The daily Wabash express. (Terre-Haute, Ind.) 1857-1867, 1861-07-31

could impede It's progress About ninety
miles thus. and day dawn ~tSabbsth) brings
u 10 Grafton. . sombre. deserted appearing
tosn Of some hftsen hundred inhabitants,
sni famed for the Sight Of rebels. a short
tirae since. before the approach Of a few Viz
yinia and Ohio troops. While We stopped
here = fe~ moments. the report Of a cannon
IN = masked battery. on AN eminence far
above our heads. and in the hands Of frieuh..
rolled out in the clear morning air. echoing
around the adjacent hills. reminding "a that
If ~e were enemies. they could crush os. but
being allies. We were safe while within their
range A few moments more and ws are
hurled awao to wards Clarksbnrg. some tv
~ miles distant. at which place We arrive at
seven A.. NJ. the Thirteenth and Fifteenth
Indiana having arrived a few hours previous.
The whole day, ill i've r. NJ. is spent in
hard labor. hitting out teams for transporta-
tion. unloading and reloading supplies, etc.
This - my own native place. having elni
grated with ns parents to the wilds of indi-
ana in the DAYS Of childhood. Long have
desired to look upon my native wine clad
and rock ribbed mountains" but little
dreamed that | should ever visit them under
such circumstance a. those now surrounding
me-but hold-these times are too stirring
aud serious for sgotism or personalities.
At FIVE =. NJ. having been proceed q
few hours by the Thirteenth We roll away,
crashing over the rocks among the hills. To-
wards Rich Mountain" (via Buchanan
some hfty miles distant 10 the Southeast
On the eleventh. At nine and n half A. NJ,
after q forced march" OF three DAYS. we
eane into Camp Mcclellan" with the
Eighth, Tenth. and Thirteenth Indiana. and
the Third. Fourth, Ninth. and Nineteenth
Ohio. and others. At the foot Of Rich Noun
tain, preparatory 10 storming the batteries
Of the rebels entrenched in the mountain.
some three miles distant. However. the
Major General. at three O'Clock in ths morn
ing. had detailed Gen. Roscncrans. with the
Eighth. Tenth, and Thirteenth Indiana. and
the Ninth Ohio. TO surround and engage the
enemy. AT this many of our boys were
greatly chsgrined. desiring. after having
marched 50 far for the purpose. 10 break
a spear. at this point. With the traitors.
At twelve ". We are called out in march
ing order to be ready at a moments notice to
rush TO the onslaught: but here We stand.
hour ater hour. fecring over towarcs the
dcsecrsted mountasn. known by some Ii
proving to be such TO many As the Shades
Of Death"
At two p. NJ. We hear a few volleys of
musketry, accompanied by the roll Of srtil
lery. u collision between their pickets and
our advance guard An involuntary move
meot. accompanied by feverish excitement.
is seen throughout our patriotic thousands
still in camp.
Al i've minutes before three. the crash
and thunder OF terrible var" rolls out
through these gorges and rev eroerates among
these mountains, the black smoke curling up
above the dense forests as though a Vesuvi-
us we're bursting his bands and throwing his
NAL contents into the heavens. The engage
ment lasts about three quarters of an hour,
and all Is silent. No tidings from the scene
OF action reach Ne ill the next morning, when
. courier rushes along our lines saying We
nave defeated them. killing and ~wounding
near two hundred. taking their Notifications.
camp equippag-tsnts. horses. wagons. etc
aH-snd near one hundred prisoners Our
lo.s ten or twelve killed and forty wounded
We Immediately pursue the running nation.
and on the morning of the thirteenth. hve
mile from the place of battle, Lieut.. Coils
Psgram and Hick come in from the noun
tains. where they had been shut up siace the
battle. cut OF from their friends. and surren-
dered themselv es and their commands, some
eight hundred. a. prisoners Of war.
We hear that the running forces of Cot
london are TO make another stand in Cheat
Mountain Pass. some twenty miles distant.
and We pursue. even beyond this mountains
sum NIT. aud to the eastern mouth Of this no
tel PAS" where We can stand and look
over on the blns crested TOW ering peaks Of
the ~Alleghanie-. and find nothing Of the foe
but base ISLANDERS of ourSelves-substantia.ly
contained in Bsauregsri'- Beauty and Boo
tyy'-ieserted quarters. scattered baggage,
aud other marks Of the most desperate strides
! 20 the eastward.
Here we encamp for the present, to defend
the empire ~e have conquered. A moro Wild
and picturesque scenery can scarcely be i'm
sgined, than that IN the midst Of which We
are now ensconced. But ! must stop. |
have nos written much more than you sill
: care 10 publish, or your readers " read.
. how | would estimate the daily visits Of
yosr bristIing E~xrRrss. were such q thing
possible. We are almost - much ISOLATED
from our Government and friends. a. though
ve we're 10 Russia or China. But few Of va
have received letter.. even from our other
selves. since. - The boys say. We left Amer
la. | believe ~s have seen but one paper
Of later date than the 18th inst. since We
crossed the Ohio on The <is,h.
We are general, well .nd IN e.oelleat
spirits. Love 10 all
Yours. truly. 4. =. W.
Fourteenth Indiana Regimen