The National tribune., 1898-12-29

IN hour when the army began to pour
.own the steep, rocky, dusty road. On
hey came, winding Ia and fro down the
serpentine road. now enVeloped III clouds
Df fog. then emerging from the mist, their
bright arms and brass trappings glittering
la the sun; now submerged beneath a
dense cloud OF dust, they would again
remain hidden for a time till it was lifted
OFF by Il Passing breeze, and again the
mighty army. as If by magic, would stand
Dut in full view lcfoTe the beholder,
mart Ealing fer the fray below.
The rebeIs beheId them in terror and
hey fed in confusion in the direction Of
Dug Gap, leaving only small cavalry
force Ia skinnish with our advance. Gen.
Negiey then pushed "A regiment or two out
on the road as far as DaXis's Crossroads
To feel the enemy and ascertain his posi-
ton.
The reconnaissance was CALAMITY con-
5ucted-the rebels disputing every foot OF
The ground; and as soon as the recon
aoitering party began To fall back they
hung upon its rear until we gained our old
position at the foot OF Lookout Mounta in
Early in the morning the General adj
RANGED with his whole division upon Dug
Gap, when the enemy ; cavalry again dis
puted our progress, and the same ground
vas once more fought over till we reached
Dayis's Crossroads, at which place our
army rested for an hour. The men being
refreshed, pushed on again for the gap.
where the rebels were found in o.erwhe I'M
ing force.
An engagement at once ensued which
lasted for several hours: but as The enemy
vas soon strongly reinforced, Gen. Neg
ley ordered "A retreat, and his men were
;rawn of, slowly and quietly, one brigade
al time. Slowly the artillery was taken
3f the field. occaS ionally hating To throw
= few shells into the advancing enemy
Ill finally we regained our old camp.
DISCOVERING AN AMBUscADE.
Our loss in this skirmish was about a
killed, wounded and missing, but we IJst
nothing else; so leisurely were our forces
sIthdrawn, that the teamstcrs STOPPED e.
reload a wagon which was upset The
18th Ill. and 18th Ohio did noble work in
This encounter, fighting at short range
and repeliing two or three handsome
charges. They killed 30-odd men at 3
single yoliey, near the gap, all OF whom
we're left on the ground by the enemy.
AS we were proceeding toward the gap
] was frequently far in advance of the
column, looking out for ambuScadeS arr
performing the other delicate duties which
aevolye upon Il scout; and while recon
noiterIng, discovered stone wall Ia TIA,
left OF the road, which looked like I
splendid place OF conceaIment, and | ac
sordingly jumped behind a tree ane
ScrulsnIZed IL carefully 10 discover signs q
success sful in my efforts.
Presently, however / saw n man partl,
concealed by ciump Of willow bushes a
little distance from the wall: and OBJ
serving him closely, | saw that he wa.
notionIng with his hand, as # To keeg
men down. la "A little while | discovere,
another, and then another, until / saw
our men crowded under the bushes. whcI
opened on them with a few shots iron
my Spencer rife, and as they were bu
about 200 yards OFF. / soon made il too ho
3oT them, and they hustled down to tn
Nall, when ! lit ont TO report the ambus
cade 10 Gen. Negiey.
lie Immediately ran down a section q
artillery into a position that commando,
the wall, and then led a charge in persoi
over the intervening hill, and down upol
the rebels, who delivered a ilasty wolfe
before our men raised the hill aud thei
fed IL confusion, leaving several OF thei
dead on the field.
l chased one horse with his rider over
bluff bank, about 20 feet high. into
creek; the rider sticking 10 his animal al
The time till he struck the water Tn
horse mired III the Quicksand and tht
man was compelled 10 leap from his bacl
and, leaving him gain the opposite bank
where he leaped a iencesan disappeare,
in cornfield, while 1 was loading M
gun. l then took the fellows horse an,
saddle, and broke his gun and threw
over the fence after him, though | am no
aware that lac even stopped 20 thinI
about II, much less " gather up tn
pieces.