The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-07-27

II
On the morning of the 18th, at O'Clock,
the reveille reused US up in a hurry, and we
were informed that we had TO march to
Rich Mountain, a distance of twenty-one
miles, where the rebels were fortified. 1t
was raining, and had been all night, and we
had to start without anything to eat, as our
hard bread was out. We had a little coffee,
and some aagfuL" bread, such as could be
made of -four and water alone, and the
dough merely aOar8sed. Starting at about
81 o'clock, A. NJ, we marched about four
miles and halted for q moments rest, as
most of that distance was up the mountain
turnpike. There was an I" intermitting"
rain and sunshine till about II M, when we
arrived at French Greek bridge, where the
detachment of Ohio troops, about forty in
number, came upon camp of about 400
rebels on the evening of the 9th. They
had short conflict, but the vast difference
in numbers compelled our side to retire, af-
ter killing or 8, and having one killed and
3 wounded. We stopped about two hours
to get dinner and it commenced raining
harder than ever. While there several U.
| S. wagons passed US on their way back for
provisions, under an escort of soldiers.
We were told that the attack upon the
rebels would be commenced soon after We
| got to Rich mountain. So with renewed
energy we started again, with music. Our
| way lay through most desolate region;
beautiful scenery, but hardly sign of in
! habitants I believe we passed only three
or four houses in the 81 miles, About
miles from the Mcclellan encampment, we
1 could see the Allegheny mountains, and a
very great distance off. l understood it
was about 100 miles or over. They looked
like clouds, over the range of mountains we
were on. AS we neared the main camp the
boys were much excited with the anticipa-
ton of fight.
We at last arrived there and everything
was excitement. There was the eampof the
9Th, 10th, 18th, 18th and 18th Indiana
volunteers; also the Coldwater Michigan
artillery company, very hne company
with battery of six brass pieces COM
pany of cavalry from Chicago which looked
as if it might wade through anything; then
there was the Ohio Sd Regiment and q
fine one too and German Regiment from
Ohio the number of which do not know,
but they are fighters. The 9th, 10th and
| 18th, were out lighting. We got there
just in time to see four or Eve shots fred
from the rebel battery which was about two
and half miles from the camp. Our re-
| giment was ordered to be in readiness inn
/ mediately for duty, as the General was
looking for dispatches eveay minute Our
poor fellows had lot q minutes rest after 8
march of twenty one miles. They were
placed in line res IA their arms and
| were told to exal.4.,. a--t gun 70 see that
XVI supper ready
. about dark just as : tremendous rain came
on and as our Colonel had sent some of onl
wagons back to Clarksburg for provisions
e all our tents. except the CoIonel's were lef
behind, so we had fine prospect of laying
out all night, and had it rot been for oul
friead HoOn Miller-or rather Lieutenan
T Miller-of the 14th we should have beef
compelled to have camped in the rain bu
that capital fellow came and took a goo,
r many of the boys over to his camp and a
4 the l4th had two extra tents-Lieutenan
Miller went to work and put them up an
&c so the band boys escaped. Next morning
t the boys were all ordered into line an
s. were the point of starting to the scene c
at action when message arrived with the il
telligence that the rebels had been entirel
1e routed and their whole camp equipage cap
nt tured by the 9Th, 10th and 18th Indian
he volunteers. What disappointment to tn
Ell 18th aud 18th. They fairly cursed tn
- luck that they had not got chance to g
g shot at What a yell rent the air as th
IN prisoners were led in /; and ten times II
a peated when a fine secession flag wa
r.. marched all through the quarters.
Shortly after we were again on the marc
~ and in a short time arrived at the rebel Ell
en- trenchments and batteries. They had pc
er sition which in the hands OF our SIDE woul
.e- have been utterly impregnable. give 70
- a kind OF map of the position of the ent
my. You will observe pit where II
y rebels were buried. They dug the p
1t themselves before the battle and said the
he were going to bury Lincoln's thieves aft,
"a the battle. Our men buried thirty rebels
" it. 1t was a sickening sight. We stoppe
as to look at the killed and wounded. Son
mt had the top of the head shot off, Son
,m shot in the eye. Some in the jaw.
i, noticed that nearly all of the rebe
20 kileds lwere shot in the hea
be Those wounded were generally shot belo
est the chest, or rather below the hips.
.ss There has now been found, altogethe
u 236; one of our wagoners who passed IL
20 day after we did, yesterday, said they be
led One man was found in the bushes, standir
H. upright, dead.
80 Our men came upon the enemy benin
where they thought it impossible for an
he body to climb. The 8th and 10th starts
ZEN at o'clock on the morning of the fgh
nd and it took till 4 P. n. before they game
- their rear, over the most awful hills, al
''' through almost impregnable forests. The
Try met the rebels near the place they calcul
ted to bury our men. Nearly every sh
rs told. One of the men of the 9th. who can
ru- on the squad that had the big cannon in Il
-. bend of the road, said: ave came ov
40 40, the hill and out of the bushes above he
w Showing us as we marched along), whit
mt was about two hundred yards from the ca
is non. 1t was loaded, but before the rebe
a.. could get a sight, our men took dout
~ quick, got within one hundred yards to,
- aim and fired, killing all but one of t
in lsquad-four out of FIVE. The place W
IF covered with blood. All along from the
to the main files there were pools of bio
are in the road where the men laid, but /
- those killed in the road had been carried
ing the pit, but not covered till after we passe
m One of our poor boys laid ont on boar