Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-10-25

Iciumped boughs, forming . beautiful
green ray-like sphere. We met some
4 good Union women to day, who
shouted for Lincoln and his army and
said "they hoped to God we would sue
coed, and they knew we would" We
saw rebel women also, and the boys
| helped themselves to whatever they
liked, in and about the houses. We
went about fifteen miles and camped
at dark in a briar patch. / hunted
water, cooked and ate my supper, and
at $50 turned in for the night To-
day we stopped for two or three min
utes, and seeing some pigs, one OF the
boys took gun and shot one, and be-
fore it was done kicking we had its
head off and it's insides out and were
running for the wagon with it. At
night we skinned and cooked it, .r
l. Sunday, October 80.
We got up this morning at four
o'clock as we were bound to be on
time and at seven o'clock marched
away. We were twenty-five miles be-
low Rome At $40 a. m, we passed
through Spring Cave, small town
| in Georgia near the state line (which
we crossed little ways back) and
derives its name from large spring
which flows from a cave in the hill
side nearby. We went northeast,
north and northwest, following up a
very rich valley, bounded on the right
by high hills and on the left by roll
ing ground. We went as fast as the
teams could walk, not stopping unless
the wagons became stalled, and for
water, until darkness fell, when we
went into camp about one mile from
Rome, having marched over twenty
one miles. We did considerable for
aging today, as we did not expect to
have a chance again very soon. Soon
after starting l saw the boys eating
honey and going round behind the
house found some hives of bees un-
touched, so taking one on my should
er started off, running as fast as
could to a tent thinking perhaps 1
would be able to wrap it up, thus
enabling us to smoke the bees out.
But before / succeeded in getting to
the tent the little insects began TO
sting, compelling me to drop the hive
in the road, after carrying 1t for
about twenty rods. / managed to
kick the top off and grabbing four
or five pounds of the nectar which
was not spoiled and retreated in some
confusion. The teams which were
coming behind us went by the hive at
rather lively rate, as the mules
did not like the bee stings. We went
on little farther we came upon a
couple of the boys who had just shot
porker, but finding that it belonged
to a union man we paid HIM Sl.5U
for it. A little further on we saw
4 L.. A
Carving potatoes, so a couple of us
took a sack and proceeded to help our
sleeves. We secured about half a
bushel Of sweet potatoes already dug;
then we decided to investigate about
the premises little farther, and find
ing the smokehouse locked we broke
in and found two gallons of molasses
and one-half bushel Of salt. At an
other house the boys captured some
chickens, flour and a basin. By noon
foraging began to get scarce, as we
were in the neighborhood of Rome
and the troops from there had folag-
ed all around for ten miles. At one
house / got a feed box, which saved
me making one. Thus passed the
Sabbath, and at eight o'clock / turn.
ed in, pretty tired.
~ Monday, October 81.
At four o'clock this morning we
were routed out with orders to leave
at five o'clock, so we prepared and
ate a hasty breakfast and we ready
to march at six o'clock, before it was
vet daylight. We started of and
meeting some artillery which had the
bridge ahead of us we were bother
ed for a while and did not cross the
Goose river until 1880 o'clock. ] went
to hill and had good view of Rome.
| could see two tall church spires;
about half a dozen tall chimneys, be-
longing to the iron works aud ma
chine shops, one of which was srlok-
ing, being used by the Yankees now.
The river flowed close under our feet
and just on the other side of the
stream was the railroad and depot.
Ii had the appearance of having been
quite a business place, but was now
in ruins for the effects of the war.
Most of the houses and buildings were
now used as hospitals and storerooms
for the army. We stopped in town
for a little while, where every
thing seemed to be hustle and confu-
sion. / saw a flag in front of the
headquarters which / think was forty
feet long and twelve feet in width.
| saw Colonel Moore of our regiment
also. We passed out of the town and
to where we had encamped the 18th
inst, and took the same road to-
wards Calhoun. We marched very
steadily. At $3.50 p. M, we stopped
to let some troops pass by, then fol-
lowed in their rear. At 1870 p. m,
while they were eating dinner
we passed them. We did not stop to
eat any dinner, but ate bareback and
molasses as we went along. The
country was somewhat rolling, but
our course was generally along a val
ley with hills on either side covered
with timber, the foliage of which was
rather variegated. The oak leaves
were brown, the hickory light yellow,