The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-28

ton. where the other wing oil the army, uhoei
Crook could join it.
Upon Gen. Sigel being relieved, Gen. Hunter
a quick. clear headed, daring officer, was ap-
pointed to the command. Gen. w. +. Jones
had been appointed to command the rebel
4 forces in the Valley on the withdrawal OF Gen
Breck inridge to go to the relief OF Lee; to
the former had been given part of the latter
command. probably about 5000 men. This
force, with what other forces that could be col
lected, comprised the rebel army for the de-
Tense of the Valley. To them was given the
work TO defeat Hunters columns in detail be-
fore they could unite at Staunton, to which
point they were marching in separate col
umns, not within supporting distance OF each
other. Gen. Jones' having collected all the
forces possible, took well-cho position at
/ Piedmont near Staunton and intrenched.
GEN. HUNTER HAVING ASSUMED COMMAND
broke camp at Cedar Creek, and began his
march up the Valley, moving with great
promptness and living on the country. At
| Harrisonburg halt was made to gather i'm
| supplies. The Valley had been the scene OF
| hostile armies so long that there was not much
| to get We carried little with US in the way
| OF baggage, rations and even ordnance stores,
| and our wagon-train was purposely made con
| veniently small. On June ) struck the
| rebel army in its position at Piedmont, under
Gen. Jones. Gen. Hunter, upon being in
formed that the enemy had at last been walked
up in force, replied: D-n them, / would
| just as soon fight them here as anywhere"
and rode to the front. placed his men in posi-
| ton, and attacked with vigor. The enemy
had taken strong position in a strip of woods
! and thrown up temporary breastworks of logs
and rails in front. The Union force had to ad.
vance over an open field swept by the enemy's
| guns. The rebels had prepared themselves
| well to receive US, and their force was about
equal to ours.
l cannot speak in detail of parts taken by
certain companies, regiments or brigades in
the tight, but every man did has work well,
and there was glory enough TO go around.
The gallantry of the commander and that of
his men won a decided victory. After hot
engagement of 10 hours, the enemy fed in ut
ter rout. leaving 1900 prisoners, three guns,
and 300 stand of smali-arms in our hands.
Gen. Jones, commanding the rebel army, in
TRYING TO RALLY HIS MEN,
exposed himself and was killed. However
mistaken in the cause, his manhood had in
spired his men to repeated efforts of valor, and
rather than lose the field he decided to lie
upon it.
The fight over, the army went into camp
for the night. Capt. Town, commanding the
Signal Corps eminentlv busy officer. be-
lieving in making his signal men turn hand
for the cause in more ways than one, made
detail to assist in burying the dead. i was Oh
the detail. We had just got into camp and
began to make us cup of coffee. when We
were ordered TO fall in. We supposed we were
being ordered out on Signal station but was
treated to surprise when we were marched to
the battlefield a short distance away, and
dered to bury the dead. Cheerfully and sadly
we went TO work-cheerfnl in the performance
of duty; sad for the poor fellows that lay dead
before us. They had answered the last roll
call, and we were there to extend to them
asst NIL Stt
we bury the blue and the gray side by side
officer and private. A long trench was dug,
not very deep, the dead tenderiy handled and
carefully laid in, and covered over. Of course
we furnished no collins. Not knowing who
they were we could not mark their graves
Nearly all the dead We buried were Confed-
crates; only a few of the Union dead were
found upon the field within the limit of our
line of works
IF MANY MORE WENT DOWN
they had been taken care of before we got
there. We came to dead Union soldier; near
him was great pool of blood, that flowed from
a stab in his side. Beside him lay his Bible,
picture. and letters from friends. In the agony
of death his last thoughts were of Heaven aud
home. d typo. mere boy, from printing
Office in Staunton, was found lying badly
wounded. He was told not to worry. as he
would be taken care of. large number of the
in killed must have been very heavy, judging
from their dead being buried. / think we
worked about all night at this disag agreeable job,
and had had no supper.
The dead being buried and the wounded
taken care of, the march was continued the
next morning and Stanton captured the same
day, June 6. The old fag foated proudly over
the hostile city. The people hated the flag of
the Union with bitterness born of treason
and oppression, and had become insanely de-
voted to the emblem of the cause that repre-
sented their hope and inspiration. How they
disliked TO see the Stars and Bars go down and
the Stars and Stripes go up.
On the 9Th Crooks and Averell's Divisions
from the kanawha Joined US at Stanton, and
Gen. Hunters forces were united, and, all told,
in round numbers of all arms were not over
Il, 600 men, if there were that many, after de-
ducting for losses that had already occurred in
engagements with the enemy. Details were
sent out TO gather IN forage and supplies of food
for the army. Only liaif less was
issued to the men, and preparations for the
army 10 move having been concluded, the
march was continued on to Lexington. The
clearheaded General-in- -Chief, sitting in his
Headquarters at the Army of the Potomac had |
dispatched orders for Gen. Hunter, through
Gen. HRlleck as Chief of staff,
TO MARCH TO cHARLoTTEsvrLLE,
and there join Gen. Sheridan. and 70 with him |
TO the Army OF the Potomac; but Halleck's |
bump Of caution and military genius suggested |
something different. The orders were so long |
delayed. and when they did come Gen. Hunter
was well on TO Lynchburg. 1t was then too |
late TO make the movement to Charlottesville, |
even if his instructions had not been changed |
in Washington. If there was anyone to blame |
for the repulse at Lynchburg and the eccentric /
retreat that followed, tho fault was not with |
Gen. Hunter.
We believed the enemy would make stand |
al Lexington as that place was valuable capt
ure for MS; but he WAS too weak and after |
some lively Smelling from Gen. Crook and Gen. |
Averells artillery, he precipitately retreated |
The fine.haired cadets left in hurry. Prob |
ably the enemy could not muster over 5000 /
men TO defend the city. Lexington was capt |
ured on the llth, and the army went into |
camp and got much needed rest. The Virginia /
Military Insttute-the West Point of the |
Seuth-was burned also. the residence of Gov. |
Letcber, and some other public property. We !
Signal men were camped in town at Head. |
quarters, and some Of the BOYS, including N.Y. !
self, visited the grounds of the great military
school, where rebel officers had been educated |
by the wholesale. The barracks or quarters |
OF the cadets were not destroyed, and passing
through the rooms we
FOUND PILES OF OLD LETTERS
that the cadets in their hurry to leave had not
taken care Of i considered | had the right to
seize these letters as contraband of war"