The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-05-31
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans Of the Rebellion Tell Of
Whistiing Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bonbs. Bloody Battles.
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.

Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.
"One story brings another" said the
| Colonel. Il went down the other night
10 the meeting of Encampment No. 102,
| Union Veterans Legion, held in Me-
mortal Hall. There were present
men who had worn the blue as well as
men who had worn the gray, and it was
great night for stories. After the ad-
| dresses and the music and the recita-
tiOns had stirred the boys up we could
| scarcely mention general or a brigade
| or division or regiment, without
| calling out n story of stirring incident
| or adventure or without bringing to the
front an anecdote.
"A member Of the Fifth New Yori;
Cavalry, Clusters division, smiled at
some reference to General Jubal Early,
and said: 4 was present at the capture
Of the remnant of General Early's Con-
federate army at WaynesbOrO in
March, 1865. My most vivid recOllec
tiOns are Of the muddy roads between
WaynesborO and Staunton. Early had
marched his army over the route, and
was followed by General Sheridan's
army in pursuit, and the roads We're
bed of mortar from fence to fence, and
the fields ON either side were almost as
impossible. General Sheridan had
made a special detail of well-mounted
men to guard 1,S0O prisoners back
down the valley to Winchester, and l
was with this detachment.
1.-The people told US that General
fmboden would capture the prisoners
before we reached Winchester, but
neither the guards nor the prisoners
believed it. The latter We're In the
most distressing and hopeless frame Of
mind, and We fell to comparing notes
as to where we had met them in pre-
viOus campaigns, and we soon cheered
them up and they seemed to us like old
friends. We gave them hand to pull
them out Of the mud and to keep them
from drowning when fOrding the
swollen streams. We gave them plen
ty of good rations, and we all felt an
interest in these fellows who had
fought us SO valiantly on SO many
fields.
"'At Roods Hall Flat, as we We're
marching down the valley. Imboden,
who had been following us all the way,
practically surrounded us and took
possession of all the fords except one.
We availed ourselves Of this ford,
which the rebel general had overlooked,
got our prisoners across the river, and
prepared to give General ImbOden a re-
minder that Clusters cavalry was still
In the valley. When Imboden's men
charged on us We held our fire until
they were less than 100 feet away.
Then we let them have it, made coun
ter charge, and drove them back three
quarters of a mile. The major of n
New Hampshire regiment told me that
1t was the loveliest fight he ever looked
at. To me it was exciting mainly be-
cause l was interested in the welfare
of the prisoners we were guarding
Scarcely was the cavalryman's story
well out of his mouth when another
Union Veteran Legion cOmrade said:
DO any Of you boys know how General
Early escaped after that battle of
WaynesbOro, in March, 1865? When
old Jube saw the day was lost he
boarded a freight train attached to an
old, wheezy, wood-burning engine on
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad,
and, with few of his staff, struck out
for Richmond. Sheridan in the mean
time had dispatched some cavalry to
hold the gap through which runs the
railroad and under which is the big |
tunnel.
LAS this cavalry command neared |
the west mouth of the tunnel, they |
heard Early's train coming, and deploy-
ed along the side of the road. As the |
train passed the boys pegged away |
with their carbines, galloping along
side. Finally it got so hot that Early |
climbed over the tender into the engine |
cab. The cars We're cut loose and Early |
and his staff crOuched on the engine |
and escaped through the tunnel, simply
by Outrunning our cavalry. General
Early does not appear to have reached
General Lee, as the records do not men,
ton that he was found in the last
ditch, but l certainly saw him so into
the tunnel
Speaking of General Early said
he Major, L saw at General Sheridan's
day or SO after the fight
It Cedar Greek. Oct. 10. 1864, forty-two
cannon captured from the rebs, on
which was written with chalk II -om
he C. S. A. arsenal, Richmond. Va, sor
General Phil Sheridan. U. S. A, care of
General Jubal Early. G. s. A." and one
# the boys who went along and parked
hese same guns at the War Depart
nent yards at Washington said the
guns bore this motto when they were
urned over to the custody of the War
This story stirred up an ex-Confed-
rate who served as courier on General
and Early's staff, and he
aid: When l was in Staunton. lust
,riOr to the evacuation of that place by
he Confederates. l saw on some Hat
'ars waiting to he unloaded lot of
light field artillery sent FROM the Con-
ederate arsenal at Richmond to re-
lace the guns captured 10y Sheridan.
Jpon these guns was written by some
oking Confederate: For General
fubal Early, c. S. A., care General
Sheridan of the Yankee army Quick
IS flash one OF Clusters cavalry said,
We got those guns all right, and in
.ood condition, for helped unload and
'ut them on wheels when we captured
'taunton.' Chicago Inter Ocean.
Stories Not in the Records.
An old soldier of Detroit has Il couple
f stories of the late war that will not
e preserved in the archives of accept