Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-09-12
OUR WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE.
THE OAmPAIeN N VIRGINIA.


Correspondents Of the Nashville Union and American.
CAMP AT VALLEY MoUSTAIN, Sept. l.-0ur camp
was thrown into considerable excitement on the af
ernoon of the 3Oth ult. by the report of terrible
firing of musketry on the hill where Gen. LoENG
in sncamped. Every man sprang to his arms and
dropped quickly into ranks. The firing continued
and all were eager for the order to march, when in
ia a short time an order came from Gen. LOEING
for Col. Nancy to march his regiment up the hill
and report for orders. You may be sure 1t did not
take US long to get up that hl little over mile
On arriving there we received orders to move down
some seven or eight miles near the place where
Capt FIELDS drove in the pickets. The enemy had
assembled there in considerable numbers, and Gen.
LoRNG was afraid they might surround our picket
and murder the men to retalate for what Capt.
FIELDS had DONE Wel we trugged along over a
very bad road through water and mud over rocks
and logs, until one O'Clock at night, (the darkest
of the dark nights | have seen or rather felt)
when we came upon our last picket. Here
we were in the long wet grass with
out blankets, some without coats, feet
soaking wet from wading through creeks, all cold
and hungry, and not allowed to light match for
fear the enemy might discover US. Sleep we must,
and how to do it was the question. At last we
pitched upon the idea of getting rails from an ad-
joining fence and laying them close together which
kept US off the damp ground, but heavy fog an
swered the purpose of hard rain to wet us. At
daybreak we were up, and proceeded to get under
cover near the snemy before the fog should clear
away, which we did effectually by passing down
ravine and getting on the opposite hill, where we
were completely hid. From this point we could
distinctly hear the reveille in the enemys camp. A
scouting party which sent out early in the morn
ing managed to get into their camp before the fog
cleared away. They soon succeeded in getting I'M
der cover of the woods, and while they were sit
ting down resting themselves party of the enc
my's scouts come on them, and could have cut them
of, but the towards as soon as they saw Them took
to their heels.
We remained in ambush all of yesterday and las
night, and were relieved this morning by another
regiment; and glad werewe to be relieved, having.
been out two cold. chilly nights, without covering,
and but meal in forty eight hours. Talk of
hardships | think this will do for a beginning
But our boys did not complain. They were bent
upon taking three hundred prisoners and kill
ing the balance. Our scouts reported the force to
be, they could judge, only sb out five or
six hundred, and we could have taken them easily,
but Gen. LoRNG's order peremptory not to
attack the enemy. Our boys were wofuily dis
tressed at getting in sight of the Hessians, and not
being allowed to bag a single one. If we are sent
down there again, it will be hard to restrain the
'nen.
neglected to tell you the firing we heard on the
hill was preparatory to an inspection that was to
be made the next day.
The Nashville boys are generally well. There
are few complaining a little, but none seriously
sick.