Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-10-31


hard-tack aud bacon, aud told them that
the orders required us to put them outside,
but thoro was no order against their re-
turning again; that their late masters were
towering around the picket lines watching
an opportunity TO recapture them.
They were guarded beyond our lines,
and then we reported the order had been
complied with. Then the colored boys re.
turned. We had ealisled to put down the
rebellion, and not TO enforce tie fugitive
slave law We understood our duties bet
| ter than those who were exercising n brief
authority over u.s. Tie Nation had not
then comprehended that tie death OF slav-
cry was an inexorablc requisite to the pre-
servation OF the Union.
On the 30tli Of May, 1868, we left Bowl
| ing Green, Kentucky, marched to Glasgow,
| thence to ScOttsville, thence to Jimtown,
then to T0mkimsvlle. July lth we started
upon our chase after john Morgan. CO.
ing by rail to Louisville, we then took
boat up the Ohio River.
Upon an island in the river we intercept
ted portion of Morgan's command who
some how had got entnngled in Masons and
| Dixon's line, and who surrendered without
resistance when we had beat them out Of
the weeds and bushes in which they lay
concealed. We then steamed up the Ohio
river to Portsmouth, for the purpose of in
tercepting Morgan in his efforts to recross
| the river, There we learned Of the capture
of his command and returned TO Cincinnati
in time to furnish military escort to
Johnson's Island and indianapolis, where
the prisoners were sent for safe keeping
We then returned to New Market, Kentucky y
| Y, where we commenced our preparations
| for the East Tennessee campaign. Before
| this time we had been assigned to the Sec
ond Brigade, Second Division of the Twen-
ty-third Army Corps, in which organiza-
ton we remained during our term of
service.
On the 10Th of August, 1868, the Second
Division commenced its march toward
East Tennessee. You followed The crooked
valleys running southeasterly among the
| foothills OF the Cumberland mountains.
| Through the clear, cold, swift waters OF the
Cumberland river, running breast high
you waded and reformed on the other side
then up and up, along that zigzag wind
ing road, toiled that line of blue, its long
wagon train with white can vass- s-covering
following in the rear, until one after an
other your regimental colors of blue and
| gold, flanked by the stars and stripes, were
| planted on the mountain summit. And
and rifles, touched by the slanting rays OF
the midsummer sun, glinted back toward
the Northland, that promise of substantial
service in the Union cause, which you go
well redeemed thereafter.
After two days rest upon the mount
ain top, our bugles blew the advance
again, and we commenced descending the
eastern slope of the mountains. We pas
sed along that narrow roadway, dotted up
on either side with sharp-peaked dormer-
windOwed houses-so like the peasant
houses of the Bernese Alps that the mod
ern tourist would have felt quite at home
among them. When we had reached the
long open stretches of pine land, we com.
menced that system Of forsging for subsist.
ence which was afterward adopted by
General Sherman in his famous march tC
the sea.
You all remember how eagerly you re.
sponded to detail to accompany wagon
master on foraging expedition, and how
unwillingly you responded to detail to
do fatigue duty in camp. Here your home
experiences as farmer boys came into play
You could tell at n glance whether pota
to-patch would pay the digging. Yor
could dress beef, veal or mutton so sool
after it was shot that no professional
butcher was required.
10. Gingery never used to wait to smok,
a swarm of bees out OF their hives. III,
simply wrapped his dog-tent around tn,
, institution, put it on his shoulder and pro
ceeded to camp on an air line and he new
er needed a civil engineer to blaze his way
! Jo never disappointed friend, and-fo
that matter-neyer disappointed rebel
who expected to lose the last chicken iron
: his hen roost.
At length our command reached L0udol
on the HOlston river, und there we went in
to camp. In the ranks we had engineer
who could run railroad trains; we ha,
mil!ers who could run saw.mills and grist
mills and bakers who could make up tn
: flour into bread The rebel residents alon,
the beautiful llolston valley had harve.t.
2 their wheat; we proceeded to thresh an,
grind it into -four. In short, we started in
to housekeeping on grand scale.
l No body of settlers in new couItr,
. were ever able to obtain quicker return
: upon agricultural investments than We
> With Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad banl
t bills all things were possible. That wa
e the great imitation period. Ii any rebe
e presumed to doubt the legal-tender quail
ties Of that money he was laughed to scorp
( was informed that his early financial edu
; cation had been neglected, and, as a pun
! ishmcnt Tor his dense ignorance on the sub
: ject, his property was taken without none
, and without price.
After all, we are compelled to acknowl
; edge that that sort of circulating medium
ras rather tough. But, does any persor
imagine that those dried apple pies whic
e we received in exchange therefor were no
=, as tough as Erie & Kalamazoo? Unde
any well regulated system of rewards am
5 punishments there is grave doubt whe.he
any people who regarded such pies a lnxu
: ry, deserved any better circulating medium
than that.
: have a curiosity TO know how much O
that money is still passing current in tn
, South and by the way, | think that none
then, was, and now is, as near par us South
3 ern loyalty.
/, On the 22d day OF September, 1868, "
= started on our march TO Sweetwater, Ten
t nessee, and when we got there, ascertaine
: that we were needed at the other end of tn
= line, land so marched back again. 1t SCENE
to be an experiment to ascertain how man
e miles Il column of infantry could march i
+ Il given length OF time.
e On the 18th Of November the rebel Gel
5 eral Longstreet appeared opposite our cam
/ at Loudon, with a force of about $500
! men. At his approach we destroyed tn
b bridge across the river, abandoned the fo
e and camp on the east side, and stood upo
5 the defensive.
g Under cover of his artillery he laid
r ponloOn bridge about two miles below on
Il posiIioHs during the night, and at daylgI
r next morning the long-roll called us
l. arms and we moved out TO attack his a
vance guard. We met them; drove the
It back under cover Of the river bank, and I
J. formed our line Of battle through the WOO
e skirting the river, with orders to be in rea
n ness at 10 o'clock atnighl to assault his p
x sition.
e Have any of you forgotten the rain al
the darkness OF that night? How glool
lily we stood 10 arms VIII lie the cold, peltil
o rain wet us through aud through? IIO
r, when we started some camp fires down Il
4, ravine in rear Of us the rebel artillery Sc