The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-08-10
THE SAUNDERS RAID.
COmrade Rankin Considers in Detail the
Points of the Dispute Raised A gainst Him.
Concluded from last sceeI;)

ttOncluded from last tCeeE
Vow I come to where the battery was
nj disbanded. We were being pressed
AN by the enemy. Twas covering the
retreat with a detail from the 18th
Ohio Cav. and the LIST Ky. Cav, 80 men,
whom Col Saunders had ordered to report
to RE.
When the head of the column came in
sight OF Big Creek Gap and found it being
held by large force of the enemy a council
of war was held of which / was a party.
The result of this council was that the bat
terry be put in position, loaded with n
shell wrong end foremost, and spiked, and
that throw out q strong skirmish-line in
front of the battery and remain in that posi-
ton one hour while the remainder of the
command moved around a spur of a mount
ain, to the left, unseen by the enemy, COM
ing out into the main valley five miles fur
Their down, at Childer's Gap.
Let me say right here that that was the
longest hour Of my life. My watch seemed
to come to a standsiill as did Old Sol in the
days of Joshua.
My orders were at the expiration of that
hour to catch my command if could, which
/ did just in time to see the infantry brush
away the cavalry command in our front.
This being done, the command mounted
and proceeded across the valley, l still COW
ering the retreat.
When got 200 or 800 yards up the mount
ain on the opposite side, l saw the rebel
infantry coming down the valley, and their
cavalry, which had been swept from our
front, was feeling its way back up the valley.
1t was getting too dark TO distinguish the
commands by color of their uniform or stand
ards. and as they neared each other the
hattie enSued hptxVaeu themselves I said
TO Capt. WOlford, younger brother of Col.
Frank WolfOrd, of the LIST KY, that / was
not interested in that fight, nor cared -
which whipped, and gave the order, About
face-FOrward, march {" and we moved off
up the mountain in line of battle until it
was broken up by fallen timber, under
brush, and large powders that we had to
climb over in a very dark night.
We soon became scattered, and [ found
myself on the highest peak of mountain,
accompanied by one man, a comrade of Co. /
of my own regiment.
Here, again, verify the truth of Comrade
Fry in reference to suffering from thirst, for
/ myself would willingly have given twice
five dollars for a single canteen Of water.
My comrade and myself struck out in
nOrtherly direction. After crossing over
three ridges of mountains we tied our horses
ground, lay down. and went to sleep.
When / awOke in the morning the sun
was shining in my face, and my watch indi-
Gated that it was o'clock. After taking
survey of the surroundings, and ascertaining
that we could not get our horses down over
the cliffs of rock, We turned them loose.
Taking the straps from our saddles we
rolled and strapped our blankets and
started to find a way down the mountain,
which we finally did, bringing us down into
deep, dark gulch, thiekly undergrown with
laurel, through which ran a stream Of cold
and pure water. / lay down and took
draft, which ] thought was as sweet as
any sugar water / had ever drunk in my
life. l said to my comrade "This stream
leads 10 the Cumberland River, and we will
follow it.D
After following it few miles it brought
Us out to another stream known as Clear
Greek. We did not follow the stream very
long before we came on TO miserable, old,
dilapidated hut, in which there was loud
talking. / sent my companion to the back
end of the house, where there was no win
dow, to ascertain the character of its occu-
pants. He returned with the report that it
was filed with our own men.
When / reached the house / found II of
my own command and a young man by the
name Of William HulbersOn, Of the LIST Tenn,
who had guided my men to the hut occu-
pied by his grandfather. The old man was
50 years old. He was grinding corn On a
hand-mill, and his good old wife was baking
fap-cakes for the hungry soldiers.
His son, Dick HulbersoD, was engaged as
q guide for Tennessee loyal refugees over
the mountains into Kentucky.
I told these people, as near as / could,
where ! had left my horse, and he said he
thought he could get me my horse. told
him that If he did lac could have $50 in green
backs. He started at once and returned
about 4 O'Clock in the evening, bringing
with him "A horses, with their equipments,
which he said he had gathered from lot of
about 300. These horses knew, as they be-
lonEed 10 the I'd Ohio Cav, who were bri-
gaded with us-the 9TH OHIO Gavin Ken
lucky. Among them was a roam horse that
belonged TO Captain of the I'd Cav, which
HulbersOn said he thought was mine from
the description ] had given, but as he had
not brought my horse ] was not under any
obligation to give him the $50, but offered
TO give SO for what he had done, and he
was TO guide US over the mountain 10 Cum
berland River, which he readily consented
to.
We started at once, Travelled all night, and
reached the ferry on the Cumberland River
at II o'clock on the following day On this
route We saw but one person, and that was
young mountain lass of about Is Sum-
mers. She was very much startled at meet
ing us and stood in awe. When her eyes fell
upon young Hulberson she rushed toward
him. saying,
If there amt Billy Hulberson!n throw
ing her arms around his neck. 80, Billy,
do tell me something about my poor brother,
who was killed at Stone River"
Hulberson and her brother both belonged
70 the same company Of the LIST Tenn, and
their meeting was truly very affecting
scene.
On my return to Kentucky turned over
the IA horses that / had brought out to the
I'd Ohio Cav, where they belonged R. C.
RANKIN, Captain, 9TH Ohio Cav, Ripley, o.
On the Other Foot.
Joe Ewing, Co. Z, 9Th Iowa Cav, Trinidad,
ind d. D. u.