Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-09-11
FROM THE FIFTEENTH REGIMENT.


/ TuUGn HE flE lEENId hEGlhENT.
PooLEsvILLE, MD, Sept 8, 1861.
There has been some little movement across
the river, and, last evening, Gen. Stone ord,r-
ed two more companies from our regiment to
act as reserve force The colonel went as
guide to the expedition, and 10 post them in
| fine position. | accompanied the colonel, taxi
ing advantage of the darkness to make some
slight observations. A battery of two field
! pieces, belonging to the New York ninth,
went down in advance of u.s. and took up their
position about mile this side of Conrad's Fer
| ry, in piece of woods sweeping the approach
/ from the ferry. Here we left company /,
| Capt. Watson, as a reinforcement for the bat
tory and reserve. We then proceeded with
company b, Capt. Simonds, to the headquar-
tiers of our picket line, on the banks of the ca
nal, and left them in a central position for any
demand. We left camp abou, 81 Pm. march.
ed about nine miles and a half arriving
there a little past midnight; made ar
Judgements for the men, and found our.
selves ready to lie down at about one and
half o'clock; were up and ready for the sad
die little after 5 A. NJ. Everything had been
quiet through the latter part of the day, and
during our presence there were not more than
two or three shots fired. We retired on the
banks OF the canal within reach of their rifles,
our sleeping place being some two or three
miles OF Leesburg. We passed one or two
dwell ngs which had been pretty hardly used
by their field pieces which shows how closely
they are watched, and how nicely we prepare
to receive them. The news OF Buffers victo.
ry has thrown new life and energy into our
movements. Two or three more such achieve
ments will effectually awaken them to a realiz
ing sense of our purpose. -Four companies Of
our regiment, companies A, B, c and g, are
ouL on picket duty in the town, and one on
guard GRAFTON.
private letter from member Of the regi-
ment, dated Sept. Sd, says: "There is
squad OF fifteen of us on an island in the Poto-
mac river, some fifty yards from the Mary.
land and two hundred from the Virginia
shore. The banks of the river and the island
are thickly studded with large cottonwood
trees, some of them from three to five feet
through, which afford us shelter from the
shots from the other side of the river. We
lay back of the cottonwood trees and watch
for shadow or the real substance of picket
on the other side, and as soon as seen, bang
60 two or three musket balls at the object.
No sooner than they get across aohirr comes a
rifle bullet or two whzzing round your head.
The first day one came within few inches of
the head of one of our boys, and dtud went the
ball into the tree behind him. The ferry
house some two hundred yards above
us has been completely shelled 10 pieces
by one captain Boyle OF an artillery company
pany, in revenge for some depredalions Of the
Tammany New York regiment No one was
seriously injured, though two were struck ly
pieces OF shells. Several OF the shells have
/ been dug out of tie trees and the ground,
which had not exploded. They were about
four iifcthss in diameter. The fuse had either
been blown out by being discharged from the
gun, or it had been knocked out by striking
the ground; there was no fuse i'll the shells.
The ferry house was completely riddled.
There was another house little above, occu'
pied by "seeesh," which was shelled at the
same time, while the occupants were at din
ner. The first shot cleared the table of the
dishes, and at tie same time the occupants
cleared out Some eight shots passed through
the house. Every night we see signals in the
air, very much resembling bright stars. They
are small balloons with lanterns or candles al
tached, and seem to remain stationary. Our
camp at PooesvilIe is a signal station.
IL. G..