The National tribune., 1901-02-14

Up AND CARRY THESE GUNS AWAY.
Southwest Virginia, in the early Winter,
1862, Gen. Carter, brilliant Federal cav
airy officer, with LOO picked men, started
from Winchester, KY, on Christmas Day,
to stir us up, la Morgan. The weather
was bitterly cold, and his route being
through mountainous country, he had a
hard road to travel.
The movement was admirably executed.
Carter marched SO rapidly that he was his
own herald. We knew nothing of his COM
ing, and when we did learn that he was in
Old Virginia, we were puzzled to know
whittier he was going or what he intended
to do. The news that the ''despOiler" had
invaded our department of the Old Domin-
ion reached us just as we had made our
selves comfortable for the night in Winter
quarters.
The bugle called "boots and saddles"
and in a short time we were facing the
wintry blast, passing the night in our sad
dies instead of in our tent.
After ceaselessly marching several days
and mig we finally, at nightfall, at
tackled Carter at Jonesville, infiicting lit
tie damage, however, as his main column
was even then swiftly crossing the Cum
berland Mountains into Kentucky. We
had been in a trot for a number of miles,
hoping to intercept the willy and energetic
Carter at Jonesyille, only to find the bird
had flown. Weary and sleepy cold and
hungry, the unregenerate ''cussed" wicked
ly, while the mider-inannered Sunday
school graduates repressed the picturesque
and vigorous vocabulary that welied to
their lips. All were alike mad when we
had fully learned what the bold raiders
had accomplished.
Carter had encountered no body of Con-
federates until he reached the Tennessee
and Virginia Railway, in the Holston Val
ley. The great railway bridge at Blounts-
vile was guarded by small and inefficient
force which, surprised and paralyzed, sur
rendered without firing gun. Losing no
time, the Federals burned the bridge and
then marched westward, II miles, and
burned the Watauga bridge, having dis
placed the rails and burned the ties Of the
road between the two bridges. That con-
siderable railroad job was worked" by
Gen. Carter without u single Confederate
appearing to dispute his authority or at
tempt to impede his energetic operations.
Ponderous bodies move slowly-and Gen.
Marshall was massive man, too much so
to run over the country with brigade of
cavalry. Had Morgan or Forrest been
there, it might have been different. They
were built that way; that is to say, they
were physically unlike Marshall.
OPERATIONS In KENTUCKY.
Early in the Spring of 1863 Gen. Mar
shall marched his cavalry into Kentucky,
intending to establish headquarters at Lex
ington. Gems. Pegram and jenkins were
to cooperate with him by attaching their
columns 10 his, making q small army of oc-
| cupation about 1000 strong. Marching by
different routes the three columns were to
| concentrate ut Lexington. Unfortunately
| Pegram on the left and jenkins on the
| right, by pursuing independent movements,
failed to cooperate with Marshall's cen
tral column, and thereby defeated the en-
terprise.
When Gen. Marshall found the original
plan of going to Lexington not feasible, he
| turned to the right, and, moving down the
| West Fork of the Big Sandy River, made
| q demonstration on the fortified town of
| Louisa, the garrison consisting of a bri-
gade commanded by Gen. White, believe
After some skirmishing along the tortuous
narrow valley road, we suddenly found
ourselves confronted by the enemy, occu,
pying an elevated position, naturally
| strong, and which had also been fortified
in various and skillful ways. We knew o:
no way by which the place could be at
tackled except by an assault in front. TC
do this it would be necessary to charge VI
! the high hill, on the slopes of which We
could plainly see trees had been felled in
such manner as to make formidable
obstruction.
Halted in tho narrow road, the officers
and men at the head of the column gazeG
anxiously at the ''frowning battlements'
in front, wondering what was up there.
We could see few cannon, but the garri
sou was invisible. The silence was omi
nous. In fact, the stiffness was awe in
spring, and, personally, | began to fee
"shaky." / learned subsequently tha
others were also uneasy. We were within
easy range of that grim artillery. Why
did it not FIRE a salute? Where were thu
fellows behind the guns?' Where wer,
the musketeers? | remembered the trap
the sunken road of Ohain, into which
Ney's cavalry fell at Waterloo. l begaI
to look upon the place much as did the fol
at the unattainable grapes. ] did NO
think the old town was worth taking.
did not want It. 1t had at no time beer
clear to my mind why Gen. Marshall hat