CHAPTER IX.
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.