146 Norto Carolina TROOPS, 1861-’65.

: ‘fully next morning, but was late in
The sun rose beautifully

reaching us down under the shadow of copter: me bs
were lying on a sand bank enjoying a sun ote n, dry : basic
blankets and clothing, when a volley of musketry a a
at the ford. Our picket had discovered a squad of a -
twenty Federals coming up under cover of the orang e
bank of the river and fired on them, they returning = om
and at once withdrew. Two of our men, John Dow eho
John F. Logan were wounded. We were then moved
taking position behind a large raft of logs, and later across :
river on the side of the mountain, another Major being pu
in command and a surgeon sent to stay with us. About aye:
we saw two men riding down the road toward the enemy's
lines with a white flag. They passed out of sight but re-
turned shortly, the flag stopping opposite us while the ine
man galloped to headquarters, and soon returned oie =
ambulance, and all then crossed the river going 1n the nie
tion of the Federals. In less than an hour they returne :
driving very slowly, and we afterwards learned that they ie
- the body of Colonel Washington, who was killed the day be-
fore. His watch, money, and all his papers were returned
ith his body.

We chil in our position for two days and nights, and
on the morning of the third day, at 4 a. m., Captain Champ
Davis came down to the writer and told him he must get the
pickets up as soon as possible. It was very dark and cloudy,
the sound of the water running over the rocks the only thing
to guide us. The first post was found and notified, but the
second was by some means passed unnoticed, soon finding
myself at the third, which I knew was the last. Knowing the
danger in coming back with a party in the dark, the men were
instrneted to wait for a signal and then to come up. Ad-
vancing very slowly and calling the name of one of the men
in a low voice, I soon came to the post, but it was all I could
do to keep them from killing me—they were so badly fright-
ened. We soon got all right and reached headquarters, where
we found the regiment awaiting us.

Daylight having appeared, Colonel Lee came to the front
and read a general order from General Lee, that on account

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 147

of his plans miscarrying he had determined not to make any
further demonstration on that line, but that we were to march
back to Valley Mountain for the present. We marched back
about one mile, halting in a field where we waited until near
dark for some troops to pass from another road, then marched
several miles to the camp, where we had stopped the first
night coming down. There we rested until morning, and
then marched to Valley Mountain, where we remained a
few days. Almost half our men were sick at this time from
fever and measles, and all the teams that could be used for
that purpose were put to work hauling off sick men to the
camp established at Edray on the south side of Middle Moun-
tain, and they were from there transferred to Warm Springs,
Hot Springs, and other points in the direction of Staunton
and Richmond as fast as transportation could be procured.
This was, on account of the rain and bad roads, slow and
hurtful to the sick, several dying on the way. Remaining
on Valley Mountain a few days, we moved camp to Big
Springs, and on the last day of September the writer gath-
ered a bucket full of large, fine blackberries on the side of
the mountain. .

On 1 October we had one of the heaviest rain storms I
ever saw fall—a fire could not be made during the whole day
and nearly all our tents were blown down. The dry ford of
Elk, perfectly dry when we passed up on 1 August, was now
a raging torrent, sweeping down trees and everything else it
came in contact with. During the day we were called out
and stood in the rain for an hour, the report being circulated ©
that the Federals were following us and were then on Valley
Mountain. We were dismissed, but ordered to hold ourselves
in readiness to move at a moment’s notice.

Just before night a wagon was driven up, having orders to
carry off the sick men of Company G. Eleven very sick men
with typhoid fever, the writer ordered to accompany them,
were put in the wagon and started with two other wagons,
and soon we reached the crossing of this dry run of Elk, the
road being the bed of the stream. There was an old man
who lived on both sides of the run, his house on one, his
kitchen on the other side, and he was caught on the kitchen