148 Norra Carorina Troops, 1861-’65.

side and could not get to his house. When we — he
asked what we were going to do. We told him our ise
were not to stop until we crossed Elk Mountain. He pease
us “for God’s sake not to attempt to cross, as the last team
that had attempted to cross, with all the men, had nee
drowned.” As it was very dark and raining hard, we canis
for the night. Before morning the rain ceased, and the sun
rose bright and clear. Hooking up our teams were soon on
the road. Getting into the ford, the front mules became
frightened and turned for the bank. The driver cate
stopped and called to the writer, who was hanging on “ ‘ .
feed box, for help. I had to give up my hold on the box anc
wade round holding to the saddle mule until I could get to
the lead, and jumping on to his back I took the bridle of the
off one and finally got them straightened. Looking across I
found the ford filled with logs. I turned them down the
stream and got out fifty yards below on a low bank, the mules
sometimes on the big rocks, at others swimming. Of course,
the water filled the wagon and the sick men were thoroughly
soaked. We pushed on, and soon came to a wagon turned
over in the water, and the mules drowning. A little lower
down we found Captain Kirksey, of the Burke Tigers, ona
big rock in the middle of the stream, the men with him having
all got out safe. :
Crossing Elk river five or six times, often having to swim
it, just before night we came to a large farm with lots of hay
stacks near the road, and here I determined to camp. We
made a shelter of rails, covering it with hay, making good
beds on the ground, collected wood for fires and made the men
as comfortable as possible. Having had no rations for two
days and nothing to cook, we went to bed hungry but warm
and comfortable. Early next morning we were on the road
with other wagons that had arrived during the night. Cross-
ing Elk Mountain we reached Edray about noon, where the
sick were turned over to the Surgeons in charge of the camp,
and after a rest of one day they were sent to Hot Springs,
where several of them died and others came out cripples for
life. The regiment came up in a day or so. Having camped
a short time on Elk Mountain, we moved on to Green Brier

SIXTEENTH REGIMENT. 149

bridge, where we remained for some time doing picket duty,
drilling and other like work.

FALLING BACK.

Here General Lee divided his forces, taking part and going
to the help of Generals Floyd and Wise in the Kanawha Val-
ley, leaving General Donaldson, of Tennessee, in command
at Green Brier. After ten days the force returned, and a few
days later we took up our march, moving south, leaving the
mountains covered with snow. Passing Huntersville, the
third day we reached Warm Springs, now called Bath Court
House. The fourth, we passed near Hot Springs, where a
great many of our sick men were in hospital, then by Bath
Alum to Millboro, on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad,
near Rock Bridge Alum Springs. We took the train at 4
o’clock a. m. for Staunton, which we were to reach by 9
o’clock and where we were told we would stop for some time,
so we made no preparation for breakfast, all our rations being
packed up in mess chests and loaded on the ears with the bag-
gage. We did not reach Staunton until 5 p. m., and there
orders were waiting us not to disembark but to push on at once
for Manassas, as a battle was expected at any moment.

AT MANASSAS.

We moved out, crossing the mountain after dark, passing
Gordonsville late in the night and Culpepper at sunrise, ar-
riving at Manassas about 5 p. m., hungry and tired, having
been two days and nights on board without food or drink.
We were soon unloaded, had fires lighted, the pots on, and
in short order a two days’ meal was cooked and eaten. We
remained at Manassas about two weeks, under command of
Colonel George B. Anderson, of the Fourth North Carolina,
and on 21 November were ordered to join Colonel Wade
Hampton at Bacon Race Church, about twelve miles in the
direction of the Potomac, reaching there next day, and a day
later Colonel Hampton with his brigade, composed of the
Hampton Legion, Fourteenth and Nineteenth Georgia, and
Sixteenth North Carolina and an Arkansas Battalion. moved
about eight miles near the mouth of the Occoquan, on the Po-