The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-08-07

CHEAT MOUNTAIN, Va,
July rs, 1861.

tain about ten days, awaiting orders, and
having nothing else to do but sending out
scouting parties, with instructions to bring
back whatever they may choose, and always
forgetting to furnish them the means to pay
for it. The cavalry company connected with
our regiment generally do this part of the
business, and one day last week, while
little party of eight were returning to camp
empty handed in fact they had only a
few minutes before escorted rebel officer,
with a flag of truce, through our pickets-l
they were fred into by concealed foe,
and four of them shot from their horses.
One was instantly killed; another has since
died, and two were seriously wounded. The
remaining four, not knowing the number of
the enemy, resreated a short distance, and /
sent messenger to camp, distance of II /
! miles. On receiving the news, the Cres-
f cent City Guards-the Dutch company, as
! it is called-were ordered to march and /
we did, on Sc double quick nearly all the I
/ way, but found nothing but the wounded |
men, the cowardIy scoundres-mountain- /
/ GERS they call themselves-had fed. Since |
/ that, every day we have sent out party of
volunteers on foot, but without success !
they brought home nothing but little
plumber
j sion of the Colonel to take seventy-fve men,
three days provisions, go where, and return
i when he pleased, promising to "bing back
I some game" which request was granted
He started that night with, think, sixty
seven men, turned up path ia the woods
leading to the right which he alone had
discovered, /" deployed his men in groups
OF four for about half mile, and remained
during the night, in a drenching rain. At
+ daylight, stray beef coming in sight, the
boys kindly invited him to breakfast
Joke which they relished, if the beef did not.
After breakfast, Lieut.. Willard sent six
of his men a short distance ahead for an adj
vance guard, with instructions to keep
sharp lookout, sc for he smelt game" They
l7bad not gone half mile when they sud-
| denly discovered coming ahead in the path,
: q party of armed moHntaineers. Each man
took to tree and commenced firing, not
I without effect, and astonishing the F. +. VS.
not a little, and causing them to make
? hasty retreat. At the first fire, Lieutenant
Willard rallied his men, and, with the cry
bof .Come on, boys double quicl0l was
soon the spot, where, by his coolnessi
bravery, and judgment, he proved himself
! good soldier, and well worthy of the posi-
ton he occupies The rebels-about forty
= Eve in mum ber-hed in the widest confu-
sion, our boys firing at them at every
opportunity, and doing no little execution,
as their cries of agony told, at every shot.
They ran for full five miles when they
! came to a house-scattered around which
!. were women and children-which proved
: to be their headquarters. Here they halted
u rallied in a group aBd mustered courage
L 4 enough to fire, without effect however and
none Of our boys received a scratch Had
il not have been for the women and chill
2 nox-o -1o,7ld how a6o u7Orl<
Is of them; as it was Willard ordered them to
r cease firing while he with revolver in one
hand and sword in the other ran up to
them with the command surrender throw
down your arms and surrender, or we fire.
e The miserable towards threw down their
il arms and made for the bush leaving their
IN women, children and property at our mercy.
It's unnecessary to add, that all were I'M
= harmed except q few eatables, which we
is consider contraband and appropriate. The
is boys were too tired to follow the towards,
"A and returned to camp with seven prisoners,
one of whom was so badly wounded he had
u to be carried over five miles to the wagon
L The other six were examined separately and
sent to Beverly quarters
What disposition will be made of them is
:, unknown; It's reported two of them will
III be hung. The wounded prisoner-a- fine
re looking felIow-died last night. He made
e, a clean breast of it, and gave us some very
valuable information, which will be used tc
advantage.
: cannot forbear speaking word in IA
= vor of Lieut.. Willard, our Lieutenant. He
en- has won the first laurels of our Regiment
b. and he bears his honor calamity but not
a. vainly. Much credit is ascribed to him
- both by officers and soldiers. and his Skin.
mish has not only inspired our boys with
ed the knowledge that they have brave and
bit daring officer, but that they can fight and
n that good fight. He started similar
=. expedition last night, and l can pay him
:" no higher compliment than by saying when
or it was known throughout the camp thai
in such was his intention, many more than his
in orders allowed, focked to his quarters and
- begged that they might go with him.
Our boys all we'll except one two
atl cases Of chills, in fact it is the only com.
( pany in the regiment that has not left some
n of their number at the hospital in different
- points. The weather is very cool here, IN.
- comfortably SO at night.
Or There is a secession camp numbering
al about 1000 about twenty miles from here
.rs which we are making arrangements to at
- tack soon. Willard has probably had ,
!. skirmish with their piekets to-day. More
IN anon. Z. B.
yes PAYING OFF AND MASTERING OUT-Th,
II III ~nnr,ent Y,arnhad from THAR no rre n L