While tarrying at this place, Mr. Winsor did a driving business at tuning the pianos and melodeons of the young ladies, who had not been thus favored since the beginning of the war—for all the Yankees had been driven away.
With the expulsion of Floyd, the campaign of Western Virginia was ended. The Union army was divided. One part was retained under the command of Gen. Cox; another was sent to Kentucky, while the Seventh Ohio was sent to Romney to join a limb of the Army of the Potomac.
Departure from Charleston.
Bidding adieu to Gen. Cox, on the 10th of December, 1861, the regiment took the two steamers, Ft. Wayne and Stephen Decatur. Pushing down the Kanawa, and up the Ohio, passing the famous Isle of Blannerhasset early the next morning, it arrived at Parkersburg at noon of the following day. On it went, by the B. & O. R. R. to Green Spring Run, a houseless town sixteen miles east of Romney. Here the men were supplied with new Sibley tents, which were great balloon-like palaces to the soldier. After a hard day's march, on the 16th of December, the regiment joined the force of Gen. Lander at Romney. The garrison of 8000 men was under the immediate command of Colonel Dunning, of the 5th Ohio.
The peculiar position of Romney, and its relation to Winchester, where a large force under Gen. Jackson, was encamped, made an unusual amount of severe picket duty necessary; and to add to the necessary amount, the foolish notion of inexperienced officers was then in vogue, of sending a dozen infantry-men six or seven miles from camp, where they could neither prevent their own capture nor communicate with the camp in case of a surprise.
Many a cold, tedious, winter night was spent on these distant picket posts. On the road towards Winchester, there was one that was particularly dangerous to the unfortunate vidette. The enemy had a small force stationed at Ballou's Gap, seventeen miles distant, from which he was in the habit of sending out bushwhackers to annoy our pickets. Early in the morning of January 6, Colonel Dunning led to this place a detachment consisting of the 4th, 5th, and 7th, Ohio, 14th Indiana, and 1st Virginia, with a few cavalry companies. This force surprised the rebels at day-break, killed ten or a dozen, took nine horses and two steel rifled cannon, captured fourteen prisoners, and returned to camp at 4 P. M., making a march of thirty-four miles on the snow, in fifteen hours. This lively raid, with the burning of a good number of buildings on the route, was a brilliant punishment, which proved an effectual remedy.
Christmas was observed according to the common practice of feasting on pies, cakes, fowls and other luxuries that had been preserved for that occasion. Mess No. 5 digressed from the usual custom, by having an oyster supper, prepared by unusual hands. The other messes fully sustained their culinary reputation, and thought themselves not far behind their enviable comrades of No. 5. That was not, by any means, an unhappy day, in spite of the protestation that one important element of society was lacking. And yet, very few will ever hope that circumstances will render it necessary for them to spend another Christmas in like manner.
Romney.
It appears that, for three months, Stonewall Jackson had meditated an attack upon Romney, with the reasonable hope of capturing the whole garrison. Gen. Lander had so well anticipated his movement as to evacuate the town during the night before the very morning on which the rebel General had expected to pounce upon his prey. At 10 P. M. of January 10, 1862, the Union force moved from the town with its baggage and stores, and marching via Springfield and Frankfort, arrived at 4 P. M. of the 11th at Patterson's Creek, on the B. & O. R. R., a few miles from Cumberland, Md. The site for the camp was the worst possible in all that country. The snow lay on the ground and was filled with water that had fallen during the day. The ground itself was a swamp. These three circumstances, combined, had prepared a soft bed for the weary, hungry, foot-sore soldier.
The sea of mud, stirred and kneaded by 8000 soldiers, was altogether indescribable, for only a comparatively small portion was on the top in sight.