Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-05
A VETERANS STORY.

taineerS Made SUCCESSFUL retreat 1fOnl
Gettysburg.
man of massive frame and over six
feet tall, with striking face, stood last
night in the corridor of the Continental
hotel. says The Philadelphia Times, and
talked with a smaller man, with q pair of
thin whiskers and a suit of yellowish
Scotch cloth. The large mans features
were rugged aud weather. beaten. He
had a large aquiline nose, heavy. brown
mustache and shaggy eyebrows, and
soft felt hat, CORES bonding in shape TO
that worn by thesouthern officers during
the war, surmounted mis- full, rudy face.
It was Gen. ImbodeD, formerly of the
confederate army, and he was telling how,
IN '63, with scarcely more than 1000
cavalry he conducted 1000 wounded men
and the confederate army train from
Gettysburg in safety back to Maryland.
For nearly three quarters of an hour
the general recalled the memorable Oc-
currence of his retreat on the afternoon
and night Of July (, 1863. A colored por-
ter came to say that Mrs. ImbOden was
waiting for him, but fifteen minutes went
by before he needed the message, so in
terested was ho in his "reminiscences. The
story was told, however, with great quiet
n6ss and elaboration.
"Late on the night of the 3D." he said,
II got my orders from Gen. Lee. It was
a sad interview; he brought me mess
age from near friend, Gen. kemper,
whom he had left wounded on the battle
field. At Chambersburg, not long be-
fore, Kemper, Pickett, and [ had spent
the night in Pickett'5 tent, and as We lay
side by side Kemper prophesied that he
1 H., -
remind me Of that prophecy and to say
it had fallen true. [ never saw Lee so
overcome as he was that night. He was a
man of wonderful equanimity and rarely
lost his calmness. At Charlottesville
once, when our side had lost ground, he
became excited and wanted to lead Will
cox's division into the fight The men
refused to charge until he retired to the
rear. But when he spoke to me, in the
dead of that night, of Pickett's grand
charge every muscle in his body quivered.
The charge failed, undoubtedly, through
the shortening of Longstreet, who was
jealous of his superior and did not carry
out his orders, | think, as he should have
done. Gen. Lee told me he was about to
intrust the wagon train and all his wound
ed to me. He would send me additional
artillery, but could spare no more men.
He ordered me emphatically to keep the
column going at all hazards, and warned
me that [ wonld probably be attacked. [
had about 2, 100 men, all mounted, a COM
mand had raised myself around my
home in the mountains of Virginia. All
were hardy mountaineers. There were
about 800 wagons, 10000 horses, and
1000 wounded men. | stationed com
panies of my cavalry about every quarter
mile through out the train, every fourth
body being more numerous and carrying
artillery.
"In the van, where [ expected to meet
most opposition, l placed my brother,
Col. Imboden, with quite large force of
the 18th Virginia cavalry. fully realized
that to lose the supply wagons meant
ruin to the army, and, fearing to leave
even the details of arrangements to my
staff, l stayed in Gettysburg until the
whole train was in motion to see that my
orders were exactly carried out. The
column extended seventeen miles. At
4 o'clock in the afternoon of July 4, In
drenching rain, | started with my staff,
about six in number, to gallop to the
head of the train. | have served in plenty
of battles, but never before had realized
the horrors of war az | did that night.
From every wagon we passed came the
tine cries, shrieks, and means of the
wounded. Gen. Lee had kept all the reg
Elar ambulances for use with the able
bodied men in the contingency of another
battle, and not a wagon had springs.
Many had not even straw. In places the
road was rocky, and the men were jolted
frightfully every moment. Some swOre,
some prayed in an agopizing voice for q
stop that l could never order.
so narrow was the road that in places
the legs of our horses were bruised by the
wagon-wheels. On either side, as we'll as
| could judge, were dense woods. The
darkness was SO intense that mainly the
instinct of the horses enabled US to keep
the road. Now the storm would increase
IN violence so that we could not hear each
others voices, again the cries of the
wounded would drown them. But advance
we must, and | ordered the men as l
passed along to abandon and throw aside
any wagon that became disabled, so as
not to delay the others. My brother in
the van had instructions to charge and
drive forward at ali cost any force en-
countered.
"The road Jed up the east face of South
mountain and over the brow. The de-
ged. The rain continued to descend in
torrents until daJ-break. The noun
tain streams were rivers which had to be
forded. In other places the mud was
knee deep. The horses struggled through
it almost to their bellies, and several
times the escort had to help in extricat-
ing cannon mired nearly to the hub.
Among the wounded [ had two generals,
Series and Pender. The former is now
governor Of North Carolina. Pender was
killed little later at Winchester. These
two were near the head of the train. Elk
cept them had no officers higher than a
colonel. Starting by the Chambersburg
road, we presently fanked it and led off
TO the left along a country by-road. About
midnight, while riding with my
staff, | was taken with congestive chill,
brought on, think, as much by the hor-
rors | had undergone as the exposure.
My staff shouted for q doctor, and one
soon came up. Fortunately one Of the
men stumbled upon farm house about
that time. | could not keep my saddle.
They took me into the house, and the
doctor injected morpaia into an arm.
Then I was put on horseback again and
hurried forward through the darkness and
rain to an ambulance near the front of
the line. In that [ lay down while the
doctor kept watch beside me. l awoke
early in the morning from 4 kind of stu
por to hear the sound of near firing.
jumped TO my feet and looked out. A
body of northern cavalry were attacking
the train not stones throw off. Some
of the men had stampeded, but my black
servant, steady Us rock, stood waiting
with my horse at the side of the wagon,
bride in hand. A howitzer company