The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-07-02
GEN. GARFIELD IN THE ARMY.
His Record During the War of the
Rebellion
[From the Cincinnati Commercial

upon Gn6 breaking OUT OF the Rebel
lion Gen. Garfield was among the first
to lay aside the ease and enjoyment of
private life and the attraction of per-
sonal and political popularity and enter
upon the arduous duties of the soldier.
He set about raising regiment among
his pupils and friends and fellow-citi-
zens; and mainly by his efforts the
Forty-second Ohio regiment was
formed, of which he was appointed
Colonel by Gov. Dennison, in August,
On Dec. II Of that year he left Camp
Chase, Ohio, with his regiment, under
orders for the Big Sandy valley region,
In Eastern Kentucky, reporting in per-
son to Gen. Buell. at Louisville. Upon
arriving in that city he was invited by
Gen. Buell. to arrange his campaign /;
and he accordingly worked out plan,
which was submitted to and approved
by the commanding General. The next
day he started for his field of operations
with little army Of four regiments and
about 800 cavalry. The Big Sandy was
reached, and followed up for some sixty
miles, through rough, mountainous
region, his force driving the outposts of
Gen. Humphrey Marshall before them
for considerable distance. On the
7th of January, 1862, he drove the enc
my's cavalry from Paintville, after q Sc
we're skirmish, killing and wounding
twenty-five of them. At q strong point,
three miles above Paintville, Marshall
had prepared to make stand, with two
batter es Of six guns each, $500 infant
ry, and 700 cavalry; but, when his cav
airy were thus unexpectedly driven in,
his courage failed, and he hastily evacu-
ated his works, retreating up the river.
The rapid marching, thus far, had
much exhausted Gen. Garfeld's forces {;
still he resolved to pursue, and, picking
out l, 100 of his ablest troops, continued
on to Prestonburg, distance of fifteen
miles, There he found the rebels
strongly posted upon the crest of hill,
and at once attacked them and main
tanned the battle during five hours, the
enemy's cannon meanwhile playing
briskly. Although they were now I'M
der fire for the first time, the daring
valOr of the Union troops swept all be-
fore them the rebels were driven from
every position, and, after destroying their
stores, wagons and camp equipage, they
precipitately retreated to Pound gap, in
the Cumberland mountains, sixty miles
above. This was the first brilliant
achievement of the war in the West. and
most complete and humiliating defeat
to the rebels, their loss in killed and
wounded amounting to $50, in addition
to forty taken prisoners, while that of
the Federals was but thirty-two, all told.
1t is related of Gen. Garfield that OF the
time of this battle he had in his pos
session a letter written short time be-
fore by Humphrey Marshall to his wife,
but intercepted by Gen. Buell. and sent
to Gen. Garfield, i'll which he stated that
he had 5000 effective men in his com
mand. This letter the General refrained
from showing to his officers and men
until after the victory. His commission
as Brigadier dates from the day of the
battle at Prestonburg.
Gen. Garfield now moved his force to
Piketon, Ky, 100 miles above the
mouth Of the Big Sandy. Here he re-
manned several weeks, sending out,
meanwhile, expeditions in every direc-
ton wherever he could hear of a rebel
camp or band, and at length completely
clearing that whole country of the enc
my. While thus employed his pro-
visions gave out, and, instead of send
ing, he went himself to the Ohio river
for supply. The provisions were OBJ
tanned, and small steamer seized and
loaded Herewith. But now q serious
difficulty presented itself. The river
was swollen byan nprecedentedfreshe
and it's navigation was extremely peril
GUS. No Captain or pilot would take
charge of the boat; it was an impossi-
bility to navigate the Big Sandy
with anything in the shape of boat
and they would not go. Gen. Garfield,
however, was not to be baked in this
way. Determined that the provisions
should go through to his starving men,
he took command of the boat himself
and plotted her up the river, standing at
the wheel one day and two nights. It
WAS p6IuOuS voyage up an unJr1oQ
stream full of eddies and currents, in
which the little boat quivered and
turned, at times threatening to make
instant wreck of itself and all on
board but the indomitable energy of
the General carried him safely through
all these difficulties, and in due season
himself and his cargo arrived safely at
the camp, greatly to the JOY OF his suf-
fering soldiery.
About the middle of March he made
his famous Pound gap expedition, for a
proper understanding of which few
words descriptive of the locality will be
necessary. Pound gap is a zigzag
opening through the Cumberland
mountains into Virginia, leading into o
tract of fertile meadow-land lying be-
tween the base of the mountains and a
stream called Pound fork, which
bends around the opening of the gap at
some little distance from it. forming
what is called "the pound. These
MINES originated in this wise: This
mountain locality was for long time
the home of certain predatory Indians,
Il. IL I II