Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-02-27


sight Of Washington, but met re-
pulse at Fort Stevens on the Seventh
street road, when he retreated into
Virginia. All this took place while
we were struggling with privation
and starvation on our retreat.
When in the mountains we made
but slow progress at FIRST, for gueril-
la bands ahead OF us cut trees across
the road and rolled immense rocks
into it, through which our pioneers
had to make way and we had to
await their operations. Sometimes
we made less than ten miles day.
AT one point in the mountains they
made dash on our artillery, which
was about IN the center of our long
stretched out column, shooting the
horses and dismouuting nine pieces.
after doing which they retreated pre-
cipitately Wherever we found clean
ings or openings in the mountains
where was grass. we halted to Craze
our horses, which had become so
weak that we nearly all walked and
led them, There were some beauti-
tut little valleys here and there in the
mountains, where cattle had in former
times been grazed, and where grass
was abundant Ely this time the
wagon animals began to succumb
rapidly, and they were shot when
that condition was reached and the
wagons mutilated with axes, set on
| fire, or tunbled over the cliffs. Day
after day there was fusillade among
these poor animals, and their car
casses were strewed along the road
for miles. / have understood there
were some four hundred wagons and
animals thus destroyed. Famine be-
gan to tell seriously upon the men.
The horses could eat grass, but we
couldn't, although we came near it.
While our horses were grazing we
would hunt oyer the fields for meadow
dock "a substance uAed for
greens which we boiled in our
tincups and ate without salt
/ Somehow rumor became current
among us that a relief train would
meet us at Lewisburg, Greenbrier
county, and we were all eager to get
there. Late one Saturday night we
came to the place and found nothing
but darkness. At daylight we heard
that the wagons coming with succor
| for Hunters men had been turned
back by guerrillas fifty miles farther
on. and we would perhaps get nothing
till we reached Charleston, on the
Kanawha river. Men scattered about
to hunt food. Wherever potato
patches were found the stalks were
pulled for the old potatoes, as the
new were yet not much larger than
marbles; but small as they were they
were secured. The infantry about
these times managed to subsist rather
better than the cavalry. for they could
spread out widely and find stock Of
various kinds, while we had to save
the strength of our horses by using
them as little as possible.
Late on the hot Sunday morning
we filed onto the dusty pike at Lewis
burg, and in depression took up our
daily march. Having passed through
the town, we'll remember reading on
the first mile post, 100 Miles to
Charleston, and we all began to have
some doubt about ever seeing that
place. We had used the flour that we
obtained at Salem Station with the
greatest economy, but many had none
left. We had prepared it to eat by
mixing 1t into paste in our tincups
and ate it thus.
To avoid the heat of the day and
save our horses, we did most of our
marching at night. The orders al
ways we're to keep the column closed
up, so not to lose connection in the
darkness. One night our redoubtable
little major was at the head Of Coles
cavalry, when suddenly he passed an
order along the line to "trot.' He
had carclessly permitted us to lose
connection with the front. We ''trot-
ed, and it developed into gallop
for long stretch over rough road.
/ had my cavalry jacket tied on my
saddle, and in a pocket of it some let
tiers valued. In the rush it came
loose and lost it. When we caught
up and had resumed walk the ma
jor leisurely remarked: "Adjutant,
1 ;e,,f there a Mace near here called the