The weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1883, 1883-05-02
AFTER AFFIRMATION.
How the southesn Troops Un-
der General Echols Receiv-
ed the News.
BY CAPTAIN 4. c. GRAHAM.

DER IeOcIal GE0O1S NCCClV.
ed the News.
BY CAPTAIN &c. GRAHAM.
The Department af Southwestern vir-
zinia, during the laststwo years of the
war, embraced nearly all that section of
Virginia from Ly1ehburg to Bristol,
Tennessee, and such portion of east Ten
nessee as then remained in possession of
the Confederate forces. The writer, be-
ing disabled from further service with
his infantry regiment, was ordered to re-
port, as Judge Advocate Of the Military
Court of this Department, to Major Cen
eral Sam Jones, then commanding and
was on duty there when the war ended.
As part of the history of the Confederate
army, it may be mentioned that one of
these military tribunals, consisting of
three colonies and Q captain, with cap
tain and Provost Marshal, was attached
to each army corps, as part of the staff,
and sat as a permanent court-martial for
the trial of military offenders, thus doing
away with the necessity for calling gen
eral and garrison calrt4 General Jones
having been relieved ff0n tie command
of the department of southwestern Vir-
ginia, and ordered elsewhere he was sue
ceeded by General John c. Breckenridge.
When General Breckenridge became
Confederate Secretary Of War the COM
mand of the department devolved upon
General John Echols, with headquarters
at Wytheville, Virginia. The force in
this department, consisting of infantry,
cavalry and artillery, formed, as it were,
one of the extreme outposts Of General
Lees army. Although but little was
known fthe operations Of this command
before the appearance Of General Jones'
articles in recent numbers of the weekly
Times, yet there were performed some Of
the most gallant services rendered dur
ing the war, and there figured some of
the most romantic characters of Confed-
crate history.
FAMOUS FIGHTERS OF THE SECTION.
There fell John H. Morgan, Ken
tucky's trooper. There roamed that re-
lentless guerilla, Champ Furgusson, AFTER
ward executed by military commission
for the killing of Lieutenant Smith, and
for which crime he was under charges
and on the eve of trial by the Confeder-
ate authorities when the war ended*
There figured the brave Clearance Prem
tice, son of George D. Prentice, Of Lou
isville, and there, too, was General Basil
Duke, another of Kentuck' q accomplished
soldiers, who succeeded to the command
of the brigade of his brother-in,law, John
Morgan; there also was the unfortunate
Crittenden; J. Stoddard Johnson, Albert
Sidney, Johnson's nephew, and now one
of Kentuck's most distinguished citizens,
was the chief of staff; J. Howard Smith,
since Auditor of Kentucky, held an i'm
portant command; Jimmie" Clay, Henry
Clay's grandson, was an aid on the staff,
while towering above all rose the figure
of Breckenridge. There also were Vaugh ghn
of Tennessee, With his cavalry brigade;
McCausland and Wharton, with their
Virginia infantry; Bryan and Burroughs,
with battery of artillery each, and that
gallant Virginia gentleman of the olden
time, General Preston, with his brigade
o. reserves. -~
WHEN SPRING DAYS CAME.
These forces had passed through one
of the severest winters of that cold noun.
famous region with occasional interrup'
tions from the bands of Stoneman's
troopers. When the spring Of 1855 open.
ed not one of the command dreamed o.
the dread disaster that awaited the Con.
federate arms. Rumors we're constantly
arriving at headquarters of big raid by
stoneman, and finally word came that he
was advancing again toward Saltville, the
great depot of the salt supply of the Con-
federacy. All was now activity. Gen
eral Echols at once put the entire force
under his command in motion to meet
the advancing enemy. While none Of uf
had the faintest idea what was the1
taking place at Petersburg, yet the very
atmosphere seemed to whisper that
mighty events were near at hand and
the roll of the artillery and the clatter O.
the hoofs of the cavalry, as we moved
onward over the macadamized road, gave
forth sounds of ominous portent.
AT FEVER HEAT.
General Echols moved his force as fal
as Abingdon and there camped for thu
night, That night he received a dis
patch to hasten back with all speed t.
Lynchburg. The cavalry and artillery
were ordered instantly to retrace theil
steps and push toward Lynchburg by
forced marches, while the infantry wert
literally packed on the few platform car
that could be collected at Abingdon
drawn by the only engine, a wheezy ole
concern, that could be found at that enc
of the road. Arriving at Dublin, a station
on the Virginia and Tennessee railroad
General Echols learned that railroad anG
telegraphic communication had beer
severed between him and Lynchburg
and the infantry were removed from
their excessively uncomfortable quarten
on the cars. and marched on TOWARD
Christiansburg, the next station on thu
road. The whole country was nov
thoroughly aroused and excitement wa
at fever heat, yet not a word hae
reached us of the events that were ever
then happening at Appomattox and no
a soldier dreamed of such dire calamity
as surrender.
SUPPER AND ITS TERMINATION.
The writer, in company with othel
members of the staff, had received an in
vitation to supper from a gentleman
near Dublin. As good meal was an op
portunity ne yer to be. sighted in thost
famishing days, and as our whole forct
exI ected to go in camp that night neal
Christiansburg, several of us got permis
sion to accept the invitation, with order
to rejoin the command at daybreak. Wot
be unto that gentleman's larder had HI
extended many more such invitations
Tho a,,,,r,or uas excellent and the anne