The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-08-01


my company and Capt Jackson's would
60 back to ParkeIsburgh, thence down
the river to some point below Rayenswood
and thence march to take Ripley, the
county seat OF jackson County, We
landed in the woods IL miles distant on
the night of the 2Sth of June. and in the
morning Of the 29th marched 10 Ripley,
12 miles in three hours went into the
town on "double quick" expecting to
find 300 troops there, and in,less time
thanI can penlii down, we had "a squad
Of menson each principle street. We found
10 fighting game except one man who got
on his horse, and the boys snpposiDg him
10 be citizen until he had got some two
hundred yards off when they esped his
gun, and calling him to halt, upon his
falling 10 stop three shots were fred at
him, The last of which was fred by Butler
and as We afterward learned by tie man S
brother, Buffers SHOT took effect in his
right thigh, which felled him TO the
ground; but only being flesh wound he
succeeded in getting onto his horse and
made his escape, with the loss Of his sad
die bags, coat, oyercoat, shirt, flask Of
powder and gun, all Of which the boys
got. At 9 o'clock we left Ripley and
marched to Rayenswood, on the River
distant IL miles, making "a miles march.
We arrived at Ravenswood at 2 O clock
p NJ, both tired and hungry. We i'm
mediately established Post there calling
it Camp Connell, at Raveuswood. Va"
Maj. Steele left that evening Saturday J
leaving me in command ofthe Pest. The
next, day sitting on the boat, with spy
glass in my hand, | could see the shores
Of the river lined with men, women and
Children, and in few minutes a messen.
ger arrived with the information that 0.
Jennings Wise WAS marching on US with
a force of 800 cavalry and 800 light in.
fantry. We called Council Of War and
commenced throwing up breast works
(this was on Sunday the 30th of Juue)
We took possession of about 70 or 10C
barrels of salt and set them on end, and
) by means Of which the work was maIeri.
ally expedited, and by o'clock at night
we felt perfectly secure againstany force
they could bring against us; tbeiI caval.
ry would have been useless, aUd they
could not have brought over 400 Of theil
footmen 10 bear against US at any one
time. Alter waiting until about 10 o'clock
| at night, as the enemy did not appear, VIC
went 10 bed aud slept soundly, as The boys
. had worked very hard and in drench
: ing rain throwing up the breast works
= At day break the next morning messen
i ger crossed the Ohio and informed US tn
enemy had been on the march towards u
y for two hours and half which woul,
d have brought them within two miles of us
8 l Immediately awakened Capt. Jsckso
o and we called our companies out and il
o less than minute we Were on march t
= the point where we intended to make tn
= first stand, another messenger arrived sn
I informed us they had passed his house a
n bout 81 clock, on the direct road to ou
a Camp with force of frUm 800 to 1,C00
= We had l60. Abont this time 40 hom
It guards joined us. armed with commo
It rifles; flag was announced approaching
e but it was yet too dark to ascertain, al
!. though only quarter OF mile distant
It whether it was friend or foe. Isent Wat
:, son with detachment to meet il who re
y turned and informed US it was the star
d and stripes with 81 homo guards fror
d Murrysville, and twenty-three ofthe Por
e land guards. They marched in and form
j. ed our left. l then notified the boys wins
J. number was expected, (800) and propo'
d ed that all that felt like standing ou
r. ground and lighting. should take off hi
}. cap and give three cheers, and know
" would have made some of the Fair6el
re secessionists SUNK back in shame to hay
n seen those brave boys standing there
d, waiting the approach of 800 against 24O
< and then to have heard the welkin riu
n- with the shouts of Fairfield boys at sue
rs a time. lit had not cured them, l shou
III prescribe the same dose we did to o
n Jacoby, a trip to see Gov. Dennison vii
o. an escort. Wise marched within about
or miles of us and then turned in another d
G, rection so that we had no fight.
lg Just after our boys gave the 3 cheer
e. two Captains of the home guards, who
.s- names | have forgotten aud hope I'll ne
en- er recall to memory again, came and j
er formed me they must Actually leave bi
nd tie line and 60 home, as one Of them b
J a sick wife and the O.her had large hf
,ut vest 10 cut. saw il was cowardice
we them aud informed them that l prefer
'us one brave boy to forty towards and ga
as them liberty 70 march off. which III
ors done, with their men, leaving us only 2.
ith About 3 o'clock the same day the scor
] a returned and informed us they were agt
the marching on us. We Immediately for
in. ed battle line and stood in drenchi
ere rain for two hours awaiting their approa,
ish confident that we could whip them; |
ing sull they did not come.
the Next morning Col Norton, with
YER companies from the 2lst Ohio Reg, ca
CO. to our assistance and took command a
ap- that afternoon we planned a second ex
US, dition to Riply, to which place the enc
nto had fallen back and taken position. Al
in dark we got aboard and started for R
# ley, landing the boys. all full of fight
red anxious 10 get a chance, as we now !
hat a force Of 675 men We got TO the la
'ou ing'at II O'clock at night and four ca
leir panies Of Norton's men were marched
the shore and formed nmarching line, :
ely we were just going on to the other boa
y" waken up the boys. when for some
nan accountable reason, Col. Norton calle
no lnnnnnal AZ Nunr ruhnn "a thn MIN n q 4