Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-04-19
From Pfoof-,heets tf Four Y ea. 10 tho Ranks.
BY CuASSEUE


Der, 1862. We were Ga the tramp sgaio, sud en-
empty stomach toe; steadily orc by enc the
strength OF tue army decress,c, es soldier
after soldier, weak with hurg r, would drop
out Of rauks AID Gu. Ct s:glt to be seen DO
more for weeks. Tho farm houses over the
route VIC travMstd wc1o filed with, slightly
SICK, and struggling eoldicrs There was
fearful end shameful blunder sopeW here. Some
general oficyr ought to have been shot for
grave and uDpardoIab|e neel.c: Of duly. Here
was tho great Armv Of Northero Vreiaia, who,
after four months f.ariuI fighting and oopstsnt
&C ion. with ranks d. cimated by tho CASUALTIES
OF battle aud sickness, Oh their way as IN army
OF Invasion, and instead OF being reioioic,d,
aud their losses repaired. ls we'll as ssric: dis.
ciplno eXscted. they we've elloEed to maIod
day II :cr day with no ra'ious -pothing to eat
aud esch soIdl:r was suffered 10 leave ranks,
and to roam and wander at will 10 tho county.
Thee there were no suppli:s; t5ousaId s Of Our
soldiers were bsreiootcd. aud tad 10 isl bahind
because Of their s!onebru:s,s. Theo, asuiu, Dot
single article oil clothing had b,cu led, aud
the men had net even changed their shirts for
two weeks Instead Of having thoroughly,
equipped army 10 Invade tho Noltb, here were
long En:s CT llmplng, starving so!diery ream.
ing around, that 10 appearatc, looked like tho
doughty warriors who followed Fals!aff lround
Coventry. 1t VAS Napoleon that mastered 10
The art Ct war, who uttered Tho msxim that
an army only moves on i:s belly. Whist would
| any great European general sly TO HAYS seen
that splendid body OF men 10 gray dividing
away, one by one, every stcpthcy took forward
Tho hrmbless lriVate 10 the ranks saw this and
it had bad tifect upon lha mcn. Itlookcd ss
1t thor government did rot even care to keen
! them alive by feeding them. which made them
bitter egains; their offcMs.
Three days Of steady mud c)aiou)ul t:aup-
Ing brought US to he littla loRo OF Lees5urg,
not lar from The Po.omsc. No c,um!ssaTy
wagons had tr;lrei yet, hnd 10 ,hess three
days, as In the week before, not a sicge ration
| was issued to the troops. The II ost the officers
could do was to blvOusc their comm ands along
sdo OF the corn fields 90 the route az d let them
i've on that vcge table. The amount OF proven,
der, tho numb.r OF roasting csrs huoprv R,b
c1ud eet outside Of wouli shame draw horse
and cause Tow path uuIe 10 blush with GIVE.
have seen one halt ststved soldier g,t away
With sixteen roasting ears Of cjrn at single
meal. aud they were not lub5in5 either. Ii
seems Incredible, but 1t Is true that Lees amy
On tho advance, lived alouo oC green clrn aud
apples, tie only lus:s. C, upon record | behave.
VI curse, Ills diet is good for change, yet i.
| was poor su'taner In tho loog run. The
neu got thinner end weaker aud tho food
| caused chronic diarri Gel ard lux. whioi still
further declmsted the racks, aud caused the
loss Ut several thousand Een. Sill, wiih sll.n-
did bravery aud grim determination, they kent
up their spirits ard pressed crwaid 1t was a
sight t. sec tho troops halted !1r their corlicp
mcal By soDe apple orchard or cIru field: a
hundred fires would be liz in twinklinp, and
soon tbs savcty cdr of the roasting cars would
make The lic &c ioleat with the perfume, LA
short time thousands Of jaws would be- working
for dear l!c, and the lbs would b. scattered
tveryS here A Spanish army. i. is sid, c.u
b. trc!d ty Tie rack small OF th, garlic that
polsons the ar fJr miles arCuGd; 50 any keen
sc'otcd Yankee cou ID easily tell The Rebels
~hereatouts Simply b7 snuhog in tho bre,z,
the En'ctab'e aroma of The cooking corn.
Leaving L,csourg ST CT brief Lslt-ionp
on1u2h Indeed to brlog Every old mao, woman
| and clild in the plac, around Us, for portion
oil the Seventeenth Company q was oreauiz d
hcre-thc command struck for tho fyrIs. bly,
ouLc!og tor the night before we reached them.
Almost ty tie limo the morning. stsr hsd
cleaned liz brightest NC c)atinued cur naroh
Every huodred latdsor SO Sumo soldier would
drop cut OF ranks ucqaesioncd. Many were
batelottsd, aod thtlt fGot wtrc in n terrible
condition from waking ever these rocky roads.
and they trll bthlod 10 d(Zlns. lndecd, from
slGpe Common sense want OF attention, the
srmY soen:u 10 DO gnlog TO pieces; snd during
tho march lotto Maryland TO suoh al extent W. s
strspglog cnrled Oh, that a Gisinterestcd Look
eroo would have decided hat j, rcsembc1 morn
the retIcat OF a demoralz i srmy than bodv
OF troops flushed With success aud advancing to
cotq lcst 10 the middle of the day, (Syptcm
Der S. aid Us the SKY coloTed waters FIRST struck
the eyes OF the Soldlery, gIeamiog through the
lntetvt nIDg tfces, rolling cheer Ian ulocg the
loo that was c.uaht I'D by tho brigades behind,
nd OF last died away far in tho ruar
ne sweet sutumu tuUsAloo daLcjd on the
IiprlIog waters snd softly lit up tho emerald
sheen OF the backi beyond. Across the liver
vas tbe promised Ia1d, to Cur FINISHED eyes
locking as lair as the gardeu IF the LORD; with
its broad fields Of wsviug er siu lis bars bprst.
log lu'l OF Raruerod grain, lis orch srds bctdinr
beneath The fruit that had turned rosy red a, i
WIS kissed by tho lu!umo sun, i,'s cosg farm
houses do,ting the landscape as as tho fvo
oou!D roacd. Il vas lovely picture, aud tho
eyes OF lie soldiers lighted up as they gaz,d. |
a lew .ecy clouds alone broke the IL Ire above:
light bretzo murmu,cd ano7g the leaves
the birds. staging on the swsyius boushs, weru
c!rrollpg their shri tretla to tho stern music
OF the distant c,nonadlog. and the froes uttered
their iecble Imitation from the na.shy land be |
low.
Preparations wero made for crossing ut cnce. |
The river was about hundred yards wide. and. !
owing to the huc dry weather of tho last few
days. the waters had subsidized to their lowest
mark, making the stream easily iordatlo to the |
lntaDtry. But even if tho tide Has low, the
current was strong and swift, as we found to
our cost. The men were Dot long 10 gettiog
ready every one consulted his own Individual
convenience. Some took off the las, rsg, and /
makiog bundle, stuck it Oh tho top of their
bayonets and plugged 10 tho cddying tide
others again only disrObcd their lower half. and
went 1t Just 80; sono reckless. don't care-a damn
style OF men crossed as they we're, and then laid
down on the opposite batks TO dry; most (fl
them thong h essayed 10 GROSS with ouly their
ooo abbreviated garment or. |. was genial,
I0V0uy side enttipu oron Tbo n,,n,t