Army Correspondence.
Camp Union, Fayettville, Va.
Nov. 20, 1861
To The Editor Of The Sentinel.
You have ere this received the particulars of Floyd’s retreat, But a brief sketch of it and of our movements since we left Camp Sperry, will, perhaps, be acceptable. Not trusting memory, but referring to my diary, I quote as follows:
Nov. 13th.—At five A. M. , received orders to be ready to march at seven. Soon all was hurry and preparation. After waiting some time started for Gauley. Halted at Camp Ewing, found our Regiment gone and the camp deserted— forward again for a few miles–halted awhile at Hawk’s Nest (now called Wise’s Folly.) Soon on the march again—very warm marching—the warmest day we have had for some time—arrived at Gauley in time to overtake the Regiment which had crossed New River. Soon took our line of march down the Kanawha for two or three miles, then Southward towards Cotton Hill a mile or two; halted and bivouaced for the night, very tired, found plenty of unthreshed wheat for beds, and was soon sleeping soundly.
Nov. 14th.—Ordered to leave knapsacks and fall in; soon again on the march. Very good marching until after moon when down, then it became very dark; commenced raining, and so many marching over the clay roads they became very slippery, making the hardest and most difficult marching that I have ever experienced. Part of the time we were in mud ankle deep, the rest of the time falling down or slipping and sliding about. But we pushed ahead, as there was a prospect of a fight, until a short time before day-break it became so very dark that it was impossible to proceed, and we halted until it began to be light, then forward to Fayetteville. Soon came to the enemy’s breastworks, on Cotton Hill, which Gen. Benham had driven them from. Passed their camp in which every thing had been destroyed that they could not take with them. Hundreds of tents and some clothing appeared to have been burned. The ammunition wagon was left loaded with 1000 round of cartridge, shot and shell. We arrived at Fayetteville in the forenoon, some of the companies with but fifteen or twenty men; the rest had fallen out along the route exhausted. One company I noticed had but ten men. As Benham was after Floyd, there seemed to be no use for us, though we expected to be ordered on all day. Floyd and his staff were said to be all drunk. Floyd so much so, that he could not ride his horse. and had to be carried otherwise. They would probably have all been taken prisoners, had not an order been misunderstood. The enemy were overtaken some twelve or fourteen miles from here, forming a line of battle, but it was supposed only for the purpose of giving their train a chance to get ahead. A few shots from our howitzers soon dispersed them. They were pursued no further because our men were exhausted and out of provisions. A Colonel was shot, (Col. Crogan, I believe his name was) and Gen. Benham coming up, recognized him as a former student at West Point. Before he died he made the remark. “I ask no sympathy. I am on the wrong side. This is no more than I expected.”
Benham’s Brigade returned the next day, with parts of other Regiments, looking rather the worst for the pursuit. All left here the next day after. There is now only our Brigade here. We have one scout of two or three days; but more of that, perhaps, hereafter. All the men find shelter in the deserted buildings. There are but three or four families here, all the rest having fled at our approach. Co. “B” is at present quartered in as fine a residence as you will find in most county towns. Rather different furniture surrounds me from what we usually see in the parlor. A rough bunk seen in each corner, cartridge boxes, rifles, knapsacks, tin cups, canteens, etc., stand out in bold relief against a beautifully papered wall, and finely grained moldings. Our Company are generally well, have about 60 here. To-day our Regiment reports 399 men for duty; all as anxious for a fight as ever, though the prospect of one, we think, is beautifully less every day. We as well ———-thing of our destination, or how long we rest here.
Yours, H. J. Covell.
This article was published in the “Ashtabula Sentinel”
Jefferson, Ashtabula County, Ohio 11 Dec 1861
Page 1 Column 3 & 4
The newspaper is on microfilm at the Ashtabula Public Library.
This is part of a series on the Civil War in Ashtabula County as was reported in the Ashtabula Sentinel.