The National tribune., 1896-07-16
A FAMOUS RETREAT.
What the 52d Ohio Had to Do When Nell
son Moved Rack

retreat of Nelson's army of Kentucky afte
says that he had roll of blankets bacl
and front of his saddle almost up to hi
chin, which he had taken out of the 50,
OhiO's discarded wardrobes, which he coul'
not see fall into the hands of the rebels.
On Sunday, Aug 81, 1862, the sd Ohio
after an all-night's march from Lexington
on the Lexington & Richmond pike, reached
the Kentucky River at sunrise and went int
camp on the brow of the hill in Mr.. SheI
Rogers's orchard, on the right of the pike, ant
| lay there until about noon, when Kirby
Smiths advaUeeappeared on the opposite sid
of the river, IN the Widow Reinss plantation
and limbered up and shelled us back owe
| the hill out of range. Early in the after
noon we began our retreat to Lexington anC
| Louisville.
After we left the Kentucky River, / re
| member seeing a cavalryman accompanied
10y colored contraband" leading horse
| The cavalryman was loaded with blankets
just as Comrade Bowers describes, and
| loaded mine on the "man and brother,
and he was chuck full of blankets, in front
and rear.
/ decided to take the "led horse " from
the cOntraband, and at once proceeded to put
| nay decision into effect, but he appealed &c
the cayalryman, who said it belonged to
Gen. -, whose name / have forgotten
and while we were engaged in the dispute
an officer, mounted, came up and ordered me
| to my command. | have never seen my
| blanket since.
At that period OF my service General was
to my conception something in which i stood
in awe. or one thing | am sure: up to the
time the officer assumed authority / ranked
equal to the cavalryman and his black Order
iy. Both OF us were absent from our regi-
ments, and both without support.
Further on in his Picket Shot" he saws
he loaded himself up with the SD Ohio's
overcoats. In reply 10 this | wish to say
that the SD Ohio never had an overcoat
until we reached Nashville, Tenn, in De-
cember 1862, and think the overcoats he
"gobbled up" must have been the property
of Col. Halls 105th Ohio.
On Monday morning, Sept. ], the SD
marched out of Lexington on the Nashville
pike distance of about three miles, and
formed line-C:-battle on the left of the pike,
which position we occupied until dark,
when We marched back. As we passed our
camp we saw all our tents, knapsacks, and
equIpage of all kinds burning up, and we
continued our retreat en- ronte to Louisville
with only our canteens, haversacks, guns
and accouterments; in doing which the SD
Onio covered the retreat of the infantry,
artillery, and cavalry included.
1t may seem very preposterOus to say that
the SD Ohio in the rear of the cavalry,
but you must take into consideration the
fact that when we advanced to the Kentucky
River from Lexington we met Col. GarTard
and his cavalry returning TO Lexington and
The SD covered the withdrawal Of GaTrard's
cavalry command.
We left Lexington after night Sept. ],
marched all night and reached Frankfort
the following night. On Sept. 9 the rebel
advance cavalry caught up with the SD,
and am clear in my recollection that did
not see any 9th Pa Cav. or any other cav
airy between Co.'s y and G. of the SD aud
the rebel cavalry, which was in plain view.
was looking for cavalry, too, to take my
place on every occasion OF this kind.
We halted about 10 p. m. in a cemetery
on the bluff in the outskirts OF Frankfort
and rested about an hour We then con-
tinued our march into the city, and spent
the remainder of the night in The streets
near the Jail building or q market-house
and as We crossed the Kentucky River
it was reported that the SD would take
the cars for Louisville, but we continued our
march past the depot, and as we reached the
brow OF the bluffs opposite the city we could
see the head of the rebel cavalry and one
battery Of artillery coming down the river
on the opposite bank, entering into the city
| had a clear view of what / here describe
and there was no cavalry between the rebel
advance and SD Ohio.
On this day Sept. 81 our regiment was
deployed IN line-o:-blttIe several times on
one occasion, and the only time saw any
cavalry was after we came out of woods
crossed a small stream, and assembled the rise
on the other side. The rebels came up TO u.s.
and Col. Dan McCook formed the sd On the
left OF the pike behind an osage orange
hedge, and our skirmishers exchanged shots.
Col. Dan. McCook had rugged up two 81
pound Parrott guns, which had been spiked
and deserted in the Courthouse yard at Lex
ingion, and they were attached 10 the SD
as an improvlsed section of a battery. He
brought them up on the right of the regi-
ment and planted them in the middle of the
pike and unlimbered and went through the
motion of swabblng, ramming home, and
then running the guns up into position and
sighting them, etc.,-all ~ a bluff.
1T was at this place, and when the rebels
came within range OF the 52d, that | saw
across The pike TO our right the only cavalry
saw at all on the retreat and they were
running TO the rear TO beat the band" They
got into the pike near a mile in The rear Of the
position held by the sd Chic. Our two-gun
battery limbered up and followed at a gallon.
When the head Of the rebel column got in
range of the sd skirmishers they deployed,
and when in range we exchanged shots, they
fell back in the direction of their support.
and the Odd filed back into the pike and
until we came up with the
rear Of our own column.
/ saw Col. John j. NcCook, then a CAPTAIN
on Col. Daniel McCook's staff, help man
our battery under the direction of the
Colonel. He was young boy like the rest
of us. He had the misfortune when we were |
at the Kentucky River to make his bed
under a wagon. In the shade, while he slept
the sleep OF a tired boy. Molasses or some |
other sticky substance dripped all over him, !
and with the dust and inability to get water, |
even TO drink, he did not have an oppor- |
tuniiy TO wash and his hair was "rOpyn |
with dust and molasses but though very |
dusty and dirty like ourselves, he showed |
he had sand and helped man the guns! |
After the cavalry passed to the rear and |
our artillery got away, the SID Ohio con-
unued to cover their retreat under the skill |
iul management of our Colonel Daniel Me- |
Cook; and the 52d was in the rear every time |
saw the enemy, and saw them every day |
from Lexington TO near Louisville.
/ want To say to Eamrade RnUaro that