The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-12-15
WITH GEN. BURBRlDCE.
The Retirement After the Expedition to
kugs Saitworks.


EDITOR NATION NJ TRIBUNE: Gen. Bur
bridges force in September, 064, on his mem
orable expedition oil over 200 miles 10 Kings
Saltworks, Va, was about 5000 or 6 900.
AS to the 9th and 9Th u. S. Colored Cav,
there were six companies of ore and four or
five of the otaer, in all probably about 1, 100
men. | remember seeing about score of
them living on the floor in one row in an
old house used as hospital about 10 p IN.
of the day of the battle of Oct. 9. All had
suffered amputation or were otherwise severe
ly wounded. They were left as matter of
necessity to the tender mercies OF the enemy,
and were, so report soon said, all mastered
by some guerrilla band few days later in
the hospital.
Bonfres, not only on the hill-tOps but
all along our line-oi-battle, were kindled to
give the impression that we were lying on our
arms for the night About 9 p. III. word was
passed quietly along the line, and We as
quietly Withdrew.
BY this trick the enemy were surely de-
ceived and We escaped certain capture, for
before nightfall OF the day of the battle, Oct
2, which had lasted all day and as long in the
evening as we could see to shoot, we had seen
whole corps-I think Lon2street's-rein-
force the troops we had been fighting all
day.
On this expedition through the mountains
Of Kentucky and Virginia no wagon-tran
had been taken in fact, none could have BEEN
All our ammunition and stores had been
carried on our horses and train of pack
mules, and were both exhausted; for what
was 100 rounds, or even more, for an indus
triols soldier for a whole days battle? 1t
therefore became necessary to get away if
possible.
To accomplish this there were numb Der Of
difficulties to encounter. The horses, which
had been lett in the care Of every fourth man,
were SO near starved that many Of them had
broken away. and many soldiers had trouble
in finding their mounts, as it was dark
night.
Next, the enemy, in our rear, after we had
passed down toward Sa!tvilie the day before,
had dug away the road-bed at q ace where
the HoIsson River breaks ihroagh the Clnch
Mountain, leaving the road-bed, OF where it
had been, a hard, smooth, slippery rock,
s!0png toward and to the verge Of preeipics
Of asout 50 feet.
There was no escape from passing over this,
for at The other side VI the road was an almost
perpendicular mountain oil lOO or 2Sv fess
in hgst. To pass this place nearly every
soldier dissnsuRted.
Tins took up great deal Of time, and at
daylight Of Oct Eaw that some horses
had slipped and been preeipisassd into txs
river below.
This place was not more than six miles
from shs battlefield. My regiment, after
passing this dsAeult place, was sestiessd ia
tine battle to protect others crossing, - II
was expected We would b attacked t1sre at
daylight.
There were three or four regiments, in
Gliding the colersd troops, to pass after us,
and as no enemy appeared in force we became
the rear of the columns for ID or 90 miles 10
the Bowen Farm, where we halted with the
main force and took in a few sheep from the
fields and such other CON nis ssary supplies as
we could fad We needed ali we got.
Skirmishing, or rather bush WIN eking had
begun long before we arrived there, and con-
tinued al! the way to Kentucky with two en-
gagements, one ut the ford OF the Maiden
spring fork of the Clinch River that same
evening, and the other on top of the Big
Sandy River Mountain the next day, which
became quite battle.
Ibis was fought principally by the 18th
Mich. Cav, then the rear-guard of the COL
umn, and in which engagement that regi-
ment lost its Lieutenant-C Colonel / think
his name was Brown
have never seen the details or even the
outlines of this expedition in print. While
we did not succeed in destroying Kings Salt
works, upon which the Confederacy depended
greatly for its supply OF salt; yet, if reports
he true, our main object was accomplished
viz, that of drawing large force from the
east to weaken it for the time being. +.
ST4wARr, Major, 18Th KY, 10l7 p street N.
w WASHINGTON II G.