Our part in this
expedition is done, and we are on our way back to Knoxville. Wilcox's
"baby brigade," as our boys call them, and the Twenty-third Corps,
together with cavalry and mounted infantry, are following up the retreating
Rebels. I have not learned the result of the fight, and probably will not for
some days to come. Over a hundred of their dead are buried at Blue Springs,
where our forces first overtook them, and as far as I went which was fifteen
miles—every house was filled with their wounded.
I saw some were from
Lee's army. One Lieutenant said he remembered seeing our regiment at
Fredericksburg. He had stood picket opposite our boys several times. There was
a brigade from the Rappahannock. Their force, he said, was about eight
thousand, all mounted. The facts in the case were about as follows: Burnside
had cleared his department of armed Rebels and had advanced into Virginia as
far as Salt Town, where the Rebels had extensive salt works, strongly
fortified. Before he could concentrate sufficient force to destroy these works,
word came that Rosa was in danger—that Burnside was to hold himself in
readiness to reinforce him at a minute's notice. In order to do this he must
withdraw all his forces from the northeast and concentrate them near Knoxville.
The Rebels followed
up as he fell back, and occupied the positions he had driven them from.
Before Burnside
reached Morristown, word came from Rosa that he was safe inside his
fortifications and was being rapidly reinforced by Grant. This left
Burnside free to do over again what had been undone, but through no fault of
his.
It was a touching
sight to witness the joy of these much-abused people at our return. Men who had
fled to the bush as the Rebels advanced, and dare not, for their lives, appear,
came flocking in and were welcomed with tears and shouts of joy by wives and children.
Their gratitude was unbounded.
As I witnessed the
delight of these people and listened to their tales of suffering, I felt more
than ever that I was engaged in a just and holy cause, and my heart was
strengthened to do and dare for human liberty.
SOURCE: David
Lane, A Soldier's Diary: The Story of a Volunteer,
1862-1865, pp. 105-6
