THE SEVENTH ORDERED TO THE EAST.--EXPEDITION TO BLUE'S GAP.--SKIRMISH
ON THE BLOOMING PIKE.
After Floyd was driven from Cotton Hill, very few rebels remained in
that portion of Virginia. Many troops were sent to Kentucky and
elsewhere. Among the number was the Seventh Regiment. It was ordered to
join the forces under command of General Kelley, which were operating
on the upper waters of the Potomac, with headquarters at Cumberland,
Maryland.
Accordingly, on the twelfth day of December, the regiment embarked on
steamers, and after paying its respects to General Cox, by way of
presenting arms and cheers, it moved down the river; thus leaving
forever the scene of its past dangers and privations. Little had,
apparently, been accomplished, during its summer campaign; but perils
had been braved, privations had been suffered, and obstacles had been
overcome. Many graves had been dug and filled with the pride of the
regiment. These were left as a record of its patient suffering in that
wild waste of hills. There was a sort of sadness attending the leaving
of all this for a new field of operations. But the soldier's life is
one continued change; and, therefore, he readily adapts himself to
circumstances.
At Parkersburg the regiment left the boats, and took a train of cars,
which conveyed it to Green Spring Run, a station on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, sixteen miles from Romney, Virginia. Here it remained
without tents for several days, when it was ordered to Romney, to which
place it proceeded immediately. It was now given a good ground for its
camp, and furnished with Sibley tents, which were both warm and roomy.
The weather being very fine for the time of year, the health and
spirits of the soldiers rapidly improved.
During the occupation of Romney, quite a force of "bushwhackers" had
collected at Blue's Gap, which were under command of Colonel Blue. This
force of bandits had annoyed the Union citizens for some time. It was
finally resolved to break it up. The force chosen to do this work
consisted of the Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Ohio, Fourteenth
Indiana, and First Virginia, with Danver's two companies of cavalry,
and a section of Howard's Battery, in all about two thousand five
hundred men, under command of Colonel Dunning of the Fifth Ohio. A
little past midnight of January 6th, the force moved out from their
camp. The night was bitter cold, but the march was rapid; and just
after daybreak, the vicinity of the gap was reached, to find that the
rebels were tearing up the flooring of the bridge leading over the
stream coming through the gap. The skirmishers drove this force away,
and then advanced over the bridge, followed by the Fifth Ohio, which
took possession of Blue's house. Procuring a negro woman for a guide,
the force advanced to assault the rebel stronghold on the mountain. On
reaching the place, the intrenchments were handsomely carried, the
rebels standing for five rounds only, when they broke, and fled down
the side of the mountain. Their flight was so rapid that many of the
fugitives ran on to the Fourth Ohio, which was at hand, and were
captured. But they were hardly worth taking, for an uglier set of
ragamuffins the mountains of Virginia, or the whole world even, could
hardly produce. Blue's property was utterly destroyed. The loss of the
enemy in this affair was forty killed, and as many taken prisoners,
together with all their stores, wagons, and ammunition. A number of
cattle were also taken and driven back to Romney. On their return, the
Federals fired several houses, which was a lasting disgrace to all
those taking part in it. General Kelley was justly indignant at this
conduct.
Nothing further occurred to break the _ennui_ of camp and picket duty
until the 10th, when an order came to break camp and prepare for a
march. Immediately following this order, all was bustle and confusion,
in anticipation of an advance. There being a lack of transportation,
some tents and commissary stores were burned. In early evening, the
regiment marched into the town, where it was compelled to wait, through
a fearful storm of sleet, until midnight, when, instead of an advance,
the entire force rapidly fell back through Springfield to Patterson's
Creek, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This camp was soon converted
into a mud-hole. If all of Virginia had been canvassed a worse place
for a camp could not have been found. After a few weeks contest with
this everlasting snow and mud, an order came, on the 5th of February,
to march, which was hailed with universal joy.
The force passed down the railroad late in the afternoon, for a short
distance; when, leaving the tents and baggage, it took a road to the
right, and before night halted in a grove by the roadside. After a few
hours spent in preparing and eating supper, it moved off in the
direction of Romney, the Seventh in the advance.
All night we marched, over mountains and streams, through snow and
sleet. In the morning we came to a halt at an old tannery, and after
remaining through the day, fell back four miles and bivouacked on the
banks of the Little Cacapon River. Tired and wet, the soldiers lay down
to rest on their bed of rails and straw, to gather strength for the
morrow. At last, day dawned, rainy and gloomy, and the command moved
five miles to the rear, to a place called the Levels,--a very high
table-land, exposed to severe wind and storm, which never fails to
visit that region. The regiment was ordered to bivouac, and soon the
pine forest was converted into a village of green houses, with hot
fires roaring and crackling before them.
We remained here some fifteen days, within three miles of the tents;
but for some reason, better known to those in command, we were left on
a hilltop, exposed to the cold winds and snows of February, in brush
shanties. During some of the time it was so cold that a crust formed on
the snow sufficiently hard to hold up a person. During this time the
commanding officer of our brigade occupied a house close by, which was
very convenient as well as comfortable.
The regiment, while here, did very little duty; in fact none, with the
exception of one brigade drill in the snow, which only vexed the
command, without accomplishing any good.
Colonel Sprague, formerly captain of Company E, now paid the regiment a
visit, the first time he had met his old comrades since his capture.
Following that had intervened his long imprisonment. The meeting was a
pleasant one.
On the 13th of March the regiment left camp, and, taking the Bradford
pike, crossed a range of hills, at the foot of which is the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad. Taking this road, Pau-Pau Station was reached before
night. Here we found quite a number of troops.
General Lander advanced with one brigade on the Blooming pike. Soon the
advance-guard, consisting of a part of a regiment of cavalry, came on
to an intrenched camp of militia. The general, taking command in
person, ordered a charge; but barely a dozen of these horsemen could be
made to follow their brave leader. But, nothing daunted, Lander,
followed by his staff and a few of the cavalry, dashed over the
intrenchments, when some fifty rebels surrendered; Colonel Baldwin,
their commander, giving himself up to Lander, after the latter had
seized him by the shoulder, despite the revolver which the rebel
colonel held in his hand.
On the return of this expedition, the Seventh was ordered out on to the
pike. After advancing for nearly two miles, it halted by the roadside,
where it remained in the mud and snow till the following afternoon,
when it went into camp close by.