At four in the evening we entered the town of Chester in Meigs County, after great difficulty. Every bridge had been destroyed in our front, and at every pass and ravine the road was blockaded and defended by troops in concealment, but we never failed to dislodge and drive them confusedly away. A large number of “blockaders” were captured and, accompanied by a guard, were compelled to clear away the obstructions that many of them had assisted in making. Poor fellows, they felt their time had come, so badly were they frightened. They would no more halt when we were after them than they could fly. Oftentimes the boys would dismount and go in pursuit of these bushwhackers and command them to halt, but on they ran, like some one that had escaped from the deaf and dumb asylum, never stopping until the boys laid violent hands upon them, holding them fast by main force. Even then they would strive hard to get away, just as some wild animals would do. At times it was difficult to keep the boys from shooting them down for such actions.
Halting in Chester for the arrival of the General and forces, we had a delightful time, certain delicacies having been prepared by the ladies for their gallant and patriotic defenders.
On General Morgan’s arrival we moved on to the river at a double quick, never reining our horses until dark, and then we were on the bank of the Ohio. We soon captured the picket of the forces guarding the ford, which consisted of three hundred militia from Marietta, with three field-pieces, and though strongly entrenched they left the country as soon as they heard of our arrival, leaving their guns in our charge.
Our brigade and artillery did not come up until midnight. It was then extremely dark and foggy, and knowing that we undoubtedly would have to swim a part of the way, at least, across the river, and that it would be extremely difficult to get our battery over it, it was thought advisable to delay until daylight and fair play. I am now confident that had we attempted it very many of our men would have been drowned. Every one was broken down with fatigue, and thus the delay.
Twice during the night I was ordered with twenty of Company B to cross the river in search of flatboats, but failed to secure any. If we had not been under orders, how easily we could have escaped the coming disaster, and yet we never suspected that such would be our fate.