The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-29

several captains, fell into line at once.
Then there was a dead silence: this
was a mutiny. What came next? How
was it to be punished? Was every
tenth man to be shot, or only the Off
GERS? AS 1 rode along I heard these
questions asked by both rank and file.
Colonel Whiting then rode to the front
with a paper in his hand, and, when
he arrived at the head of the troops,
he read abound with marked emphasis,
in substance, as follows: That General
Johnston had heard with regret and
surprise that, on the eve Of an action,
both men n officers had refused to
obey the rders of their commander.
He could only say that it was the i'm
perative duty of all soldiers to obey or
ders; that their grievances would be
redressed in time, but such an example
would and should not go unpublished.
He, therefore, expected of them instant
obedience of their coloneIs orders; hat
Colonel Jackson was there with five
regiments to enforce. if needed, his
commands. Their own colonel then put
them through their evolutions for so
many minutes, n they were ordered
back to their tents, and all was quiet.
1t seems hardly necessary to state that
those were the last orders ever given
by hat colonel, as he was removed
from command.
All of General Johnston's army were
then encamped around Winchester,
when, on the 18th Of July, at 8 O'Clock
in the afternoon, again the long roll
was sounded. From the number of
mounted men and officers galloping
furiously off to every encampment, it
was evident that there was important
news. General Patterson was known
to be at Charlestown, 20 miles north
east, but nearer to the passes of the
Blue Ridge than we We're. General
Beauregard was known to be at Man.
assas Station, far to the east, 80 miles
by direct line. with the Blue Ridge
and the Shenandoah river between him
and us. Soon the news came; it was
not an order, but simply a message,
from General Johnston to each brigade.
regiment and individual soldier, that
General Beauregard had just notified
him from Manassas Junction, on hat
morning at ~daybreak he had been at
tackled by an overwhelming force of
the enemy from Centerville. He was
holding his own, but needed help. Gen.
eral Johnston had started, and would
go, day and night, to his relief; and he
expected that every man who wanted
to fight the enemy would up and fol-
low. Every man sprang to his place,
OAAN 80 80 AANS ! SAAoA VAIN w ~
rapidly moving through the dusty street
of old Winchester, there only to be
more inspired n encouraged, for there
was not a mother or sister there who
had not in the ranks a son or a brother,
and who, through tears and walls at
being undefended and alone, yet told us
it was our duty to go.
Our Virginia brigade look the lead,
and to the eastward, making for ASH
by's Gap. AS we passed through the
rich and fertile Clark county, the road
was line with ladies holding all man
ner of food and drink, for General
Johnston's staff had passed in a sweep
ing gallop, and given tidings of our
coming. At shutdown we came to the
cold, swift Shenandoah, and with two
or three to every horse, the rest, strip
ped of trousers, crossed, holding alOfe
muskets and head clothing and ammu-
milton. This was the severest test, for
it was a long struggle against a cold,
breast-high current. and the whole
night and the next day witnessed this
fording of men, guns n horses. Luck
lily the road belond, was hard, dry and
plain in the dark night as we climbed
the Blu Ridge, which rises precipi-
tously from the river, and in a stray
Cling line passed by the big poplar
tree that crowns the summit, M is
the corner of four counties-Clark,
warren, fduQuler anu LOuuOun.
Coming down the mountain by the
hamlet of Paris, and there leaving the
pike, we took the country road, soft
and damp, to the railroad station at.
Piedmont, where, sleeping on the
ground, WI awaited the arrival of the
train to carry us to Manassas juno
ton. At sunrise it came, a long train
of freight and cattle cars, in which we
packed ourselves like so many pins and
needles, n as safety for engine and
cars were more essential than speed
for we had only one engine on that
part of the old Manassas Gap railroad
we slowly jolted past the many coun-
try stations, warmly welcomed by the
gathered crowds of women and girls
with food inc drink. When, at sunset,
we arrived at Manassas Junction, we
sprang at once into line and swept out
into a broken country of pine forests.
Four miles brought us to the banks Of
Bull. Run" where we slept. This was
Friday night, the 18th, and it had
taken twenty-four hours to bring 1000
men to the expected field of action.