OPERATIONS IN EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTH-WEST VIRGINIA. 479
composed of boys and old men, received the first shock of battle at “ Gov-ernor ” Saunders’s house, in advance of the main line. This little companyfought desperately and suffered severely before being driven back. Theengagement continued with varying fortunes during the day, and when nightcame Burbridge was not in sight at the salt-works. The next morning heWas 20 miles away. He left Colonel Charles S. Hanson (wounded) and manyother wounded men and prisoners in the hands of the Confederates. Gen-eral Williams and Colonel Giltner pursued him to the head of the Louisa forkof the Big Sandy. The 10th Kentucky Cavalry (Confederate) lost its colonel,Edwin Trimble, and nearly every officer above lieutenant was either killedor wounded. It had borne the brunt of battle at the ford of Holston River.
In December, 1864, General Stoneman, with a force of cavalry estimated atfour thousand, entered south-west Virginia through east Tennessee , and pro-ceeded to take possession of the country. The department had been drainedof most of its troops by increasing demands from the armies east and west,so that Breckinridge found himself in command of only about 1000 or 1500ttien in a department large enough to require an army corps to defend it.This handful was concentrated at the salt-works in hopes of defending a posi-tion naturally very strong, even against so large an opposing force. Stone-tt»an, doubtless aware of this fact, and knowing the defenseless condition ofthe country, changed the ordinary tactics and devoted himself to capturingthe towns and destroying the railroad. He occupied Bristol and Abingdon ,a nd passing by the salt-works advanced upon Wytheville and the lead-mines.In hopes of arresting his course Breckinridge moved from the salt-works toClarion, on the railroad, where he intercepted Stoneman on Sunday, the 18th°f December, and fought an engagement which lasted through the day andResulted in a substantial victory for the Confederates, who held their positionagainst largely superior numbers. But during the day Stoneman sent a forceTown another road to the salt-works, now without defenders, except a fewmilitia and teamsters, and destroyed as much of the works as possible beforeBreckinridge’s forces could reach there. Having accomplished this long-Tesired object, the Federal forces withdrew across the mountains.^ Theleather was very cold and wet, and all the troops suffered great hardshipsan d privations. During the engagement at Marion on the 17th and 18th ofDecember they stood in the rain and mud, without fire, food, or shelter, for°ver thirty-six hours. Yet they bore it all uncomplainingly and heroically.
. 3*On the 27th of February, 1865, General Grantbistructed General Thomas, commanding the De-partment of the Cumberland, to direct General. “to repeat the raid of last fall, destroy-
ln g the railroad as far toward Lynchburg as hecan,” Stoneman set out from Knoxville about the^ °f March, and moved, via Morristown ando. U . across Iron Mountain to Boone , North^ l0 lina. Stoneman’s force consisted of General' Gillem’s division. The brigade commanders
k M- Colonels s ' B ' Browu > w - J - P!ilmer >and J-
Miller. From Boone the command crossed theu ® kidge to Wilkesboro’, and then turned toward
Bi,south-
and Tennessee Railroad from Wytheville nearly toLynchburg . On the 9th of April Stoneman movedagain into North Carolina, via Jacksonville , Tay-lorsville, and Germantown. At Germantown theforce divided, Palmer’s brigade going to Salem,and the main body to Salisbury. Palmer destroyedthe railroad between Greensboro’ and Danville ,Virginia, and also south of Greensboro ’. The mainbody entered Salisbury on the 12th of April, cap-turing 14 pieces of artillery and 1364 prisoners.General Stoneman now returned to Tennessee withthe artillery and prisoners, leaving the force, undercommand of General Gillem, to do scouting serviceon the east side of the mountains.— Editors.