The National tribune., 1901-05-30


While returning from the Shenandoah
Valley, Cosby's Kentuckians were much
elated by the tidings that Gen. Breckin-
ridge had defeated Gen. Gillem in East
Tennessee, capturing 700 or 800 prison.
ers, six cannon, 80 loaded wagons. ambu-
lances, horses, and other paraphernalia
OF war.
Every old soldier in blue will concede
that in those dark and dreary days of the
waning COnfederacy we confederate
Kentuckians" were pardonable for being
somewhat exultant when we heard that
Gillem had come TO grief. He had been
signally triumphant at Greenville, where
Gen. Morgan was killed, and we were nat
ural happy when our turn came. Person
ally, every man was animated by feelings
surging in his breast similar to those that
characterized Allen and the 7th Ohio
Cavalrymen at Cynthiana, exultantly "re-
memberinG ROgersvile," and driving us
into cattle guards and the Licking
River. Surely we were pardOnable, es-
pecially in war time. for finding cOnsOla-
ton in the fact that the killing of Nor
gan had been somewhat avenged. How
ever, we were destined soon to encounter
Gillem again.
sTONEMAN's RAID.
Having returned to southwest Virginia
and reported to Gen. Breckenridge, whose
headquarters were at Wytheville, we
! learned that Gen. Stoneman's Division of
| Cavalry, composed, as | remember. OF
the brigades of Burbridge and Gillem,
was advancing from Tennessee, the OBJ
| jectiye point being presumably Saltville.
Goodness gracious. Burbridge coming
| for more salt
Gen. Bash Duke, with the remnant Of
| MOrgan's second brigade, his oldest com
| pani0ns-in-arms, was in command of
| Breckinridges advance at Kingsport iusI
| across the Virginia line, in Tennessee
About the middle Of December Stoncman
attacked Duke, the latter falling back
and reporting TO Breckenridge that the
| Federals were evidently advancing on
Abingdon and Saltvile
Gen. Cosby was ordered to make a
| forced march to SaltviIle to head off
Stoneman if possible. The weather was
lust awful'--rain, snow, wind and mud
Starting at daylight, we faced a boreas
| blast all day. II was one of those days
that makes a soldier forget his religion,
and when, instead of singing pastorales
| and repeating nOsters, he 'lets loose
maledictlons and inelegant, albeit en-,
phatic, "cuss words"
| Passing through Mt Airy and Marion
we crossed the HOlston at Seven Mile
| Ford, arriving at SaItvile sometime in
the night, after marching 40 miles with,
out halting.
| Stoneman, so we learned en- route, had
| seized two trains OF cars near Bristol and
in slirmish with Gen. Duke. had cap
tured Col Dick Morgan, a few men and
some wagons
At Saltville we went into camp with
out anything for man or horse to eat
The rain and snow had turned TO sleet
and although tired, the environment wa,
not conducive to sleep.
Before daylight courier arrived wifi
the intelligence that the Federals had oc
cupied Abingdon early in the night and
that they were moving on Saltville. Tn,
bugles sounded their warning notes anf
the little brigade was placed In battle lin,
to repel the expected attack.
Gen. Duke and his small command soor
arrived and reported that StOneman. witt
1000 or 5000 cavalry, was triumphant,
marching on, there being no troops Of
consequence to oppose him.
hight here desire to remark that DOS
sibly Stoneman did not have as many meI
as Gen. Duke ascribed to him. As n rule
soldiers are prone to make an extrava
CANT rather than a conservative estimat,
of an enemy's strength. Especially i.
this true when the soldier is ION the run.
as Gen. Duke was that night There ar,
many reasons why the soldier is con
strained TO magnify conservative mum
bers into "serried hosts" but his estimat,
is usually made honestly-by no mean.
in Falstaffian sense. However. ever
taken "cum grano salis,' Gen. Duke.
report was not encouraging there helm,
only about 600 cavalry and probably 2Oi
militia, "old men and little bows" at III,
Saltworks $500 (