Gun bunkers were dug on both sides of the valley. Cannons were placed in the bunkers. Also most of the valley could be protected by sharp-shooting riflemen. When the soldiers were not involved in a heated fire fight, the bunkers made excellent hiding places for the troops who loved to shoot craps and play poker. Officers never entered the bunkers. They were TOO DANGEROUS.

The Yankee troops tried to get the Saltville salt with two battles. They were driven out twice. Once the Southern troops drove them out. The second time Saltville restaurant owners asked them to leave town. Their waitresses said the Yankees were bad tippers and refused to serve them anymore.

Another reason the Yankees failed to take Saltville was a matter of communication. The Rebels that were captured could not understand the orders given them by the Yankee captors. They talked funny! What we had here was a failure to communicate.

The Rebels had a hard time keeping their troops together. Most of the Southern soldiers went home for the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. They stayed home until after the New Year celebration. It's hard to carry on a battle with one army absent. Of course, after the Rebels got back from vacation they fought twice as hard to make up for lost time!

Finally, the Northern troops went back home. They were very disappointed, not because they had failed to capture the salt-making furnaces. The were angry because the South was using the salt kettles to scald the hogs they had killed. Saltville always took time out in November and December for hawg killin'.

THE YANKEES SAID THE REBELS DIDN'T FIGHT FAIRLY, SO THEY WENT HOME!

You picked a fine time to leave us, loose wheel
At 7-Mile Ford, as we came down the hill,
The wheel passed us by as if shot from a gun,
Then Ted took off after it in a classic dead run.

We were on our way home from a big fishing trip,
We were all wet and hungry,
I was down in the hip.

The college professor by the name of Ted D,
became traumatized by Big John and me,
He worked like a Trojan as he put on the spare,
Was on his knees praying there was air in the tire.

One of Smyth County's finest with his blue lights a-flashing
Stood guard over us as the big trucks were passing,
He had been informed on the car radio
By some passing driver that We'd come to a WHOA.

He kept us all safe till Ted changed the tire
Then we three headed home on a wing and a prayer.
Now we are all home, we're safe now, you bet,
We're lucky to be a part of this net!

THIS IS A TRUE STORY. THE TRAILER TIRE PASSED US COMING DOWN PRESTON HILL ON I-81 AND WENT ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS DOWN THE ROAD!!

The frost is on the pumpkin,
Songbirds are on the lam,
I can't remember anything,
Not even who I am!

My memory has just left me,
It's gone into thin air,
I can't remember where I live,
Please,how do I get there?