The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-08-01

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at that moment remembered my vow I.
should have done as Lieut., Free did, 4
svear ike mad man, When we had |,
force enough 10 have whipped 0. Jep. /,
nings Wise,with superior fnce with six K
or eight guides that knew every path and
field allsround RiplyN and chance for
our boys 10 show their metal, TO BE- fooled Il
out Of it By imbeciliy, cowardice, OF uu. /
due caution. | felt like quitting the ser \
vice and going home. The maddest set
of men ever saw in my Ii were Capt. 4
Jsckson'S and my boys, next morning
when they awakened and found that we
were at Mason City in place of Ripley /
That night we returned witha force Of 400
and found that Wse,.iipou our arrival el /
Ripley, had taken the hint about 2 honrs
before and left Tor Charleston Norton
then ordered us back TO Ravenswood; and |
after his Regiment lad stolen oil they
could find, be left for Gqlipolis. | am
proud to say that The boys of our two com
pauies, SO far as We could ascertain, with
out single exception, kept their hands
clear of the stealing. Upon returning to
Ravenswood we found Lieut.. Col. Mason,
of Circleville, there with four companies
Of the 18th Ohio. He stayed two days,
and the 9th of July old Gov. Wise, with
1000 men came back 10 Ripley. Col
Smith arrived on the evening of the 9Th.
On the 7th we started 81 time for Rip.
ly, still anxious for fight, with only COO
men to fight 1000; and as VIC were on our
march de0erter from Wise came to us
and assured us that he had got wind Of
our march upon him, and be too had run.
After questioning him very close we be.
came satisfied be was telling US the truth;
so Capt. Runkle and my company were
ordered 10 about face and march TO San
dyville, and il possible take Capt. Phelps
cavelry company Of 100 men. BY this
time some 81 of my boys and about the
same number Of Capt. Runkle's boys we're
not in good marching order as it rained
on us for about one hour as hard as | ever
say it rain. We let portion of them re-
turn and started with about 100, leaving
all unnecessary clothing behind, and de,
penting on Providence for our grub. We
wen! the twelve miles in three hours and
found that some body had preceded US
and warned Phelps Of our approach, and
/. by the time We had pressed about %
horses into the service, and they thinking
, us an advance guard. or else afraid, (the
J latter think. } 10 fight us. they put spurs
, 10 their horses and left in a gAllop. We
!. here killed and cooked a fat pig, got Q
: couple OF corn pones and struck across
e for Little Sandy Creek. a distance of
$ miles where we learned there was a sus.
d picious camp Of some POO. 1t now being
!; about midnight We marched four miles
n took possession Of field of rye, in the
n shock. made beds Of the rye, and without
o cover or overcoats, look the sweetest nap, as
e the boys all say, they ever got in their
lives. A little after sun up we resumed
: our march, and after travelling about q
r miles. we came 20 halt 10 front of house
!. and sent an escort to know if we could
e get anything to eat. One Of Virginia 5
n noblest girls, by name of Molly D. Hutch.
{, nson, met them at the door. aud taking
i US for secession troops, as the whole
/, country were secessionsis, except hel
!. father, (and he had fed to save his life)
J. and inquired what We wanted. Our es.
s cort replied, something 10 eat. She look
n ed perfect storm of indignation, and re.
t. piled that although we had driven hei
! father from home, she would let US know
At We could not get bite there; but at thi:
) moment, our guide who was acquainted
II made himself known. Molly jumped fol
is joy and sang out at The tsp Of her voice
it that the last thing on the farm was at GU
ID service. Four or five of us volunteered
70 TO assist her in cooking beans and corn
a. bread. Sergeant Pierce was detailed t,
.. cut some wood and upon inquiry for th
g axe, Molly went to her bedroom and bro
Nh il, with the remark that she had it Their
Id last night TO use on the rascals head
Id when her three guns gave out. The boy
III say that man that wOulden't fight 70
3 such girl ought 10 sit on porcupln
Ii. chair the balance OF his life and die in
desert. But unfortunately, Just as "
8, had got the breakfast in large pans TO di
Sc vide among the bows, our advance guar
v fired their guns and called out light hors'
n We instaatly dropped the breakfast,
At don't know whether on the table or AqoI
sd and put the boys on double quick for
VI miles to head them off, but was sagaiu di
in. appointed, 10 hear that they uhad lpasse
ed Ithe point not 10 exceed FIVE minutes b,
We fore us. Our hoEemen, % OF them dasl
ey ed after them without inquiring the
20. numbers, and run them aboutfye mil,
lts further aud returned with a capture d,
,in only two horses Tired and disappointe
m, in our fight, and hungry, We dispstohe
ng a couple Of the boys back latter Molly
,h, breakfast; they brought itin double quiz
Jut time, and / presume it is' unnecessary e
me to say we. devoured itlike a-pack b
six hungry wolves and wished for more
me the same sort, gave three ehesrs fOr,MC
md ly and slarted down little Saudyu.tor II
pc. yenswood where we arrived ihat evsnll
my about 6 o'clock, having made a march
ter 20 miles that day on tue one .meal.s sa
ip, . We slaid at Rayensw0od until Frid
md last without anything ofanote. when 6,
lad received marching orders ito, rejoin o
nd, Segiment at this places We, start
I'M, Saturday morning snd arrived here syc
Ia. terday about 3 o'clock, all, we'll exec
md very tired. and about go in each compa
t to run dcwn with the diarrhtea, among the
an, your humble servant. Thsplaee is abe
as large as Somerset, situate in a nj
On unlinu and q CnnnIu- . Sont IEha aai