South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-05-23
lcoNTINUED.1

Inat night on the march Sam Nun
nelly came to. me and gave me, what
he thought was bag of smo king
tobacco, rs was great smoker aud
lie did not use the weed. So l filled
my pipe to take a good smolle but in
q few draws l found had something
else besides tobacco in my pipe as it
burnt my tongue aud seemed to set
my mouth on fire. / then went to a
light to examine the contents OF the
bag and found it to be cayenne pep
per. l was going to fight Sam about
1t, thinking he had done it intention.
ally, but he declared he thought it
was tobacco as it was in tobacco
sack, but we kept the pepper all the
same and used it on our meat.
Gen. Early's division was guarding
the river above our division, aud he
had two brigades on the North side
OF the river aud n pontoou bridge a.
cross the river, they were attacked
IN the night and taken by surprise
and nearly all captured, there were
not many killed or wounded in these
engagements but we lost about two
thousand prisoners and two strong
positions, and Gen. Lee was compell-
ed TO fall back across the Rapidan to
our cid position that we had left in
October. 1t showed a good piece Of
Gcneralship by Gen, Meade and ucg-
lect OF our division commanders, but
as the enemy had never been known
to make al advance in the night with
such desperate and quiet charges our
troops were taken by eurprise before
they could realize the situation.
The second night of our retreat,
lay down in u fence corner near Gull
pepper Court House bya good fire
made of rails and went to sleep with
my feet TO the fire, and got to dream
ing OF having my feet mashed rs in a
wise, and awakened with so much SUI
ierlng that [ at once grabbed my feet,
and found that my shoe soles were
burnt into a crisp and held my feet
like wise sure enough.
l took them oft in hurry and could
never get them on again and bad to
go TO camp barefooted although it was
cold weather. When we arrived in
camp Sam Nunnely was missing, aud
we thought he was captured, but some
OF the boys said they wolld bet he
was out plundering some place.
Sure enough the next day Sam came
riding into camp on crippled caval.
~ horse he had picked up, bare back
ed and with q rope bride, and had
such loa I of plumber that he looked
like Jew peddler. The boys all
commenced teasing him and wanted
him to divide up, aud wanted to know
II he had joined the cavalry, and
where were his spurs and stripes, as
we thought he was Drigadler.
Sam was rs good hearted fellow
as ever lived, brave soldier and one
of the est foragers in camp, if there
was anything to be had for love, mo-
ncy Or stealing, Sam would have ii,
and was the greatest fellow 10 plum.
der battle field ever saw.
Sam said he intended to keep that
horse to forage on, bnt he soon had to
turn him over to the quartermaster.
Our division was campcd near and
| guarding Germania ford on the Rap
idan, and on the 2Ist OF November,
Gen. Meade crossed the river and un.
dertooI flank movement around our
army but our division was marched
OFT to intercept him, and as we were
marching along the road near Mine
Run we were suddenly attacked, and
the division was thrown into confusion
! for few moments, but Gen. johnson
soon faced them i'm line towards the
enemy, and charged them so vigor-
ously that they were soon repulsed,
4 by the time the other division arriv.
cd the battle was over. Our logs I'm
killed and wounded was about foar
hundred and fifty, tho encmy'5 must
have been double that number, as
we fought the third corps (French's)
and our division of the fifth.
We were marching in front of the
| division "a usual when all al onco we
| heard firing in our rear on the road
that we had just passed along, and
tho attack was 40 sudden and unlock
cd for, that if il had not been for the
( presence of mind, and indomitablc
courage OF Gen. Johnson, the other
officers and men, the whole division
might have been routed, and the flank
OF our whole army turned, our strong
position gained, and a reputation OF
the affair of Brandy Station 4 Kelly's
ford occurred, but as it was, Gen.
Lee formed his line that night on the
South bank of Mine Run, on a com.
mandiug position, and fortified.
For several days Gen. Meade lay
in front Of as with his whole army,
and kept up n sl4irmish and artillery
fight, but declined a general engage
ment, and We heard from some pris-
oners, that at one time he had ORDER
cd an attack but thinking our position
too strong, he countermandcd The or