The National tribune., 1883-09-27
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Cur Veterans Have 10 Say About
Their Old Campaigns
esnorai k.crsIl,s salem nald.

g0mrade Hill, ia his narrative - Goo3-by 10
Dixie" recently published IN your columns
speaks e General Kelley making raid on
Salem Va ia the winter of 1853. ] beg leave
10 correct this statement, giving praise 70 whom
praise is due General AyeTeli WIS the one
who conducted thai raid. j was along with
Fighting BLY, as onr boys called him. We
left Mart inshnrg, Va, December !, VITA three
regiments Of mounted infantry, onc-and-a-haif
OF cavalry. and Captain ERIngs battery, and
on the I6Cb OF that monih had penetrated 10
Salem-an important station Of the Virginia
and Tennessee Railroad. Here We broke up
and completely destroyed fifteen miles Of the
railroad; burned Eve bridges and tore down
several culverts; cut and eoiied Tho telegraph
wires for half male; burned three depo5s OF
rebel stores c0uteinlBg 100GSD bushels Of com,
$4,000 bushels of oatS, 10000 bushels OF wheat,
1900 barrels Of hOur, 1900 barrels Of meal, sew
eral cords of lasthsr ! 600 sacks Of salt, thirty
one boxeS of clothing, twenty bales OF cotton,
aud large quantity OF shoes, harness and sad
dlery equipments, and ether stores; as, als8 100
wagons which had been ssnf forward f0T Long
streets troops. We were obliged on our re-
tuTTis 70 swim our forces and drag OR artillery
with ropes across Cr8ig's Creek seven times in
twenty four hours. On cur return He found
SIX separate rebel commands under Generals
Early, JoDes. Fitzhugh Lee, Imboden, Jack
son, and Ecllols, arranged IN line extending
from Staunt0n 20 Newport, on all the avail
able roads 70 intercept &c. but we captured
dispatch from General Jones 70 General Early,
giving Us his position and that Of JaclkSon's at
Clifton Forge; asd. marching from Jones mont
20 Jackson's by night, we crossed the river, and
pressing IN his outpostS. passed bim. Infuri-
stsd at cur escape, The rebel generals concen-
trated their forces in advance OF us at Gala
CHAN Station, where they held every road but one,
which they deemed ImprsCtlcsbic. Over that
one We made orr escape, crossed the summit
Of the Alloghenies and reached Beverly on the
2lst 0f December. We marched. climbed. slid,
and swan $50 miles IN thirteen days. Our
losses were six drowned five wounded, and
fourteen missing. We captured and brought in
200 prisoners and $50 horses; we suffered much
from cold and hunger, but endured al with
great fortitude. ] know II was cold. for froze
my feet, and when We wanted TO get of our
horses we had 10 ride 10 q tres and kick our
feet loose from the stirrnps / win cicse, hop
ing TO hear from some OF the officers of my bri-
gade c. Z. SHANK.
Late Chief Buglcr, OF 7th w. Va Y. V. Cav.
BUFFALO, w. Va.
CAPTURED on THE SALEM RAID.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:-
Some time since friend handed me copy
OF your valuable paper al that time l was not
8 snbscriberl ia which comrade asked for
descriptions OF the battles OF Rocky Gap Droop
Mountain, and the Salem raid I was not
present at Rocky Gap but was stretcher-bearer
IN the ambulance corps at Drcop Mountain
and participated IN the Salem raid. / LOST nav
captain. q. CobGrn-in the Droop Mountain
engagement. ! csrried TO the hospital the
wounded Of both sides as RuawalIs Jackson
and his mOccasin rangers retreated IrecIpitately
after they got Tho contents OF the gRns carried
by the Twenty-eighth O. v. l., followed by
Dutch yell snc gallant charge. which cleared
the field. We carried in one particular Johnny
from Louisiana, who WAS badly wounded in all
parts OF his b0dy, except his tongue. lie cursed
everything OF the Yankee persuasion, and
especially the Dutch shoulder cannon"
Ofthe Salem raid recall few incidents, but
this 30 remember and never csn forget, that
on the night OF December IS 1863 the entire
train OF AFeTslis command was captured before
we reached the bridge across the jackson River
on the road 10 CevjnEtOn, Va notwithstanding
thRt Averelit report says: " Ny loss is six men
drowned, one officer and four men wounded,
and four officers and ninety men missing'
There were lls of ms cooped IN the station
house at jackson River Station on the morning
OF the 2lst Of December 1868, before we started
via SIauaton for Richmond and starvation.
Only three Of these ia stalwart men lived 10
see home and friends again. ] am one of the
three, and would like 10 hear from the other
two. The way ] escaped was rs follows: We
carried our sick-oa Belle lsle-on a blanket
lG6il5 lLD-l8-i1A, fAaIetGf disease
gave as their ailmcnt was marked down with
out an examination, and they were thus sent to
the city hospital. ] learned from New Yorker
that better quarters and better grub was 10 be
had n the city hospital, and. though ! had no
particular allInent, yet told the boys If they
would carry me out and have me marked
chronic dizErhGa would try the city. Three
days after ] WAS carried cut, the squad to
which l belonged was sent 70 AndersonYllle
Six hundred Of these who remained were
placed Oh the second or third floor of the
Pemberton tobacco house
One day 3 rebel officer made his appearance
and said: -Four hundred men Oh this floor are
to be exchanged; B0w pass Down the stairs
slowly. 50 that ] can connt Ont the requisite
number" Please imagine 600 starved, naked,
shiver1ag wrstches marching slowly cut of
prison q freedom, when they knew that 200
had 20 say behind There was a rush for the
head OF the stairs and IN that rush ] was
crowded tight against the officers back, where
stood until he counted 395; then he reached
his Left hand around and pulled me out and
counted me. / never knew whether or not
any Of the remaining 290 got away. On the
DIST % March, IS6s, We iioated dowIi the James
River 70 City Point. and the stars and stripes
were never a more welcome sight 10 me than
when we were in sight Of the City of New
York, resting at anchor, awaiting our arrival.
In prison Aas the same as dead under the
NcGt osH AsS Vas atiFe. ana All the Joy OF
ing home and loved ones was right there real
lied without actually seeing them. / was at
home, and happy beyond words At Annapolis.
Maryland ] WIS so weak that had To lean GA
nurse from tie Naval School Hospital and
then we came under The ministratiOns Of Miss
Clark, Of the Sanitary Commission Gcd bless
her. she wzS mother aud sister 20 us Door
starved creatures and we had not been in her
ward an hour until she had written and dis
patched for us letters to cur parents and
friends. IhEt is my experience of the Salem
RAD kept diary of every days transac-
Lon, bus was 50 eveTjoyed at getting home that
foFGCt al about II, and suppose it was de-
6troged with my prison clothes as ] could not
ind II after got into clean garments / sent
70 my company for some money, and got $5;
then ] took Tennesseean by the name O,
Bell who wss cut Of from home by the rebels
occupying hiE country, under my care. and
shared my money with hin. We ate fresh
oysters bresd and milk and trsversed a eoodly
portion oil Maryland in search OF strength. II
this should meet his eye would be pleased %
hear from him. would like to see Twelve
Days Under Pope " described bv some member
oi Milroys brigade or Seeel's division.
J. +. STARcBER
Co. C. Sd Reg't, w. Va. Vol. Inf
WrSTERsvILLE, 10
AYERELA's QUEER sKIRlsIsH at ROCKY GAP
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
saw IN ysuF valuable paper sometime agC
request that some comrsde would write up ar
account Of the fight st Rocky Gap near Whit
SULPHUR SpEin-s w Ka We'll ~, tia yn,,,,