The National tribune., 1901-10-31

of this campaign, it appears to have no
| place in our ranks.
We marched eight miles and encamped
in an open field to the left Of the road
| late at night.
At noon Aug. II we reached Winches-
ter, beautiful village, pleasantly located
! and apparently much more progressive
! than any of the towns near it. There
we bore off southeast Of the main road to-
ward the mountains over beautiful,
well-cultiyated country covered with ex-
tensive fields of luxuriant corn and many
fine orchards Of apples and peaches.
Aug. IS we marched over much the
same country as the day before, except
that it became more mountainous as we
advanced. Reaching Larkin's Creek in
| the afternoon, we followed its course 10
miles, crossing and recrOSsing 20 times,
many of the fords being three feet deep.
Or progress was exceedingly slow and
| tedious, on account of the wagon train
ahead, which made more stops and starts
than we ever experienced before, as might
be expected in trail that never reached
| the dignity of the road, the bed of the
creek constituting more than half of it.
1t was bad enough 10 wade through
the water and shake ourselves like wet
! dogs on the other side, but when a halt
| would suddenly arrest our progress in
mid-stream, waist deep, the situation be
came decidedly embarrassing, for none
/ could tell whether start would be made
| in Is seconds or 10 minutes, so II was
| usually better to stand and soak than to
! waste our strength in seeking an outlet
where the bank was difficult to climb, the
roadway being filled ahead and behind.
As the watery ordeal continued until
almost midnight, we were sOrry-look-
/ ing set Of wretches when we halted. An
hour later a lot of dripping clothing was
dangling from rail fence along the road
! side, while in the corners we were sleep
! ing soundly under single blankets which
fortunately the flood had not reached.
But not all were thoughtful enough to
! separate themselves from their wet cloth
| ing for the night. A number dropped
exhausted on the ground, to awake ere
| long shivering in the chill mountain air,
which penetrated to the very marrow of
their bones.
When the bugle aroused us at day
break Aug. 10 to get ready for the march
| we had to take down our washing before
| it was dry and move off at 6 o'clock, with
| the water OoZing from our shoes, but we
soon forgot all about the creek when steep
hills began to rise before us, and now in
stead of idly waiting for the wagons to
| move we had to move them ourselves.
| For this purpose we were distributed in
squads Of 10 or y to each wagon, and
worked so hard, we and the mules, that
when we reached the foot of the principal
/ mountain at noon our masters gave us a
| half-holiday before attempting the ascent.
| AT ii a. m, Aug. 20, we started up the
mountain road, which here ascends more
than a mile almost perpendcularly, drag
| ging our wagons with us, 10 mules and
many men to each vehicle. We reached the
| top in about two hours, and then fol-
lowed road of white sand, comparatively
| level, eight miles. when we biyOuacked
for the night, to sleep soundly in the pure
| air on the crest of the Cumberland Noun
| tains.
Aug. 81 we marched three miles TO the
eastern slope of the mountain, which we
| descended into a fertile yalley-the Sc
quatchie-sOOn crossing the NJ. & G. r.
| r., and 10 miles farther on reached Belle
fonte, less than a mile from the Tennes-
| see River, where we encamped for the
night, having accomplished II miles. Here
we are to await the arrival of the re-
mainder Of cur division, which we left TO
struggle up the mountain-side as we did,
"a hours TO each brigade, working con-
tiDuOusly.
GUARDING BELEEFoNTE.
While waiting for the remainder of our
division to cross the mountain and reach
the river our regiment has been detailed
as Provost Guards in Bellefonte, with
headquarters at the Court House. The
AdJutant has his Office in a room where
we found the records OF Jackson County
strewn over the floor in such confusion
as only mischievous soldiers can create.
Many documents have been destroyed. We
can imagine what maledictions will be
invoked upon our heads when future liti-
gants depend on these missing documents
to prove their cases. All the inhabitants,
except half-dozen families, fed across
the river when we approached.
During the week that our regiment oc-
cupied Bellefonte we restored order, and
many of the fugitive families were en-
couraged to return. 1t is always the case
that when our advance first enters q