The Citizen-Soldier | Page 4

away in the hills. Now the
secessionists have taken to the woods. The utmost bitterness of feeling
exists between the two. A man was found to-day, within a half mile of
this camp, with his head cut off and entrails ripped out, probably a
Union man who had been hounded down and killed. The Dutch
regiment (McCook's), when it took possession of the bridge, had a
slight skirmish with the enemy, and, I learn, killed two men. On the day
after to-morrow I apprehend the first great battle will be fought in
Western Virginia.
I ate breakfast in Buckhannon at six o'clock A. M., and now, at six
o'clock P. M. am awaiting my second meal.
The boys, I ascertain, searched one secession house on the road, and
found three guns and a small amount of ammunition. The guns were
hunting pieces, all loaded. The woman of the house was very indignant,
and spoke in disrespectful terms of the Union men of the neighborhood,
whom she suspected of instigating the search. She said she "had come
from a higher sphere than they, and would not lay down with dogs."
She was an Eastern Virginia woman, and, although poor as a church
mouse, thought herself superior to West Virginia people. As an
indication of this lady's refinement and loyalty, it is only necessary to
say that a day or two before she had displayed a secession flag made, as
she very frankly told the soldiers, of the tail of an old shirt, with J. D.
and S. C. on it, the letters standing for Jefferson Davis and the Southern

Confederacy.
Four or five thousand men are encamped here, huddled together in a
little circular valley, with high hills surrounding. A company of cavalry
is just going by my tent on the road toward Beverly, probably to watch
the front.
As we were leaving camp this morning, an officer of an Ohio regiment
rode at break-neck speed along the line, inquiring for General
McClellan, and yelling, as he passed, that four companies of the
regiment to which he belongs had been surrounded at Glendale, by
twelve hundred secessionists, under O. Jennings Wise. Our men,
misapprehending the statement, thought Buckhannon had been attacked,
and were in a great state of excitement.
The officers of General Schleich's staff were with me on to-day's march,
and the younger members, Captains Hunter and Dubois, got off
whatever poetry they had in them of a military cast. "On Linden when
the sun was low," was recited to the hills of Western Virginia in a
manner that must have touched even the stoniest of them. I could think
of nothing but "There was a sound of revelry by night," and as this was
not particularly applicable to the occasion, owing to the exceeding
brightness of the sun, and the entire absence of all revelry, I thought
best not to astonish my companions by exhibiting my knowledge of the
poets.
West Virginia hogs are the longest, lankest, boniest animals in creation.
I am reminded of this by that broth of an Irish lad, Conway, who says,
in substance, and with a broad Celtic accent, that their noses have to be
sharpened every morning to enable them to pick a living among the
rocks.
Colonel Marrow informs me that an attack is apprehended to-night. We
have sent out strong pickets. The cannon are so placed as to shoot up
the road. Our regiment is to form on the left of the turnpike, and the
Dutch regiment on the right, in case the secession forces should be bold
enough to come down on us.

9. Moved from the Middle Fork of the Buckhannon river at seven
o'clock this morning, and arrived at Roaring creek at four P. M. We
came over the hills with all the pomp and circumstance of glorious war;
infantry, cavalry, artillery, and hundreds of army wagons; the whole
stretching along the mountain road for miles. The tops of the
Alleghanies can now be seen plainly. We are at the foot of Rich
mountain, encamped where our brothers of the secession order pitched
their tents last night. Our advance guard gave them a few shots and
they fled precipitately to the mountains, burning the bridge behind
them. When our regiment arrived a few shots were heard, and the
bayonets and bright barrels of the enemy's guns could be seen on the
hills.
It clouded up shortly after, and before we had pitched our tents, the
clouds came over Rich mountain, settling down upon and hiding its
summit entirely. Heaven gave us a specimen of its artillery firing, and a
heavy shower fell, drenching us all completely. As I write, the sound of
a cannon comes booming over the mountain. There it goes again!
Whether it is at Phillippi or Laurel