New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-05

Stone Bridge.
The town having waited with much impatience
for news of Capt. George Clark and his gallant
Contnentals, it affords much pleasure to lay be-
fore readers the following letter, descriptive of /
what the Contnentals saw and did during the ever |
memorable battles of the 18th and 2lst of July. |
1t was addressed to Mr. J. NJ Laborde, and by that |
gentleman kindly placed at our disposal. The fact
that the letter is from old friend and every
body's old friend, Fred Gruber will render it es-
pecialy interesting:
STONE BRIDGE, VIRGINIA, Iaiy "a, 1861
J. NJ. LABoRDE EsQ.-My Old Friend Having
by note to my wife apprised you that am still IN
the land of the living, avail myself of this first
opportunity to give you a rough sketch OF our
doings since my last. The camp life at Camp
Pickens, at the junction, went on in the usual
routine Of business-drill, parade, etc.-until the
9th inst, when our company was ordered few
miles from camp, on picket duty, where we re-
mained up to the l2th on the morning, of which
day we were ordered back to camp, in order to
join our regiment in the march OF advance on the
enemy.
While on picket duty the life was pleasant
enough, with the exception of the fare, which was
rather scant, consisting OF salt pork and bread and
one young hog, which lost its way and strolled into
our camp, where owing to its unmistakeable Abo-
ltion procivities, it met with an untilnely death,
greatly to the gusto Of the boys. On the morning
after our return to camp we struck tents and
and there took up our abode for the tilna being
Reports constantly reaching US from Manassas
Junction of the frequent arrivals OF large bodies
OF troops at once admonished US that our stay
there would not be a long one, ,'and our suru1ises
proved correct, as on the evening of the 18th we
struck tents again, leaving them and Enapsacks
behind, and provided with three days provisions
in our hayersacks, forty rounds of cartridges and
guns we quartered for that night the ridge of
Of those romantic mountains with which Virginia
abounds. Here we met, for the first time, the
Washington Artillery, or at least good portion
thereof. OF course the courtesies Of war were
| exchanged. without, however, that usual New Or
| leans appendix, 4" Let lis take drink as we
| had nary DROP After having, during pleasant
night, inhpled sufficient supply OF cool Virginia
| breeze and INDUCED in sweet dreams OF rather
| hard ground, we broke camp in the early morn,
| and, joined by Virginia regiment and battery
| of Washington Artillery, went over hill and dale,
| up very myaterousy our quarters under cover
| of point of woods At first thought strange OF
| the movement; but, in very short time, with my
usual quckness of perception, sharpened by a
number of ritled cannon balls Of the enemy flying
right and left of us, fully discovered the propriety
| of this order. Balls continued whistling, and at
/ Intervals musketry conld be heard. Finally, when
the report of arms indicated the progress OF gen
| eral engagement, the word t'marchN was given and
the brigade under Col Early, Of which the 7th regi-
| ment formed prominent part, went in double quick
| time to the scene of action. On the way we were
continually saluted by shells and balls Of the
| enlg's artillery, and twas real miracle that some
OF us did not get killed; but God seemed then, as
he has up to this time, to have held bis protecting
hand over us.
Arrived at q small river, Bulls Run the line OF
contention, the enemy occupied the top and slope
| of hill on side, while we were on plain on
the other side of the stream. One Virginia reg
ment, stationed there before US, had repelled the
enemy already three times, and actually crossed
the river and driven them to the top of the hills
when again they had to retreat and give way tc
numerical odds Of twenty to one. 1t was then oul
brigade arrived; and of such voeys OF muSketry
and the roaring of six pieces Of the Washington AR
ti!lery one who never was in battle cannot form
an idea. The commanding voices of their officers
the shouts and hurralls OF the boys the bursting OF
shells and bowling Of balls, formed concert
which was rather calculated to strengthen nerves
no matter how weak, or else kill instanteS For
more than two hours this state of affairs lasted
| when finally, the Artillery after the enemy had
| been driven up the hill by the infantry, so effect
lively poured their shells and rifle balls into the
ranks and batteries Of the same, that the former
must have suffered terrbleloss and the latter were
| completely sileueed. Our loss on that day was
| comparatively sinall-ten killed and about twenty
five wounded; among the latter Ernest Stball, 0
whose fate you, no doubt, know more than do
The boys, though in their first battle showed grea
spirit and spunk, and not one seemed to realize tbs
| constant danger impending The officers were
cool and collected, and led their men to the front
| should not particulaiize, but | cannot refrain
from mentioning particularly big Captain Wilson
| tobacco merchant on Gravier streeD of the Eir
| flank, held the post OF honor, and well did he FL
it, no sooner in front Of the ford, than he eX
claimed in his characteristic style, "light on me
, blue birds'' and so they did; they fought lk
, good fellows, while their gallant Captain crossed
swords with Yankee Lieutenant, when one of til
men expedited him to the other side OF Jordan
t To make this rather hasty sketch complete, yo
= must imagine Capt. Wilson, with nothing on but
/ dirty wooden shirt and pair of blue pants and
t slouch hat. Shortly after the firing had ceased
$ the dead on our side removed, and the wonnde
$ been properly cared for went in squad G
q about twenty, i'll command OF Lieut.. Harper
(; across the stream to the slope of the hill Th
: sight here beggared description so precipitat
was their flight that they even did not take time
carry their dead Off and even left wounded behin(
S who, after suffering and groanng all night, wer
/ finally brought over and cared for by us their dea
on the side OF the Hill, where only musketry reached
k to the number of more than Twenty-Five weI
buried by us, while the ground was literally CO.
|. cred with clothing, haversacks, equipments Of a
Il descriptions, aud thousands of other things. Ovt
100 stands Of the most improved firearms fell int
), our hands, together with more than that number
= soldiers caps.
n in searching over the effects thus suddenly a.
n quired, we found that the main force of this arm
ii seemed to have been letter writers, specimens
,f which fell into our hands, testifyng strongly til
: Imagination, no matter how vivid, at a tonthel
" standard, could compare with the p0etical flight
t, these consumllate liars. Envelopes; with colort
d engravings of the most disgusting and fanatic
: character, and franled by some Abolition memb
le while the general outfit Of all seemed to be mo
a appropriate to barbecue of three days duratio
a or a regular week of camp meeting, than for W
= purposes.
N Our Colonel, Harry Hays, is truulp; so is Lieu
Col. DeChoiseul; and young Major Penn has ve
eran's head on young shoulders; he is the coole
! man ever saw, while the Adjutant, Merriam,
~ good naturedly smiling, whether in battle or in
Y Vial conversation. Their behavior throughout W
= such as only to increase the confidence Of The
q men in their favor.
- cannot close this brief sketch Of this skirmi
Il without auding to the trajan services rendered
~ the Washington Artillery. They are au fait
~ their business. Prisoners since captured acknov
f. edge that they estimated the number of pieces
a. a. gagged at eighteen, while only six were there, a
Sa sometimes only four in play. But it is useless
10 10 dwell now upon the precursoty marks Of that G.
- y liant band Of New Orleans soldiery, as they ha
" already won laurels since that occurrence, viii
eclipse any previous one Of their or any other cor
lg of a like number.
1t was on that evening that poor Maylon, Of N
y, Is, was out on picket.guard, when wrong alan
at was giyen and on the quick return OF the pici
ry the poor fellow was shot through the heart VII
id crossing the stream. He was good fellnw, a
lg was well liked by his fellow soldiers. During
ri same night we commenced throwing up entrent
tor ments along the stream for nearly half mile,
I'd order to protect against the attacks of the
le emy, in case they should feel disposed to rent
es the play but they did not. Over five hundred IN
VI ,,y, ri.