The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-05-04

and the writer moved slowly up
Main street stopping frequently 10
listen 10 irregular firing just out Of
town about the Col. Rhodes resi-
dence. Bro. Fee said, Men, we
ought not to leave, we should get
guns and help.
The writer's experience q few
days previous, convinced him that
he should not get onto the Firing
Line, and moved on.
! General Miller OF Richmond who
had seen military service, volun-
teered 10 go on to the field in the
morning and rode Len" Billiards.
gray horse. The horse returned
with some human brains on his
neck which was pointed out as the
brains Of Gen. Miller, who fell for
ward when a cannon ball tore
away the top Of his head. Space
admonishes us to close. On leav-
ing Richmond via Lexington pike,
I found the road lined with soldiers
and citizens sitting, lying or reclin-
ing on the turf, awaiting results.
Lieutenant Ballew, a farmer neigh
Dor belonging TO Col. Mundy's Bat
tallion, was just inside at Carey
Hawkins gate, about mile from
city limits. Here we Joined him
and waited too, but not long. In
less than five minutes afterwards a
noise Of vehicles. horsemen and foot
men, accompanied by yells was
heard, then a stream Of flying cit
liens, soldiers mounted and army
wagons rushed pell nell, filling the
road from ditch TO ditch, with a
frantic crowd Of flying citizens
and soldiers. safety First" was
the first thought of this writer and
acting on that impulse, he placed
himself at safe distance and moved
parallel TO the flying column. We
continued to "fall back" rapidly till
Foxtown was reached and the fly
ing refugees had reached a safe
distance.
The column Of dust as high as
tree tops was our guide till this
; point-.was reached. AS the noise,
and uproar had ceased we decided
, TO reconnoitre,-"We" here used
! means the writer and struggling
J soldiers. On coming to the road
we beheld scene, as vivid in men,
: ory to-day as at that moment
nearly fifty-three years ago. Har-
ness, consisting Of names, chains.
collars and brides were literally
strewn along the way. Wagons
without tongues, some upset, loaded
with tents, some with one or two
/. mules hitched on, others without
: team or any part Of one, and none
with drivers anywhere in sight.
: A group Of minute men were de
scending a slope on the west side o.
the road toward a group already
J getting water at a well, all actint
: on the one impulse, safety First
] putting as much space between thu
Southerners and ourselves as pos
: sible. The writer here held con
4 sultation of war, all alone, and de-
= cided unanimously TO change oul
r line of retreat from Lexington PIKE
!, to Boonesborough pike, which a
I this point is about two miles east
and parallel TO Lexington pike
: We had just reached the pike lead
. ing TO Boonsborough when we me-
] John Chenault, then a young man
4 afterwards "Col. Chenault" of thu
! Confederate Army. He told thu
I writer there would be no danger
: to him to go back to Richmond
which was doubtless true, but M
: assumed that prudence was the bet
g ter part of valor and persistentl'
| pushed on toward Boonsborough
Q Night soon came on and on WI
I went the number increasing as w
0 went, till we were nearing TIM
$ ferry, when suddenly hearing tn
o clatter of horses feet behind us, WI
!. left the road and assembled steel
hill overlooking the river, am
s there we went in to camp, lie. WI
: Law down in the weeds and grass AM
n passed a sleepless, supperless nigh
in hearing Of the ferry which wa
y kept busy all night. Space forbid
: f,c,har account of our retreat"