The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-09-26

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with the army and especially with Gen.
Buell.. who, if he could hear one-half orr
complaints, would rest no better in his
comfortable tent than we i'll the frosty
air.
Oct. IS our wagon train started for
Lebanon. and we have also received or
ders to be ready TO march at short no
tice. We now know that Bragg is beyond
our reach, and that our next move will
be to retrace our steps into Middle Ten
neSsee, where there are railroads to fur
nish us with supplies for another advance
into the COnfederacy. We feel that the
results of the Summer campaign have all
been lost, and that we will again find
Bragg's army, reinforced and refreshed,
in "a chosen position, obstructing our pro-
gress.
RETRACING OUR STEPS.
The troops having been paid recently,
greenbacks are plentiful, but there is
nothing to buy. itations are very light,
as usual, when We leave the railroad.
Our first opportunity to spend money and
supplement our ratiOns occurred Oct, IL,
when it was discovered that poor woman
near camp had started in to feed n HUN
cry army with a barrel of meal and a
skillet. She was soon surrounded by n
clamorous mob, too impatient to wait for
the mixture TO cook, so she handed out
half-bakcd corn-pOnes, minus salt, grease
or any seasoning, unless water might in
such case be considered seasoning. 1t
was my good fortune after a hard strug-
gle to secure one for 10 cents.
Oct. 20 the order to march came at
short notice, but did not find us unpre-
pared. 1t was Il small matter to twist n
blanket over the shoulder, hang frying
pan or coifee-pOt to cartridge belt, pick
up musket and say Ready" r
No tents to strike or knapsacks to pack
We claimed nothing we could not carry.
We marched 10 miles, through Crab Or
chard and Stanford.
Early Oct. u we started. passing
through Danville and on to Perryville,
IL miles, where we encamped.
The country we traversed from Grab
Orchard to Perryville displayed the terri
bic rayages of war. Our army had fol-
lowed Briggs over it, and now we had
passed back again, and what Bragg spared
or we spared IN our advance we demO.-
ished on our return. Fences gone, or
chards cut down. fields obliteratcd. and
the very sod trampled into dust. Desert
ed houses in the midst of this desolate
plain marked the places where three
weeks before productive farms supplied
peaceful homes with plentiful subsist-
ence.
Near Perryville the scene was more de-
plorable. The field was not strewn with
human bodies as 10 days before, but long
! lines of freshly-turned clay marked the
/ trenches where Confederate dead had
been heaped one upon the other and so
| scantlly covered that a hand or foot
might be seen protruding. How pitifuI
that men should die in defense-as these
! beiieyed-of their native soil, and then be
| denied enough of it to cover their mu-
| tilated bOdieSi Our own dead had been
| buried IN separate graves and marked
| by comrades. The carcasses of faithful
horses were still there. and torn frag,
menti of blue and gray uniforms and
| equipments still suggested the mortal com
bat of the brave men who fell in the
front ranks of both armies
| Oct - we marched away from this
scene just as the suns first rays began
to shed peaceful light upon the resting
place of friend and foe alike. We bort
| off in a southwesterly direction to the
Rolling Fork, which we found to be ex
tremely low, more like a spring braneI
than river, and very unlike the raging
stream that carried away our bridges, Sc
riously delaying our forward movement
last Spring. We followed its course
few miles and then encamped-a marcel
of 10 miles.
Oct. % VIC continued our march l.
miles along the bank of this beautiful
stream winding through a wild, romanti,
country, presenting new pictures of dc
hghtful scenery at every turn OF its tor
tuous course. Its sparkling waters, too
afforded an agreeable substitute for tn,
surface ponds which had furnished on
only supply of drinking water for man.
days past.
Oct. "a We turned our backs to til,
river and marched 10 miles to Saloma.
lonesome village Of 40 houses and a tan
yard.
i Next day we learned that we would re
main several days, and, observing tn,