The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-19

In the spring of 1854" said Mr..
Gurtler, General Hunter had started
on his famous Lynchburg raid to di-
vide Lees army in the rear and so as
to prevent communication between the
two parties when separated. Our regi-
ment, the Second Maryland infantry,
and another Ohio regiment were de-
tailed to guard a supply train of more
than 800 wagons for Hunters army.
While going up the Shenandoah valley
we were accompanied by man claim
ing to be one of General Averell's Union
scouts, but who proved to be a Con-
federate spy. We privates never liked
him, although he seemed to be a hail
fellow well met with the officers.
However, at Stanton, Va, he order
ed the wagon master to take his train
up the Blue Ridge upon pain of death.
Then the spy was arrested and after
failing to be identified by General Av-
erell as one of his scouts, was convict
ed as spy and shot. It seems that
he had communication with friends as
a number of men blocked the road over
the Blue Ridge, the very route he tried
to make US take. We took Il side road.
"A day or two later in i small town
g. man killed one of our men by nr1nS
upon him from the upstairs window of
his home. We captured the man and
burned his house after removing his
wife and daughters trunks. The last
we saw OF the man he was on a horse
d lICC Win d AdAlCA oAC0Af0 ais
neck.
This was on June 13. Well do I re-
member that day. We drew ratlons
then, the last until June 81. On the
evening of June 10 We arrived before
the Notifications of Lynchbu-g. and the
next day were sent out on the skirmis h
line. All day we were under fire. Can
non shot, and shells as well as mus
kerry fire was so terrific that at times
it seemed that no living thing could es-
| cape death, but 1 am still alive
Hunter finally succeeded in dividing
Lees army and being unable to make
connections with the Union army of the
| Potomac, and being without provisions,
was compelled to retreat to the Ohio
| river. Rebel prison and starvation
stared US in the face. We were given
orders to forage. Think OF it-24,oo0
men to forage in a mountainous coun-
| try, sparsely settled and with poor peo-
Pile Then besides we had been pre-
/ ceeded by General Crook with about
5000 men and they got most of what
was fora gable. And our brigade was
in the rear of Hunters van. The rebels
Kept after US all of the time. Alto
gether, we didn't get very much to
eat.
"One day H NJ Cole afterwards a
| Salvation Army worker in Topeka who
vas with US then. gave me about two
quarts of -four I didn't know what
to do with it. but 1 came across Chas.
Twigg a member of our company. He
had captured a quantity of tallow can
| dies. 1 traded pint of the flour for
| some of the tallow, intending to use it
as lard and make pancakes out of my
| flour. Most of the tallow was green with
| age, but a little thing like that doesn't
count when you are hungry.
Without baking powder or salt, !
| TAXED about IS '1a.pjacks' in half can
teen. with the tallow for grease. As
| canteens are not more than a few
| riches in diameter, every old soldier
! may imagine the size of our cakes.
| These 1 divided with a comrade, an
| Emanuel Roby. At first. with tears in
! his eyes. he had begged me for just
| one but 1 insisted he should have half
| Oe all Of them. We hadn't had a square
meal for several days, but the cakes
/ had to do US until We met a supply
| train on June 81.
| "On July we took boats on the