The National tribune., 1903-03-12

marched only six miles and camped at
the foot Of the mountain near Beans
Station.
Nov. 20 we remained in camp until
noon, perhaps waiting in the hope of get
ting grub before starting, as our larder
camp and started up the Clinch Mountain
hungry, tired and discouraged. 1t COM
menced to rain about the same time. /
think it always rains on Clinch Mountain.
This mountain road is a miserable one ut
best, but now the rain and the tramping
soon mixed the dirt between the rocks
into mortar and rendered it almost i'm
passable. A heavy detail was made to
assist the horses in pulling the artillery
and wagons up, and sometimes to pull the
horses out Of mortar beds. The men
seemed to have imbibed the idea that
they were between the rebels and starva-
ton, ana they worked with supreme en-
ergy to eXtricate themselves. AT last the
mountain was crossed, and Clinch River
just at dark.
Pitchy darkness soon enveloped us and
the rain had increased to torrents, but we
continued to founder along. The cOndi-
ton Of the weaker men became fearful;
many fell out from sheer exhaustion; some
Of these struggled on and finally rejoined
their commands; but others persisted from
exposure or were picked up by rebel
scouts.
MIDNIGHT FoRAGING.
About II o'clock we stopped to rest.
Volunteers were called for to go after
something to eat-One commissioned officer
and 10 men from each regiment. l was
one that volunteered. We were all tired,
but we were also very hungry. We soon
started. The rain continued, and so did
the mud. After an extra two-miie wade
We arrived at a farmers house. l went
to the door and Knocked; no answer
! knocked louder; still no answer. We then
knocked with the butt Of gun, and the
| farmer, to save his door, walked and an
swered. l told him to open his door.
This he at first refused to do, but l soon
persuaded him that it was best for him to
do so. / requested him to come out and
| call his hogs.
II have no hogs" he said.
"Come out and call, anyhow"
ordered.
This, with the use of bayonet, we sue
ceeded in coaxing him to do. He called
up eight fine hogs. Other details coming
up, we divided these, and one hog was the
portion for the 18th. We soon had it
skinned and quartered. The others were
served likewise. The farmer was joined
| by his wife, sons and daughters, and they
held regular pOw-wow-they cried in
base, tenor, treble and alto; but it did not
phase us. They walled that that meant
we were starving now. Their grief was
changed by greenbacks to rejoicing little
later.
l had given my men orders not to
ransack the premises, but from some
mysterious source every haversack was
filed with apples, little and sour, but very
palatable. We waded our way back to
a
sliced up and divided, about a quarter
pound per man, and generally eaten raw
Those who were fortunate to have O
cracker left could put u thin slice of raw
meat between two pieces of cracker and
have morsel fit for a king. Sitting
around your tables grooming under loads
of lnXuries, you may think How disgust
ing. But allow me to tell you that you
have no fine coOkeries on your boards thai
taste as delicious to you as that raw
pork did to those half-starved boys.
After resting about three hours 1--WE that
} went on the detail had Travelled four hare
miles extra) and eating our meal of pOrl
and coffee, we started again, it still rain
ing and as dark as Erebus. The mud
seemed deeper than ever. Woe to tn,
weak man who stumbled and fell; he wa.
sure to be trampled upon and injured, ant
he was doomed to stay behind, perhap.
forever.
FACING STARVATION.
We arrived at Tazewell at 4 a. m. ani
, stood around in the mud until daylight
! when-perhaps because there was no grul
there-we started again for Cumberland
: Gap. The rain continued; so did the mud
The great wonder is that any men endured
to the end, but few did. We arrived ri
the Gap at 2 p. m. l had as large com
pany as was in the regiment, and had
only eight privates, two Corporals, two
Sergeants and one Captain. A large pro
daylight, rs there was no effort then t.