Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-11-08
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Mum.
From the Fourth Ohio Regiment.
(COrresp0udence Delaware Ga-,lle.)

From the Fourth Ohio Regiment
| Correspondence Delaware Gazgtte)
CAMP NEAR Ro4tNEY, Va, Oct 23th, 1861
| Mr.. EDIToR-Dear Sir: The history of the
fourth Ohio Regiment is always interesting. :
1t lives in the sympathies of all who know it
A word from it is like good news from fal
country" The halls of Literature and Relig
ion have mournfully acknowledged our losses
while they fervently pray for our success. The
prudence and bravery of her officers and men
as well as the general good providence which
has always distinguished u.s. form no small part
Of cur history.
But its preface is barely written: there are
! whole volumes yet TO be the study of our
! Union loving citizens. F propose in this arti.
Gle 10 furnish your readers a sketch of our his
tory, embracing a period of less than forty-
eight hours There is often more historic mat.
ter to be gathered from these short periods OF
time, than from whole months of monotonous
Camp life.
Ronlney is beautiful village of about I2
or 3 hundred inhabitants, situated on bluff
of the Allegany Mountains, and on the east
bank Of the south branch of the Potomac riv-
er. Its buildings are neat and superb, out not
extrayagaut. If we take the town as an index
to the wealth and enterprise OF the county, it
may be very safely inferred that Hampshire
county is on a par with all VIC have YET seen.
But whatever its past history has been, its
present is a gloomy one, for there are few 10y
al citizens in the place, yet 'Perchance ten
righteous souls may save the city" The wri-
ter dues not know how long the rebel army oc-
cupied the place; they were either too ndolent
to put up Notifications, or they trusted too
much to the natural Notifications of-the place,
which gave them every advantage that could
have been asked
They planted their battery in the village
cemetry, for what purpose l cl.l.n OF say, unless
for coHrenience sake. was not on the ground.
1t may be they had their graves dug loo; be,
side this, their only fortifcation was a rife pit
Intended 10 command the brid re. Their pit
was there bnt their grit was goue.
Our march was opened about s o'clock a. m.
on the 25th ofOct We left the old fort (Pen.
dleton) in the care of Company T. The morn
ing was cool and lovely. the gems of frost glis-
tened in the sunlight like so many polished
bagoneis, as if in mimicry of the GLORIOUS
Fourth" which nov awaited the command
Forward" from the lips. of oqr new Colonel,
and let it be chronicled in our subsequent his
tory, that the first word of command ever de
livered by Col. John Mason, to- the Fourth
Ohio Regiment, was forward and ii is con
fdently believed that that command will be his
watchword through the campaign.
l said we marched: we did march up the
f'sa'i aims bl9t lissed lFo6n. Our pFIdg Of
our netr boots, which our friends were so kind
as to send Us, was considerably lowered about
sundown, and few OF US would haYe objected 10
an even exchange for pair of oil shoes We
had marched and limpcd 27 Virginia mes-a-
bout thirty five Ohio ones-we got into camp
about S o'clock p. NJ, and put up, Or rather
put dotcn TIL morning. We were joined by
parts Of the 9Th Virginia aud 8th Ohio togeth-
er with Virginia Lancers (Gen. Kelly's body
guardl and Rngold's Cavalry. Our old friend
anA Lieut.. {W. r. GonstanD returned to his
company and discharged his duties promptly
and satisfactorily. lie made the connection
just in time to have finger in the pie"
We crossod Patterson Greek and took our
dinner on its banks; after the boys. had about
three quarters Of an hours rest, Gen. Kelly
formed his column and ordered an advance
Gen Kelly, who commanded the expedition
against PhiLippi, and was wounded by rebel
officer, is a small, unassuming man, yet his
countenance be!rars Inc lnanHness within. lie
moves unnoticed among his men, but for his
servant who cries out make way men for the
Gen, 10 pass" About 2 o'clock o. m., the
rebels opered fire on our ADVANCE guards. Our
twelve FOUNDER acknowledged the salute, and
after few Complimentary rounds, the enemy
fell back. Company G. in attempting to form
the left flank had quite tedious march oyer
the mountain side. Companies y. and 1.
were then ordered forWard ia enter the Cap
the order was promptly responded to, And
the lame man Ieaped as an hart and The tongue
of the dumb sang for joy" 5........
Mechanics burg GAP. is a natural curiosity,
formed by abrupt walls on either side to the
probable hight of six or eight hundred feet,
and not oyer so yards wide through which
runs q small babbling stream. Through this
Gap we made "double quick" On leaving the
Gap proper the road bore gradually off to the
left but the shrq5bery Of Pinewood, on the
right OF the road, hid US from. the enemy-
Here we opened fire on their battery; we gave
them few shell mot OYSTER, for while, our
slot was TOO high, the shell exploding in. The
air: their shot was not much better. At first
we had orders to thin out and select more IA
vorable places to rest aud await the result Of
our cannonnading. l remember seeing one of
the boys at tle right Of tie road where !
thought was little danger. l resolved to join
him at once, but in the act of taking my seat
whist, whist, came a. bail about s or 10 feet
from US. aud on the same plane, cutting the
bushes and leaves On ila way. | say np 9orc
Of John. Lor did 1 sit down, but | thought ]
would go up the hill away and sit down. Just
as vas fdtteripg myself had the place, an.
other shell drove me from there, 50 | concluded
one place was as good as another. Our next
orders were TO Charge double quick upon the
whole concer4- company |, led by its Cap
TAIN w;ss the FIRST. TO cross the bridgu and OK
pose rmselves 10 danger. But Capt. was
too eager for the boys, and he. in company
with three OF his men, was the first fOotman in
the iowa. Liq4ts. Constant aud Ferguson
stuck tQ'us aud led us b. :; @lsew' Way that
brought us in just behind our Captain. Com
Z, put round the point of the hill and was a
moug the Lgst in town.
The Rlngold Cavalry served good purpose
III capturing our uDele's guus and Wagons, DC,
TO the amount of fJfy or sirig thousand doAqls
Col. Mcdonald, commanding therebel forces,
sent Gen. Kelly his carriage and mn!es and con
cluded TO walk the rest OF tic way; he laid bis
hand trunk down and some naughty boys
broughtit into our camp. As he was going
home through the woods, suppose he thought
he might tear the bars aud stars and so he
sent that down to our Gen. 1t seems he re-
poses great deal Of confidence in the Gems.
honesty.
Companies 9 and l. are ont pic1eting now
Company G. took an opposite direction from
company l. so / am unacquaiuted with the 4
circumstances, but you need not fear, when