The National tribune., 1900-11-15


wagon leaving and threw it in, sud haven't
seen it since. BY this time all had left
camp, and 1t was nearly dark. L took
last look at the piles of commssary stores
piles of bacon. boxes of crackers, boxes
of shoes, medical stores, etc, all of which
were burned two hours afterwards. /
knocked in the head of barrel of cakes,
and filled my hayersack and started. 1t
made me feel blue to see the great destruc
ton of goods, all of which could have been
saved by a little foresight and GOODNESS. |
saw plenty of Government wagons in the
back streets, but without horses; but these
could have been impressed in numbers to
have saved everything. Col. Poorman
told me to have our company taken to
camp, and | started off, almost getting
lost i'll the streets, but found it still at its
post. We fell into ranks and marched
back to the city, and found the regiment
coming out the same road we bad been
watching all day.
Now began our long march to Louis
vile, I6 miles distant, and had we been
told then that it was our destination al
most every heart would have failed, as
we had marched - miles the day before.
We were only told that we were to 90 a
few miles toward Versailles, but found to
our sorrow that we had to travel the live
long night ON the dusty pike. During the
night the cavalry passed and repaSSed sew
cr;li times, looking after danger reported
at various places The road was strcwn
with everything belonging to an army.
succeeded in getting an outfit from some
bOdy'S knarsack that had been thrown
away. At Versailles we halted to rest,
after marching all night. | lay down on
my blanket and was soon asleep, not car
ing for anything to eat. We were not
allowed to rest long, but were hurried for
ward, as they told us. to Frankfort. This
was Tuesday, and we marched the whole
day long, fba hot dusty nike
nothing TO eat except what we could pick
up, on the way in the way of fruit. and
you can imagine what it was when an
army of 10000 men had been along ahead
Of us. Water was the thing most needed,
and the few wells could only give The
army taste. The runs and creeks were
all dry, and horses got nothing to drink
at all.
At bend in the road / left the ranks
and went out in the country to the house
of n regular built secesher, as L learned
from the slaves. One of the cOlored hands
gave me some good bread and boiled ham,
and told us to go out to the orchard and
get what fruit we wanted, which | did.
and found the regiment in good time and
treated our friends to fruit.
We camped at Frankfort, the Capital
of the State, not much of a town to north
ern eyes, and situated on the Kentucky
River
w
now, and hoped to stay there the rest of
the day, but were awakened at 3 O'Clock
in the morning and ordered to resume our
march | felt pretty well that morning
"wednesday, and was becoming some
what hardened to the march.
4 LUCKY CAPTURE.
Toward noon the men began to fag out
again, and feel as though | would have
to stop, but i'll passing n little village
saw private get off a Government horse
and go into store. | Immediately mount
ed and rode on. | kept in the rear of the
regiment until they stopped to rest, when
| rode up and was hailed on all sides by,
Where did you get your horse?' and was
offered from one to five dollars for a ride:
but, being somewhat rested, | gave him
over to the sickest man in our company
relieving one after another all the after
noon.
At night we campcd by a creek, the
first one we had yet come to that con-
tanned water. | watered my horse in the
stream and took n refreshing bath myself.
From field where | was / had grand
view of our camp at night. 1t is a great
sight to see an encampment of 10000 men
by night. The wagons seem to be the
greatest feature of the whole affair."
lay down in fence corner, with my horse
near by. Until to-day this army has been
rather disOrganized body of men, aud
every orchard along the way was stripped
of fruit. Anyone who saw a horse or
mule, if he could raise rope or bride, |
took him, and | saw many Union men
contesting for their rights and trying to
save their horses. But to-day we started |
from camp under army regulations. All
regiments were put into brigades and |
marched along four regiments each. Wag-
Ons were sent ahead and each brigade