The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-05-28

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seen cur horses forced across rivers under whip
with their nostrils under water from one bank
| to the other trying 10 quench their thirst MS
they moved along. have seen men so exhaus-
ted from marching and overcome with sleep
drop on the ground when the army halted and
lose consciousness in q moment of time
| have seen them 60 so fast to sleep in minutes
| time that the rumbling Of the battery failed to
wake them when the march was resumed But
they recognized the Importance Of tho forced
march and their grit and Endurance were per.
fectly wonderful. l never before nor since
knew our soldiers to make better time or
straggle less. Calvin Humphries, the wag of
the Macbeth, came trotting along one day and
on being asked what was up, replied, "you sec
have the advantage over tho other bows
when get tired walking run, and when l
get tired running walk, and in that way keen
rested all the time His humor under irving
circumstances was much better than his logic.
On the evening of tho 9th we left Jno. Watts
dallman at house on the road, sick, and that
was the last we ever heard of him. Like mapv
another soldier, suppose he sleeps in IN un.
known grave. As we were approaching Thor
oughfare Gap that evening, musketry vas
heard In that direction, and presently Absalom
Humphries, member Of Gadberry's old COM
pany passed to the rear with bullet in his
shoulder, reported tho Gap in the possession
Of the enemy. They had beaten us to the Gan
and imagined Jackson's situation was a yerv
perilous one. We went into camp that night
with some apprehension as to what the next
twenty-four hours would bring about; but to
our surprise the next morning we found that
the enemy had abandoned tho Gap. As we
marched through the Gap that morning, look.
ed up to the towering heights of mountains that
rose up on either side Of that rock bed stream
whose waters gurgled through the gsr, and
seeing that 1t was place Of great natural
strength was amazed and rejoiccd that tho
Federals did not put o few thousand soldier,
there with instruction to make it a yeritab,s
Thermopyle. There is no way of estimating
the damages Lee might have sustained from the
heroic endeavors of q few thousand determined
men on those hills.
When we passed north of the gap signs Of
the coming storm of battle began to multiply.
In two hundred yards of the Gap, living Inv
the roadside, was the first dead Federal I saw
in that campaign. That evening, when we
neared Gainesville, the booming of cannon was
heard In the direction we were marching. and
1t had tha happs effect nf disr.s,;.s Ill eaa,. -
to the safety Of Jackson's command for we
were now conscious that our Stonewalr was
still standing. A little further on we passed
some beeves the enemy had just killed partially
skinned and abandoned. These seemed to be
strong evidences, coming to u, by the hearing
OF the ear and by the seeing of the eye, that we
were on warm trail and baltic eminent
We did not go much further before the truth Of
these signs was verified On top of the hill
just north Of the branch where we passed the
beeves, saw our troops filing through an open
field to the right of tie turnpike and forming a
line Of battle. could not understand the pro-
crastination that followed the formation of our
line Of battle. We had marched day and night
to get up with Pope and expected battle
would be precpitated without delay. Both
sides reminded one Of two game cocks, dubious
Of each others strength picking around hunting
for each others blind side before delivering a
blow. But the blind side was not found. and
move to test the strength Of each others posi-
ton. 1t was nearly sundown when they met,
and the shock Of battle was terrific aud RACED
with increasing fury till at last it died away on
the midnight air. The Macbeth did no more
than follow up Longstreets advancing line,
passing over numerous dead yankees, some Of
Jaekson's bloody work done ON the previous
day, when King interposed between him
and Longstreet. During the night Longstreet
feel back to his original line of battle. Our
guns were parked on the summit Of the highest
hill in the vicinity Of the battlefield.
We arose next morning to find that we had q
magnificent view of all that surrounding
country. We could trace our line of battle
from the frowning hills on our extreme right.
held by Longstreets men, TO where it entered
the woods in our front, and then, to the left OF
the turnpike, we could see Jackson's h eroes of
the two drevious days battle still holding their
position along the unfinished railroad, defiant,
ready and waiting for the command up and
at them"
l insert here parenthesis, to show that Pope
lost his advantage over Lee and let his oppor-
tunity slip when he let Jackson slip. -On Goth,
Popes command, under Reno, was in nine
miles Of Jackson who was then at Bris.o sta
ton. Longsreet was between forty-6vc aud
sixty miles from Jackson, the route he had to
march. On the 9th Jackson was at Manassas
Junction and Hooker near enough to him to
bring on bloody fight in the afternoon of that
day. Mcdowell, sigcl, Reno and Kerney were
all six miles west Of him and directly between
him and Longstreet, who were still south OF
Thoroughfars Gap. and at least twenty miles
from Jackson. On the 28th Jackson made n
stand at Groveton. Kerney on the day before
was about six miles west of Jackson hrit ON th q