Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-10-23
[Continned from first pace. !


army is advancing along the riv.r. He
hurries off a thousand infantry and bat
terry to resist the advance OF this imagi-
nary column. When this detachment has
been gone an hour and half he hears.
from the routed piekets ON the right, that
the Federals are advancing along the
western road. Concentrating his first
order, he now directs the Thousand men
and the battery to check the new danger,
and hurries off the troops at Paintylle 10
mouth of Jenny's Greek to make a stand
there. Two hours later the pickets on
the central route are driven in, ard find
ing Paintyillc abandoned. flee precipit;tie-
ly to the fortified camp, with the story
that the Union army is close at their heels
and occupying the town. Conceiying that
he has just lost Paintyillc, Marshall hast
lily withdraws the detachment OF 1000
men to his fortified camp; and Garfield,
moving rapidly over the ridges Of the
central route, occupies the abandoned
position
SO affairs stand on the evening Of the
Sth OF January, when spy enters the
camp Of Marshall, with tidngs that Cra-
non, with $500 O. men, is within twelve
hours march at the Westward. On receipt
of these tidings, the big boy'-he weighs
800 pounds by the Louisville hay scales,
-cOnceiving himself outnumbered, breaks
up his camp, and retreats precipitaleiy,
abandoning or burning a large portion Ot
his supplies. Seeing the fires, Garfield
mounts his horse, and, with a thou
sand men, enters the deserted camp 1t .
in the evening, while the blazing stores
are yet unconsumed He sends of de-
tachmcnt to harass the retreat, and waits
the arrival Of Cranor, with whom he
means TO follow and bring Marshall TO
battle in the morning.
In the morning Cranor comes but his
men are footsore, without rations and COM
pletely exhausted They cannot move
one leg after the other. But the canal boy
Is bound TO have "A fight; so every man
who has strength 10 march is ordered for
ward. Eleven hundred-among them
400 of Cranor's tired heroes, step from
the ranks, and with them, at noon of the
9th, Garfield sets ont for prestouhurg
sending all his available cavalry to follow
the line Of the enemy's retreat and hlrass
and delay him.
Marching eighteen miles he reaches at
O'Clock that night the mouth OF Abbnt's
Creek, three miles below Preston
burg. he and the lO0 There he hear,
that Marshall is encamped on the same
stream, three miles higher up; and throw
ing his men into bivouac. in the midst of
sleety rain. lac sends IN order back to
Lieutenant Colonel sheldon who is left in
command at Painlvillc, To bring up every
available man with all possible dispatch.
Tor he shall force the enemy io battle in
the morning. He spends the night in
learning the character of the surrounding
country and the disposition Of MARSHALL :
forces: and now again John ortlan comes
into action
dozen rebels are @rindingat the mill.
and "A dozen honest men come upon them
steal their corn, and make them prisoners.
The miller is a tall. gaunt man. and his
clothes fit he scout rs if they were made
for him. lie is Disunionist too, and his
very raiinent should bear witness against
this feeding ot the enemies. II does II
goes back to the Rebel camp, and-the
scout goes IN it. That chameleon face of
his is smearcd with meal, and looks the
miller so well that the miller'S own wife
might not detect the difference. The
night Is dark and rainy and that lessons
the danger; but still he is picking his
teeth in the very jaws of the lon.-if he
'stil bt 'tllt'i u non. NIlO UOtS lNlninV blIf
roar like unto Marshall.
Space will not permit me to detail this
midnight ramble but it gave Garfield the
exact position of the enemy. They hal
made II stand and laid an ambuscade for
him. Strongly posted ON II SemicircuIar
hill. ut the forks OF Middle Creek. on both
sides of the road. with cannon command
ing its whole length. and hidden by the
trees. they were waiting his coming
The Union commander broke up his biv-
ouac at I in the morning. aud began to
move forward. Reaching the valley of
Middle Creek. he encountered some OF the
enemy's mounted men. and captured a
quantity of stores they were irving to
withdraw from Prestpnburg Skirmish-
ing went on until about noon. when the
Rebel pickets were driven back upon
their main body. and then began the bat
tie. 1t is not my purpose to describe it.
for that has already been ably done, in
thirty lines. by the man who won it.
1t was n wonderful battle. In the his
tory of this war there is not another like
it. Measured by the for 'e> engaged. the
valor displayed. and the results which fol-
lowed. it throws into the shade even the
achievements of the mighty hosts which
saved the nation. Eleven hundred men.
without cannon. charge up rocky hill.
over stumps. over stones. over fallen trees.
over high entertainments. right into the
face of 5000. and twelve pieces of artil-
lery
For five hours the contest RACES. Now
the Union forces are driven back: then.
charging up the hill. they regain the lost
ground. and from behind rocks and trees
pour in their murderous volleys. Then
again they are driven back and again
they charge up the Hill. strewing the
ground with corpSes. So the setting SUM-
wheeling below the hills. glances along
the dense lines of Rebel steel moving
down to envelop the weary i.l00. 1t is
an awful moment, big with the fate OF
Kentucky. Al its very crisis two figures
stand out against the fading sky. boldly
defined in the foreground.
One is in Union blue. With little
band of heroes about him, he is posted on
. projecting rock. which is Scared with
bullets, and in tull view of both armies.
His head Is uncovered. his hair streaming
in the wind, his face upturned in the dark
ening daylight. and from his soul is going
up prayer.-a prayer for Sheldon and
II.,t