Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-08-01
LAUREL HILL,
Barbour Co., Va, July l9. 1861.

Dear Brother:
1 have received two letters from
you since last wrote, but owing to the scaIy
times We have here with the enemy. couId NOT
have an opportunity TO write to you any sooner
We are now at Laurel Hill. which was ten days
ago the strongest fortified position the rebels
had. They were about 5000 strong at this
point. with about two miles of entertainments
arouud the hill besides other strong qualifications
for the artillery. We received orders to march
from Phillippi to this place, 1900 of US, at
midnight on the night of the 9th inst, which is
about IA miles. We got within oae mile of their
camp at o'clock next morning, without much
difficulty except little skirmishing with their
picket guards. Here we were all drawn up in
battle array, with no other expectation bat to
go immediately into an active engagement with
the enemy. cooler set of boys l suppose
you never saw. Our Col. rode along our bat
TALON and said, "Now boys. show your spunkl
All l ask of you is Just to follow me-" Remem-
Der that there are but three companies of the
10Th Regt. here, the rest are at Cheat River
Well, we laid here all day, expecting Gen. Hills
brigade to come In upon them on the opposite
side, when we were all to flank in upon them,
and make the attack, All this time there was
continual fire kept up between our skirmish.
ers and theirs. Their loss The first day was 80
killed and quite number wounded. We had
l killed and wounded.
Gen. Hill was detained at Rich mountain by
large force of the rebels, which he had to whip
out, before he could proceed hither He done
the thing up in "bon ton" style. He fired
one round into them, and then rushed over their
brcastworks at the point of the bayonet. killing
over 200, and took 900 prisoners, and captured
all their provisions and camp equipage. We
laid here three or four days, expecting his force
in every hour, as it would have been folly for
us to make an attack without his aid On
Thursday night the rebel army at this place got
wind that Gen. Hill g force was advancing upon
them from the other side. when they all packed
up and fled, leaving their sick and wounded in
the camp. for us to take care Of telling them
that they would have to leave them. and that
they expected the abolitionists would kill them
as soon as they found them. Said one poor fell
low with whom / was talking, Il had made up
my mind TO die, when you fellows came over
into our camp. But / was agreeably mistaken
am far better used. than was in my own ar
my" Next morning as soon as we became
aware that the rebels had deserted their camp,
we all started in hot pursait of them. We
overhauled them next day in the afternoon, at
Cheat River. In the chase they had dispensed
with almost everything they had, and left them
lying strewed along the road; knapsacks, trunks,
blankets, wagons, and some even threw away
their cartridge boxes and mrskets. After they
had crossed the river, two Georgian regiments
formed in line of battle, and thought TO show
US fight, but their m,lskets proved insufficient
to cope with our long ranged pieces. Six
rounds from us and few bomb shells, put them
to flight. We Immediately rushed across the
river upon them, and those that were not killed,
wounded or taken prisoners by us, scrambled
n every direction up through the mountains.
Their loss was 40 killed (among whom is their
head commander Gen. Garnett, so wounded
and 10o taken prisoners, besides every thing
they had with them, including large safe with
$I0O00O IN 1T. Our loss on the battle field is
killed and or six wounded. None of our
company was hurt. But alas! after the battle
had been fought, and the victory won, as we
were marching back to our camp at this place,
some cowardly, barbarous, treacherous wretches
were lying in ambush up the mountain side,
ABOVE the road, and fired down upon us, instant
y killing A. j. LowTHER. one OF our COMPANY.
He lived about a mile below Millersburgh.
The ball took effect in the right side of his neck
and passed down through his heart. We
nsought his remains back to camp in a wagon,
anu q buried him with the honors of war. We
ins, Gen. Garnetts body to st. George, and
:. ,nere' SO that his friends could get it.
- ne:e 9i our men that were killed on tn bat.
t,s Ne ne,u, we buried as decently us we could
"e Wrapped their blankets around them, and
Pus .nein ia their graves without coffins. 1t
was ra'her q revolving scene. We are back here
IN our camp again, all well and in high spirits.
making merry over the glorious victory We have
won. We occupy the same grounds the rebels
did a lew days ago, and their extensive breost.
works will be Of great service to u.s. in case thay
should attack US, which is not very nrobabie
they will for they are pretty well cleaned ont
of Western Virginia. Had they stood their
ground with what force they had here, thew
could have held their position against $4,000 Of
us, SO strongly were they fortified. It appears
their own conscience condemns them, and tells
them that they are not engaged in righteous
cause, and leaves them void Of that courage,
which will enable them to stand up and defend
it, Whilst on the other hand, we can rush in
10 the battle field courageously, with the fullest
that we are fighting in defence of the
best government that has ever been established
upon the face of the globe, considering that |
Heath never comes too soon, if necessarily in |
defence of the Union. fl re rf-,t /
My health is good, with exception of slight |
,old, occasioned by some one leaving the fence
iown, when slept in field the other night, |
IN our way back from Cheat River. All the |
boys from about Bloomfield are we'll, and in |
yood heart and tune We may be nt home in a |
ew days, and perhaps not for two or three |
weeks. The 18th Regt. o. V. NJ. is at Bever-
y, IL miles from here. have not heard from /
ALE. since you wrote TO me abont him being at
lome. have no way of sending letter to |
i'm, Yours truly. |