The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-07-19
OUR LAST BEANS.
Sketch of Starvation Campaign in the
Spring of s64.

Sketch of a Starvation Campaign in the
Spring of '64.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: A part of
the Army of West Virginia under command
of Maj Gen. Crook marched from Charles
ton, w. Va, early in April, 1854, on what
was called the Dublin raid. The command
consisted of six or seven regiments Of in
faniry, a few companies of cavalry, and two
batteries. We marched by the way of Ka-
nawha Falls, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Prince
ton, Rocky Gap, and encountered the enemy
well intrenched at Cloyd's Mountain, about
four miles from Dublin on the Virginia &
East Tennessee Railroad. We charged and
drove them out of their intrenchments, capt
uring the most Of their artillery, but met
with considerable loss.
At Dublin we captured and destroyed a
large amount of Commissary and Quarter
masters stores; had another sharp little
battle with them the next day at the rail-
road bridge crossing the New River, which
we burned, and destroyed the railroad track
as far east as Christiansburg.
The rebels were concentrating forces on
each side of US, and as we had accomplished
the object of our mission,-the burning of
the famous Lythe bridge,-we struck out
over the mountains towards the Kanawha
Valley again.
1t had been raining almost necessarily
for about two weeks; and l think never
saw such roads as we encountered on this
return march over Salt Pond Mountain,
through Gray, Salt, Red, and Sweet Sulphur
Springs We finally crossed the Meadow
River, and established a camp and base Of
supplies at Meadow Bluffs, few miles from
the confluence of the Meadow with the New
River, in Greenbriar County, W. Va.
The enemy, under command of" Mudwall"
Jackson, followed us as far as Union, but
didn't attempt to modest US very much.
We were permitted to remain at Meadow
Bluffs but few days, when we received
orders to march over the Allegheny Mount
aims again and join Gen. Hunters command,
then marching up the Shenandoah Valley.
After establishing depot of cOmmissary
supplies here, and putting them in charge
of two companies OF 100-days men, we took
mp our line of march eastward through White
Sulphur Springs and Lewisburg, striking the
Virginia Central Railroad at its then termi-
nus near Jackson. Following this railroad,
we destroyed it completely as far east as
Covington.
One day, as we were advancing along this
line, we were halted and lay on our arms
good part of the day; it was said, await
ing the return of scouts that had been sent
out to ascertain the whereabouts of the
enemy Some of the boys, to amuse them
selves, heated and bent some of the railroad
rails into the shapes of the letters Q and S,
and, having procured ropes from the artil-
lery, hoisted them up and hung them on
the limbs of some of the large trees in the
vicinity, so or so feet from the ground. /
wonder If they are still there, or if the
box. tbarr
We Joined Gen. Hunters command near
Staunton, / think, the day after his victory
over Early at that place. Here we babe
adieu to our comrades who had not re-en-
listed, but had served out their three-year
terms of enlistment; they going back down
the Valley to Harper's Ferry and home, we
advancing farther into Dixie land.
We marched on through Lexington, where
we had sharp little fight with the Cadets
of the Military Institute and home guards,
took the town, and burned the college
and Gov. Letchers house. Here was an
other exhibition of the terrible ravages of
war. The magnificent library of this col
lege, supposed to be the finest then in the
United States, was consumed with the build
ing. Volumes of ancient lore that could
never be replaced, burned by order, perhaps,
of some ignorant military martinez. / was
with the party detailed for this destruction,
but thank God did not light the torch.
We marched on through Buchanan, and
camped one night within three or four miles
of the Natural Bridge. We climbed the Blue
Ridge Mountains, passing near the Peaks of
Otter, said to be the highest peaks of the
range, and the beautiful mountain scenery
there still fingers pleasantly in my memory.
We tapped the Virginia & East Tennessee
Railroad at Liberty. Our division was Or
dered along the railroad to destroy the track
and burn the bridges, while Sullivan's Di-
vision, with Hunter, marched by the turn
pike-M. N. CHAMBERLIN, Sergeant, Co. I,
23d Ohio, Cakes, N. d.
ITO be concIuded)