USA > West Virginia > History of the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry > Part 26
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' Fall in line,' was the command to the prisoners. All obeyed except one tall, finely-formed young man, who stood unmoved, with his hand resting lightly on the shoulder of a chubby maiden in white. The young thing clung closer to him with modest trustfulness, betraying no sign of fear for the sudden and rude disturbance of her joy. She was by far the calmer of the two, and was acting like a little heroine. The small left hand crept a little closer about his neck, and she said with a plead- ing sorrowfulness that thrilled my whole being:
We have just been married, sir; and you are not going to take George away from me now, are you ?
Trained by the discipline of war, I was compelled to subdue what I felt, and try to make the best of the situation. I told her as gently as I could that war was a sad thing, and that as soldiers there was nothing left for us but to do our duty, but as men we deeply sympathized with her. I assured her that her young husband, as our prisoner, should be treated with every kindness, and that, doubtless, within a few months he would be exchanged and be with her again. As the young man pressed his fair-haired bride to his bosom that new love which, in its sweetness and its purity, is the same it has always been since time began, became too strong to be longer confined. It welled up from a full heart, and, bursting its bounds, gave vent in a torrent of convulsive sobs. A silence had fallen upon us all, and I saw many of the old weather-stained men draw their sleeves quickly across their faces. Somehow I felt like it would be inhuman to speak a word. In a few moments she gained some command over herself, and, unloosing her arms, raised her tear-stained face to his. He clasped her suddenly and kissed her three times pas- sionately. 'Good-bye, George; good-bye,' she said; 'God bless you!' Her eyes followed him to the door as we moved out. Poor thing ! That was her last sight of him on the earth.
He was accidentally drowned while crossing Jackson river. In the summer of 1884, I went to the Sweet Springs, and while there got a buggy and drove over that mountain. By making inquiries I was able to find out that the bride of 20 years ago was still living, and after some search, discovered her, and had the pleasure of a short conversa- tion with her. She never suspected, of course, that I knew her story, for 20 years had changed me as you may imagine, too much to make any recognition possible. She had remained true to her first love and refused all offers of a second marriage. Representing myself as a stranger, from common place topics I led the talk as easily as I could back to the war. She conversed very pleasantly till that sub- ject was mentioned, when her manner became more quiet, and her gaze drifted from near objects to the long, blue horizon down the mountain, as if strained to discover something lost. I soon left, and have never seen her since."
We marched all night of the 15th, and the condition of the troops was
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bad. Many horses were broken down, more lame, some of the men were obliged to walk, and the entering on the eventful day of the 16th of December was not as bright a prospect as we could have wished. We were about 200 miles from our base of supplies, in the very heart of the enemy's country, on the line of one of the great railways of the confed- eracy, with Imboden, Jones, Fitz Lee, Echols, McCausland and Jack- son searching for us, and we had, all told, not more than 1, 500 men and four guns. We entered Salem, the objective point, about noon on the 16th, and immediately began the work of destruction. The column moved to the right and left, burning the mills, depot, railroad bridges, tracks and culverts for several miles each way. A general stampede was in progress among the citizens and such confederate soldiers as were there. A passenger train was approaching the town, and one of the guns of the battery was placed in position to disable it. Comrade A. G. Os- borne, corporal and gunner of the first piece, was ordered to throw the shot, and gives the following account of it: "I put in a percussion shell as soon as I heard the train coming, and had made up my mind to disable the engine, if possible, and was waiting until I could get a good view of it before firing. The smoke-stack had just come in view when Lieut. Meigs rushed up and asked me why I did not fire. I told him I was waiting for a better view so that I could put a shell into the machin- ery or boiler of the engine so as to disable it; but he ordered me to fire, when I could not see anything but about two feet of the top of the smoke- stack. Of course I had to obey orders, and the result was no damage to anything but the smoke-stack. Gen. Averell said after the shot that I was too quick. I told him I knew it, but that I was ordered to fire the shot by one of his staff." Before another shot could be fired the train was moving off at a rapid rate and soon was out of reach. Gen. Averell's report attached gives the amount of stores, etc., destroyed.
. When the work of destruction was complete, the command prepared to retrace their steps, and about 3 P. M. of the 16th started homeward, returning through the North Mountain on the New Castle road. Not knowing the perils of the homeward march, we camped at Mason's Creek, about six miles from Salem. It rained and snowed incessantly during the night, but the weary and overworked soldiers slept soundly until 5 o'clock the next morning, when the bugle called them from their slumbers to renew the march. The Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry led the advance. Craig's Creek was reached about noon. The heavy rain during the night had swollen the stream to its banks, and it was full of slush, ice and driftwood. The valley was narrow, with but little ground on either side of the creek, and in many places none between the creek and the steep mountain side. The road crossed the creek seven times within a distance of ten or twelve miles. The enemy was pursuing us in large force, and there was no alternative but to ford the wild stream. The water was mid rib deep on the large horses, and the
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current so strong that the animals had to be kept with their breasts up the stream and worked across sideways. If the current were permitted to strike the horses sideways, which happened quite frequently, horse and rider were carried down the stream, and a number of men were drowned in this way. The artillery and ambulances were dragged through the stream with ropes by the men. The weather was so cold, part of the time below zero, that the clothing of the men was frozen stiff soon after leaving the water. The horses were covered with icicles and trembling from the cold. The whole afternoon was spent in cross- ing the creek, and when finally accomplished, men and horses were almost paralyzed, and suffered intensely from the cold as well as from hunger. AAfter a few crossings had been effected it was with difficulty the' horses were forced into the stream, and they were whipped and spurred to compel obedience.
Lieut. Col. Blakely, of the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry, was ordered to cross the stream rapidly and proceed at once to New Castle, as the enemy were moving on that place. When the last fording was reached, several efforts were made to force the horses into the stream, but all efforts failed. The men found some sheaf oats and hay, and a few minutes were spent in feeding the poor brutes. Gen. Averell, without the attendance of aids or staff, came galloping up and took a survey of the ford. This one appeared more dangerous than any that had pre- ceded it, and the general was fearful that the horses, in their weakened condition, would be unable to stem the current. He applied the spurs vigorously to his own horse, when rider and horse dashed into the stream, with many anxious hearts watching the desperate struggle of a brave man with the mad current. When he reached the opposite shore, he was cheered by the men. He acknowledged the compliment by lift- ing his hat and saying: "Come on boys," and then rode off hastily in the direction of New Castle.
From New Castle the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry constituted the rear guard. Lieut. A. J. Pentecost, and a number of men composed of quartermaster and commissary sergeants, wagonmasters, etc., had charge of the wagon and ambulance train. Gen. Averell was forced into the by roads by the enemy, and their condition made it difficult to move the train, each wagon requiring a number of men to prevent its upsetting. After two days and nights of marching and skirmishing with the enemy, the advance of the ambulance corps, about 12 o'clock at night. reached the mouth of the gap leading through the mountain to Jackson river. Gen. Averell had during the day captured a confederate courier, with dispatches, from which he learned the movements of the enemy; and in consequence of imminent danger to his command, was compelled to move rapidly to Jackson river, to prevent the enemy from burning the bridge at that point, leaving the train from 10 to 12 miles in the rear. The roadway through the mountain to Jackson river, is a deep, narrow
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defile, from 2 to 3 miles in length, and so narrow that it was with the greatest difficulty for any one to pass from the rear to the front. The road bed was covered with ice, and it was impossible to prevent the horses from falling, and at times many of them would be down at once. This, with the upsetting of the wagons, greatly retarded the movements of the wagon train and rear guard. The enemy had been pressing our rear vigorously. After Averell with the main column had passed out of the gap, charged the enemy that were guarding the bridge and routed them, the confederates under Gen. W. L. Jackson took possession of the gap and quietly awaited the approach of the train. The night was very dark and cold, and on the approach of the ambulances the horses were seized by Jackson's men and led into their camp. Three ambu- lances were captured in this way, and some of the men in them did not know they were prisoners until the next morning. Capt. Markbreit A. A. G., Averell's brigade, Lieut. Col. Polsley Eighth Virginia, and Lieut. McAdams, of the ambulance corps, were captured in this way.
Lieut. Pentecost, Commissary Sergeant G. H. Kirkpatrick, and Capt. W. H. Brown were riding in advance about this time, when they met a man and asked him where he was going and who he was. He replied that he was going to Jackson's camp. He held a revolver in his hand. Pentecost at once grasped his arm and took the revolver from him, at the same time informing him that he was a prisoner, which did not seem to disturb him much, and willingly accompanied his captors back to where some of the men had started a fire. Imagine the astonishment of our men on seeing a number of confederate officers standing about the fire, in conversation with some of our own officers. The confederates stated that we were surrounded and would be prisoners in the morning, and then retired. Lieut. Pentecost at break of day formed his detach- ment in line, composed of those that were with the train, and advanced toward the river some distance away. During the night the enemy had moved from our front to our rear, supposing that we would not be able to cross Jackson river, the bridge being burned. and the river swollen, and full of floating ice and drift. Col. Blakely brought up the rear with his regiment, skirmishing all the way until we reached the river. Several of the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry plunged into the river to cross, but some of them were drowned in the attempt. A citizen had been asked if the river was fordable at this place, when he stated that it was perfectly safe, which led to the drowning of our men. The citizen was at once thrown in and was drowned. A woman who lived near the burned bridge was then asked to inform us where we could find a fording place, which she at first refused to do; but upon threatening to burn her house, she told us there was a ford some distance up the river. Capt. Jas. L. Kelley with a squad at once started to find it, and succeeded. In the meantime Majors Daily and Foley of the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, kept the enemy in check in the rear, and were
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hard pressed. The order was then given to park the wagons and burn them, which was at once done. The enemy then sent in a flag of truce demanding a surrender, which was promptly refused, when they began to shell the hard pressed union forces. Our men then retreated up a narrow path, along the river to the ford, two miles above. Arriving there they at once plunged into the swollen stream, and swam their horses over. Lieut. Pentecost was directed to cross the ford and take position with his men to cover the retreat and crossing of Major Daily and his battalion, which was done. The enemy having detected the withdrawal of our troops, advanced, but after a sharp contest with Pentecost, Major Daily's command succeeded in crossing safely. Had it not been for the gallant and determined resistance of Lieut. Pentecost and the genuine pluck of the men with him, Major Daily and his men would have fallen into the hands of the enemy. Our loss at the river was one officer, Lieut. Murphy troop G Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cav- alry wounded, three men killed and four drowned, among the latter the unfortunate bridegroom whom we had captured on the mountain top. The ambulances with the sick and wounded, were left in the hands of the enemy. All the wagons of the brigade were destroyed by our own men.
The belated command at once started at a rapid pace for Covington, seven miles distant. The bridge at that place had also been destroyed, and again they were compelled to ford the river, which was accomp- lished without loss. They rode rapidly forward, expecting to join Gen. Averell and the main column at Callaghan's stand, at the junction of the Warm Springs and Rocky Gap roads, but here they found the column gone, they having given the delayed men up as lost. They rode on and caught up to the general during the night, on the top of the Allegheny mountains, where they had stopped a few hours for rest.
The command was now all together again, and Gen. Averell was tak- ing a needed rest, and to give himself time to decide what to do next. It is said that the negroes were called to headquarters, and one, a boy perhaps twelve years old, said he knew a way across Greenbrier river by a ford far above Lewisburg. He had been there to mill with his master. Hearing this, Gen AAverell put the boy on a horse, ordered .boots and saddles" to be sounded, and then "forward." The boy led us up Oggle's Creek and down Antony's Creek, over the Allegheny Moun- tains -- high, rough, wild and icy. The horses were taken from the artillery and long ropes attached; men were dismounted, and drew the pieces up and down that fearful mountain path. Our advance reached the Greenbrier River at dark the evening of December 20. We found the stream swollen and full of floating ice. It seemed impossible to cross. Gen. Averell in person directed the crossing and tested the ford. Cakes of ice from ten to fifteen feet square, and heavy enough to sub- merge a horse, were constantly passing. The order came to plunge in
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and cross. This was done without loss. The command was in no mood to hesitate. Ilunger, cold, exhaustion had done their utmost. But they had barely gotten under way again, when a small party of the enemy attacked them in front, but were driven in confusion by a charge of our men. Here the command turned to the right, and on the 20th entered Hillsboro, where they went into camp. The next day they moved to Edray, where supplies were ordered, which met the almost famished men twelve miles from that place. On Christmas day 1863, the gallant, intrepid men, entered Beverly, and were now safely in our lines.
Personal adventures on this expedition were many and very thrilling, a few of which are given in the article on the scouts. The capture of the wedding party is the theme of letters from some of the boys, who evidently relish it as one of the bright spots in that dark and dreary trip. Several of the hungry boys feasted on cake to their stomach's content, and cleaned up everything catable that could be found about the house.
On the night of the 18th, Lient. Russell, with Company H, was sent to the top of the mountain near the main road, to guard the signal corps, remaining all night. On the morning of the 19th they found that our command had passed, and left no orders for their relief. They soon started for the regiment, having satisfied themselves that they were left alone, and though a good many of the enemy's cavalry were between them and their regiment, they caught up with the rear guard about 9 o'clock, and the regiment about noon.
Comrade O. P. Bower, Company B, Second Virginia, with Will. Shirley, was riding in front of column, the night before Salem was reached. Shirley stopped for a few minutes' rest. Bower riding ahead, and was suddenly confronted by four confederates, and asked where he belonged. He replied that he was one of Early's men, and parleyed with the men until four of the scouts rode up, when Bower demanded the surrender of the confederates. A fight followed, resulting in the death of Confederate Captain Chapman, the severe wounding of one other, and the capture of Capt. Tomlinson and one man. Bower got a . splendid horse in the capture. Shortly afterward they captured a wagon loaded with hospital stores, with two men and a girl. The latter was left at a house until the raid on Salem was over, when she was picked up on the retreat and came along with the regiment, going to Martins- burg. Afterward she married one of the regiment, a member of Com- pany I, it is said, and settled near Pittsburgh. On the retreat, shortly after leaving Salem. Bower, Jos. Walton, W. A. Wiley and another member of Company D, had a lively experience with a party of confed- crates, who made an attack on them. Wiley's gun was forced from his hands and an attempt made to shoot him, but Bower shot the assailant in the shoulder, at the same time calling on his imaginary force to charge
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the confederates, which had the effect of driving them away, without any of our men being hurt. On the night of the 19th Bower was cap- tured, and had on a confederate Major's overcoat, and a cap that once be- longed to the notorious bushwhacker, Bill Harper; but in the confusion, when a confederate charge was ordered on Averell's rear guard. Bower was foremost in the attack, but was so impetuous that he never stopped until he got in our lines. his captors firing several shots after him. He passed the ambulances just before they were captured.
S. J. Clendaniel of Company I, gives a bit of his experience of the trip, in a night's sleep he and comrades got. when the raid was about over. They slept well, but when morning came, they found themselves frozen in their blankets. The latter had been soaked by the rains, and the fearful cold weather froze them solid, but within, the men were com- fortable. if such a thing were possible. A further inspection showed that Clendaniel and his comrades, eight in all, had slept on a frog pond. It was frozen of course, and they had lain on the ice, with their blankets wrapped around them, and slept soundly. But that was comfort com- pared to a part of that awful, horrible expedition. Hundreds of broken down constitutions attest to this day its severity.
Averell had ontwitted the men who attempted his capture, and it was a bitter dose for the confederates. The Richmond Examiner of De- cember 28th had the following sarcastic article on the failure to capture Averell :
The great Gen. Averell has gone, not " up the spout," but back into his den. Cast your eye upon a map, and I'll tell you how he went and how he came. He came from New Creek, a depot on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, in the county of Hardy, along the western base of the Shenandoah mountains through Covington to Salem, burnt things generally and returned over nearly the same route. Imboden seized the gap where the Parkersburg turnpike crosses the Shenandoah, and prevented a raid on Staunton. Averell left five hundred men to hold Imboden there, and pushed on to- ward Salem. That general could not pursue without uncovering Staunton-the forces threatening nearly equaling his own. Gen. Lee was informed of the situation of affairs. Here commences the reign of major generals and military science. Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early came. Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee came. Brig. Gen. Walker came. Brig. Gen. Thomas came. Their staffs came. They all took a drink. Gen. Early took two. Brig. Gen. Wiekham came. Col. Chambliss, commanding brigade, came. They smiled also.
When Averell was opposite Staunton, Fitz Lec was at Ivy depot, on the Virginia Central railroad, a day's march from that town. A fortunate occurrence, indeed. Everybody thought Averell was "treed" now. He passed through Brown's Gap and struck the valley turnpike at Mount Crawford, eight miles above Harrisonburg-a miserable mistake. One day's march lost. Ife then marched toward Harrisonburg -then toward Staunton. Another day gone for nothing. He finally reached Staun- ton, where he ought to have been on the first night. Still there was plenty of time to cut Averell off. Lee and Imboden marched day and night to Lexington, and then toward Covington. They have yet time enough to intercept.
Here was committed the fatal and foolish blunder. While Lee and Imboden were on the road to Covington, in striking distance of that place, word was sent the Yankees are marching towards Buchanan, instead of Covington. No man ought to
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have put credence in a statement so utterly absurd as that the enemy were going from Salem to that place. Such a statement presupposes Averell deliberately placing him- self past escape, and therefore run raving mad. Such improbable rumors should never be entertained a moment, much less made the basis of important military move- ments. The order was obeyed. The troops turned and marched back, and at night were neither at Buchanan nor Covington.
The story is told in a few words. The Yankees passed through Covington, and, to their great amusement, escaped. The rumor about Buchanan was the tale of some frightened fool. The enemy, in terror and demoralization, fled from Salem at full speed, destroying their train and artillery. Jackson knocked some in the head ; the citizens beat the brains out of others ; one farmer in Allegheny killed six ; some were scattered in the mountains, and are being picked up here and there; the rapid stream drowned many, but the main part have gone whence they came, wondering how they did get away. It is hardly necessary to add, the humblest private in the ranks, if he possessed sense enough to cat and drink, not only could, but would, have managed better. Old Stonewall would have marched on, caught and killed the Yankees. What Lec thought the writer don't know. They who know, say Imboden begged to go to Covington. Ile made it plain to the dullest mind that the Buchanan story was past belief. What's done is donc.
No language can tell the suffering of our men. They were in the saddle night and day, save a few hours between midnight and day. They were beat up by their officers with their swords-the only means of arousing them-numb and sleepy. Some froze to death, others were taken from horses senseless. They forded swollen streams, and their clothes, stiff frozen, rattled as they rode. It rained in torrents, and froze as it fell. In the mountain paths the ice was cut from the roads before they ventured to ride over. One horse slipped over the precipice-the rider was leading him-he never looked over after him.
The whole matter is summed up in a couple of sentences. Averell was penned up. McCausland, Echols and Jackson at one gate, Lee and Imboden at the other. Some ass suggested he might escape by jumping down the well and coming out at Japan, i. c., go to Buchanan. Early orders them to leave a gate open and guard the well. He did not jump in. Meanwhile, the Yankees cooly came up the valley, through Edenburg, New Market, up to Harrisonburg, within twenty-five miles of Staunton- "these headquarters." This was bearding the lion in his den. Jubal took the field, at the head of Company Q and a party of substitute men, farmers and ploughboys, called "home guards." The Yankees got after him and the "major general com- manding" lost his hat in the race. The last heard of him he was pursuing the enemy with part of his division-footmen and cavalry -- with fine prospects of overtaking them somewhere in China, perhaps about the "great wall." The Yankees were retreating toward the "Devil Hole." Early bound for the same place. They did very little damage in the valley. Here is the moral. The marshals under Napoleon's cye were invincible-with separate commands, blunderers. A general of division, with Gen. Robert E. Lee to plan and put him in the right place, docs well. Moseby would plan or execute a fight or strategie movement better than Longstreet at Suffolk and Knoxville, Jubal Early at Staunton.
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