The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-07
THE TIMES DlsPAT RICHMOND VA SUNDAY July

THE Irish Battalion, Ind campaigned
through the wet summer pf 1861, ON.
Valley Mountain IN Poeal3entas and
Randolph counties, as a part OF the
command OF General w. w. J.oring Iii
December this command Joined Cen
cral Stohewnll jackson at Winche ster,
end on January ]. 1862, started out on
the rough and ardnous expedition
known rs tho Bath and Romney cam
palgn. during which occurred the Ia
nous controversy between General
Jackson and General Loring about
which the officers and men naturally.
took the sides, OF their respective chiefs.
General Loring then left this part
of the army, and his troops passed
under the more Immediate command or
General jackson; but it was some time
afterwards before he succeeded In gain.
ing their complete confidence ana es-
TEEN.
The battle Of kernstown (March 23d)
was a very hot fight. and General Jack
son was compelled to retreat, and his
men, in consequences, became rather
dspirited and disposed to look at the
dark side OF the picture.
About the end of April the army
had left the Valley Turnpike and had
gone up road which led through
Swift Run Gap The weather was
much cut UP BY the army wagons and
artillery, SO that when the general de-
cided to retrace hiss steps 1t was quite
a question as to how to got back over
these bad places.
One morning the Irish battalion,
which was then on the march. was
ordered to stack their guns and to take
the rails off a fence and corduroy the
road alongside. The men were put
IN .zt.# ~
| like. and they went about 1t very in
differently and with no enthusiasm
wha tever. while the officers collected
together at the upper end Of the line
and were standing and talking with
Teach other, when General Jackson
came along on his horse and followed
| by an orderly
The officers, OF course, saluted him
| by touching their caps. He returned
our salute and rode on by until he
got to where the men were lazilS
working.
Without saying n word, he dis
mounted from his horse and ran to
the fence. seized a rail and quickly
placed 1t on the road and then rushed
back to the fence to get another The
effect OF his example was marvellous
each officer ran to get rail as though
| his life depended on teach man be-
came ten times more brisk. and IN a
| few minutes the task was done. The
general said not a word, but seeing
the work going on to his satisfaction,
| he remounted his horse. touched his
cap in salute and rode on. The men had
their jokes on the way the general had
started the officers to work, and the
officers themselves could but admire
] the spirit and energy which he had
aroused in all.
| We were pressed on to Staunton and
from thence on to McDowells, where
we fought (May sth) considera BILE
battle. and thence on in pursuit OF the
enemy as fast as we could travel.
On these marches we were ordered
to detail a man from every mess whose
duty 1t was to cook rations while the
rest OF the men marched forward AS
soon as this cooking was done the ra-
tons We're loaded in wagons and hur-
ried on to overtake the troops
We marched in pursuit of General
Milroy for several days and then one
i evening we were halted oThe order was
i given about face and we marched
/ back on the same road Then turning
i off we went through Harrisonburg
4 down to New Market thence crossing
the mountains to Luray and on to
Front Royal and on to the battle at
/ Winchester, and by this time all Of
us had come to the conclusion that
General Jackson knew great dea1
more apout war than corduroying a
road. JOHN M. PAYNE.