Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-08-28
Post Office.
Mails arrive and close as follows:
Letter from Capt. Frank Hess.
BRLLEFoNTE, August '6I

N
seat Of war | hear so many and such widely
different accounts of the capture, by the enc.
my, of a part of the company which | had
the honor to command, that deem it an act
of simple justice to myself and friends,
and the friends of those who still remain In
the hands of the enemy, to ask permission to
give, through the columns of your paper, q
brief account of the unfortunate transaction.
On the second of July the 5th Brigade,
commanded by Gen. Negley, crossed the
Potomac and took up the line of march for
Martinsburg, Va. After proceeding about a
mile from the river the first regimental honor
that of acting as advance guard of the
moving column-was given to my company.
! marched the company to the position as.
signed it at the head of the column and
moved forward, the column following on the
pike leading from Williamsport, Nd, to
Martinsburg, until we arrived at the road
circuitous one-leading to Martinsburg by
way of Hainesville. Before arriving at this
point, | had asked the Col commanding our
regiment for guide, and a Lieut. Smith, of
the Z. 5. Typographical Engineers, being
highly recommended, as afterwards learned
to Col. Oaklnrd as n gentleman of some mill
tary experience ard great discretion, he was
sent dlOHg with the guide ana by special order
was nlddc my superior IN command for the
day. The column and the advance guard
being at a halt, while the artillery and cavalry
were being placed in their position in the
brigade, | asked permission of Lieut.. Smith
TO deploy the company as skrmsheTs, at short
intervals on the right and left of the road and
in that manner move forward when all was
again ready to move. Lieut.. Smith, however
not in favor of this disposition of the
men, but threw out hankers, twelve in mum
Der, each side Of the road, instructing
them to march In pairs at distance of one
hundred yards in rear of each other and two
hundred yards from the road on either side
We had proceeded in this form about two
miles when | observed two mounted men who
seemed to he reconnultrlng our position from
point about three fsurths of a mile distant
One of them was armed with sword and
seemed to be using glass. While the men
marched slowly forward, / ran ahead and
reported what | had seen, and suggested to
Smith the propriety of returning and making
reconnaissance of the supposed enemy
through his glass; this he refused to do and
ordered us on assigning as a reason that the
persons we saw we're scouts thrown out from
Gnn. kem's division which he supposed was
at that time, advancing ON the other road
We marched on perhaps half mile far
tHer and halted the reserve in the 3ad. The
left fankrrs at this moment were out of sight,
having penetrated deep wood. ] never saw
them aiterward. They were met by at least
twelve times their number and resistance
would have been worse than madness. A
hravcr set. Of men than they were do not
breathe, nor was there more promising off
c'r Of his age in cur brigade than the one
who commanded them that day, viz: Cd Lieut..
John B. Ilutchson. Just as we halted and
evidently but few moments before they
We're made prisoners, one of the men was
sent IN by Lieut.. Uutchison to say that two
or three dragons had been seen, but by
order If Lieut.. Smith he was sent back to
his ost Notwithstanding Smiths constant
assurances that there was no enemy there,
ana that the party seen were a part Of our
own cavalry force, deemed the position that
W. then held an unsafe one, and intimated to
Smith that we had better draw near
er the column, it had halted also and was
no" about half a mile in cur rear. This did
hot seem to him to be necessary. Adopting
Il ruSe that here suggested itself to my mind,
by which we could draw nearer the column
when 1t again advanced without seeming to
dlSobey my superior, | left Smith with the
men in the read and went to the head of the
hankers on the right with the intention ofin-
Strnctlng the Lieut.. there in command t.
hold tIS men in check, when We again advan
ced and marched forward but slowly, while
would dress the centre on him, and thus be
1)re proceeding far we should regain our
proper position within three hundred yards
OF the head Of the brigade. | had scarcely
commenced giving these directions when a
brisk firing commenced in the road. | look
ed around to see what was wrong when | saw
Lieut.. Smith and the guide coming in full
flight, hotly pursued by two or three Of the
enemy's cavalry. Ten or twelve of my men
and Iiaut HaSkin0S Irarn poxu W.
formed them and occupied as soon as possible
an advantageous position and awaited an at
tack from portion of the enemy's cavalry
who were maneuyering in one of the fields
separating us from the main body Of our
troops, and holding position which entirely
cut us off He evidently expected to draw
our fire at too great distance to insure ac-
curacy and aim, and then, being superior in
numbers and we'll armed, charge upon us and
make aohole company job Of 1t.
This, however, l did not permit him to do,
and our own cavalry being momentarily ex-
pected his position became dangerous one,
and rapidly retreated. The guide since told
me that he and Smith saw the party approach
ing through the fields on the left of the road.
AAere was, he supposed between sixty and
seventy IN number, but upon examining them
through his glass Lieut. Smith observed that
they wore the United States cavalry uniform, |
ana he thus mistook them for our own troops.
MY anxiety to avoid an action of the enemy's |
scouts on that day arose from the fact that my |
company had been placed in such condition |
mat IN case of attack from him on either |
Aank, 1t would have been impossible to have |
Ialiled the men on the right or left or centre,
ana consequently, it would have been i'm
possible to withstand an assault or even to /
ietre in good order. The men in the road /
eLe time they were attacked had not grounded |
Ut stacked their arms, and were not away