The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-03
the council, SO far as'that question was

y
| ton should be vacated. Il.
Gen. Morgan had been compelled to
send his horses-artillery and cavalry-to
the rear to save them from starvation. In
addition, it should be stated that for three
weeks not pound of subsistence stores
had reached the post: the mules lived by
browsing. and it had been the Generals
purpose to kill and salt them down, to en-
able him to hold out; but. although the
Commissary's books showed 10 barrels of
salt, investigation developed the fact that,
| from exposure, the salt had melted away
until it was estimated that not more than
| so pounds per barrel remained, and the
| retreat became inevitable
ABANDONMENT OF THE GAP.
The troops under Gen. Morgan trusted
with implicit faith in his judgment and
skill, and they entertained unbounded con-
fidence in their ability to repulse any di-
rect assault the enemy might make on the
stronghold. and to them the order of eyac-
uation was Il source of chagrin and morti-
ticatiOn.
On the 18th and 10Th the forts were
mined, and all things held in readiness for
the work of destruction. Huge masses of
sandstone We're at various points detached
and made ready for a blast of powder to
turn them into the road, and at other
points the roads were mined and great pits
blown out after the rear-guard had passed.
During the 18th the heavy guns captured
with the post, together with two 30
FOUNDER PARROTS, were rendered useless.
And at shutdown that day tine head of the
retreatinG column passed through the Gap
from the Tennessee side of the works. At
2 Il. S. on the 18th the rear filed out, leav-
ing only Capt. VIM. +. Patterson and his
squad of pioneers to spring the mines and
accomplish the work of destruction. His
orders were to remain 40 minutes after
the rear had passed before applying the
torch. The night was mOOnlesS and the
heavens overcast with clouds, shutting out
the feeble rays of the glimmerinG star
light, and darkness and gloom brooded
over mountain and valley.
On the expiration of the appointed time,
and at an agreed signal, the mines We're
in rapid succession exploded, and between
the dctonations which shook mountain and
valley debris of earth and sandstone was
rained over the hillsides. The destruction
of the Commissary buildings and the mag
azines was left for the last sad act. The
burning of these illuminated the road for
miles on the retreat. The supply of shot
and Shell was large, and the intermittent
explosion OF the latter continued until the
head of the column was miles away, and
sounded so much like a hOtly- contested
battle that it was repeatedly halted to as
certain that the rear was not assailed by
pursuing and exulting rebels.
Gen. Morgan reached Manchester on the
18th, and here the first pause in the re-
treat occurred, the entire column remain
ing i birOudc for two days to call in all
detachments and to strip for the fight or
foot-race, whatsoever it might prove to
be.
And here for the first time was wit
messed by many of the soldiers the swift,
stern, rigorous justice of martial law. A
private of the 9TH Ky. wantonly killed a
comrade. He was known to be actuated
by malice, as he had INDUCED in previous
threats. The homicide was committed on
Friday. Saturday a: corirt-martial con-
vened, tried. convicted, and sentenced him
to death, and on Satuidaynhe was shot to
death as a murderer in the presence of
the assembled army. r. .
Early on Sunday night. the 21st, the
work of destruction was resumed. A hun
drcd army wagons had accumulated Mt
Manchester. There were no animals to
take them through, and they were burned.
AT j a. IN. on the 22d the march was re-
sumed. The brigade Ito which the writer
belonged was assigned to the rear of the
column, and his regiment was in the rear
of the brigade. The pickets had all been
called in. The rebels were believed to be
close on US, and we were in momentary
expectation of an attack. Only those who
have passed through such an ordeal can
realize the quickenef apprehension. the
painful hours of suspense which inter
vened from the time when the head of the
column commenced to stretch out its slow
length over the rough. narrow, Obstructed
road of the dark valley, through which
the first portion of the march lay. The
east was dappled with the approach of
dawn before the rear moved. Such hours
Of anxiety are infinitely more trying to the
courage and constancy of the soldier than
I he Iirnrf call IN hat Tho of
treat assigned to each brigade a battery of
artillery, and the guns being of longer
range than any the rebels brought against
us, they were kept ut long range.
The rebels holding possession Of the
blue grass region and all the thickly-set-
tied portions OF the State, the line of re-
treat was confined to the mountain or hill
region of eastern Kentucky, and across the
upper portion Of the Cumberland, Ken
lucky and Licking Rivers, and the spurs
of the Cumberland Mountain Range, which
dips down between them. The roads Of
this region, everywhere imperfect before
the rebellion, had now become by neglect
almost impossible Bridges were every
where burned or torn up in front of the
advancing column, but fords were speedily
found across the spent streams. Trees
were fellcd across the mountain roads at
narrow passes where they could not be
thanked; but Capt. Patterson and his Pion-
Ger Corps armed with axes, crOsscut saws,
and with blocks-and- tackle, removed all
distractions i'll half the time it required to
place them in the line of our march.
On the second day out from Manchcs-
ter, the I'D, the last rations were issued,
consisting of a pound or two each Of flour,
sugar and coffee to each mess and on the
evening of the same day a small herd of
beef cattle, which were driven in the rear
of the column, was captured by John
Morgan's cavalry.
The disturbing effect of the war on the
labor of the country was everywhere visi-
bic along the line of march. Farms were
untitled, and the fields were in fenceless
desolatiOn and overgrOwn with weeds
their occupants seemed anxious to exhibit
only the evidence of their poverty Little
patches of corn, all the visible means of
for families during the ap-
Winter, were consumed in a
single night. The grain had passed from
the milk to the semi-Solid state of the
matured ear, and was grated into meal on
graters made by punching
holes through the tin plates of the sol
diers, each mess having two or three of
them. Cooking utensils we had none ex-
cept our tin cups and coffee pots. Our
corn meal was baked into hoe cakes on
smooth heated stones, or into ash pOne
the sweetest method of cooking corn meal.
Every edible thing along the line Of march
was gobbled up on sight The writer
recalls the amusement excited in witness
ing the robbery of three stands of bees
beside the road. A soldier approaching
each hive, boldly threw it on his shoulder
and marched off, with the open end of the