The National tribune., 1893-02-02


TtoNat TEteifNE reached the homes of
most all the survivors of the rebellion.
Said neuspal,er has come TO us every week Tor
several yeais aud to nc IL seems more interest
ing as the Wears 20 by; while occasionally l
see "reminiscences from the pens of those /
knew while "toting gun, etc. down IN
Dixie.
have read the articles about the Hunter
Raid OF 1864 au do not l.roposo TO discuss the
matter with any of those WHO have written
sbout IT, However, / would say that AT the close
of The battle of iiiedHant. Va. June >. 1854,
was detached with 50 nyn 10 Gen. Sullivan $
Headuuatlcls aud was in charge of tine Head
quarters guard aud six teams np TO the finish
of the Hunter raid On the bsh oi june. 81.
AT Stanton. Va. placed several men as
guards at priv residences, 10y orders from
headquarters rs those people calmeG protec-
ton bi,i on " hat gIGuHd ! canned row ,eniem-
ber However we remember thc pcdp.S whose
homes we guarded utght ;tnd day dab not re-
member us with anything To eat. To our
mind they were not njnn le"pie, rs they kept
their doors fastened, ami woGl! not talk with
their protectors. We found ouc article that
was pleutilul in Siauuton namely. tobacco; for
the warehouses were burnt, so all the troops
could obtain more than they cuuii take away.
1 SAW MANY hundred pound OF tobacco left by
the roadside while om way 10 Lexington.
Va. Some of the men had filed their KNAPP
miles it grew heavy, and every halt we could
hear men calling out: Soger. do you want
chew of tobacco?" At the same moment we
could see plugs of navy tobacco flying through
the air. lit was every body look out FOR his
head.
At Lexington the West Point" OF the
Southern Uonfederacy was burnt, including the
Superintendent and Officers quarters. Gen.
Hunter gave permission TO any of his army to
take anything they wished ircm the military
school, When | went through the buildings L
saw many soldiers looking over the hooks. /
took from one OF the cade;'s desk Websters
unabridged dictionary. and DE- the fiy-ieai was
written Watkins. Wakinson, OF Mississippi,
I think But before our command started for
Iynchburg / came 10 the conclusion that the
book would be an elephant on my hands, there
fore took ii 10 family by the name of Kelly,
where ] had placed guard, and l gave the
book TO one OF the ladies. That family ap-
psared TO be more like Union people than all
other Southern white people saw on the raid
few days later. aud while gu the road TO
Iynchburg Confederate scout had Joined our
command and claimed to be- one OF our scouts
from somewhere Just before our train was
ready To cross the mountain the scout tried TO
turn some of our train of TO the right Oh side
road running parallel with the mountain, and
where there were some of his rebel command
awaiting to attack the train. But he bad been
watched by some of our scouts, who had not
believed his story Oar scouts took him and
shot him a few rods further on, or The road that
he tried to turn our train. / saw his body
living in fence-uaru OH the next morning
not dozen rods ia rear OF Gen. Sullivan S
tent. When we pi ched Headquarters tents it
was growing dark, aud for that reason we did
not know about the body lying ia the fence
corner In his packet BE had n receipt for 4
horse lie had sold to some Southern man. 1t
t,ai
or IBboden's command. lie looked to be
about - years of age. five and half feet
high small black eyes. dark complexion. black
hair. aud wore musiache. He was shot in
the forehead. He had on his cavalry uniform
but some one had swaPPel hats with the
body. for there was much worn black SLOUGH
hat over his face. We replaced the hat over
his face and left the body as we found it.
While passing over the mountain to Lynch
burg two wagons in out train, loaded with
sugar and coffee. tumlled over tie mountain
side. We lost everything except the mules,
wbicli seemed to he all o. X after their roll
down tie mountain. But the wagons were
wreck. and were left where they lit" Some
of the men went down and filled their baVer-
sacks While going over the mountains some
mules Rere taken from the iraiH, the wagons
burned. aud put 10 hau. the artillery, as
the horses gave out aud were left by the road
side TO resi- and find feed for themselves.
Gen. Duties Orderly was shot by a BUSH
wbaeker while at the Generals side and while /
crossing the mountains. He was left in log 4
house on the mountain. We saw some dead
bushwhackers by the roadside before we got
over the mountains They lay near where they
had ieiea trees across the road to prevent our
train from going foi ward Our Headquarters
wagons did not reach cur division until a late
hour at night Oh Juue j., al Lyncbburg
reported TO zen. Sullivan about o'clock a. m
and found him and his staff, with his command
First Division, Eighth Corps lying on their
arms aud IN line of battle. The General was
trying 10 obtain SOME sleep On board which /
had been fastened about foot from the ground, !
and between two trees not very good time /
to sleep. Tor the picl1ets of both armies were |
firing constantly; Lesides, the locomotive /
whistles were blowing from the incoming
trains from Richmond. bringing troops and
axes Were pounding as if ali the people in and
around Lynchburg had turned to wood chop
pers.
At LyBchhurg our army was sorely IN need
Of faiIons. All the food that was in tie Head
quarters wagons lar the General and his staff
was part Of ham and the third of box of
bareback. June Is. about p. NJ, / received
orders 10 move our Headquarters teams out OF
the woods aud move back 10 our wagon. train |
on the road. for our army preparing to fall /
back While on the road to Sweet Sulphur /
Springs three boys Of my company came TO me, /
saying they were starving. ] opened my haveT-
sack and said 60 in" They found but a 4
handful of puyerized hardtacks, but one of
them has since said he believed those crumbs
of hard bread made him able TO pull through
OF course, the cavalry went ahead, and If
there was anything to be found TO eat the
mounted men were sure 10 win it," When
think Of Sweet Sulphur Springs Il makes me
laugh i found by the side of the road some
stuff that looked like sawdust, bDt ] suppose
some gould cali il bran Of some sort. Anyway
the hOss " had lett il. aud thought / would
try il by making A sort OF Johnny-cake OF it,
j mixed II with some spring water, which
found afterwards 10 be so sweet that it
made me feel sick after drinking. put my
Jchnuy-cake over fire on a piece OF sheet-iron
and gave II good browning. Afterwards ]
tried TO eat il, but 10 me il tasted like pine
wood. | gave it rest and lay down; and
while locking up at the sky smd wondering If
some Of our army would not starye before we
could reach Gauley Bridge, a tall, eauni-look-
ms West Nirginian came By and said: Ser
geant sin't you going TO cat that bread ?"
told him j could not, but had tried TO- He
said '.Give il 20 me-" ! told him he was
welcome. lie caught il up and started right
OF, as If he was afraid would change my mind.
] have wondered many times If he was able TO
down i; no one could but a West Virgiuiau,
anyway
Those West Virginia regiments were up
early mornings slashing the trees, and could
win" more chickens and pigs and tote"
them along more miles cay than any men or
As.ru So - s..l.sH !.