrous Retreat.

i Hunters Disastrous Retreat.
: It really seems as if the justice of Heav
en- followed tie retreat of Hunter S yandals
Taking from women and children the las
morsel of food they possessed lin fact, wan
i tonly destroying what they could not use
: in the long retreat over the mountains tn
: inhuman Williams themselves suffered from
hunger, and numbers died of starvation OF
the wayside. We published yesterday
paragraph f~om an Ohio paper, stating tha
Hunter had lost 5000 men in his adyanc'
and retreat. The facts relative to Hunter.
losses, and the just punishment that befel
his followers are making their appearances
In the papers Of the United States
The following extracts are taken from
the Columbus Statesman. After giving al
account Of their march through the Valley
the writer, member of the 18th Ohio reg
iment, proceeds as follows:
On the morning Of the 18th nothing &C
cured but skirmishins, except a demon
4 stration Of tie enemy eleven lines deer
made on our centre Averill at the same
time made an unsuccessful effort to burr
the bridge in the vicinity of the city, Or
. the evening IF the 18th the army was or
4 dered to retreat, and the line of march was
taken up for. the Kanawha Valley. Wheth
er or not it was retreat the narrator was
not advised. The army marched about one
hundred and fifty eight miles to Gauley
bridge, meeting supply train some few
miles before reaching the latter place. On
| the evening Of the l7th, the army, while
] before Lynchburg, received its last ra-
ltions.
/ During the retreat The soldiers received
nothing exc pit once each handful Of shelled
corn. The report was current that twenty
seven men died from hunger on the march,
three dying after receiving supplies, but
from exhaustion unable to eat. The men
marched the first night after lea ying Lynch
burg twenty-five miles, aad continued to
march night and day until reaching Gauley
Bridge. A large number Of men, unable
to bear the fatigue, dropped down exhaus-
ted by hunger, hard marching and went to
sleep. The number the writer could not
ascertain, but it was very large. Nothing
was found on the road to eat Fruit was
not ripe, not even whortle berries. The
corn, if any in the country, could not be
found. The cavalry horses had nothing
but grass to sub,ist upon, and, as g conse-
4uence, e very large hu.lber Of them fell
! = wn on the march exhausted It was un
derstood to be the order Of Gen Averili
to shoot all exhausted horses, preventing
them thus from falling into the hands Of
the enony
The army burned the Military Iastituo at
Lexington, after rihing it of it's library
which was found to be very fine. He had
in his possession one of the books The
railroad in the vicinity Of Lynchburg was
destroys toa considerable distance, though
the Important bridge aimed at to be
burned was too well guarded
This is the bridge across James river al
Robinso's Mil Il vas guarded by 6 section
Iof the Lynchburg artillery and battalion Of
infantry. Two different movements were
made agtilst it. Ed. VIRGIN
The Soldiers thought IL General Hunter
intention was to take Lynchburg, he failed
i IF it was to destroy a portion ofrailroad and
burn the Military Institute, he succeeded
The loss OF men from all causes was very
large. The loss of horses felt net short Of
four thousand.
| While marching from I4ynchburg, some
two thousand or more Of the soldiers be-
came barefooted, and had to wrap up their
/ feet with pieces Of blanket A number of
negroes were taken on the route. 4 very
large proportion of the negroes were fur
nished with horses, or were carried in wag-
ons or ambulances A soldier, whose feet
were wrapped with pieces Of blanket and
exhausted from the march, halted a negro
"a a horse end took possession Of the ami
NAL. Gen, Hunter hearirr.. Of the fact,
rode up to the soldier, ordered him TO dis
mount and horse-waipped him. placing tns
negro again upon the horse.
! The retreat from Lynchburg was not in
any order, General Crook told the men to
make their way back as best they could
The whole army struggled. rather than
marched, all the way from Lynchburg to
Gauley.
1 The time Of service of the 18th regiment
expired while at Lynchburg. A portion Of
the regiment re enlisted last winter. TIE
larger portion have retired home to be mus
tered out Of service.
4 The Washington Republican says:
An officer wko accompanied Gen. Hun
ter in his recent raid in the direction Of
Lynchburg, informs US that the suferings
and adventures OF the soldiers are scarcely
paralleEed in the history Of warfare. Or
the return march hardly q blade Of gras;
was seen for three days. The soldiers fec
their horses with corn out Of their hands
+, and ate only the grass shat dropped to the
ground Our informant sew men eating
common tallow candles with most extra
ord nary relish. Others dug up roots GU
Of the ground and pluokes buds from til,
trees for food.
4 THAT HAr-1ItR REPoR7 - One Of GU
, most iraccible old habtues of the city re
, tans the time honored fashion Of wearing
, a high top. glossy silk hat. A few even
ings ago he was trying to get safely owe
that nuisance (hc Whitehall railroad cross
$ ing, when be was startled by shout from
t some soldiers, vino were alyancicg toWar,
: him. They yelled at him ''Uome on