The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-26
A Wartime New Years
Day Experience,

~ New Years morning. 1854
when the Thermometer was
below zero. probably tbe
- most undisciplined body NJ
troops ~ the whole Union army march
ed Into camp Mt Martinsburg, w. Va
The men looked careless, fatjguad
sleepy and cold. Some of them wero
bareheaded. which showed that thev
had Travelled day aud night and had
fallen asleep on their horses. MANY
had lost their hats and caps by their
heads coming in contact with tho
limbs OF the trees in the woods Soma
had the front aud back parts burned
out of their overcosts aud trousers
which had probably happened while
they were doing before the fire A
few OF them wore some Confederate
clothing. indicating apparently that
they had captured some Confederate
quartermaster's stores aud had re.
placed their own damaged garments
with their enemy's clothing Others
had their feet tied Mp with pieces nf
blankets and sheepskns.
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.
The infantry and the citizens ~
|
ed at these troops In wonder This
| was General Averill's command, four
regiments of cavalry aud battery that
had Just returned from the Salem raid
| The radiug party left New Greek NOW
Keyser city, W. Nal, Dec. s. 1861
! marched To Salem, Va. thence back to
+ MartinsburG. w Va, arriving there
| Ian /. 1864. travelling twenty four
days. During this time the party tray
eled several hundred miles. tore MP the
Virginia and Tennessee railroad tracks
10 prevent General Lee from ~ enforc-
ing General Longstrcet. who was fight
ing General burnside at Knoxville.
Tenn At Salem the Confederate quar-.
termaster aud commissary stores were
destroyed
on our retreat n dozen or more Con
federate brigades We're after MS and
tried to head MS off ut evcry crossroad
At Covington, Va, after the bridge
over Jackson river was burned, our
regiment. the Fourteenth Fennsylva
min cavalry, which was the rear guard,
aud few diSmounted men Of other
regiments that were with the wagon
train were surrounded on the south
side Of the river one Of the Confed-
crate generals sent in t1as of truce,
demanding u surrender, but We fought
our way through After we burned
our wagon traiu we swan the Jackson
river
on our retreat we Travelled through
n severe suowstorm and slid down lev
mountains our artillery was saved
10y pulling II over the mountains with
ropes
our brigade lost on this raid killed,
drowned, frozen and captured, lAh
men and five officers.
A few men We're So badly frozen that
they died shortly aftcrward.
Fhus on that New Years morning
we wore cold. hungry. tired. sleepy
dirty and shabby Uncle sam soon
heard Of our condition and came I" us
with outstretchcd arms. for ON Jan, y"
he presented every one of MS with
brand new outfit. which included over
coat. dress coat. blouse. hat. cap, SnHt'
drawers, stockings. boots and blankets
We soon commenced To get concerted
for we believed that We were the only
brigade in the whole Union army ihat
had ever received such y maGnihcent
gift from the United states govern
,nent.-,Iames F. Hays in Bsitimnls
American.