The National tribune., 1883-05-10
Who Was Hel

To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
In November, 1862 while my regiment Eighty
ninth %. V H. was in camp at the kanawhs Falls,
West Virginia myself and three of my comrades
one day got a pass to go outside of the lines. We
went south on the Fayetteville road which for part
OF the way winds along through q ravine which
separates Cotton Mountain on the east from an
other mountain ON the west After going nearly
tiiree-tluarters OF . mile We reached large beech
tree marked with the following letters cut in the
bark: " H Shinn, FloycI's Retreat IS6Ir At this
place we noticed an old foot path which led through
the under5rush up Cotton Mountain. From curl
oslty we followed this path until il ended. Our
ambition was to go on To the top of the mountain,
as neither of Us had ever been 50 near heaven as
on mountain-top. The mountain side was COW
cred with laurel, sassafras. hemloei and cedar;
ana sometimes when the ascent was very steep the
orush aided US to climb. After having scrambled
up for over a mile, we became 50 fstigued that we
wsre compelled to halt for awhile and rest While
resting and chatting our attention was all at once
called 70 something that looked rather queer few
teet from us, amongst pile of small rocks. Upon
examination we found them to be human bones
and upon closer inspection they were seen 20 be
the bones OF q Mon soldier. We found his heavy
Governments shoes, the rim of his cap, and one
sleeve OF his blouse, on which a eorpOral's
eneNFoh y small lock OF ms halr also found,
which was IN color q dark auburn. All the bones
were there save the skull. This NAV have rolled
down the mountain side The Indications We're
plain that the body had never been buried but
probably had lain upon the ground until beasts and
decomposition had cleaned tle flesh from the bones
Who he was and how he came there was an ma
Portant question. We could not find ans clue to
his name The conclusion we reached was that as
there had been Union troops at the Falls the pre-
vious year and also IN the present year this man
had probably been soldier of some infantry regi-
ment; had, like ourselves, taken "a ramble upon
the sides of Cotton Mountain; had met with BUSH
whaekers and had been killed by them The
place where the bones were found rather an
open space, and looked if there had been no
attempt at coneealment.
Believing that we Were probably in the same
danger and concluding were as near heaven rs
we wished to be for the present, We beat hssty
retreat down 10 camp.
In the afternoon my reg1mental commander,
Northumberland Rowe, sent myself and two
other soldiers to gather up the scattered bones and
give them decent burial. This did at the
place we found them and raised above his grave .
small monument of rocks, which believe could
find again to-day
From the opening Of the war up to the date OF
my sketch there had been many regiments of Ohio
soldiers camped in and near the Falls The regi-
ments We're the Eleventh, Twelfth, Twenty-third.
Thirtieth, Thirty-sixth, and. others from other
States. This soldier who a corporal, must
have mysterlously disappeared To throw some
light upon what happened over twenty years ago,
and to clear away the mist that hangs upon the
unknown fate OF one of my eOuntFy's brave defend
ers. has influenced this late date TO give this
sketch TO the public.
Can any one else throw additional light upon the
subject III any one can, should ike TO hear from
him through the columns of THIS TRIBUNE.
O>MEtsO, IAN. JOHN H. HILL