Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-06-23
WAS WITH HUNTER
Union Soldier Writes of March
TO Lexington

TO Lexington
Under date Of Waverly, Md,
June IL, 1909, James F. Hays
writes to the Baltimore American
the following account of his usrct
as one of Hunters men, to Leg
ing in 1884:
Early in June, 1854, Genera
Hunters army fought the battle
of Piedmont, near Stanton. Va,
ard routed the Confederates under
General William Jones, who was
killed in the engagement. Hun.
ter then moved his army to Staun-
ton. On June 8 he was reinforced
by a division Of infantry com.
manded by General Crook and q
brigade of cavalry commanded by
General Averill. Three weeks
previous General Crooks division
won the battle of Clyde Mountain,
where the Confederate General
jenkins had lost his life. The
same day General Averill's bril-
gade fought the Confederatss I'm.
der Gen. John Morgan in a gsp
near Wytbeville, Va. was with
General Averill.
On June 10 all the commands
with Hunter as head general, left
Staunton and marched 20 miles
toward Lexington, and encamped
for the night. The next morning
our army broke carp and marched
to Lexington, where we had live
" skirmish with the enemy. Dur.
ing the fight my horse was so bad
ly crippled 1 was compelled T.
leave him. To keep the enemy
from getting my birdie and saddle.
| cut them up. My saber l stucl
In a hollow In a white oak tree; IL
may be there now. l shouldereo
my carbine and walked into Lex
ington, which was about 2 miles
from where the fight was. Aftsl
1 passed through Lexington, wher
our airy had encamped, l noticed
that hundreds of soldiers wert
running to a certain place. l ran
too. When got there l saw Q
grave, 1t was that of Gen. "Stone'
wall" Jackson. These soldiers
were relic hunters. They were
carrying away by pieces the heao
and foot boards of the grave, and
had attacked the fay pole with
their Knives, each one taking with
him little piece of wood.
The Virginia Military School
was burned by orders from Eun'
ter. The next day YVES Sunday.
Hunters army remained about
Lexington. Having no horse anC
not wishing to 20 with the dis
mounted men, [ thought OF the ole
saying, "Where there ls a will
there is q way,"so l started across
the fields to look for An animal. l
soon found big lame mule. | put
rope around his neck ane
brought HIM into camp. The next
morning, June ID. at 1 an, oul
bugler blew "boots and saddles"
We were ordered to saddle up at
once and get into line, As l had
destroyed my saddle and bridl,
the Saturday before, l had neither
to put on my mule. ! used rope
as a bride and cut half q bushei
of oats into bag and put it OIL
the III ule as q saddle and mountec
and moved out with the company.
The boys said that isis" (foi
that was my nick.name) looked
ike an Arab mounted on a drome.
Diary.
Col. James NJ. SchoonmaAer, .
Pittsburg millionaire, who was the
colonel Of our regiment, the -Four.
teenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, but
who was in command OF the bril-
gade on that morning, ordered
Captain Miles to take the thirc
battalion of the regiment us tn.
advance guard. Shortly after day.
light that morning near Natural
Bridge, we came upon General
McCsueland's Confederate cavalry
brigade. Captain Miles charged
on them with the third battalion
for a short distance, when he CAV.
the command to halt. My cid
Confederate mule wanted to rur
right into the Confederate ranks.
and 1t was only with the assistance
of comrade that l got hin
checked.