The National tribune., 1910-09-15
The Whole Line Engaged.

The Whole Line Engaged.
Soon the whole line on both sides
We're engaged, and the fighting was
kept up all thru that day of June 10,
with heavy loss on both sides. The
rebels had the advantage of position,
and outnumbered US two to one, against
which odds our brave little army held
its own all that day, and only gave way
when ordered to fall back late in the
evening, which was done in good order.
We had no rations, as we drew the last
time at Lexington, Va, on the way to
off of the country. But for two days
we had been fighting a strong enemy
and were almost out of ammunition,
and seven days march from our base
of supplies over as rough a country as
could be found and very thinly settled.
For four days and four nights of that
retreat We were harassed with the reb-
els. Our brigade of cavalry was the
rear guard, and you may guess we had
plenty to do and little chance to get
rest or anything to eat. We were COM
PEELED to turn on the enemy every little
while and drive them back, and now
and then we would lay in ambush for
them and get a chance at short range.
After we had trapped them few times
they got wise, and didn't bite SO easily.
In all the time that I had been out 1
had never seen so much real suffering
as was endured by the men on that
awful retreat from Lynchburg. / re-
member some of the infantry played
out so they could go no farther; they
would lie down by the side of the road,
and when we Of the rear guard came
up we would take them On our horses.
| In some cases they had to be left to
fall into the hands of the rebels.
The morning of the fourth day the
advance came to where the road starts
up the mountain at Salem, Va, at what
| is called Mason's Cove. Some very fine
farms lay in this cove.
Carlin's Battery.
| 1t was near there that Carlin's Bat
/ terry I'll pieces), with caissons and am
munitfon wagons, was captured by
force of rebels. A small force of infan-
try were some distance in the rear of
the wagon and artillery, and as the reb-
els could not get away with the pIunder
it was run over the bluff, and lay in a
heap at the foot of the bluff, broken
and shattered
! Our cavalry at the time of this at
tack were several miles in the rear of
all. and assure you we had our hands
full all the time that day. Our orders
were to kill ali horses and mules and
destroy everything of value that was
left behind, SO when We came to where
the battery was we halted, and the
pened to be No. that day. and had to
hold horses. l had a plain view of it
all. Two companies Oh and f, I'd w.
Va. Cav.) gathered close around the
junk pile and blew it up with powder.
Five of our men were killed-literally
torn to pieces. Many more were in
jured. C. J. Pewthers, of Co. F, was
burnt so badly that he died the next
day. Three days later we went into
camp at White Sulphur Springs. We
were not annoyed much with the rebels
after we left Salem. After we got to
charleston, w. Va we drew our pay
and rested few days when we started
and marched by Ripley, Va, to Par
ikersburg, where we were shipped to the
shenandoah Valley over the G. & o.
r. X.
So ended the Lynchburg raid, which
for hardships and real suffering stands
without a parallel in the war.-Solomon
Love. Co. f. I'd w. Va. Cav, Find
lay, o.