The National tribune., 1906-10-11
THE Sd o. V. C.
GrewSome Time Exploring the Mammoth
Cave-The Penalty of StraEElinE-On
to Nashville.

to Nashville.
Editor National Tribune: 1 have
been a reader of your paper for several
years, and next to the Bible / think it
the greatest reading matter on earth.
] don't see how any old soldier can get
along without it. Now, as all the old
boys of my old regiment (the Sd Ohio
Cav). and especially of Co. E, are too
busy these days to write their expert
ences as soldiers, and as l am off duty,
! will try to throw a chip on the fire to
keep up the appearance of camp yet,
anyhow.
The Sd Ohio Cav. was organized ut
Monroeville, O., Camp Worcester }
from Sept. l, 1861. to about Feb. 10,
1862, when it was ordered to Camp
Dennison, Ohio. and was there reviewed
by Gen. Elliott, and mustered into the
United States service. Now, we had
thought we We're mustered into the U
S. service, but We're only mustered into
the State service up to that time and
you have given the reasons some num-
berS back in your history of organiza-
ton Of the cavalry forces. Now we
were full-fiedged United States soldiers
In few days we broke camp and
marched to Cincinnati. There we took
boats for Buelrs Army of the Ohio at
Louisville. KY. We We're camped on
Senator Bright's farm. on the Indiana
side of the river: were there about
three weeks, crossed the river into Lou
1sville on Sunday morning in the rain,
marched out of the city on the Bards-
town road, and went about 10 miles
The rain had turned to sleet and snow
Our wagons did not get up. We had
nothing to eat, no tents, no forage for
our horses. Pretty good for first ex-
perience. Now we are soldering in
earnest. Two days after, while camped
near Bardstown, it showed so in the
night that 1t bent the treetops down, so
We lay by one day. When we reached
Cave City, KY, there were some 800 or
400, mostly officers, hired guides and
went into the Mammoth Cave. We saw
sights galore, and we could hear part
Of what the guides had to say, and one
of the things was for us not to stray
from the guides, for we We're likely TO
lose our way and become lost and never
get out again. Notwithstanding this
good advice, Serg't-Maj. Brainard Fish
and Lieutenant of Co. D, Bugler B. +.
Plat, Corpl Milton Asken, Privates
John Gibbs and Martin " B. Culver
formed monopoly; no. that is not it
a syndicate; no, that was not it. either;
1t was trust company of Investigation,
and went on our own hook. Now, when
We went into the cave, every one that
paid 81 got lamp or oil torch fur
nished by the guides. The aforesaid
company would watch. and when some
one would put his torch down to inves-
tigate something we would pick it up,
put it out and hang 1t on our arm; so
when we had several extras we started
on our own hook. We went some two
or more miles, when the Lieutenant and
John Gibbs concluded to go back. The
rest went on. Finally we came to the
conclusion that we did not know wheth-
er We were going farther into the cave
or were working our way out. We
would look for marks on the floor made
by the nails in peoples shoes. Some
times We would find these in plenty and
sometimes we could scarcely find any
Then We knew we were where there
had not been much travel. We came
to deep hole. We rolled a good-sized
stone into it, and found that it was
very deep. We had no way of inves-
tgating it farther, and it took up
all the passageway. We could see
across on the other side and
see caverns. One seemed to lead up.
one straight ahead, and one to the
right. There seemed to be a path on
the left of this hole that would reach
the cavern that seemed to lead up. We
concluded to try to get there. Up to
this time We had been going with one
torch lit in front and one in rear: but
in this case each one carried lit torch;
and think it one of the scaliest climbs
ever made. When we got on the 9TH
er side we were not in the cavern we
started for at all If any man had owned
the State of Kentucky and would have
given 1t to us to go back the way we
came, don't think 1t would have been
any temptation to us. To look back
II did not seem possible that we had
come around that hole. That is one
of the death traps of the cave beyond
a doubt We looked for nail marks.
but could not find any. Our spirits
dropped about so degrees. Talk almost
ceased. We held a consultation. BY
one of the boys watches il proved to be
just O'Clock In the morning. We con-
cluded to lie down on a big rock and
try to get some rest and sleep. We put
out all our torches and lay down.
could not sleep. I got up and lit a
torch and started back to investigate
passage that we had passed and which
the boys would not stop to explore at
the time. left the main passage and
went into a cavern; then from that to
another cavern. and in getting into 1t
went down under some rocks and came
up into this cavern. There was q broad
sheet of water coming down an inclined
plain. / went to II. The water seemed
10 come out of the side of the cavern
and slide down that incline and disap-
pear without a ripple or noise of any
kind. started to go out again, and, do
you know, I could not find any way out
Maybe / did not get scared. And to
make matters worse, ] found / had only
one torch with me, and that probably
one that had been burned all night.
don't think they would burn more than
"a hours. Finally, / happened to duck
my head up that hole that came down
through, and I was not long in getting
out of that place. There is no doubt In
my mind but / took the first light in
that cavern that was ever in 1t, for the
guides told us that at that time not
nearly all the cave had been explored.
] had fired my revolver but might just
as well have shot popgun. When /
got out into the main channel the other
boys were up and had their torches lit.
We started on our journey again. After
awhile we came into a channel where
there seemed to have been a great deal
more travel and as we could not tell
how many times we had crossed our
track II was a question now which way
to 90 to get out. We decided our course
and went on, but, as most always is the
case, there was a minority report, and
so that made us more cautious in our
movements. We had not gone more
than a half mile when we came to a
dividing of the ways, and here was a
large dart pictured on the wall. Now,
dart point; into the cave or out of the
cave? We decided 1t should point out,
SO in that case We had to retrace out
steps, which we did. and after travelling
q mile or SO we came out at Pulpit
Rock and were in the main channel.