South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-04-25

ing the second days fighting, we were
rather short of rations, and as all the
people IN the ne ghborhood. had fled
for safety leaving every thing in their
houses, we found plenty to eat by go
ing to the houses and helping our.
selves. There was one large farm
house close TO where we pioneers
were placed, and we went to it and
found that the family must have left
II IN haste, as the table was still set
ting with the dishes on it, just rs if
they had left their meals, and run for
dear life. We found several barrels OF
Hour, smoSehouse full OF bacon, a
spring house full OF milk aud butter,
the garrett full of crooks OF apple-but.
ter and everything eatable that is
Kept IN Il well.to-do farm house OF Il
pennsylvania dutchman aud if we
did not live well for two days and fill
our haversacks full of good grub there
Is no use OF talking, we would build
fires In the stoves and out side, and
bake bread, cook meat and chickens,
milk the cows and run the plantation
generally, we told the boys III the re
glment about it, and some of them
came over and cooked rations, and
carried them back for the other, but
III the evening of the third day, by
some careIessness, the house caught
on lire in the second story, from the
stove pipe, L was on the hill, watch,
ing the artillery duel, aud happened
to look towards the house, aud saw
the smoke coming out OF the roof and
knew 1t must be on fire, several of Us
ran TO the house, and the men that
were cooking inside did not know il
was on fire, we then ran up stairs and
found 1t all in fumes, and too far
gone for Us 10 save. We then wei. {
to work and carried everything out OF
the lower story and basement, except
the stoves, and put them in the gar
den near the barn, aud the house was
soon reduced to ashes, but it was done
accidentally and we regretted it very
much, there must have b. en- several
young ladies living the e, for VIC
found their pictures and clothing in
The bureau drawers, and letters from
their swcethcarts in The army.
expect when they came back aud
found their house burnt, they thought
1t was SCI on fire by the shells, as ae-
Veral had Int near there and one had
gone through the barn, aud they could
sec 10y the things we saved, that il
was not burnt Intentionally.
| THAT nirlt ,..lo,, 4 ~ ,,,.,,, r. II
our Pioneers never received any or
ders TO leave and we remained there
all night, and the next morning rs
some OF our cavalry were scouting a.
round, they came to US and asked our
officer what we were doing there, and
u he did not know that our whole
army had fallen back beyond Gettys-
burg that night.
Our Lieut.. replied that he did not
know 1t, aud that he had 10 orders to
ieave, but the cavalry man told US
that there was nothing between Us
aud the Yankees aud that we would
soon be captured, if we did not gel a.
way in hurry, and they were just on
scout 10 see and watch the cnemy's
movements.
But we had been moved around so
much and moved III the night some.
times that we did not know where TO
go, nor which way to start, but one of
the cavalry offered to pilot us out,
when we started and by making a
considerable circuit we arrived at our
division in safety. If the yanks would
have pushed out from Il cir front Oh ut
morning they would have licked up
many struggling reb ], bat they did
not appear very anxious TO see any re-
bells, but remained quiet all day The
night OF the 4th, we started on the re-
treat towards the Potomac. and had
sCcn an immense wagon train. that
we travelled very slowly, kecpinp the
wagon train in our front, tho next
day our rear guard and the enemy
had several little skirmishes, but we
were not bothered much except one
place, the federal cavalry dashed into
our wagon train as it was crossing the
mountain, and turned over about 20
wagons down the mountain side, an d
the citizens would run out of the
woods in some places aud cut the
spokcs IN the wheels, until one or two
OF them got killed for their trouble
when they ceased.
One day SIC were out oftations aud
the officers would let ~ kill any stock
we found 10 get something 20 eat. we
had stopped near a mill an 1 large
farm house, and some OF the men
we're plunderiug through the mill for
rations, aud down among the wheels
they found large lot ol store goods,
that had ocen hidden there from a
! store near Ey, 20 they loaded them
selves down with them and carried
them Oft. ! went to the house. aud
found some OF the soldiers carrying
OFT the Dee hives, but they stung one
fellow So bad that he had to throw his
hive down just then Gen. Walker
rode up and reprimanded them for
taking the bees aud made them leave
them.
/ saw & beautiful voung lrdy aud