The National tribune., 1897-02-25
,feries and some compa

of about 1000 men.
There was also assigned to cooperate
with the division a brigade Of Gen
Averill's cavalry This cavalry force
was at no time during the campaign with
the division, but operated under the
direction of Gen. Crook on collateral
lines, to
PREVENT CONCENTRATION
of the enemy's forces at the real points
of attack.
By the Sd day of May. 1864, the en-
tire division was concentrated at Fay
etteville. Here rigid inspections of
the whole command was made, and
every man that was in the least untitled
for service was ordered to hospital or to
report to the Post Commandant, and
notice was given that when the command
moved there would be no communica-
ton whatever with the rear until its
return.
Early on the morning ofthe 4th of May,
the day appointed for the movement
of all the armies, the division, with three
DAYS rations in the haversack, 10 days
half rations in the supply-train; with all
knapsacks and tents eliminated, and
with regimental, company, and officers
camp equipage limited to two wagons to
the regiment, started on its march headed
southeast on the Raleigh road, only its
commander knowing its destination and
purpose.
The march thus begun was destined
to continue almost without pause for 80
DAYS, over nearly 1000 miles of noun
tain roads, crossing % Counties of West
Virginia and Virginia, 16 ranges of
mountains, including the Alleghanies
and Blue Ridge, which latter ranges
were crossed four times each, and to
penetrate far into territory hitherto un-
rodden by a Union soldier, and to
within few miles of the SPOT where,
less than year later, Gen. Lee and his
army surrendered TO Gen. Grant.
On this march the army was destined
to utterly destroy many miles of the track
of important railroads and other valua-
BILE railroad property, including two
important bridges that could not be re-
placed during the war, and to render
useless to the Confederacy all of the Nir-
ginia & Tennessee Railroad south of
Lynchburg.
1t was to meet with heavy rains in the
mountains and swollen rivers; Its march
was to be impeded by thousands of
coNTRABAND REFUGEES,
men, women and children, of all ages,
from the infant in arms to the white
haired patriarch, who hailed its coming
as the coming of the Lord, and who
flocked to il, and would not be dissuaded
from following if to freedom it was to be
beset by and in constant skirmish with
the enemy; to fight five pitched battles
with him in fortified positions, capturing
1000 prisoners and 10 pieces of artillery,
without the loss of gun or a wagon or
of a single man by capture.
All of this it was to accomplish on
ecant rations and for days without any,
except coffee and sugar. 1t was to 60 ON
in its cyclonic progress of destruction,
until it had at the close of one day hurled
the enemy out of the strong breastworks
of Lynchburg with the bayonet, and all
of the next held what it had won against
an army corps sent by Lee to its rescue.
Only then was it to start on its return,
and to fight its great battle with famine
In the mountains when its wagon-train
was empty of rations and filled with Its
wounded 1t was to emerge from the
wilderness at last in sight of its old
camps, officers and men with clothing
"aii taitered and torn," hundreds with
shoeless, bleeding feet, all of them gaunt,
grim and hollow-eyed with hunger, but
with the same proud, selfreliant spirit ;
to pounce with the fierceness of famished
wolves upon the crackers and salt pork
sent out to their relief.
ANY detailed account of the incidents
of this wonderful and unprecedented
march cannot here be indulged in, and
only few of the most important can be
but briefly referred to.
On the morning of the sixth day after
leaving Fayette Courthouse, at Cloyd
Mountain, two miles from Dublin Station,
on the v & I. Railroad, and $50 miles
from its starting point, Gen. Crook found
Gen. jenkins with force of nearly equal
numbers, in a strongly-fortitied position,
resisting the further progress Of his army.
Without a moments hesitation, Gen.
Crook made his dispositions for attack.
The battle that ensued was one of the
most brilliant and
HoTLY CONTESTED
engagements of the war, where great per-
sonal bravery was shown on both sides,
and resulted in complete victory for
.he Union arms, the capture of four
pieces of artillery, many hundred pris-
oners, Gen. jenkins, mortally wounded,
being among the number. Reinforce
ments came up, but too late to stem
the tide of defeat, and, together with
the broken and shattered columns
of Gen. jenkins, were swept from the