Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-11-13
a Sketch of the Greenbriar Reconis-
ance.
BY CAPT HALL, co. F, 24rn O. RECT.

BY CAPT HALL, co. F, 24TH o. RECT.
On Wednesday, the ID Of October, the
Union Camp at Cheat Mountain Pass. Va
gave expression to a food of joy that l new
er shall forget On the 18th of Sept. the
Rebels had attacked US and been repulsed
with tremendous slaughter, since which
we have laid still with not a rebel in view,
only as our scouts had spied them in their
camp. At 5 o'clock ?. NJ. of the 81 We
GOT an order to prepare t10 days %ratiOns
and march at midnight. At the appointed
moment tie 9th Ohio was in its position,
and 10 minutes later the grand movement
commenced. The order was to advance"
on the Rebel camp, - miles in our front,
on Greenbriar River, near Travellers Re-
pose, for the purpose Of a "%reconissance in
force" And our column consisted Of the
9th, 25th and 32d Ohio, and the 9TH, 9Th.
I4th, 10Th and 18th Indiana, together with
Daum's. LOOMS and Howc's Batteries,
and 100 Cavalry, all under the command
Of Gen. Reynolds. The object of such
movements is not SO much to take a post Of
the enemy. as to learn its exact position,
Its strength and the character of the force
defending it; peculiarly was such the OBJ
ject Of this movement, and unless ererything
was found favorable for uldoubted success,
not to storm them. At half past six AN
having had to remove many obstacles from
the road, the head of our column reached
the Gum Road, nine miles in our front,
and which leads off to the right, connecting
with the Lewisburg Road, lin possession of
the rebels;) here we stationed the SD Ohio
(COL Ford to protect our rear, and the col
umn pushed on one mile further to Green
briar Bridge, where the cncmy's advance
picket was driven in-threc rebels killed.
and one Of our men. 800 yards to our
right, below the Bridge. a branch of the
Greenbriar comes in from nearly an east
course, and up this branch a distance of
three miles, is the Rebel Camp, at the end
Of a beautiful, cleared valley about 900
yards wide. The pike leads along the left
edge, and the branch the right edge of this
bottom land, with high. precipitous noun
tains on either side. Up the valley, COW
ering the entire space from mountain to
mountain, we pushed at double quick
opening our center, letting the Artillery
into plarc. Loomis' and Howe's Batteries
taking the center of the valley and Daum's
the left edge and the pike. As we swept
up that valley, with the rebels shooting a.
US from the mountains, and our troops
pouring vOlley after vOlley into the thick
cts, the euemy's camp in full view, the
bright sun cleaning down upon US with a
mountain morning br~illiancy, it seemed as
though war carried with it a ~storehouse of
courage, and furnished its own stimulant
to heroic exertion. Under the inspiration
of such a scene, double quick" gives no
fatigue, the weight of arms and ammuni-
ton is not noticed, the whistling of bullets
give no alarm. and the death Of a comradc
no CONSERVATION. Onward We pushed, aud
at the distance Of one and one-half miles
from the bridge, a detachment from the 9th
Indiana and the 9th Ohio dashed from the
road and charged up the mountain to our
left to dislodge the rebels sheltered in the
thickets at that point, routing them, killing
IL and taking s prisoners at this charge
the Union forces lost one killed and had
two wounded. Still onward we swept, de-
ploying more and more to the left along
the mountain sides, killing the rebels as
they fled, till the artillery reached their
chosen point Of attack, at the distance of
abOnt 500 yards from the cnemy's camp.
On the right, as we approached their camp,
we found the mountains too preeipitous to
deploy, and the Infantry was checked on
the artillery line, and the cannonade began.
We opened with a simultaneous salute Of
Is guns, and vas answered promptly by
the enemy in equal proportions. The reb-
els took shelter in their trenches, and only
about one-half of their camp being exposed
to our fire, their left being completely shell
tered by a sharp point of the mountain ex-
tend ng one-third across the valley. En-
closed within the mountains, each discharge
seemed to have a dozen echoes, and the roar
of the artillery was therefore grand beyond
description. We hailed upon them she'll,
solid shot and canister, and we got solid
shot and shell in return. At the COM
mencemcnt of the canonade, it was nv for
tune, together with Co. A. of the oath, to
be assigned the defense of Daum's Battery,
and as it advanced, We closed around its
rear for four LOurs We held this position,
giving u a perfect>view of the whole field,
and at the same time exposing our entire
line to the encmy's fire at a distance of not
over $50 yards from their canuon's mouth.