The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-28

nave seen what his artillery was do
ing and attended to 1t. For the above
reasons I think 1t very doubtful IL the
white horse belonged to Gen. Hunt"
IN THE TRACK OF HUNTERS
RAIDERS.
ConvOying n thousand Prisoners to
stanton and Burning q Half Million
Confederate Stores in That City.
AS we rode off the Piedmont battle
field yesterday afternoon the ex-Con-
federate Colonel at our side suggested
that we follow the line Of retreat taken
by Jones's fleeing army. It was the
same road over which the Union forces
had followed "a hours later with 1000
prisoners in tow, so we readily assented.
Five miles beyond New Hope we
came to road which turns sharply to
the left. Here it was that the beaten
army, badly disorganized, hungry and
tired, many suffering from wounds
which had not yet been dressed, had
stopped to get something to eat and to
snatch an hours sleep.
Or to the east the Blue Ridge doomed
UP. and Rockfsh Gap, through which
the Confederate forces were to escape.
could be readily seen. Forty-one years
before. hating to rest on this identical
spot, we had wondered why Hunter had
rot pursued his retreating enemy to the
Blue Ridge and there tried conclusions
with him again. We argued that we
had licked him the day before; that we
had captured some Of his finest artil-
lery; had burned up hundreds Of small
arms which he had left on the field;
had taken more than 1000 prisoners
ard we could not see why in the flush
OF our victory and the corresponding
depression which must have prevailed
in his ranks, we could not have crushed
cur enemy. We confess that we don't
see it yet.
But we did no such thing. We took
the straight road to Stanton, and an
hour later the Confederate cavalry from
nearby knobs were wigwagging the
news to their comrades that the chase
was over.
This is beautiful country, fully up
to the picture which we had treasured
In our minds eye for more than 40
years. In fact. the great meadows and
the patches Of timber on either side
look to us just as they did on that fate
full day 40 years ago.
We knew that our wounded, several
hundred, had been taken from the
Piedmont field to Stanton, and that
later the u. S. Government had gath
cred our killed into National Gene
terry which had been established on the
outskirts Of that city. Now we were to
see where our dead had been laid, and
to note what provisions had been made
for preserving the memory Of these
brave men. Col. Turk and Capt Kerr,
too, were anxious that we should visit
the spot.
A rain had overtaken us in strip of
woodland near a country church, and
the storm in the preachers humble
abode When the storm had ceased
and we re-entered the carriage, the
afternoon was we'll advanced, but our
new-made ex-Confederate friends still
insisted that we should see the city Of
our dead. 1t was not meet that we
should visit the South and partake Of
Southern hospitality, and not note how
we'll our fallen comrades were sleeping
in~the Southland.
Making the necessary detour, we
came to the beautiful home of the
Union dead q mile from the town. The
well-kept graves the noble trees, the
low limestone wall that inclosed the
dead the close-trimmed shrubbery and
beautiful flowers; the clean, orderly
ledge where We were cordially greeted
by the old sOldier-keeper-nothin was
wanting to suggest the pride of the Ma
ton in the deeds of the men who slept
there.
AS we ran our finger down the keep
er's record, we found that this ceme-
terry was but the history of the Pied
mont battlefield. We had won the battle.
we had taken 1000 prisoners and cap
tured hostile guns on that dread day,
and here was the awful cost set down.
More than 700 men on our side alone
had paid for the victory with their lives
and were sleeping here. How many in
the lines of gray had paid for their
heroism with their life's blood we had
no means of knowing.
Gathering a bunch of blossoms from
the grave of a haf-forgotten comrade,
we re-entered the carriage and were
soon speeding past Virginia's noble
Hospital for the Insane. 1t was nearing
dusk as we entered Staunton. Over
yonder was where the depot stood 40
years before. And there the great
shops and the c. s. A. storehouse, all
filled to their roofs with supplies for
the Southern armies. Other imposing
buildings had reared their heads on
those selfsame spots, but we hardly
note them. We hardly heard the words
Of the ex-Confederates at our side as
they pointed out the substantial glories
Of the New South. We were thinking
or that other day when fire and torch
did it's awful work and nearly half a
million Of war supplies lay in ashes on
hill to be the guest for the night Of one
who had been our deadly enemy on that
other day-to-day our friend-we think
OF the time in the golden future when
brother shall no more make war on
brother-When the "fatherhood of God
and the brotherhood of man" shall be
universally recognized.-John Z. Duff,
1st w. Va, Editor The Index, New
COmerstown, 0.