The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-05-12
THE SALEM RAID.
weeks Of Wrestls with the West Virginia
Mountains In the worst Winter Weather.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In the
issue of Nov. 10. CpmEade D. o. Carpen-
ter, Co. l. 9th w. Va. Cav. says that the
comrade who corrects Maj. Shaw re-
quires little correcting himself. He
does not give name or company of the
comrade. Now, GomEade Carpenter, in
future il you want to correct a comrade,
give name and company, SO that all may
know you. Comrades ARE not afraid to
have their names published in The Ma
tional Tribune. You say you hope to see
all troopers fairly represented; and here
is where l take issue with you. What
troopers did l misrepresent or represent
unfairly? You say the 9th w. Va. Cav.
was composed of the I'd, 9th and 9th Va.
count numbers in the English language
here would be four separate organizations
consolidated into one regiment; when. II,
fact, there were but two. The I'd and Sd
w. Va. Inf were made the 9th and 9th
w. Va. Mid Inf: later the veterans OF
the 9th and 9th MID were consolidated
into the 9th w. Va. Cav. Again: The
Averell. The entire force was: 9th and
9th Va. M't'd Inf. and 14th Pa. CAY
never saw the 9Th Va. Cav Well
40 years is a long time ago, and Tor Us
to see all things now in detail as they
were then would be d miracle. l was
there, too, comrade. The entire force
on the Salem Raid was the 9TH, 9th and
Sth W. Va. Mt'd Inf. the 18th Pa. Cav.
and McEwen's w. Va. Battery of sin
guns. Comrade, how fairly do you repre-
sent one regiment and one battery of w
Va. troops on the Salem Raid! Now. lei
us see what a cOmrade says. After read
ing my letter in The National Tribune
George Slower. of Gamble, S. Oak. wrote
NE a private letter. l give it word fol
word.
Myself and two brothers were mem
bers of the Sth Va. Mid Inf. later tn,
9TH w. Va. Cav. Your statement is cor
rect in every particular. Dear old com
rade l am proud of my services to m!
country. I did my whole duty; was OF
hand all the time-only for short timt
when | got my feet frozen Oh the Salen
Raid. with Averell.'
Does this show the Sth Va. M'td, latei
the 9TH w. Va. Cav. was not Oh th'
Salem Raid? Comrade. do you remember
how on falling back. the command swan
Craig Creek seven times? Got rope!
across to opposite bank to pull the artil
lery across? How we took blind path
thought to he impractlcable for troops
and hanked the enemy Oh Sweet Sprin;
Mountain! Then the burning of the bridge
| across Jackson River-cutting off n p"r
ton Of the commands: how they were
urged by the enemy to swim the river t.
save themselves? And how we went sever
days without ratons? Surrounded by the
enemy, i'm Il mountainous country. wher.
commissary stores were unknown! How
the battery killed off its horseshoe gni
lost all its horses; men were put to it t.
haul it out by the pro!onge? One caissol
had two horses left. Men had to assis
at every upgrade. The remaining fly.
guns and caissons were but little better
off in the horse line. When we got bach
To Beverly the burnt clothing and shoes
in the few hours we got before Il fire t.
rest. DO you rememler the cold New
Years Day we gathered at Webster, FOL
Martinsburg? How fhe boys who wer'
there issued full suit of clothing free
of charSe-to all who were on Salem
Raid?
The comrade says the Sd was on the
Hunter Raid at that time. 1t was the Git!
w. Va. MID Inf, 1t had not yet bee,
remonnted after tile Salem Rad. The
dismounted portion was sent to Beverly
to do duty. The mounted portion was
Mt the North Branch r. & o. X. II
bridge. FIVE miles below Cumberland, Md
Now, comrade Carpenter. l have told
Won how ! fought through portion of tbs
Civil War. and ] hone to see all troops
fairly OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES WAsHBURS
Co. Il. Sd w. Va. Inf. and Go. b, 9th w
Va. Cav, Harrisville, w. Va.