I do not remember the exact date that we got our marching orders, but I think that it was the first days of Sept 1863. The order came as sudently as did the other. But this time we were to take evry man and all of our belongings. Our line of march was prety much the same that we had passed over int eh Morgan rade, and we were to go to Hartford, where the regiment would meet us and reorganize. The entire regiment had not been in the same camp for about 9 months, having been scattered over the southwestern part of KY, doing post duty. We marched liesuraly, knowing that we were nearer our rendezvous than most of the regiment, in which we were right, as we were the first arrivals. It was about a week before the ballance of the regiment reported. Company H, as usual, was the last one to show up. A part of the 4th Ind Cav was was still with us, also our section of artillary, maned by a detail from our regt, and commanded by Lieut Hammond of our company E. An inefectual effort in the direction of re-equipment was attempted here, but we were finaly ordered to march to Glasco, where our brigade would be organized, and all equipped togather. The march to Glasco was accomplished on the morning of the second day, possibly the third day having lost my diary, I can not be specific as to time and dates. It was here that we had our first experience in any considerable military organization. Our brigade as organized consisted of the 65{th} mounted infantry, The 4{th} Ind Cav, The 14{th}Ill Cav, and the 8th Tenn Cav. In the organization of new commands there is always more or less confusion. Up to this time our soldiers had not attained to that efficient rediness that charactorized our armies later on in our war experience. We had made very little hedway in the direction of efficient military equipment, when we were ordered to march south throgh Cumberland county to the Cumberland river. The line of march was all the more interesting to me from the fact that it was the same road that we had traveled over, when we removed from KY to IND some 12 years before, and we would probably pass throgh some of the country where I had spent my boyhood, I would also pass the residence of my great grandfather, before mentioned in this record. Of course the grandfather was dead, but the old house remained. There had been so many changes that I did not recognize the place till we had arived at the "crick" where we had stoped to feed. While the command was watering I got permission to go back, and make a reconoissance, and find if any of my ancesters remained. A new long {log?} house had been built since I had seen the place, on the opposite side of the road. A man about 60 years of age was sitting on the porch, and arranged in front of him was a row of nice looking pies, evidently for sale. Answering my inquiry as to his personality, he informed me he was the youngest son of grandfather Huggins. I then told him who I was, which failed to elicit any comment, and he did not even rise from his seat to greet me, nor did he offer me a piece of pie. I was not slow in discovering that my blue clothes were not the opning sesame to his benevolance, or his social favor, and hurriedly moved on. The captain quizzed me closely as to the experience with my kinfolk, but I did not indulge in any effusive declarations, as to the reception that I received. I had remaining a pretty good opinion of my nativity, and thought that it was a prety fair country to live in, but the hills seem to have grown higher and the vallies narrower. In fact it did not look like the country that my boyhood had known. I was foolish enough to let it be known that I would pass through the place of my nativity, and when we got into it, I was subject to much railry, and lafture from my comrads, some of whom declared jokingly, that it was no wonder that I looked so tough. We camped on the headwaters of Marrobone creek to gather forage for our horses while we crossed the mountains (Cumberland) which delayed us about three days, but finally got underway, and crossed the Cumberland river at what was known as "Turners" warehouse, by forging the stream. We had crossed the road over which I, when a boy had traveled to mill evry week for several years, with a sack of corn on horseback. Having gotten safely over the river, we camped long enough to feed, and got a bite to eat. In passing through here I saw but one man I had evern known. We resumed our march through Carries Bend and on til late at night before we got to a place that was level enough for a camping ground. We were now in the foothills of the Cumberland mountains, where there were no roads worthy of the name, and our pioneers were kept busy clearing the way so that our teams and artillary could move on. There was no other delay in our marching for two or three days. Till we came to a place in where we had to pass down into a valley of considerable extent, when we found that the road had been blockaded by feling trees across it. Since I can't recall the name of this valley, I will designate it as "Batey", after Capt Baity, who controlled it, and kept the rebels from foraging in it. My recolection is that it was about three miles long, and from one to two miles wide. The soil was very fertile and the people quite prosperous, in their way. Evry man in it was a soldier for that particular part of the country, and obeyed the orders of the captain with military promptness. There was onley one passable road across the valley, and it was the captains orders that kept this road blockaded, to keep the rebels out. Morgan attempted to rade it in the earley part of the war. Bailey allowed Morgan to go in, and load up, but he did not allow him to take his forage out. Morgan was glad to get out with his command, and leave his forage. I do not think that any force ever tried to forrage the valley again. Our government did not recognize Baities forces as regular soldiers, but did not interfear with him in anyway. Our column was fired upon at one point by Baities men, but did no damage. I don't think that they intended to do so, but wanted us to know they were "tahr". Out of this valley we climbed to "Jimtown" which is situated on a level platue, on the summit of the Cumberland mountains. The town is a small village of about three hundred I judged (when everyone was at home.) The houses were all made of pine logs. The soil is a sandy loam and is very poor. It was here that we met the main army, mostly infantry, which had assended the mountain by the way of "Big crick Gap". We onley remained her long enough for the straglers to get in, when the entire army moved forward in the direction of Kingston, on the Tenn river. It was now down grade and we moved forward as rapidly as the mountain roads would permit. The second day we arrived at an old town called Scyola, which is situated in the foothills of the coumberland mountains. While on the summit we experienced sevier frost which occured on or about the 30{th} of Agust, which which was quit sevier in most of the northan and northwestern states. During the summer many of the men had provided themselve with linnin dusters, which on account of the hurried daparture they had not been able to replace with hevy winter clothing. We were in a country where much dry fuel could be had, and we kept up good fires during the night, and were kept active enough to keep warm during the daytime. At Scyola our brigade was detached from the main army, and ordered to make a forage march to Knoxville, and save a large amount of forage that was supposed to be stored there. We had some artillary and of course all were mounted, and we were able to make 20 miles per day, which was considered very good considering the roads over which we had to march. We encountered no enimy, and we thought it was strange that we did not do so, as we were well into what was known as the southern confederacy. To be continued - Sandi SCKY Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=south-central-kentucky Barren Co Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=kybarren GGP: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/