The National tribune., 1906-01-25

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| soldiers. The columns marched in the
direction of Lynchburg; Clusters Divi-
| sion along the railroad, giving proper
attention to its destruction, while Devin
| followed the canal with the same OBJ
Jcct. On the 7th We reached Towards
vile, on the James River. and on the
night of the Sth an unsuccessful at
| tempt was made to seize the bridge at
Duguidsville before it should be de-
stroyed by the enemy, by forced
march, the horrors OF which are still
| vivid. The condition Of the roads was
| indescribabIy bad; the rain fell in tor
rents, and the darkness OF Egypt could
not have exceeded the thick blackness
which surrounded us. But we plunged
| along through the deep mud, encoun-
tering all sorts Of obstacles, and keep
ing the road only with the greatest
difficulty.
| Marching Around and Around.
IT was afterwards reported that dur
| ing this night-march one of the divi-
sions marched several times around
an inclosed field before 1t was discov-
| cred that it was travelling in a circle;
circumstance which seemed so prob
able that nobody was inclined to doubt
| the truth of the report.
/ The unceaSing rain and the diff
/ culties of the march had told severely
| upon the horses, besides exercising a
| depressing influence upon the men; and
| there appeared to be general feeling
of relief and encouragement when, it
having been found impossible to cross
| the James River, the column was head
| ed towards the north and our armies.
| The towpath of the canal (Which was
narrow causeway between the canal
and the river) appearing somewhat
| flrmer than the country roads, an at
tempt was made to use 1t for the march
of the column and the trains; but it
soon became frightfully cut up, and it's
narrownesS was such that the stalling
of one team stopped everything I'm rear.
While we were strung out in consider
able confusion along this narrow way,
wagons and mules mired down in front
preventing all progress. some scouting
parties of the enemy were seen on the
opposite bank of the river, and the
thought that a battery OF artillery
might open on us from that secure
position while we were in this predica-
| ment, was not comforting However,
the battery did not make it's appear
ance, and as soon as possible the tow
path was abandoned for the roads far
| ther back from the. river, which, If not
less muddy, afforded more freedom of
| movement The canal was effectually
destroyed by cutting the causeway be-
tween ii and the river at various points,
and blowing up the viaducts.
The Negro Refugees.
While marching through this region,
hitherto unvisited by the Union armies
| many hundreds of negroes, men. wom-
en- and children. had Joined the column
| in search OF freedoms land" They
were, for the most part on foot carry
| ing their worldly possessions in bum
| dies and packs Their condition was
one Of almost absolute restitution, and
| yet, with that freedom from trouble
some care which is the characteristic
Of their race, they were as cheerful and
happy as they could have been had they
possessed everything worth having in
life. The energetic Quartermaster of
the expedition. Capt. William H.
Brown, of the 5th Cav, by effecting
some sort of an organization among
these colored patriots. was enabled to
make effective use of their services in
| helping along his mud-impeded train.
At Columbia, which we reached on the
10th, we lay over a day to wait for
them; and here, for the first time in
many days. we enjoyed a few hours OF
sunshine.
On this expedition, as on others OF
like character. men and horses were
subsiSted by foraging literally in the
country passed through. The people,
in many instances, deserted their homes
upon the approach of the Union troops.
and seldom complied when instructed
to produce their supplies, SO the troop
ers were Of necessity compelled to help
themselves. This, of course, led to
licious valdalfsm were almost unknown,
the excesses Of the men being general
ly confined to a liberal provision for
their personal needs. Food, fuel and
forage We're considered public property
wherever found, and at Columbia to-
bacco was added to this free list: the
well-filled warehouses which were To-
Gated there supplying in great abund-
ance the wants of the entire command
On the 18th we marched to Gooch-
land, and on the 18th reached Ashland,
the Virginia Central Railroad having
been in the meantime very thoroughly
destroyed for many miles. Gen.
Sheridan's ruse of a threatening ad-
vance towards Richmond enabled the
command to cross the North Anna
without molestation, at Mount Carmel
Church. on the morning of the 10th,
and to reach the White House on the
Pamunkey, where abundant supplies
awaited US. on the 18th of March.
Moral Effect of March.
The rain which had fallen almost
necessarily during the progress of this
expedition had rendered it one of fear
full hardships, which had severely test
ed the powers of endurance of the
troopers, seasoned veterans though
they were. Nearly one-third of the
horses had been abandoned on the
march or rendered totally unservice-
able, while the worn and jaded condi-
IlOn OF InOSe WHICH remained gave
striking testimony to the severity of the
work which they had been called upon
TO perform.
Although the command was thus
seriously depleted and weakened, there
was no encouragement or want of sol
dierly spirit, and it was felt that the
results achieved fully compensated for
all losses and sacrifices. The last rem
nant of Early's army had been cap
tured or dispersed, and the beautiful
Valley of the Shenandoah. that high
way of armies finally and definitely
relieved from the burdens and suffer-
ings of war, which had SO long been its
portion; vast quantities of supplies and
war material had been destroyed, and
two of the enemy's important lines of
supply rendered useless. 1t may also
be believed that the moral effect pro-
duced by the unopposed march Of this
destroying column was no unimportant
factor in the final result.
In Review Before Lincoln.
On the 26th Of March we marched
to the James River. which we crossed
ON the pontoon bridge laid just below
the Dutch Gap Canal, all unconscious
of the fact that we were passing in