The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-10-28
Full Report OF the Fight with ZOIIi-
Golfer
LETTER FROM COL. cOLBURs's REGIMENT.

| LETTER FROM COL. CoLBURN's REGIMENT.
CAMP WILD CAT, two miles South of
| Roekcastle River, Laurel Co., KY,
O'Clock, A. M, Oct. %, 1861.
ED. JOURNAL: We have time to say to
the friends of the 23d regiment in Indiana,
that while comfortably seated at Camp Co
burn, at o'clock P. M, last Friday night,
we received an express saying that Zollicof-
fer was moving with heavy force on Col.
Garrard, who was at Camp Wild Cat We
| Immediately prepared to march twenty -four
miles over the very worst kind of mountain
roads, By eleven O'Clock, A. NJ, Sunday,
we arrived at Roekcastle River, two miles
from Col. Garrard with eight companies,
and baggage and ammunition wagons. The
Ohio 18th, Col. Connel, had just..passed over.
They came via the Richmond road. We
hurried forward and arrived at Camp Wild
Cat at o'clock P. NJ, to the great Joy of
Col. Garrard. Many of his men were sick,
and his regiment only mustered 500 men ct
for duty. His pickets had been driven in,
and the enemy was reported to be only a
mile off.
Monday morning cleared up warm and
beautiful. AT eight o'clock a. NJ. our pick
cts we're driven in and the enemy, in heavy
force, moved upon Us. Our position was
quite strong, being on the high hill passes
with but one way to approach, winding
around the points. Three of these were for
tilted. at about half past eight, General
Scboepf observed that the hill three-quar-
tiers of mile southeast of our camp must be
occupied. The hill is, perhaps, four hun
dred feet high, and round and conical at the
top; and is approached by long, narrow,
depressed backbone, with deep ravnes on
either side The sd Indiana, being on the
alert, having come good ways to see the
elephant, and being full of young America,
and old America, too, obtained the position.
Col, Coburn and Adjutant Durham, with
four companies, Company D, Captain Nc
Crea; Company ]. Captain Hauser; Com
pany G, Captain Ollie; Company E, Cap
tain Hendricks, Immediately took their
position. Lieut.. Col Henderson and Major
Marker, with Company 4, Capt. Willman
Company 3, Capt. Freeland; Company G,
Capt. Day. Company F, Capt Polk, were
ordered to occupy a point mile west, and
remained at their post all day and night,
and were not In the fight. The enemy
moved to occupy the hill about the same
time we did. Immediately sitter taking the
position, Col. Coburn was fred upon by the
enemy, and a skirmishing fire was continu-
ed for about an hour, when the firing ceased
for, perhaps, an hour But one of our men
was injured, Lewis McFerran, ne of Cap
tian McCrea's company, who was shot in
the breast and died in ten minutes
At eleven A. N. firing commenced again
on the hill. In the meantime Col. Coburn
had been reinforced with $50 me 40 f Col.
Walford's Kentuckians. The enemy's at
focIrfurr fOrco r,F fryo
from Middle Tennessee, under Col New
man and Col. Bowler, with aint-lOck guns.
The enemy made desperate assault to
gain the hill, so as TO plant their cannon to
shell our camp. But the Indiana boys we're
there. Our men stood the fire like veterans
The praise af cur men is in every mouth
Col. Coburn was everywhere encouraging
his men. Adjutant Durham was almost
every where encouraging the men-raving
like Bengal tiger-fghting the enemy at
every point. The Adjutant had brother
hung down South last spring by the seces-
sionists. He vowed that ten secessiOnsts
should pay the penalty. He reioices this
morning that his VOW is fulfilled, that the
ten fell yesterday. Capt. Hauser and Lieut.
May are especially noticed by their superioIs
for their bravery. Capt. Hauser had
finger shot of from his left hand. His com
pany suffered most.
Our officers and men deserve great credit
for their GOODNESS and bravery--for check
ing panic among the Kentuckians, who,
in the hottest of the fight, gave way and
fed perhaps 90 rods Col Colburn, Adiu-
tant Durham and Capt. Ollie threw them
selves before them, stopped them and led /
them back. Nothing but the most determ- I
ined bravery could have done this in the /
midst of battle.
The l4th Ohio regiment Col. Steadman, !
and Capt. Standards Cleveland battery of 8 /
rifled pieces arrived soon after. The enemy .
had commenced firing their artillery on cur
Our guns Immediately re- /
piled, and soon the firing ceased on both /
sides. All was quiet until half past 2 P. ~,
when the firing became general on both
sides, and lasted for about half an hour.
Part of the 18th Ohio participated in this
firing.
The loss on our side was as follows 10
Capt. McCreas company, / killed and
wounded; Capt. Hauser's, l killed-Wm.
Vagler-l0 wounded, dangerously--Amos
Reese, George Miller, Warren Brewer Col.
Kentucky regiment, l killed and
II wounded 3 severely. We have 3 pris-
1ners. The euamy's loss in killed is suppos-
I'd to be not less than 20 We have cap
Vi Gu 70 sldu0 OF dEuS
The seccsh prisoners say that Zollicoffer
las regiments of Infantry, 200 cavalry,
md two pieces of cannon.
With the exception of few alarms, every
hing is quiet up to the present time
Ten O'Clock A. N.-The enemy is said to
'e approaching again.
Eleven o'clock A. M.--Rumor now is that
hey are retreating.
/
'ecretary Stewards Letter 20 Lord