Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-11-01
THE AFFAIR AT BOLIVAR
THE WISCONSIN BOYS TRY THEIR METH e
From the Washington Star I

On tue morning OF the 18TH at halt past
eight o'clock, Col. John W. Geary, of the
Pennsylvania 2Sth regiment, and about
400 men, attacked by $500 or more of the
rebels. including the celebrated cavalry re-
giment of Col. Ashby
The rebels had six pieces of artillery
four of them upon Loudon heights south,
and tive upon Bolivar nights west, upon
the Charlestown road, and midway between
the Potomac and the Shenandoah rivers,
and mile and half back of the ferry.-
The rebels first drove in our pickets from
Bolivar heights, and then began cross
fire upon US, which lasted for several hours
Their cavalry charged into Bolivar, but
were driven back by the Sd Wisconsin
boys, aided by shells from Captain Temp
kins battery, which was upon the Maryland
Heights east of the ferry.
The Wisconsin companies, led by Capt.
Henry Bertram, then made a desperate
charge upon the eDemy's guns and took
80 pound columbiad, but were driven back
by cavalry charge and heavy firing from
the vicinity of Smallwood's woods Shell
then fell around US thick as hail, and ma
king noise over US about like train of
ears when crossing a bridge. Captain I.
at this time turned his guns upon Loulon
Heights, silenced all their guns there
and scattered the enemy, who were seen
IN great numbers.
The tive rebel guns upon Bolivar nights
kept up constant fire with she'll and can
lister until about FIVE P NJ and our men
were gradually advancing upon them under
cover of the houses, breaking down the
fences as they went, to the west end of the
town, VIXEN Lieut.. Martin, with piece of
artillery belonging to the New York 9th
regiment, came to our aid and fired upon
the enemy with terrible effect. advancing
at intervals, accompanied by COL Geary in
person. The men flanking right and left
considerably in advance of the piece, and
deployed obliquely. aas
The Wisconsin men, commanded byCap.
Fl, Bertram, were on the left j; the Massa-
chusetts men, under Lieut.. Jackson COM
posed the right wing Col. Geary, Judge
Cook, and the balance of the Pennsylvania
ans were IN the center. Our brave band,
with a universal shout for the Union, stor-
med the heights of Bolivar, drove the en-
envy in the widest confusion from Small
woods Woods, recaptured the 30 FOUNDER
and two ammunition Wagons, disabled
several of the enemy's horses, took four
prisoners, including chaplain Billy North"
The rebel colonels cap was among the tro-
phies; he was shot from his horse, but
| rauouptod op6 do he oenopo
| Rebels could not stand the fire of our ar
tillery and Enfield rifles, so they fed to the
woods near Hslltown, and began Smelling
US with the only available gun they had
left q; but our shells soon silenced it one
of them striking the rebel caisson caused
great exI losion. When we reached the
heights, we found the axle of the new con-
vert considerably damaged by shell and
also found that tbs rebels had used great
industry during the day, by making extern
sive addition to cur works there, from
which they had driven cur pickets in the
morning.
Our enemies diSgraced themselves more
than once by taking off the clothing, rifiDg
the pockets and running their bayonets
through the bodies of the Federal killed.
A team of a dozen horses was brought
up from the Ferry with remarkable expedi-
ton, and the big gun was conveyed over
the river, placed in position commanding
Harpcr's Ferry, and the mouth of the
Shenandoah, and was there, by one of the
amateurs named the ''New Convert to
the Union"
Our loss was four killed and eight woun-
ded ; theirs must have been very heavy,
as they had all the Wagons in the neigh
borhood busy in hauling off the slain );
two Wagons were seen full of the killed.
Their chaplain admitted the loss to be We
ry heavy, and much blood was found up
on the hill from which they were driven.
Great praise is due the surgeons Of the
Third Wisconsin and thirteenth Massaehu-
sets, for skill and attention to the wound
ed, and to Corporal Myers Of Company A,
Third Wisconsin, for efficient aid in bring
ing the captured gun off the field.
Twenty one thousand bushels of wheat
was taken before the battle began.