The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-06-30

II
mel Hayes led his brigade against the
position. The approach lay through a
level open meadow about COO yard.
wide, which the troops crossed at the
double quick under heavy fire of mus
kerry aud artillery, without returning
a shot. Then, after moments pause,
they dashed across the stream, and
mounting the hill, made furions as
sault on the enerny's intrenchments.
which they carried, capturing two
guns. The enemy fell back to a sec.
ond crest of the mountain, and there
tried to renew the fight, but was fol.
lowed up vigorously, and again driven
of. The rebels, now REINFORCED.
made third effort to beat back their
assailants, but met with no better sue
Cess, and fled precipitately, losing
largely in killed and wounded, among
the former being their commanding
officer, General Jenkins. The struggle
at the guns was desperate, the rebel
| artiilerymen eBdeavOring TO load their
| pieces when the assailants We're not
| over ten PAGES distant. First to reach
| the guns was Private Kosht, of the
Twenty third, a boy of eighteen, who
sprang forward from the ranks, and
with shout thrust his cap into the
muzzle of one of the captured cannon.
This gun proved to be n twenty four
| pounder, which the enemy had set
| great store by, and which Col. Hayes
| men recognized as one that had con
| fronted them in nearly every fight in
that part of the country. There being
| dispute among the soldiers as to who
captured it, the boy Kosht reached his
hand into the muZzle and drew out his
cap, thereby proving indisputably the
title of his regiments. Dublin Station,
eight miles beyond Cloyd Mountain,
was captured the following night, and
considerable quantity of Confederate
stores destroyed. The railway was then
broken up eight miles eastward, to the
New River bridge, which was burned.
General Crook now turned his col
umn northward by way of Meadow
Bridge and Salt Pond Mountain, trav
ersing one of the widest and toughest
sections of the Allegheny Mountain re-
oinY u,ha continuous rainc had mazda
the roaGs almost impossible, and had
SO swollen the streams that both teams
and troops were sometimes lost in
passing the fords. While crossing the
mountains the column ran across the
rebel force that had fought at Cloyd
Mountain, and captured the artillery
that hal been saved by the enemy
from that engagement.
THE RETREAT FROM LYNCHBURG.
After a long series of skirmi-h-s and
exhausting maI ches, the command ar
rived at the old rendezvous at Meadow
Bluff, and being there reiitted it
pushed on and joined Gen. Hunters
force at Stanton, June s. Hunter, re-
inforced by Crook and Averill. at once
began his meditated advance OH Lynch
burg, and on the 10th, Hayes Brigade
marched to Brownsburg. twenty three
miles, skirmishing nearly all'the way.
The column struck the Virginia & Ten
nessee railway on the 14ti inst, and
arriving in the vicinity of Lynehburg,
Crooks command, on the 18th, was
sent to the right on Il thanking expcdi-
ton, with a view to attacking the city
in the rear. While conducting this
Hunter that the enemy, strongly re-
inforced from Richmond, was about to
attack the center in overwhelming
force. Crook therefore moved with
the utmost speed to the exposed point,
and by the timely aid of his command
the attack was repelled. The troops
remained under arms and under fire
the remainder of the day, and when
night closed in, began the retreat,
which the augmented and now over
whelming strength OF the enemy rem
dered necessary.
Col. Hayes brigade covered this re-
treat, which proved to be one Of the
most arduous movements OF the war.
The constant marching, fighting, and
exposure of the previous six weeks had
worn out the men, aud they had now
just passed forty eight hours without
sleep, and almost without food. The
retreating column moved westward,
along the line of the railway, sharply
pursued by the enemy. Hayes brig
ade, assisted by the cavalry, had a
brisk fight with the pursuing forces at
Liberty during the night of the 18th,
and on the morning of the 20th, hav-
ing skirhished all the way, reached
Buford's Gap, and, having held the
Gap during the remainder of that day,
fastened Oh to rejoin the division.
Near Salem the brigade was attacked
simultaneously i'm front and rear, but
cut its way through and pursued its
march, skirmishing heavily all the re-
mainder of the day and up to 10
O'Clock at night. The troops were
now almost crazed with loss of sleep,
fatigue and hunger. At North Noun
tain the pursuit ended, but not the
sufferings of the soldiers. The country
was poor and thinIy peopled, the sup
plies had long been exhausted, and no
rations We're obtained until the com
mand reached Big Sewell Mountain,
on the 9th.
During the nine days preceding this
date, General Crooks division had
marched over $50 miles, losing many
horses and some men, from exhaustion
and want of food. The retreat termi-
mated by the arrival of the wearied
columns at Meadow Bluff, and the
command reached Charleston July l.
BRILLIANT CAREER IN THE VALLEY.
Early, who commanded the rebel
corps sent from Richmond to the relief
of Lynchburg, had by this time moved
into the valley, and thence into Mary
land. Gen. Crooks command was,
therefore, ordered East, and setting
out on the 10th arrived by rail at Mar
tinsburg on the 14tn. There Hayes