Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-12-26
A Wartime New Years
Day Experience

NN New Years morning, 1854,
when the thermometer was
below zero, probably the
y ~ most undisciplined body Of
troops in the whole Union army march
ed into camp at Martinsburg, w. Va.
The men looked careless, fatigued,
sleepy and cold. Some Of them were
bareheaded, which showed that they
had Travelled day and night and had
fallen asleep on their horses. Many
had lost their hats and caps by their
Z heads coming In contact with the
limbs Of the trees In the woods. Some
had the front and back parts burned
out of their overcoats and trousers,
( which had probably happened while
Z they were doing before the fire. A
few of them wore some Confederate
clothing, Indicating apparently that
they had captured some Confederate
quartermaster stores and had re-
placed their own damaged garments
with their enemy's clothing Others
had their feet tied up with pieces of
!. blankets and sheepskins.
Z; Many Of the men were dlsmounted;
others were mounted on wagon horses
and mules, with the harness still on
the animals. This showed that their
wagon train had been destroyed and
] that some Of the men, who had lost
their cavalry horses, had mounted
these animals. 80
/ The infantry and the citizens OF
Martinsburg gathered around and star
ed at these troops in wonder. This
twas General Averlll's command. four
regiments of cavalry and a battery that
had just returned from the Salem raid
The raidlng party left New Creek (now
Keyser City, w. Val, Dec. 8, 1868
marched to Salem, Va. thence back tC
Martinsburg. w: Va. arriving there
Jan. /, 1864, travelling twenty-foul
days. During this time the party tray
eled several hundred miles, tore up the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad track.
to prevent General Lee from re-enforc
ing General Longstreet, who was fight
Ing General Burnside at Knoxville
Tenn. At Salem the Confederate quar-
termaster and commissary stores wer,
destroyed.
On our retreat a dozen or more Con
federate brigades were after US ant
tried to head us off at every crossroad
At Coyington. Va, after the bridg'
oyer Jackson river was burned. on
>fao1rrz7 u tjnlz7'7s
nia cavalry. which was the fear guard
and few dismounted men pf othe
regiments that were with the wagol
train were surrounded on tho souu
side Of the river. One Of the Confed
crate generals sent In flag Of truce
demanding surrender. but we Tough
our way through After we burne,
our wagon train we swan the jackson
river.
On our retreat we Travelled through
a severe snowstorm and slid down ic.
mountains Our artillery was save,
by pulling it over the mountains wit
ropes.
Our brigade lost on this raid killed
drowned, frozen and captured. IL
men and five officers.
A few men were SO badly frozen tina
they died shortly afterward.
Thus on that New Years morning
we were cold, hungry, tired. sleepy
dirty and shabby. Uncle Sam sool
heard Of our condition and came to u
with outstretched arms. for on Jan. L
he presented every one of us with
brand new outfit, which included over
coat. dress coat, blouse, hat, cap, shirt
drawers, stockings. boots and blankets
We soon commenced to get conceited
for we believed that we were the onl
brigade In the whole Union army tina
had ever received such magnlflcen
gift from the United States govern
ment-James +. Hays in Baltimor
American.