Letter from Cheat Mountain -- The Women of the South --
Gilbert's Brigade.
LETTER FROM CHEAT MOUNTAIN.
Camp of 6th Ohio, at Elkwater, Va., 1861.
The trees begin to look barren, the bronzed hue of the surrounding
hills admonishing us that October, chill and drear, is upon us. Every
thing in nature is cheerless, and, adding to nature, man has, with
despoiling hands, laid waste the country for miles about our present
location. Pen can not describe the devastation of an army: orchards
are swept away; of fences scarce a trace is left; houses are converted
into stables, fodder-cribs, and store-houses; corn-fields are used as
pastures; forests must fall to supply our men with fire-wood; in fact,
with the soldier nothing is sacred. And why should any thing be sacred
in this "section," where traitors have been fostered, and where every
vote cast was for secession? Let them reap the harvest they themselves
have sown.
The farmers come daily into camp, whining because our men cut down
their sugar-trees, or "find" a few cabbages or apples; but, as the
Colonel is aware that the boys must be kept in fire-wood, he is
heedless of their whimperings.
The cold is telling fearfully upon the men at night, and I fear, if a
supply of clothing is not soon forthcoming, much suffering will be the
consequence. It is a burning disgrace to somebody, that such things
should be, and it is galling to our regiment to see Indiana troops,
just mustered into service, passing our encampment with large, heavy
overcoats, and every thing about them denoting comfort and an
attention to their wants. The cold frosts are beginning to leave their
imprints; already snow is capping the mountain-tops, and God help us
if we get winter-bound in this "neck of woods." Some few are glorying
in the thought of the fine deer and bear hunts they will have. The
latter I can't _bear_ to think about, and the former a man must be
_der_anged to think of catching upon, these mountains.
The paymaster has been disbursing his funds for the past three days,
and the boys are all in excellent spirits. Theodore Marsh and Leonard
Swartz will go home heavily laden with the hard earnings of this
regiment. How many hearts will be gladdened by the receipt of the
little pittances sent, and how loth many will be to use the money when
they remember the toil endured to obtain it! But let the friends rest
assured that the _money_ was not thought of. A purer, a more noble
thought and higher aim animated the breasts, of those who have so
nobly suffered--a determination to see their country's honor
maintained.
Our pickets have scoured the country around, far and near, but no
signs of the enemy can be found. There is no doubt but that they have
retired for the winter. There will, however, be plenty left to guard
the interests of the Federal army until spring, when, no doubt, the
campaign will be opened with vigor, if not sooner settled.
In the reconnoissance by our regiment, a week since, traces of Captain
Bense and his party were found in the Secession camp; several of Hall
& Cobb's (our sutlers) checks being found in their camp, and a
prisoner, afterward brought in, said they had been forwarded to
Richmond, Va.
A rumor that this regiment is to be immediately ordered to Cincinnati
set the boys fairly dancing; but Madame Rumor is so frequent a visitor
that the more sensible scarcely noticed her arrival. The most
authentic rumor is, that Colonel Bosley is to be made a
brigadier-general. "We shall see what we shall see."
The sky is threatening, and dark as midnight, the air intensely cold,
and we are hourly expecting a regular old snow-storm. Chestnuts, fine
and ripe, are abundant; there are hundreds of bushels all over these
hills, while wild grapes are as abundant as hops in Kent.
Yesterday, a wild-cat was shot and brought into camp by one of the 3d
Ohio boys. He was about three feet in length, and a "varmint" I
shouldn't like to meet on a dark night.
Yours,
Alf.
THE WOMEN OF THE SOUTH.
A great deal has been written about them, and there is no doubt but
they are a thousandfold more bitter than the men. They were, and many
are yet, perfectly venomous; and the more ignorant, the more spiteful
they seem. The following act was blazoned forth as wonderfully heroic
in its character, just after our forces occupied Philippa, Beelington,
and Beverly:
"The two noble heroines, Misses Abbie Kerr and Mary McLeod, of
Fairmont, Marion County, who rode from their home to Philippa, a
distance of thirty-odd miles, to apprise our forces there of the
approach of the enemy, arrived in Staunton by the western train, on
Wednesday night last, and remained till Friday morning, when they went
to Richmond. While here they were the 'observed of all observers,' and
were received with a cordial welcome. Great anxiety was manifested by
all to hear a detailed account of their interesting adventures from
their own lips.
"They left Fairmont at six o'clock on Sunday morning, and hastened,
without escorts, to Philippa. They had not gone a great distance
before they found that a shoe of one of the horses needed fixing. They
stopped at a blacksmith's shop for that purpose, and while there a
Union man came up and questioned them very closely as to who they
were, and on what mission they were going. Miss McLeod replied to his
interrogatories, telling him that their surname was Fleming, and that
they were going to Barbour County, to see their relations. Their
interrogator seemed to be very hard to satisfy, and it taxed the
ingenuity of Miss McLeod to improvise a story which would succeed in
imposing upon him. As soon as the horse-shoe had been fixed, they
again proceeded upon their way, but had not gone far before their evil
genius, their interrogator at the blacksmith's shop, dashed by them on
horseback. They perceived that his suspicions had not been allayed,
and that he was going on in advance of them to herald the approach of
spies. They allowed him to pass out of sight, in advance, and then
destroyed the letters they had in their possession, that the search of
their persons, to which they then anticipated they would be required
to submit, might not betray them. When they arrived at the village of
Webster, they found it in commotion, and many persons were anxiously
awaiting their arrival, in the eager hope of capturing the spies.
"They were there subjected to a rigorous cross-examination. The
heroines were calm and self-possessed--answering questions without
hesitancy, and expressing a perfect willingness to have their persons
searched by any lady who might be selected for that purpose. They were
allowed to pass on, after being detained for some time, though there
were some in the crowd who were very much opposed to it. As soon as
they got out of sight of that village they rode very rapidly, for fear
they might still be arrested by some of those who were so much opposed
to allowing them to proceed. They arrived at Philippa about two
o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, and told Colonel Porterfield
that the enemy would attack his camp that night or the next morning.
"These ladies then went to the house of a Mr. Huff, about a mile and a
half from Philippa, where they stayed all night. The next morning they
heard the report of the firing at Philippa, and, in disguise,
accompanied by a countrywoman, returned to Philippa, on foot, to see
what had been the result. They moved about among the enemy without
being detected or molested in the least degree. Going into one of the
houses, they found James Withers, of the Rockbridge Cavalry, who had
concealed himself there to prevent the enemy from capturing him. These
ladies immediately told him that they would effect his rescue, if he
would trust to them. He very readily consented; whereupon these ladies
disguised him as a common countryman, by furnishing him with some old
clothes; they then gave him a basket of soap, with a recipe for making
it, that he might pass as a peddler of that necessary article. With
these old clothes, and a basket of soap on his arm, and gallantly
mounted upon a mule, accompanied by his guardian angels, he passed
safely through the crowds of the enemy, and was brought by them, safe
and sound, into the camp of his friends at Beverly, after a circuitous
and hard ride over precipitous mountains, where persons had seldom, if
ever, ridden before. His fellow-soldiers and friends rejoiced greatly
when he arrived, for they thought that he was either killed or taken
prisoner by the enemy; they rejoiced that the supposed 'dead was
alive,' and the 'lost was found.' He is now known in our camp as the
'peddler of soap.' The heroic conduct of these ladies will live in
history, and they will become the heroines of many a thrilling story
of fiction, in years to come."
We have no doubt but that their names will live in history. Benedict
Arnold is still in the memory of every American, loathed and despised,
as Davis and his crew will eventually be, without doubt.
GILBERT'S BRIGADE.
In May last, the 124th Ohio was near Franklin, Tenn., a part of
General Granger's division, and belonging to Gilbert's brigade.
Friend "Esperance," in writing about the regiment, says: "We are
encamped near Franklin, in a beautiful situation as regards the view
of the country; and in a military point of view it is excellent, being
surrounded with sufficient elevations of land to enable our
fortifications to sweep the whole country in every direction. The
brigade is composed of the 113th, 124th, 125th, and the 121st Ohio
Volunteers, and the 78th Illinois. The 124th Ohio was organized in
Cleveland, but contains two companies from Cincinnati--company G,
under the command of William A. Powell, of your city, and company I,
under the command of Captain J. H. Frost, also of Cincinnati. Captain
Powell has been in the service ever since the commencement of the war;
he has served in Virginia and Maryland, also in Missouri, in General
Fremont's Body-guard. He was again in Maryland last summer, at
Cumberland, in command of a company in the 84th Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, and is, in all respects, strictly a military man, very
generally liked by his company, and respected by his superior
officers. Captain Frost has also been in the service before, and is
much liked by his men, and esteemed by all who know him here. The
health of the regiment is good, and of the two companies from
Cincinnati especially so.
"With regard to the army of General Rosecrans, it is by us considered
invincible. General Rosecrans is looked upon as a host in himself.
Every soldier appears anxious to meet the enemy; the idea of a defeat
never seems to enter into their imagination, but all are enthusiastic
in their expectation of being able to restore the South and
South-west of our common country to subjection to the Constitution,
and obedience to the laws."
* * * * *
A chaplain of an Indiana regiment recently married one of the Hoosier
boys to a Tennessee girl, and concluded the ceremony by remarking, the
_oath_ was binding for three years, or _during the war_!