Sketches (Reminscences) of the Campaign of General Floyd (contd.)

One other fact & I will revert to my regu-
lar narrative. So unexpected & hurried was
our departure from Camp Arbuckle that
the troops, General & all left their tents.

We all bivouaced in the woods every night,
the General nearly always drawing an ex-
posed position to bivouac -- often a danger-
ous one. There undoubtedly would have
been great complaint in the army, had not
the soldiers seen their commander endur-
ing the same hardships as they. In this
he displayed his wisdom & generalship.
The amount of rain & dampness during the
past few weeks is said to surpass any that
of any previous season for many years.

The soldiers endured it manfully & exhib-
ited a will which will appear on the
battle field much to the terror of an
enemy.

The enemy at Gauley Bridge seeing so
large a force in their front, took it for gran-
ted that they would be immediately attacked,
& drew reinforcements from all adjacent
points, -- leaving them unprotected.

Gen. Floyd hearing that Carnifax's Ferry
was unprotected, determined at once
to cross the river at that point. at a &
on the morning of the 22nd, by 2 o'clock
^'he' had his whole force in motion.

This movement was made with great
secrecy. Our camp fires were left
brightly burning. It is probably that
the enemy were entirely ignorant of
of ^'our' departure for many hours.

By a forced march of 12 miles over
the Saturday Road, -- one of the roughest
in Western Virginia, we arrived at the
Ferry by 12M. & immediately crossed,
leaving Wise's force on the Eastern side
of the River. In all our undertakings,
fortune seems to have favored us. The
enemy on leaving attempted to destroy
both ferry boats. But, luckily for us, one
was washed out upon the bank by the
violent current, & we were enabled to
cross. This ferry is a perfect natural
fortification, & 100 men on the Western
Bank could prevent the crossing of innumer-^'able'
hosts from the opposite side. The enemy
however, destitute of that cunning &
fore-sight so peculiar to the Yankees,
permitted us to cross without the firing
of a gun, or the loss of a man, except
by accident. During the passage of the
troops the river was greatly swollen by
heavy rains, & the current became so
strong that our boat was carried
off, drowning 4 men. This placed us in
a perilous condition , with only a portion
of our forces over & without provisions,
this would have been the golden oppor-
tunity of the enemy, had they been aware
of it. But the energy of our General
soon removed this difficulty. In less
than 24 hours a larger & stronger
boat was completed, & our Brigade was
was once more united on the summit
of the hill north of Gauley. Gauley River,
which is remarkable along it entire course for the rapidity & noise of its
current, here at the ^its' junction ^'with' Meadow
river, presents a spectacle peculiarily
grand & picturesque. Mr. Jefferson said
it was worth a trip across the Atlantic
to see the passage of the Potomac through
the Blue Ridge, & it may be said with
equal propriety the the traveler wld.
be well repaid by ^'for' visiting this spot from
the remotest pot portion of America.
A scene so wild, I never before beheld.
On each ^'side' of the ravine are clifts &
precipaces, in many places hundreds
of feet high, & the roaring of the
stream over the falls can be heard at
an emmence ^'great' distance.