Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-12

that we should proceed to this place the night
of the first inst, and capture the secession forces
assembled here, to the number of 500, as we
learned after my last. AS soon as the news
reached the boys, they were all on the qui uire
for the chase. Sick men suddenly got well; old
men young, and all enthusiastic for the fray.
remember some instances that may service as
samples of the rest. Captain Pstton's company
was detailed as our camp guard on that evening,
and of course could not go along with us. When
informed of our expedition, these men begged
permission to go with us, and many of them
wept when informed they could not go. The
captain himself ran round the camp endeavoring
to exchange places with some of the rest, and
offered all his wages for the campaign to boot,
but could find no takers; and at last sunk down
in sullen disappointment, accepting his fate as a
necessity. Another instance occurred in Captain
Cameron's company When the hour of starting
half past six O'Clock p M.-arrived and the
company was ordered to fall in, some of them
grumbled, because they had not yet obtained their
rations for the expedition. The captain promptly
informed those who complained of insufficient
supplies, that the heard any more complaint, the
men who made it should stay in camp. This
cured the grumblers, all of whom promptly rushed
| into the ranks, and from that moment wore hap
DIV countenances The regiment then formed
and marched from Camp Milroy 20 Grafton,
where we halted and were ordered back to camp,
to the infinite dissatisfaction of the eager soldiers
| But few words of explanation satisfied them
that it was all right. The explanation was sim
ply this General Morris had arrived after the
| three Colonies had determined on the expedition,
and it was but proper that he should have time to
inform himself in regard to its feasibility, for he
would necessarily have to bear the responsibility
of the affair. All knew this, and all were salts
fed
Weary and sad of heart we laid down and slept,
as the weary only sleep. In the morning we
arose, ate breakfast, mounted guard, and had a
serious accident, namely: the accidental discharge
Of gun, which seriously wounded two men of
Captain Segur's company, one in the arm, the
other in the leg. Just the wounds were dres-
sed we were ordered to fall in, and to go aboard
of the cars and start forthwith for Phlippa We
started, and arriving at Grafton, we were joined
by the Virginia and Ohio regiments, and started
on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for Evans
ville-a point marked on the diagram send you
of the field of operations. From that point we
started for Phillippa by the crcuitous route l
have indicated in pencil-the distance being near
| thirty miles. After making about twenty, we
bivouacked, without either tents or blankets, in
an open meadow The grass being very wet. and
the rain falling in torrents, we had comfort
during our stay. At O'Clock in the morning we
arose and set forward on march of ten miles,
over the worst roads, both to mud and hills
and stones, that ever saw. We made the dis
lance by daylight-the Virginia regiment in the
van, the Ohio in the center, and the 9Th Indiana
in the rear. Just before turning the hill upon the
town there was full halt, during which our ar
tilery commenced firing from the hill on the road
toward Webster. This was the signal for gen.
eral assault, and never was signal more welcome
than the howl of the balls from the guns
of friends. / counted the time from
the fash of the guns till the report by my
pulse, which wa5 steldy; and determined that the
battery was little more than mile distant from
US. The Virginia regiment was to have rossed
the hills back OF the town, and seize the road to
Beverly, so as to intercept the passage of the
traitors; but the movement was to have
been consummated before the cannon open
ed from the hill. the gallant Virginian for
got or abandoned the original plan, and dashed
forward round the point, ordering us over the
hill toward the road to Beverly This led us up
a steep hill which was cut up into a number of
small fields by fences Lieut.. Weimer, of Capt.
Dunns (Logansport) company, threw down these
fences to facilitate the advance of our regiment
and our brave Colonel-looking every inch hero
and being all he seemed-led on the column
Never did regular troops advance with greater
regularity or confidence than did the true hearted
double quick-march p was the command; and
notwithstanding their hunger, seepness, and ex-
haustion from thirty miles march, they respond
ed to the command in style equal to the best eff
forts of your holiday soldiers who do the fancy
part of war at home. Captain Moody, whose
company had been selected to act specially as a
skrmishing party on the occasion, led the column
in the coolest and most gallant style possible
was proud of him, and his officers and men
all OF whom manifested courage and GOODNESS
worthy of the glorious cause for which they
sought the fray. Near the top of the hill Lieut.
: Wemer procured horse, and 1,shed forward
over the hill and down the other SIDE. Just as he
got on the top, where / arrived .bout the same
time, the retreating forces of the traitors fired at
him, and the balls whistled over our heads Down
the hill he dashed. and into the town, where he
. obtained the traitor flag, and brought it back to
the Regiment afterwards In the meantime our
whole force was sweeping down the hill; and
seeing COL Dumont's Regiment sweeping through
the town in perfect ORDER after the retreating col
umns of the foe, Col. Milroy ordered three cheers
for the gallant 9TH Regiment and its Colonel, to
which response was promptly given in style
% betting the glorious occasion. We pursued the
foe to the woods, where we halted from mere ex-
haustion, and returned to town. In the pursuit
, found splendid blanket, which came in good
play, as had left my own at Camp Milroy, and
, had none Some flying son of one of the " frs
;. was on top of the hill in time to see the gal
liant iginians close with the rear guard of tn,
l. enemy. They were led by Col. Kelley in person
sr who was shot through the right lung just as h,
came up with the traitors / saw him fall, anC
;. his men carry him back to town. Dr. New, o
our city-the Surgeon of Col. Dumont's Regi
- ment-dressed his wound, thus doing the frs
surgery required from hostile action in our cam
= paign. The State has cause to be proud of sucl
man as DR.. New, who was in the thickest o
the fray, as ready to meet the dangers of the DO
sition as to share its honors. The wounded Col
n may recover, but it is doubtful. God grant h
may, for nobler man never drew a sword
p. Another one of his men was shot through tn
thigh dangerous wound.
i i am unable speak of the features of tn,
march of the 9th and 9TH regiments of our vol
ne unteers from Webster to this place, but am told
was bravely done. 1t would give your readers n
k idea of the hardships of any march made amon
these mountains, to inform them of the humble
= OF miles passed over. They must know, what
impossible for them to think of without persona
observation. the character of the roads, befor
they can know what these brave men overcam
al in their passage Col Dumont speaks of tn
march one of great difficulty, and his expe
NC rience in Mexico makes his judgment worthy Q
regard. He led his regiment with great spirit an
30 enthusiasm At the top of the hill, near wher
the cannon of our army posted he was fire
. on by the out posts of the enemy, which were
course driven in before his advancing column.
As soon as the artillery opened on the rebels
!. marched down the hill to the town, the balls
VII cannon passing over the heads of his troop:
and poured them across the bridge through tn
main street. Notwithstanding their long marc
they swept forward with great rapidty in pursu
'er of the flying rebels, Col. Dumont leading h
?. regiment in person, and cheering them forward
a the most gallant style. He followed them nea
=. five miles into the country, captured sewers
baggage wagons richly loaded, a horse or two an
a splendid pair of epauetts of Major Genera