The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-24


greatest caution.
now went to the front and led tho way
through the ridge until we canc to the river,
where proceeded to select the best place
could for fording. We took off our clothes and
| tied them around our shoulders. to keep them
dry. The water was very cold and deep, and
the river at this point was tolerabIy wide,
which induced the men to draw many long
| breaths before they reached the shore. But
after emerging from the cold water we soon put
on our clothes. and after brisk walk through
| some old fields, where we expected every mo-
ment to encounter the rebel foe, made us quite
| warm.
| We now began to climb the spurs of Clinch
Mountain, and the rain and snow now fall
| ing very thick and fast, the poor men be-
came SO weary and their clothing so wet that
| il was very difficult for them to travel. Some
of them were very poorly clad and had neither
! blankets nor overcoats to protect them from
the cold and chilling wintry blasts which were
now rushing and bowling through the mount
| ain defiles like mad giants. In fact, they were
in manner nearly frozen. and we had to stop
| and build fire to warm their chilled and stiff
| fened limbs.
We were now in a good place of concealment
| and stayed there through the remainder Of the
night and also the next day. A short time be-
fore daylight the rain ceased and the snow
began to fall with great rapidity. which gave
Us the most indubitable premonition that cold
and dreary Winter in all its horrors was about
to overtake US amid these rough and almost
| inaccessible mountain ranges.
THE SNOW CONTINUED To FALL
until IL o'clock, when it was followed by in
cessant storms of rain and sleet, which gave to
! the mountain upon which we were now linger-
| ing most gloomy and desolate appearance,
and caused Us frequently to contrast our pres
ent wretched situation to the happy period
| when around our own loved freside we enjoy
ed the dear society of our families, before rebel
tyranny had severed with its impiOus hand
the dearest ties which bound US to earth.
As soon as night came and covered our path
way with its dreary darkness, we started again
for the promised land upon which our hopes
and expectations were fondly placed. We
| crossed Clineh Mountain, and now had Poor S
! Valley to cross and also the main road leading
to Rogersville and Bristol. i again went for
ward alone to see if there were signs of danger
ahead, but finding none / gave the signal to
advance while ! continued to watch with dill
gence until they had passed the line OF sus-
pected danger, when ! again took the lead, and
conducted them on through as rough a country
as poor set Of men were compelled to
travel through.
During the dark and dreary night our path
way at times seemed to be completely hedged,
and We had to feel and grope cur way along
amid terrible darkness, which seemed most
vehemently to dispute our onward passage,
and at times led Us on through miry brakes and
dreadful brambles which indeed seemed to be a
fit abode :" for gorgons, hydras, aud chimeras
dire"
Toward daylight the sky became clear and
the glittering stars looked gently down from
their distant homes of blue in all their bright
and beautiful effulgence.
THE AIR WAS EXTREMELY COLD
and our shoes were frozen upon our feet, and
our wet clothing was freezing upon our bodies
and wrapping US in its cold and icy embrace.
We were now compelled to stop and make q
fire. and q portion of the men were go tired and
worn that they lay down upon the cold snow
around it. We tried to eat, but some of the
men were SO nearly frozen that they could
neither eat nor sleep. 1t was impossible to lie
down by the fire with any degree of comfort
for the earth was covered deeply with its snowy
garb, and, to make our condition more de-
plorable, We were now in part of rebel do
minion where we were afraid to make a very
large fire, for fear of being discovered. We
were now in great danger of being seen if We
travelled in daytime, for We had the Wild Cat
Valley next to cross.
The day was mserably cold and we were con-
WINGED that we must either march on or freeze
to death. The men all wished to 90 on, choos-
ing rather to run the risk of being seen by the
rebels than TO suffer the dreadful extremity of
freezing.
had never yet crossed Wild Cat Valley in
the daytime without being seen and pursued,
and / must now confess that | felt some
emotions of uneasiness in regard to the conse-
quences which was apprehensive might result
from endeavoring to cross it at this time with
so large company of men, but on the present
occasion ] could do no BETTER on account of
the extreme cold weather, and therefore urged
the men to advance as rapidly as possible, which
Il Al
limbs would allow, and we all succeeded in
crossing this hot-bed of rebellion in safety and
pushed forward to the top of Walling's Ridge,
where We stopped to rest and to eat something.
KEEPING SHARP LOOKOUT
in the meantime to see If we had been dis
covered by the rebels in the valley. We could
see no one string, aud concluded that we had
been quite lucky in escaping the vigilance Of
the rebels.
We remained here, watching and resting,
until night came. We now had Powelrs Valley
TO cross. After eating the last morsel of pro-
visions we started down the ridge for the valley
below, and on coming to the cleared land we
halted, as ! thought it better to wait until the
citizens in the valley had retired before we at
tempted to cross it. The night was gloomy,
and the snow in the valley was at least six
inches deep. This, 1 thought. was the place
where we were to encounter the greatest dan
must pass through the ordeal of danger at this
point or be compelled to travel much longer
route through almost impossible mountains of
snow.
do not think that shall ever forget this
place while my faculties Of memory endure
For it appeared that right here the rebels, like
the incarnate devils that they were, were
always on the alert. seeking the lives of the
poor, unfortunate union refugees as they were
endeavoriDg TO escape from the oppression of
the infamous rebel Government.
Over the settlement In the valley the clouds
had passed away and the stars shone ont in all
their unclouded majesty, and the frost, which
the cold air had precipitated on the white
bosom Of the snow, reflected back their bright
and lustrons beams with silvery beauty. How
ever we pushed forward, having about a mile
| TO travel through some fields. and went
/ on we kept in the shadows which ran along in
! the direction that we were going until we
/ arrived very near Powell's River at which
/ time / again went forward by myself to see if
our road WAS clear. ! stood for some time in
tensely listening. but ] could not see or hear
anything to occasion alarm. All was still aud
! quiet in the surrounding darkness, aud no
! person seemed TO be stirring. SO / went back TO
the men and requested them TO move on toward
| the eriver.
WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE RIVER
we had to descend bank some 10 feet down
ward to get to the margin of the river. The
men were taking off their shoes to cross, and
was already some five or six steps into the
| river when a small dog commenced barking at