The National tribune., 1906-03-29

LCib6lOIl dflu "IkfBS III P0llllCS. u nlS
RagamufIin Regiment Col. Williams
had added very fine battalion OF
Mounted RiAeuasn from the Blue Grass
country and made up OF young men of
education and character. With Gen.
Marshall WERE sent the 54th Va, Col
John H. Trfgg; the 2sth Va, Col. A. c..
Moore. and Capt. w. G. Jenress's bat
terry of artillery. After his defeat Gen.
Marshall asserted that he had never to
exceed 1900 men OF all arms, but at
one time he officially reported having
5000 men. with a, battery of four
pieces. equal to 600 men. His men
were generally armed with the long
hunting rifles that they had I'm daily
use In their homes, and which by con-
stant experience from childhood they
had learned to use with deadly effect.
1t is likely that his force was rapidly
unusual hardships, even for them. the
supply of food was scanty, since littla
was to be obtained in that poverty
stricken region, and the roads were SO
bad that rations could only be brough,
i'm with the greatest difficulty. No hard
ships. however. could depress the ex-
uberance Of Gen. Marshall's tongue and
pen, and we find the history of that
dreary Winter filled with wonderful,
speeches and yoluminOus co.lmunica-
tions from the man whom his admirers
believed to be the "ablest jurist and
most eloquent lawyer, OF Kentucky"
Col. James A. Garaeld to the Front.
At that time James A. Garfield, a
rising young politician. was organizing
regiment at Columbus, o. Garfield
was then in his 31st year, and had
made most astonishing rise to prom
irence. His youth had been spent In
toll and penury, helping to support his
widowed mother. A part of his en-
ployment had been as steersman on
IT..
leisure to acquiring. an education, had
graduated from a seminary, taught
district school, and gained enough
scholarship in Hiram University to win
for him q position as teacher of an
cient languages and literature, and at
26 years the actual presidency of the
institution. He had also studied law,
been admitted to the bar, and was
serving a term in the Ohio Senate when
the war broke out. He owed his cleo
ton to his strong Abolition sentiments,
which were particularly grateful to the
Free Sellers Of Portage and Summit
Counties. From the first he had
distinguished himself as an orator, for
which he was we'll equipped with warm
feelings fervid imagination and high
convictions, to which he had added the
polish OF thorough scholarship. In the
Ohio Senate he had e.oquently assert
ed the right Of the National Govern
his arguments had proven entirely too
much for the Conservatives. who depre-
Gated anything which would tent to
"irritate" the Southern people. He was
ready at once to enter into the war
upon the firing on Fort Sumter, but
the Governor Of Ohio sent him of on
an errand to procure. arms, SO that he
did not get into the first three months
campaign. Then he was appointed
Lieutenant-C Colonel Of tke 42d OHIO
and he threw himself SHith SUCH zeai|
into learning all the ditties of soldier
when tho regiment was permanently
organized he became its Colonel.
When Gen. Buell. learned Of Hum
phrey Marshalrs entrance into eastern
Kentucky he took measures at once to
drive him out, and by some happy
chance selected young Garfield to COM
mand the expedition. Dec. IA he sent
orders to Col. Garfield to send his regi-
ment to Catlettsburg, KY. at the mouth
of the Big Sandy, and to report to him
personally at Louisville for orders. 1t
Is to Gen. BuelPs credit that although
Garfield was one OF the politicians most
abhOrrcd by BuIlPs coterie In the Reg
ular Army by being an Abolitionist. yet
Buell. at once recognized his value and
gave him a free hand in the matter Of
ways and means OF attacking the vet
eran Humphrey Marshall and driving
him from the State. Before Garfield
had ever heard a gun fired in quarrel
he found himself in command OF the
10th and AID Ohio, the 18th and 22d
KY, six companies OF the LIST KY. Cav
and two companies Of McLaughlin's
Ohio Cavalry. This force was officially
known as the Eighteenth Corps OF the |
Army Of the Ohio. The command was
Garfield's orders started its concentra-
ton.
Reports. Of Rebel Strength. |
. 1t was generally believed that Mar
shall had 5000 men under his COM
mand, and the force assigned to Gar
field hardly seemed adequate to attack |
a body Of that strength made up Of
the finest rifemen in the world and
commanded by q man who had ac-
quired experience and laurels in two
wars. At that time Marshall had the |
most OF his command stationed at |
Paintville, so miles up the Big Sandy |
River from Catlettsburg. The plans |
Of the Confederate War Department |
were that he should advance from that |
point toward Lexington. come into CO.
operation with Zollicoffer and assist |
him in establishing a Provisional Gov
federate Government in the Kentucky |
Capital.
Conscious Of the magnitude Of the
task assigned him and that now was
Garfield threw all his tremendous en- |
ergies into the campaign. He started |
with about 2.200 men up the valley of
the Big Sandy, with his stores and am
munition carried upon steamboats,, to
which the high Winter waters gave
After toilsome march over
the toughest country Col. Garfield ar
rived on the morning Of Jan. Z with |
his force at the mouth Of Jennie Greek |
to find there only a small force Of cav
airy left by Humphrey Marshall to pro-
tect his rear and watch the advance. |
Marshall had been kept informed Of |
Garfleld's progress, and had fallen back
two days before, after burning up large
quantities Of badly-neAded supplies, to I
a strong position on Middle Creek, dis
tant about Is miles and two miles from
There reinforcements reached Gar
field, which raised his affective force to
about 5000 men.
Garfield waited O. day for the boats
to bring up rations and then pushed
on to the attack, expecting to find Mar
shall's men on Abbott'sf Creek. Gar
field pushed cautiously up. hoping to
get In Marshall's rear, Contrary to his
he found Marshall sta
toned on a high ridge between the !,
forks of Middle Creek and covering To