war.

The regiment reached Clarksburg, by rail, at 2 P. M. of the following day, and there learned to pitch the bell tent. At 4 P. M. of the 29th, the first forced march was begun. The point in view was Weston, 23 miles to the south-west. Thirty thousand dollars of the State funds were deposited at that place, and were to be removed to Richmond the next day. By great exertion under loaded knapsacks, the Seventh Ohio reached the town at 5 o'clock of the following morning and secured the doomed treasure. That march, under the circumstances, was one of the severest of the war. Very few of the men who had no horses to ride, will ever forget the almost unendurable fatigue, the unsightly blisters, and the terrible sensation of thirst, which were experienced during that night—which, to many, was a night of horrors. There was scarcely a thought but of rest and water.

The people of Weston were generally loyal and well disposed to the Federal soldiers, showing their good will and patriotism in a Fourth of July dinner, the regiment, in turn, giving them a military parade through all the principal streets in the town.

This practice which soldiers fall into, of displaying their officers on every fine occasion, has proved one of the intolerable bores of military service; and it is to be hoped that in the next war, privates will be more economical in the expenditure of their strength.

On the 8th of July the regiment set out for Glenville, a little town 28 miles distant, to relieve 300 of the 17th Ohio, said to be surrounded by 1,500 rebels under O. Jennings Wise. The march to that place was a severe one, and was completed that day only by Co. C, which was detailed to push through and furnish the necessary relief. No enemy appeared, and the service at that town was characterized only by severe guard duty and the wounding of Corporal Adams while on picket. Chipman carried the news to camp and the whole regiment was aroused; but diligent search failed to secure the rebel, who seemed to be swallowed up by mother earth. Leaving Glenville July 24, the Seventh reached Cross Lanes on the 15th of August, having encamped on its rout at Bulltown, Salt Lick, Flatwoods, Sutton, Birch Mountain, and Summerville.

Encamped at Cross Lanes in a beautiful, sloping meadow, it remained drilling until August 21, when an order was received in the evening to march to Gauley Bridge. In an hour the regiment was on the road, and at 10 A. M. of the next day it had reached Twenty-Mile Creek, where it halted. Gen. Cox, at Gauley Bridge, gave orders for it to return immediately. It remained until the 24th. On arrival in the vicinity of the old camp, it was discovered that Gen. Floyd had crossed Gauley River and had encamped near Cross Lanes with 4000 men. Reason suggested only one thing to be done. Military orders, not always coming within its jurisdiction, put the men in bivouac on the corners and on the four roads leading to them. While the men were roasting their corn and frying their meat for breakfast in the morning of the 24th, the picket alarm was given, and very soon it was discovered that the regiment was nearly surrounded. The main strategy seemed to be for each company to take care of itself, and do what its wisdom and discretion dictated. The enemy marched across the meadow in fine column of divisions, and, by exact orders, poured successive volleys into companies, A, C and K, the most of which was received by Co. C. Here was enough order justly to give the action the name of battle. If others name it differently, it may be that they did not see enough of it to learn its true nature. Co. C formed on a little hill, and held it, fighting to the best of its ability until every other company, without exception, had fled, in addition to every field officer. To retreat, soon became a military necessity. Cross, Orton, Jeakins, Sheldon, Collins, and Jones, were severely wounded, and left on the field. The rest of the company, with the Captain and Parmenter at its head, wandered two hours in the woods, and, losing their way, turned their course so as to fall in with a regiment of rebels, commanded by Col. Tompkins, who ordered a halt and surrender. The Captain shrewdly parleyed sufficiently to give Lieutenant Baker time to command—"Skedaddle." Then followed the scattering of Co. C in the woods, and a separation of friends that have never since met. At this point only fifteen were captured. Others were picked up in the woods during the four succeeding days. Men gathered together in squads of two, four, or half-a-dozen, to find their way to Gauley Bridge, twenty-five miles distant, through the thick laurel, and over mountains that seemed no less than second cousins to the Alps. Harmon dropped into a ditch, was passed over by the rebels, picked up a well-filled haversack, and came into camp with a plenty and to spare. Many were concealed by loyal families, in caves or in their houses, for days, until the rebel pickets were removed. Condit was fed and housed for two weeks, after which, to the surprise of the company, he made his appearance with a full, healthy, improved countenance. Cooper, Wise, and Woodmansee, appeared at Gauley Bridge, on the ninth day, as living skeletons, nearly starved. Winsor was separated from his company, and, with 400 of the regiment, made his way through the mountains to Charleston, 80 miles distant.

These are specimens of the varied experiences of the men, such as to this day furnish new topics of conversation for them when they meet. The whole affair was, to Co. C, one of the most memorable of the war. For a long time after this sad occurrence, the company was broken up, and the pride of its organization seemed to have departed.

Joseph Collins died the next day after the battle, and was buried on the field. Burford Jeakins lived until 10 o'clock Sunday evening, September 22, and passed away to a better world. Lieutenant Cross, Sergeant Orton, H. G. Sheldon, and L. J. Jones, were recaptured by the forces of Gen. Rosecrans in the action at Carnifex Ferry, September 10. As soon as convenient they were removed to Cincinnati.

After all the stragglers had been gathered into camp it appeared that 29 had been taken prisoners of war, namely: Captain Shurtleff; Sergeants, Stiles, Parmenter, and Morey; Corporals, Cole and Mack; Privates, Biggs, Bodle, Burns, Claghorn, Curtis, Finch, Halbert, Howard, Hubbell, S. B. Kingsbury, Massa, Myers, Noble, Newton, Osborn, Parker, Root, Scott, Smith, Thompson, Tuttle, Warren, and Wheeler. These men were marched to Jacksonville, one hundred miles, with their elbows tied together behind them. From that place they went by railroad to Richmond, and, with other prisoners captured at Manassas and Ball's Bluff, were there confined in Atkinson's Tobacco Factory. After a few weeks they were privileged to ride nearly the whole length of the Confederacy, in open dirt cars, and to enjoy the wit and admiration of multitudes who had probably never before seen a live Yankee, dressed in blue. Arriving at New Orleans, October 1, 1861, they were thrust into Parish Prison, and were obliged to occupy the small, filthy cells, where the vilest criminals of the city were incarcerated. No clothing was furnished them by the Confederacy, and not half enough food was afforded to keep them thriving; but by means of the profits, arising from the manufacture of bone trinkets, their sufferings were much less than otherwise they must have been. Some of them became very skillful in making bone rings, pen-holders, watch-chains, crosses, numbers, etc. The aristocracy thought it a rare chance to buy an ornament of bone, made by a Yankee prisoner. Large sums of money were realized by some of the most expert workers. The more studious