The National tribune., 1897-03-25
KANITHA DIVISION:
ITS CAMPAIGNS.
MAJ William Mckinley Shared Its
Fortunes and Its Trials.
CONDUCT OF RETREAT.
Welcome Back to Camp OF the
Men Who Had Made
History.
EARLY'S EFFORTS.
Full Measure Of Brilliant
Service for the Division.
BY r. b. WILSON, $40 LINCOLN AVENUE,
TOLEDO, o.
fContinued from last ,uedkl
BY r. b. WILSON, $40 LINCOLN AVENUE,
TOLEDO, o.
Y /.
fContinued from last ,Detk.l

Inc enllre c0nQucI OF the retreat WAS
wisely turned over by Gen. Hunter to
Gen. Crook. The enemy controlled
the shorter roads to the Shenandoah
Valley, and retreat to the Kanawha
was therefore a necessity. And even
this line was in danger of being
cut off by the enemy securing certain
mountain passes, which would have
forced long detours in the mountains.
Gen. Early made desperate efforts to
secure these passes, but he had to deal
with an opponent that was alert to every
danger and swift to grasp every oppor-
tunity, and who knew the roads Of the
enemy's territory as we'll, if not better,
than Early himself, and when Early
sought to break in upon this line of re-
treat he found every assailable point
strongly guarded by Crooks cavalry,
and only attack upon his rear was left
to him.
He essayed this also, but only to be
entrapped into positions where he re-
ceiyed severe punishment from Crook s
rear-guard, while the main body of his
army was speeding sway over the
mountains, only concerned about the
condition of its supplies.
For the first few days of the retreat a
partial supply was foraged from the sur
rounding country, but when once fairly
in the mountains the little that could
be CLEANED out of them by the enter
prising forager afforded no relief to the
great body of the soldiers, when there
was still five or six days of hard march
ing ahead all rations, excepting coffee
and sugar, had been exhausted. The sol
diers mechanically plodded on in grim,
accomplishing silence; the lines of their
faces were drawn with pain.
The witty badinage that was wont to
set the company i'm a roar no longer
lightened their hearts and their steps as
well, and the miles on miles of weary,
winding road that still interposed be-
tween them and relief seemed to them
to stretch away to the crack Of doom.
Night and day the march continued
thus. for their eyes were sleepless, and
time meant life to them. Hundreds
fell exhausted by the way, and were
helped on by the cavalry.
Early in the retreat couriers had been
dispatched ahead with orders for supply
trains to n eet the army on the road, but
White Sulphur had been reached, and
then Lewisburg and Meadow Mountain
passed without sign of the coming trains.
Had the enemy gained possession of
the Kanawha again in their absence, and
would they yet have
TO FIGHT THEIR WAY
to the Ohio? were the questions the SOL
diers asked themselves, for no word or
rumor had they had for many days from
the world outside of the great wilder
ness that shut them in.
AT last, as they were toiling over Big
Sewell. glimpse was caught of white
wagon-tops far off in the windings of the
road, and they knew that relief was at
hand. Joy lighted their faces and
quickened their steps as the word was
passed quickly back along the line of
march.