The National tribune., 1900-03-29
Don't Miss the Supplement.
RACING WITH JACKSON.
An s2d Ohio Boys Story of Some Doings in
the Valley,

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1t is
just about So years ago that we got orders
to embark on board the cars to go to land
we knew not Of, a place where rebels and
fighting was plenty. We disembarked
at New Creek, small station on the b. d ..
r. r., thence went up New Creek Valley
to Moorefeld, quite a large place, on the
south branch Of the Potomac River, stream
at that point about so DDS wide, of swift
flowing water.
The first night out from New Creek we
camped ON the farm of a Mr.. Williams.
He had some of the most inquisitive turkeys
/ ever saw, many of them leaving their
roosts to explore our camp in the night,
and even hiding under blankets and boards
when hunted for in the morning. l don't
think any Of them were found. The Col
onei was very much distressed He didn't
suppose he had thief in his regiment.
In due time we arrived opposite Moore
field, where, with company-drill and picket
guard and camp-guard, we put in the time
to the 1st of May, when We started upstream
to hunt some large game, which we found
on May at Mcdowell. Here we saw
our first wild Johnny and smelt our first
powder There was not large force on
either side, and the rebels didn't put up
much OF fight. l think the SD lost only
one man. Lieut.. Debolt, of Co. ID.
After popping at each other for while
both parties Withdrew. and that night
1OlIfld us INCREASING Jile ulSlaEce between
the two armies. The next day we fell
back to Franklin, where we met Fremont
with his division and some supplies, which
were very welcome. We captured n tan
yard and two bearskins, which the team
sters appropriated for housings.
In few day. we retraced our march to
MOOrefield. where we forded the river just
at nightfall, went back through the town
few miles, and camped. Then for a few
days we struck a gait that was lively.
Banks wanted us to help him in the Shen-
andoah Valley. as jackson was making
it pretty hot for him over there. If we
had only started one day earlier jackson
would have been in a fine pickle; as it was,
he just slipped by Strasburg as we were
coming down the hill on double-Quick
| into the Valley to head him off.
We had a race up the Valley. Every
time we would get too hot on the trail he
| would stop and show fight, and then away
he would go again. We had him cooped at
Front Royal, but the fellows on the other
side united the bag and let him out. hut
not before we had lively little tussle with
| him at Cross Keys on June 8. The John
nies charged on battery of little brass
howitZerS which We're behind a rail fence
supported by infantry. and when they got
| close To the fence the gunnerS let go all at
once and blew the fence, brush and every
| thing on top of them, and the infantry
| arose as one man and delivered a charge
| that settled tflelT llaSn lOT IildL udN. L nat
night it rained. Talk about rain III the
Dismal Swamp; | never found a place in
the South where it couldn't rain; and we
| had it for a week before and nearly Il week
| after that event.
After jackson got his men across the
| river and destroyed the bridge, we marched
back down the Valley to Mount Jackson
where we found mill with about 5000
bushels of wheat in it that came to hand
Just in time; we had been on short feed
over month The boys would roll a
barrel of flour out into a company, knock
the head out, and every one help himself.
Some would pour in little water and stir
it to a good stiff dough, then take it out and
throw il i'll the fire, and when crust formed
| on il devour the crust and toss 1t back.
Our beef we would treat the same way.
1t was nothing uncommon to see Il man
gnawing a bone with the blood running
down both corners of his mouth.
We marched back down to Middletown
/ and camped on the same ground where the
battle of Cedar Creek was fought little
over two years later. We could hear the
reverberations of distant cannonading, sup
posed to be Mcclellan near Richmond.
just after the 4th of July, we started
out again up through Front Royal and
Luray, across the Blue Ridge to Sperry-
vile and WOodville There they gave
us some of the poorest coffee and wormiest
meat and crackers we got while i'll the
and he made a big kick" on his men having
to eat such stuff, and it was returned and
we got something better.
i Here was grand place TO drill, and we had
company, battalion and brigade drill and
Sham-battles to our hearts discomfort until
i Aug 8, when we were ordered over to help