The National tribune., 1902-03-27


Dukes command was now about COO
strong. All the men who had been fur
loughed during the Winter and early
Spring had promptly reported for duty,
and about 200 Morgan men had recently
been exchanged. A strong detail with the
horses was still in North Carolina. When
Gen. Echols ordered the southwark march
Gen. Duke obtained permission to mount
his men on mules taken from the wag-
OES. which were necessarily abandoned.
What a spectacle! Morgan's men, accus-
toned to riding Kentucky thoroughbreds
mounted upon plebian mules, without sad
dies, and with blind-bridles or rope halt
ersi However, they rode them all the
same. Riding mule bareback and guild
ing him with rope halter was preferable
to walking.
Very promptly, Gen. Duke announced
that disaster, even the surrender Of Gen
Lee, gave him no right to quit the service
in which he had enlisted, and that so long
as the Confederate Government survived
it had claim upon him that he could not
refuse. He intended to perform his duty
as soldier SO long as there was even the
semblance of a Confederate Government
in existence.
When called upon to follow his red bat.
tle-fag, unfurled at the head of his little
column, there were cheers from his .'Old
Regulars" who declared that they would
follow him and the flag wherever he
might desire to go. He had only to lead
they would follow.
Or the entire 600 there assembled not
more than 10 failed to fellow Dukes ori
famine when he led the march from Vir
ginia southwark. Thousands of men had
disbanded around them. They had seer
two brigades of Kentucky cavalry march
away in the direction of the old Kentucky
I,
The dreadful news of Lees downfall was
still ringing in their ears. The rain was
falling in torrents; they We're told that
StOneman held the gaps in the mountains
through which they would have to pass
on their march into North Carolina; but
braver in the hour of despair than ever
before, they faltered not, neither did they
murmur. II was the crucial test of theiI
sOldiery qualities and manhood. The trial
found them true. They We're even more
prompt in rendering obedience, more con
scientious in the performance Of duty al
this time, when it was entirely optional
with themselves whether they should fur
ther follow the STARRY Cross" or return
to their homes beyond the Cumberlands il
I old Kentucky, than they had ever boeI
when following the plume Of Morgan il
the best dayS Of the Confederacy Seem
in@ly everything cOnspired to remind then
Of the gloomy situation, even the rain
laden clouds threatening disaster. and
there were the mules. without saddles
with biind-bridles or rope halters.
Gen. Duke was prouder of his "Regu
lars in that hour than ever before. anC
! the Morgan men were proud Of one an
! other. Loving their young chieftain. hav
ing confidence in him, and rememberin:
| Morgan, they were resolved to do thef
! duty as soldiers, whatever the c0nse
quences might be. Although the futur
was vailed they were ready to march whel
and where the bugle called.
ADIEU TO OLD VIRGINIA.
When the Kentuckians under Duke an,
| the Tennesseeans under Vaughn marche
away to the far South, no Confederates il
arms were left on the great battlefields O
the ''Old Dominion
None linger now upon the plain
Save those who ne'er shall fight again.
Marching away from old Virginia wa
/ even sadder than leaving the hills O
| Virginia, the home of romance
of daring adventure, of bloody conflict
and or sacred memories and reyered land
marks. Lees army, the hope and tn
pride Of the South, was gone:
| STACKED were the arms that they carrja
to glory;
FurIed were the flags that they Tough
to defend
Dukes column, leading the way. move,
silently forward, but when If passet
| Saughn's Tennesseeans, who were to fol
low, the latter cheered the mule brigade.
| On the next day about 80 Kentuckian
from Glltners Brigade, possibly some from