Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-08-23

pushed them forward within po,nt.b!ank dis
lance 81 he Americans, soon pad them back,
VITA interest, IN their own COIN. l do aot know
that I eves saw siiots more accurately tbrowo.
A the hrst dschsrge, Ave American gunners
were killed.; at the next, one Of the pieces was
disabled. upon which, turning their attention
TO nc infantry, our artlllery moved them down
BY Whole sections On this occsslau, The mis-
slle pr lncipally used was Sbrspnei. II may
perhaps be necessary To inform the unmuitarl
fe&des, toat the Shrspnei Is q hollow glooe OF
iron, The cavity IA which stlied up, not with
powder 0nly, but With a quantity OF mnsketI
balls IL Is discharged from a cannon. eAacsi,
as a round shot Is discharged, and beng sup
phea WIN a fuse more or Tess snort according
10 the distance 20 be traversed, IT bursts just
IN ssont OF It's object. and tnro@s The whoie of
It's marderous eoa,ents forward. 10 day il dad
fearful havoc. Tue Americans durs, not stand
before 1t but shrunk away from each spot where
a shell had iaiien, AZ u there had been some
,nins deadly 10 tbs very soil.
but II Was upon The road alone that a smart
cannonsdlng WAS kept up. The three guns. al
winch / nave already spoken as being stationed
within the fields towards the Americans lett
opened upon the SSH regiment MS SOON as they
asd taken their ground. The soldiers, howe
yer, paid little heed TO the salutation. being
commanded to he down, they did 40, and res
led very composediy, for twenty minutes, in
defiance OF The showers OF balls that fell thick
a0d last about them.
Attne expiration Of that period, every neces
sary preparation appearing to be complete, col
Brooke, on whom tue chief command had dc
VOWED, was seen to ride along the rear Of the
line, followed by his staff, halting about the
centre OF the field, the little group turned
their gfaC%a tnr a {pW panrrk nfx IN fI1a IN
rection of the enemy's position and then,
as ii satisfied that all things were IN order,
they began to dispense. An aid de camp sal-
ioped off to the right, MIR Evans fiew towards
the lett. and the orderly bugler sound ING the
charge. the " hole army sprung INFO is ranks
HE spiri, stirring notes we're echoed back
from ali quarters, and the line moved torwsrd
Ihave said that our position all this while
was among a namber OF houses and corn stacks,
8 situated about md way between the hostile ~
mics Nothing can be conceived more animst.
ed, or more imposing, than the spectacle
which now mel our gaze. The light troops. in
extended order. stretching from Que shicket 10
another, covered the entire open space, and
advanced, with the same c%solness, and in the
same admirable Sly lie, AZ il they had been mai
ching upon a parade. In their rear, though, far
enough removed 10 be in "a great measure Sc
fAFG hkdtnst IUe tUuohFArSs GsHL y CothPabt
line, whose business il was rather to give sup
port wherever it should be needed, than to
lake any active part in the battle, On the road
again. a dense column ofblue jackets pressed
forward, with the ~alscrity and contempt Of
danger, which so eminenuy distinguished the
BRUSH sailor whilst a battalion, likewise il
column, marched after 1t, ready TO follow up
with advantage whatever successt the priyiiedg
ed undfscipll med vaior OF the seamen might OBJ.
tain.
On the side Of the Americans, again. all was
stiffness and expectation. The corps which
up to this moment bad been continually chang
ing their ground now stood fast. The whole
were in Ene, and, with shouldered arms, APP
peared TO watch the progress OF their enemies.
like men who we're determined not to be beat
en-. Thought, indeed, that | could perceive
q little waverlng at one particular point IL
was a spot towards their extreme left, which,
in the course of the canuonades had received
more than IFS due proportion of salutat,oas; but
whether / was correct or not, 1t was impossi
bic for me to say, inssmuch as the vision be.
came almost instantly obscured by columns of
smoke.-The Americans had in their line sc
veral pieces Of cannon. from which no discharg
rs had as yet taken place.-What Their object
was in keeping them so long idle. know oos;
perhaps they imagined. that their IRE. when
opened Unexpectedly. would produce a double
effect, aud. on that account. reserved " tor
the attack. BE this as il may, our iafahtry hal
not advanced ten PAGES, when a volley of grape
was poured upon them from every gun in the
feid-and the piunging OF balls all along the
grass. the crashing OF rails, trees, and Other
objects struck, as well as not few prostrations
among the soldiers themselves, gave proof that
the situation was not less serious than noisy
As yet il may be said, that l and my immedi
ate followers ranked nothing more than spects-
tors ut the dispositions and movements OF our
comrades. Occasionally. indeed. q cannon
shot passing through the window of The house,
or lodging in one Of the stacks. bore testimony
that the enemy were not wholly unmindtui OF
us; but we were already so far in advance. thar
10 push on tli the others overlook US, would
have been the height OF assurdity.-Now. how
ever, we began to feel that a state OF acquies
cence was not exactly that which became us
Having waited ill a few OF the most forw ard Of
the skirmishers began 10 seek shelter behind
our farm ward, We likewise assumed the often
siye. and dsshing from our lurking place, press
ed EDWARDS.
Immediately IN 'front.' Of the farm house ran
a high railing, similar to those OF which have
before had occasion to speak, as interesting
almost every field or oper spot, in this quarter
of America. We we're IN the act of spPinging
over il, when the enemy, directing against us q
couple of SIX FOUNDERS, swept down five or SIX
men out OF the company. Among them there
vas one poor fellow, who received from that
fire as horrible a wound as I recollect At any
period to have seen. A round shot striking
him in the shoulder, tore away the whole OF
the limb. and left his very lungs exposed TO the
view Of the bys.anders. The man was a DIT OF