South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-03-07

n started lack tor Hampshire, and
had made two days. march and stop
ped for tho night at AR. Thompsons,
in Rockingham county. Afler dark
there were three other soldiers came
to stay al night. aud while convsrs.
ing around the lire that evening they
inquired what command We belonged
to; the Powell boys told them they be.
longed to Imboden's command, and
! told than I belonged TO the 3Srd
Virginia. in Lee's army. When 10
went to bed that right Mr.. Thompson
tUld rs that those other soldiers were
couscript officers and gathered up all
absentees from Lees army, and If 1
did not have pass he was afraid they
would arrest me in the morning, that
/ had batter told them belonged to
lmbodeu. I told him I would not
dan1--np-Annnun6A 6nrs enough.
tho next morning they told mo that
rs I had no pass they would have to
arrest me and send nue. back to my
command under guard. explained
matters to them; that Sergeant Mill
Ter had the pass, aud I was on my way
to report to him; but it did no good !;
l had to leave tue horse and 60 with
them to Harrisonburg, distance oil
eight miles, and was put in the guard
house. hated it awful bad, not be-
cause | had to 90 back to the army. but
because had to 60 back Under arrest;
and knew my officers knew nothing
of tie circumstances OF my absence
50 long, and that would be court
martialed, without Miller should ap.
pear and relieve me. I was sent off
from Harrisonburg in few days with
about thirty other abseLtees from our
division. We marched to Staunton
and then took tho cars for Guinea
Station. After arriving there we were
conducted about six miles TO General
Trinole's headquarters, who vas
commanding the division. when we
were ordered to our respective bri.
gade guard-houses. I found two or
three hundred in the guard house,
and the court martial In full blast
and punishment o. all kinds Inflicted
OH the prisoners, such as shot 70 death,
whipped, heads shaved and drummed
out OF service, riding wooden horses
wearing barrel shirts, and oil other
punishnients in the catalogue OF mill
tary court martials.
l soon sent word to Capt. VIM.
Powell commanding my company, of
my situation when he came to see me
in the guard house and I explained to
him how mutters stood, and he said
he would have me oat in q few days,
that should not be punished much,
but that had been reported absent
without leave and would have to be
but it should be done
in the Reg. and should not 60 to a
Brigade Court.
During this time Col. Edmond
Lee, Col. of our Reg. had died from
sickness, Lieut.. Col. Holiday who
lost his arm was assigned to other du-
ty and Maj. Grace had resigned there
fore Capt. A. Spengler OF Co., +.
E Hardy Grays) was { oil. OF the regi-
men'. So Col. Spengler, Capt. Her
rell and Capt Eastman, composed the
Court-martial and they all knew me
and when l appeared be.
fore them Tor trial and explained to
them where I had been and what
had done. aud that had never Leen
homo during the time that l was alb
sent, (fo: my parents lived then in
Frederick County, they said they
would make the punishment as light
as possible, which was extra duty for
ten days. and l. was released. At
this time the roads had gotten 80 mud
dy and bad between our camp and
Guinea Station distance Of eight
miles that it was almost impossible to
haul rations for the army, and there
was q detail of one hundred men
made from our division to make pole
or corduroy roads from camp to the
X. X. Station. some taken out of each
Reg. and there was twenty-five Reg
iments In our division and il fell to
my lot to go and wors the roads,
We were pat in command OF Lieut..
Cockerel OF the 2ud Regiment & camp.
ed about halfway between our camp
and the Station and would cut down
pine poles as there were tbickets Of
them in that country, and lay them
cross ways, put some brush Oh top
and then throw come dirt on that and
make splendid road.
AT the time / left the brigade at
Winchester the army was on the
march 10 Fredericksburg on the Rap
pahaunock river they arrived there &
fought the battle OF Fredericksburg
the 18th of Dec. 1862 and defeated
Gen. Burnside commanding the Fed
eral army with great loss, when he
fell back across the river and was re-
lieved Of his command, and another
'on to Richmond spoiled by the SUI
perior Generaiship of Lee, Jackson
and Longstreet.
During our raid in Hampshire Co.
n