The National tribune., 1900-09-27
A BIT OF EXPERIENCE.
Chapter From the History of the 9Th Ohio
Cav. in Active Service

| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the
issue of Aug. 2 / read an interesting arti-
Gle. Surprise and Rally" by Serg't. Leon
ard, Co. f, 9th Ohio Cav, who says:
Comrades, come on with accounts Of your
camps, marches, etc" So here goes for
of the old 9th boys. would give us some
thing, but until he/above-mentioned arti-
Gle appeared l have looked in vain. i am
not much of a writer, but will do the bes.
/ can. A cavalry force, including the 9th
Ohio, under Gen. Rousseau, was ordered
to Atlanta. They were to start from De
catur, Ala, and to march through the
damage as possible. This, l think, was
in August, 1864. Myself and a few 9TH
ers were left to take care of camp. The
command went in light marching order.
Our camp was at Mooresville, Ala, near
Decatur. The boys finally brought up at
Marietta, Ga. l don't remember what the
losses were, but Co. lost some good boys;
Corp'l Joe Jopp and some others were cap
tured.
In due time we of the camp were or
dered to report to the regiment. We
packed up the camp equipment and board
ed the cars at Decatur Junction and start
ed for the regiment. We went by way of
Huntsville and bridgeport to Chattanooga,
and then by the Georgia Northern, through
historic Resaca, Altoona, Big Shanty and
Marietta, and on to Vining Station, on
the Chattanooga River. There we re-
manned short time, when we We're Or
dered to Louisville, Ky, for a supply of
horses to remOunt the cavalry under Kill
patrick for the March to the Sea.
On our way back to Louisville we made
n stop at Big Shanty and were told there
by some of the employees to look out for
bushwhackers up the road. Sure enough,
near Ackworth our train was wrecked.
The 'whackers had torn up the rails in
a deep cut. The engine was thrown, and
many of the box cars were piled up. A
car, strange to say, which contained some
Of the officers horses, was damned to one
side, but not a horse harmed seriously.
Two soldiers were killed. One Il have for
gotten his name), n Corporal of Co. NJ, had
his neck broken by being thrown from the
car, and the other, John Hoge, Co. *, was
shot through the head. One negro, who,
l think, belonged to the train, was also
killed; bullet near the heart put an end
to his career.
The 'whackers fired into us pretty live
ly for short time, but we returned the
compliment with interest and drove them
off. We were detained for about two
days. We resumed our journey as soon
as the wreck was cleared away and the
track relaid and without further mishap
reached Louisville.
VII OHe evening late, HOt lar
from the place of our former railroad
wreck, we met two long-bearded men.
Some of the boys were lettering in the
rear of the column at house beside the
road. After we had passed the two men
a short time, we heard a shot and soon
some of the lOiterers came galloping up,
and reported one of their number shot by
couple of men they had met A detail
was sent back, and short distance from
the house found one of Co. G's boys ly-
ing in the road, so badly wounded that we
had to leave him at the house spoken of.
l have heard that he died there After
that we were little more careful about
falling out Of ranks.
We soon reached Atlanta, and rejoined
the regiment and marched to the sea, and
on to the end of the war.
This is my first attempt at writing up
the doings of the regiment, and if / have
made any plumbers l hope the boys will
pardon me. l have written as my men,
Dry serves me. l hope to hear from 9TH
ers of the old regiment, and especially
from Co. IL. G. STATION, Mingo, 0.