The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-01-27
A Soldier of West virginia.
MARrINsnUna Va, Jan. 10Th, 'G4.

JO0
linss from me, 1 therefore sit down TO inform
you that ! am yet living and enjoying pretty
good health and 1 hope this will find you all
veil. Since l last wrote you we have seen
some very hard service. We started from
Newcreek on the 9Th day of December, and
we marched day and night a good part OF the
time until VIC landed here. On the LIST day
of Jan. we went on the raid for the purpose
Of destroying the Tennessee railroad. We
had a great many difficulties to contend with
before we reached the railroad. But at last,
after marching about $50 miles we got to it
at a place called Salem, 60 miles from Rich
mond and 16 miles from the Tennessee line
We burned the depot at Salem which con-
tanned a large amount of Confederate stores
We burned al the railroad bridges and trustle
works for Is miles ard tore up the track for
the same distance. We also captured about
Loo he#ses-enthvru raid and ABOUT $50 Pisea
ers. After destroying the railroad we started
back toward our own territory, but VIC had
not gone FL when W, learned that there were
six rebel Generals after us with all the men
they could raise. There was only one Brigade
- 10 AuhhDCAiuS oDO0I G,OOO Iu0u III ~
pieces of Artillery all commanded by Briga-
der General W. w. Averrill, and he is de-
serving a great deal of praise for the way he
managed to get US back without being killed
or captured. At times we had to- leave the
road and take to the mountains when We
would find that they were posted on the road
ahead of US, but through the good manage
| mani &c opr Nooa,o1 81 ofa, ,oro1 o,,G
we got through with a loss of 20 killed and
drowned and about 100 taken prisoners. Our
suffering was like this we started with 20
DAYS ~rations for ourselves and our horses but
after we travelled a while it rained so as to
swell the creeks and rivers totheir fullest ca
pacity. Whom We came to Craig river it was
flowing from bank to bank. The mounted
men had to win their horses across it six
times in one day anG in order to get tie Al
tillery over we had to take = long rope and
fasten to the wagon and then sWlm the river
With the other seld and pull the wagon over
by hand and so on until we GO all over. But
the General ordered the wagon train to be
burned. on the bank of the river and IN this
way we lost our rations and ffsrage. We were
compelled to do this for the enemy was so
close upon us that it was not safe to wal. ON
the train. We were then some ESQ or Blu
miles in the enemy's country without any
thing to eat only as We could pick up at houses
as We passed along and ell we got in I'll at way
was but slim for we were travelling over the
poor barren mountains of Virginia where the
aha nitants had but little for themselves, and
o many IT US together you can judge how
much each man would get. [ subsisted
tx days on meat alone AID had but little of
Sometimes I got time to broil it on a
re and other times I had to eat it raw. Then
gain in swimming the river we got wet up to
he waist and hal to ride in the cold till ob
Iothes dried on our bodies. It rained three
r four days during the time we were gone |
nd we got wet that way and then a Fart Of =
he time it was very cold and windy and we n
uttered in that way, and then again we had Fl
he icy roads on the mountains to contend II
18th and that with smooth shod horses and :
n the pight of the 18th and morning of the =
9th we had more to contend with; for our b
was cut off from the Brigade by Il
he enemy and was in a tight place. The q
ackson river was on our right flowing from .
ank to bank and a mountain some 500 feet d
on our left. Bill Jackson with 1900 tt
nen and 2 pieces of artillery in front Fright !.
n our road), and Imboden with 1900 men :
oming up in our rear. We made three un-
attempts to go forward during the ii
light but were driven back each time with a G
oss to our regiment, in all 8 killed and IL ia A
zen prisoners and we took 9 of the enemy Il
prisoners. The next morning we cut our way
Trough and swan the river AMI got away t
they. played their artillery on us, first shell U
nd then solid shot:intozeur columns but it I
lone no harm to US. Daring the night I cap v
two privates and one Lieutenant of the t
,uemy. The Lieutenant had two Coils revolt e
gers and a spy glass which he handed to me
when I took him. The General said l should !
nave them all as my own private property for c
what I had done. Our regimental Surgeon I
offered me $40 for the glass and the pistols
ire worth $50 each, so l made about $50 that ;
In consideration of the hardships and
sufferings which the Brigade endured on this
raid, Gen Averrill: petitioned to the War De-
partment to present each man that was on the
raid with a new suit of clothes, free of Charge,
aud in reply Gen. Halleck said that each man
should have a nav suit of clothes, free of
charge, and a .furlough this winter, and be-
sides all this if any of us had clothing &C
counts standing against US for the last year
those accounts are to be blottea out. The
new suit is worth S37 to each man and the
old accounts average from $50 to $50 to each
man. So you can see that although we suffer-
ed much, yet it will pay pretty well. We got
our new suit yesterday, and they will COM
mence giving furlough's soon to ten men out
AaAL nonananu Of one time We -arn sta