Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-03-14

the numerous mountain ranges, which
here run almost north and south, a route
over which cavalry could not be used, and
which was known to more than one OF
our party. Two comrades had pocket
compasses which would have guided
US in thick woods or in cloudy
weather by day or night. Now to
have left our train in q body, and without
delaying to seek concealment, to have
struck over the streams and mountains at
right angles, as rapidly as we could so,
would have been our most hopeful course.
Long before night of the next day we
would have been safe within A1itcheps
lines. Why not? How could the enemy
have captured us? If they sent cavalry,
these would necessarily have made long
circuits and have been obliged to adhere
to the lines of the road, and thus could
not have come near us while clinging to
the valleys and the mountain sides. Even
in thick woods they could not have over
taken us. If they followed us with a
strong party on foot, we fleeing for our
lives, would not have deserved to escape If
we could not nave held our distance for
forty miles. or more. II they hao' ridden
ahead and raised the whole country for q
general man hunt, they would have had
only twcnty-four hours or less to organize
it, and no small party then could have
arrested twenty armed men. In fine, this
plan of escape through a mountainous
and dcnsely wooded country did not ap-
pear to me to be more dangerous than u
cavalry dash on the lines of the cnemy's
communications-an every day military
affair. Even if Mitchell did not prove to
be in the neighborhood of Bridgeport
when we arrived, we would then have
been in the loyal mountainous district,
where we would have metas many friends
as foes. All that we needed in the way
Of provisions and guides our force would
have enabled us to command, and even
guns and ammunition could readily have
been gathered ON our way.
But ell these advantages depended on
our keeping together under one head An
army scattered and disorganized is lost;
and our little army was no exception.
The fatal command which Andrews now
gave Us we were huddled together in the
wood box of the tender was to jump off,
one by one, scatter in the woods, and each
man strive to make his own way back to
the Union army! We hesitated, but had
no concert of action, no leader, no time
for council, and the instinct of obedience
was still strong upon us; but it was q
fatal order, and led directly to the calami-
ties that followed. 1t transformed us in
q moment from q formidable body OF
picked soldiers, ready to fight to death,
into scattered mass of fugitive boys, be-
wildered and hopeless in an enemy's
country.
Yet no one of us felt like censuring our
leader for this order, which every one at
the moment believed to be terrible mis-
take Probably he thought that each man
of the party would find relief in being
cast entirely on his own resources.
1t must further be remembered, in eH-
PLANTATION of this mistaken order, that
Andrews had slept none the night before,
that he had been nearly twenty-four hours
without food, and that he had spent
nearly two days and q night in the most
exhausting labors, both mental and phys
ical, that it is possible to conceive. He
had see.l his cherished plans, when on the
brink of success, overthrOwn by what
seemed the rcmorseless hand of destiny.
To the many failures and sorrows OF his
past life had been added the crowning
misfortune of this defeat. Perhaps under
his calm brow he realized this with an
intensity of anguish, and felt that the
greatest favor he could do those he had
led within sight of horrible death, and
into the presence of an enraged and
triumphant foe, was to separate them ut
once from his own dark and shadowed
destiny. If so, that was the most fearful
mistake of all; and as this order was
given, we could almost, rs we looked
southwark through the driving rain and
the storm clouds, behold already the dark
outline of the Atlanta scaffolds!