Notes & Queries EDITED BY BOYD B. STUTLER 517 Main Street Charleston, West Virginia an open forum for readers of Civil War History for questions on phases of the Great Conflict, and for illuminating notes on newly discovered and unrecorded sidelights of die war. Contributions are invited; write Notes and Queries Editor at address above. NOTE An illuminating note on just what an infantryman "in light marching order" carried on his person on a forced march in the early days of die Civil War has turned up in a letter written by a member of Company G, 25th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, to his niece at Lawyersville, New York. Unfortunately, the "uncle" did not sign his name — but whoever he was he was observant and knew how to handle descriptive writing, both of soldier camp life and of die country through which he passed. When, in die late summer of 1861, General Robert E. Lee and his Virginia forces threatened an invasion of die northern central section of West Virginia — the Cheat and Tygarts valleys — which had been lost to die Confederacy in die early summer campaign, troops from Ohio and Indiana were rushed to Jhat front to join with the hastily raised and* poorly trained West Virginia regiments to repel the invasion. The 25tii Ohio detrained at Grafton on August 27 and at once started a forced march to the Cheat Mountain region (from whence Lee was turned back) via Philippi, Belington, Laurel Mountain, and Beverly — all scenes of battles in the early summer fighting. "From Grafton to Cheat Mountain," writes the soldier uncle, "is a distance of 75 miles to travel on foot We left Grafton with our Gun, say 309 310BOYD B. stutler weighing 10 pounds; our Knapsacks with our necessary clothing weighing say 15 pounds; our Haversacks containing our provisions, weighing say 6 pounds; our Canteens filled with water, weighing say 8 pounds; 40 rounds of cartridges and belt, weighing 8 pounds — weighing in all 50 pounds." The first day's march ended at Philippi, 18 miles, but on the second day the regiment marched all day and far into the night, a distance of 33 miles, from Philippi to Beverly through almost continuous rain and over roads that had been churned to a sticky mud. "Before we reached Beverly however, so rapid and forced had been the march, that 300 of our Regiment gave out, and were left at different stations along the road." The letter was written on September 9, 1861, when the regiment was again at full strength and in a fortified position on the crest of Cheat Mountain. "We have been expecting an attack for some time from Gen. Lee; we have for some nights slept on our arms expecting him, but he has not come to disturb us yet, and as soon as we get our fortifications all complete we bid him defiance. Gen. Lee's camp is only 14 miles from us, scouting parties and pickets frequendy meet and have skirmishing, which has generally resulted the heaviest [losses] to the enemy." A few days later Lee began withdrawing his troops from the area without a serious clash of arms. QUERIES 9.Mrs. Lincoln's Friend Mrs. Felician (Eliza Jane) Slataper was friendly with and for several years carried on a correspondence with Mrs. Abraham (Mary) Lincoln. I have recently acquired eleven of Mary Lincoln's letters to Mrs. Slataper (whose name does not appear in any record that I have found) and I would like to know more about her than is disclosed by the letters. Her husband, Felician Slataper, was employed at various times by the Pennsylvania Railroad at Pittsburgh, and also lived in Washington for a considerable time. Owners of correspondence between Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Slataper or their mutual friend, Mrs. A. H. Gross, of Pittsburgh — or others having collateral information or data regarding these women — will gready oblige me by responding. Justin G. Turner 10.Georgia Troops with Lee's Army My two great-grandfathers, both from Georgia, served with the Army of Northern Virginia — one was killed at Gettysburg; the other died at Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1864. Naturally, I am interested in Georgia troops that campaigned...