The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-07-09

| q
laise statements that have been repeatedly
= made.
1t was impossible for Lee to supply his army
S with ammunition and rations for any lcpcth OF
time North Of the Potomac \ sudden rain
anI rise in the river would have imperiIlcd his
army. Already both horses and men we're on
half rations. rs Mcclellan failed 60 accent
) Lee oiier Of battle on the 18th, our army was
ordered to cross the Potomac that night. The
Macbeth reached the river before twilic Int
aud there we remained till dawn the next
morning. . The infantry began to enter TIE
river as we drove up, and as the ford was deem
the crossing was slow. We were in our sl L.
dies all night, expecting every moment
that we would be ordered forward.
AS we ncarcd the Southern bank of the potg-
mac an exhausted horse in a battery il ovr
front fell. lie was too weak TO pull out oc the
| water. Gen. Ice riding out of the river lust
then, watched the Intellectual efforts to put the
feeble animal on its feet, said, "eyery minute
Is worth an hour to us. Roll him GU, Of the
way The horse went into the river and Lee
| and his men moved on.
Three roads lcl from the river on the Vir-
s'nia sue. For nearly Il mile the upper one ran
along THO water 8 edge, between high ridge
and the river; at Shcpardstown it DETECTED
| from the river at an angle of about forty-fvc
| degrees and ran in II northwest direction TO
| Martnsburg The lower road made about the
| same angle with tho Potomac and ran in n south
| west direction to Charlcstown, place made
| historic by the execution Of John Brown, of
| llarpers Ferry notoriey. The Central Road
| ran directly to Winchester Retreats ALWAYS
have demoraliziug tendency. Crossing the
river ut night-troops getting separated
from their comradcs-had most unhappy
effect on Lees army. The army took
the upper route, leading to Marinsburg
but thousands OF our troops who got away from
their commands in crossing The river, followed
the lower road 10 Charicstown. Lieut.. Porter
came out of the river with the four guns that
came out of the fight unhurt and falling in -
behind this crowd Of lest soldiers on the lower
road, went on TO ChHrlcstowu and thence to
Winchester. Capt. Boycc, Lieut. Jcter and the
writer, by some means were thrown will. the |
two disabled guns that got separated from the |
battery in crossing the river, We followed the |
army along the upper road. 1t would have |
been a serious matter for us hal Mcclellan dis |
covered our retreat in time to have planted some |
the Potomac, rs he did later i'll the day, and |
disabled some of our guns so as to have blocked |
tho road where it leaves the river at Shepards- !
town. The ridge to the left of the road shut us |
in beyond the possibility of escape. AS we |
ascendcd the hill to Shcpardstown looked back |
to see if the Fedcrsls were pursuing. The sun |
,;o;p NJ Ealo in iubt
In going through Shcpardstown we passed |
the graves of Dawkins, Miller and Rogers,
who had fallen two days previous at Sharpsburg
1t was sad to think that these gallant men who |
stood by our side few days before, as buoyaut
with hope as any of the company, would 10
more share with the joys of victory or thu
humiliation Of defeat, the trials privation s
and harjshps of soldier life. Just north of
Shcpardstown we overlook Lees army resting
on either side of the road The Macbeth was
not there. A road leaving the one along which
which we had just marched and running para l.
lei with the Potomac, entered The lower road q
few hundred yards from the ford. l was or
dercd TO follow this road in search of battery.
At its junction with the road leading to
Charlestown, heard that Porter had gone on
towards that place BY this time the Federals
had planted some batteries the hills ju st
| over tho river and were shcling side of it
| furiously. passed back under this fire. Fitz
| John Porter pushed his corps across the river
| under the cover Of these guns. lie met with q
| bloody reception. Two hundred OF his COM
mand were captured and thousands were killed
and drowned. The Potomac looked for once as
| though it was wearing the blue. But few Of
Porter command lived to tell how fcarfully it
had been cut to pieces. The Federals reported
three thousand lost out of one brigade.
Lee now moved on towards Martinsburg, aaa
| Capt. Boycc and n remnant Of Macbeth started
! for Winchester, in search of Lieut.. Porter
| Porter went to Charlestown, drew full rations
for the company-thc first full allowance the
men had had in number of days. At Win
chester he again made application for rations.
The provost commander told him to report at
the stragglcrs camp and ho would supply him
with rations. Porter told him he was not q
strageler, but there in command of q Company
The borhproof officer insis.c that Porter
should go to the stragscrs camp. Porter told
him if that was the condition which rations
were to be had, his men would go hungry.
After severe threats to arrest and a counter
threat to resist the two officers parted none the
| better friends because of this interview.
| On the 10Th, late in the evening, when in six
miles of Winchester, we met Porter returning
in search Of friends. We bivouaced that night
in q lovely valley the banks of rushing
stream. As we were parking our guns my
| friend A Ii. BYrl of GreenYile. in Hnlkinn