The National tribune., 1901-05-09

been killed in battle, but evidently num-
bers of them had been killeIl that morning
after the battle. Hearing more firing
in front, / rode slowly forward aud was
soon in the midst of squad of Ton.e es-
scans mad and excited to the highest de-
gree They were shooting every wounded
negro they could find. Desuitory firing in
various directions indicated that the same
awful slaughter was going on all over
that part of the field. 1t was horrible,
most horrible. Robertsous and DibbrePs
Brigades had lost a number of fayori:e
officers and some of their best men, prob
ably shot by those same negroes, which
fact so exasperated the survivors that all
appeals to them to deter their murderous
work were in vain. The majority of the
negroes were standing about in groups,
only slightly wounded, but they soon went
down before the unerring pistols and
rifles of the enraged Tennesseans. The
thought occurred TO me. why did not these
Africans, who were still able to travel,
accompany Burbridge's retreating column ?
Even number of those who were not
able to travel might have been carried
away. Had they been Indians not n sin
gle one would have been abandoned by
his comrades to fall into an enemy's
hands. The poor. unfortunate negroes had
simply OVERSIGHT themselves, and had not
been awakened when the Federals folded
their tents and silently stole away" From
the bottom OF my heart L pitied tn IN end
would have interposed in their behalf had
/ not known that any effort to save them
would be futile. Some OF them were 50
slightly wounded that they could even run,
but when they ran from the muZZle of one
pistol it was only to be confronted by an
other.
Entering a little log cabin, 1 passed
at the threshold when l saw seven
or eight negroes, not badly wounded.
Al hna hn N
wall. | had been there scarcely minute
when pistol-shot from the doorstep
caused me to turn and observe mere boy
with q pistol in each hand. L stepped
back. telling him not TO shoot until i got
outside. In less time than / can write
the story, that boy had shot to death every
negro in the room. Every time he pressed
negroes met their fate sullenly. Very few
made any outcry-very few uttered sup
plication. / saw none attempt to resist
| They were as unresisting as lambs i'll the
shambles. Not many negroes were alive
when Gems. Breckenridge and Duke ap-
peared upon the scene. In all the males
| ty of his magnificent person, Gen.
| Breckinridge with blazing eyes and in
| thunderous tones, ordered that the mas
sacre should be stopped. There was lull.
| The General rode away and-the shooting
| went on. | saw youth approach a
bright-lookjng mulatto boy standing quiet
ly on front of log cabin, who seemed to
think he was in no danger The young
soldier presented his pistol, and then the
little mulatto quickly jumped behind a
small sapling, not larger than a mans
arm, and cried out that Gen. Duke had
ordered him to remain there until he
| should return. 1t was all in vain. In an
other moment the little mulatto was a
| corpse 1t was said, | know not
L Al, ln1ra haH nuriy ylH
the young negro as one who had belonged
to the family of Morgan, or Duke, at
Lexington, Ky. 4
do not know how many negroes were
killed. Many of them had been killed In
battle and-the sable soldier was not ac-
corded the privilege of surrendering him
self a prisoner of war. Il did not see any
Kentuckian shoot negro. Not having
met the "colored man" in battle the Ken
tuckians had not the same provocation as
the Tennesseans. Personally, | was, and
am. ashamed of the whole business.
THE RETREAT AND PURSUIT.
Gen. Burbridge had evidently retreated
In confusion. In his camp we found
abandoned guns, ammunition, hats, coats,
and much miscellaneous camp parapher-
MALTA. The hills and fields were strewn
with his dead and the houses were filled
with his wounded.
Early in the morning Gen. Breckenridge
ordered scout from Giltner's Brigade to
find the missing Federals. Capt. Il. o.
Gathright was soon in hot pursuit, taking
the Laurel Gap road.
Gen. Cerro Gordo Williams, with his
own division augmented by having as
signed to his command the small brigades
of Duke, Cosby and Vaughn, was ordered
to move by way of the Hayters Gap road
to intercept the enemy, if possible, in
Richlands. There was an unaccountable
delay. / observed that Gen. Basil w
Duke, whose brigade formed the advance
| of Williams's coulmn, was promptly in the
saddle, restlessly impatient, awaiting the
pleasure of Breckenridge, or of Williams,
| for him to move forward. As i have here
tOfore said, Gen. Duke had married Gen
Morgan's sister, and, until captured In
Ohio, had been Morgan's "rOse and fail
expectancy" in all important movements
l was much impressed with the brilliant
young Generals appearance that morn,
| ing at Saltville. His agile symmetrical
| form was in constant nervous motion
Restlessly turning in his saddle, his dark
eyes flashing, he eagerly awaited the Sig
nal to move. When the order finally
came, he wheeled his horse, and shouting
Forward was off, going at a steptrot
the remainder of the division trailing
| along behind him. Burbridge, however
had been gone so long that we scarcely
| hoped to intercept him. Giltner was
ordered to follow the enemy, but not tc
push them until he should hear Williams's
guns in front.
HANSON WOUNDED AND CAPTURED.
Not far from Saltville, on the Laure
Gap road, we found Col. Charles Hanson
| lying in little log hut, desperately
wounded. In company with Col. Giltner
DIR. S. S. Scott, the Brigade Surgeon, anC
Col. Bob Stoner, l went in to see him
He was lying on rude bed and swearing
like a sailor. Several canteens of brandy
were hanging within reach of him. and i
was evident that he had been drinking
copiously of their contents. His Surgeon
DIR. Hunt, and old acquaintance, whom
we had captured at Mt. Sterling, was will
him. Col. Hanson was familiarly well ac
Quainted with Col. Stoner, calling hin
"Bob," and to him he addressed the mos
of his conversation. He criticised Gen
Burbridge in language more forceful thai
polite. A mimic ball having passed
through his body, the surgeons declared
that the wound was mortal, but notwith
standing he thought himself in the i'm
mediate presence of death he showed NJ
disposition to make his peace, calling ant
election sure" We had not long to sta!
with him, and when we left him he wa
still drinking brandy and .cussin' blu
streak" Having no other. thought thai
that he would surely die, we were great!
surprised afterward to learn that he hat
been removed to Emory and Henry Hospi