The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-03-31


was making preparations to cross
the Potomac back into Virginia.
The next morning we started
back, but with the ,idea in our
heads that we were not run back.
but come with our own accord,
which we did. Gen. Lee having
accomplished his design by
driving back into Virginia a large
amount of cattle which we were
in need of for our food.
After crossing the river back
in Virginia we stopped about a
mile or so from the river waiting
the result, while some cavalry
was guarding our rear. The
cavalry with a battery on the
Virginia side opened fire on the
advance of the YANKEES in pur-
suit with telling effect, and ]
reckon they thought it advisable
not to come any further. See
ing they could not capture the
whole Southern army, they
thought it best not to come any
further south at that time.
After stopping some days on
the road and resting, we went
down toward Washington and
tore up some railroad, and Geo.
Garner got his foot mashed with
a railroad iron, and he got a fur
lough which he had no objections
to take. We bummed around
for some days, and the weather
became cold and Bill Adds and
myself had no shoes and we
walked over the Pike road for
two days barefooted, and we were
about to come to the conclusion
not to go any further, until we
got some shoes. We stopped a
few days and got some shoes, but
no socks. We then wandered
about some days, when we came
to a little town called Brice
Town, there we stayed for some
time, the weather being very
cold and we had not much to eat
and it was about 80 miles from
Winchester or Stanton.
We stayed there for some time
and the only place we could get
water was at creek some half
a mile off, but there was a gum
spring in a bottom which was
sulphur water, that was the best
water ever drank. When I
could get to the spring soon in
the morning before the soldiers
got it muddy, it was fine. One
night, Mack Bond and myself
loaded ourselves with canteens
and went to the creek after
water, and on our return, there
was a house and garden enclosed
with some of the finest cabbage
you ever saw. We concluded we
would have a mess. Over the
palings we went, cut our cabbage,
and on going out, / got over at
one place and Mack at another,
he getting over where there were
some trees or bushes, and there
were some chickens roosting
there. Mack seeing a rooster,
made a grab and down went
Mack and the rooster squalling,
and such a run for some distance,
with our water and cabbage. 1t
would have made you laugh to
have seen us. There was terri
BILE buster in the house, but
Mack and were gone. We
went to camp, Mack put on some
water in a kettle and scalded the
rooster and burned all of the
feathers, cooked him and had a
good breakfast next morning.
Capt. w. r. Briggs being home
on a furlough, came back to us
while we were there. Miles
Howell and Wiley Ivey got sick
and were sent off to some hos
pital. A few days later Dick
Adds got sick and was sent off
to the hospital at Charlottesville,
where he remained for some
time. These dates I do not re-
member, but when we left there
we started south, / think about
the first of November, 1862.
We started from Bruce Town
on our way towards Culpeper
Court House, and we did not go