Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-11-20

seized our wagons, going for provisions
and entirely blockaded retreat, supplies
reinforcements and communications, ant
simultaneous With this, Gen. Lee appeared
81 miles in our front, in plain view, witt
1000 Virginia and Georgia rebels, will
, artillery and cavalry. This was at leas
a good "surface show" for a fair days
work. To a man, we had longed to NEE
, them, and had sworn to light EN-" at sight
no matter at what odds, or under what
circumstances. The cowardly scOundrels
had crept up under the cover Of night and
, shot off sentinels. till there was not man
but received the order to fight them with
more Joy than he would an invitation to
dine in the family circle. In less than
three minutes, the companies were falling
into position at the points designated, and
the fire was returned. l shall never for
get the moment Company f fell into posi-
tion-the rafting fire of rifle and musketry,
the rumbling of cannon going to place, the
clamor of orders, the tramp of horse and
foot, conmingling, made music to a SOL
dier's soul. | shall never again see such
a file of happy faces; and particularly will
l remember. the expression that lit the fea-
lures Of Lieut. Weston, Sergts. Brooks and
Harmon; and the "Infant'' Sackett, as he
came into line, picked up lever about s
feet long, and stood it beside him, saying,
Captain, if lose my bayonet, give me 10
feet of this breast-work to S5Ciltg nly lerer
on, and no rebel shall come over it alive. {"
1 nodded assent, and turned to answer the
call of the Colonel. At that moment a
tremendous volley Of musketry announced
that our men outside of the Camp were in
position. 1t was the most ecstatic mo-
ment of my life, for knew we were ready.
The scoundrels had thought to Sa9priSe as;
the 9th Ohio may be ore1po1cered, but
necer surprised. 1t is not the 9TH. By
the most vigilant and daring scouts, we
had an ''inkling" of their coming; our
pickets had silently, but surely done their
duty We had surprise for them, not
they for US. At the moment the enemy's
front attacked Us, we attacked their rear,
yet in the mountains. The utmost con-
sternatien and disorder was the immediate
effect, and at the second volley, the entire
attacking force broke into the most terrific
stampede and fed over the mountain,
throwing away guns, harversacks, blankets,
and ammunition in wagon load quantities.
In few minutes the stampede reached
the TcnnesSeeans and they Joined at once
in the general route. Our troops pursued,
shooting them as they ran, over precipiees,
fallen timber. broken rocks, through laurel
brambles, deep defles and down stream
beds, till night gave them partial shelter
from the hail of bullets. At night occa-
sional firing sent rebel soul to eternal
thraldom, and through che next day many
fell as they crept from their hiding places,
hoping to escape The rebel Lee remained
in our front with his force, all day, till
P NJ, waiting the signal to advance, but
all in vain; his rebel comrads, instead of
fghting US in our camp, were fleeing before
a storm of death, and bitterly bewailing the
hour they began rebellion. At P. N.
be folded his secession flag, and slowly and
sullenly withdrew his coward column. No
exact account of the rebel loss can be given
by Us, and no official report of theirs will
ever disclose it. They lie scattered over
] ) miles of mountain wildncss where their
bodies will come unburied to
the general judgment. They did not lose
less than from 200 to 500 killed, and we
took some 20 prisoners. Our scouts find
their bodies every day, and yesterday and
today an immense gathering of buEzards
md ravens mark the pathway Of their
fight. The menaces Of Lee in our front,
prevented our sending large force to kill
them as they fed. Some day l will whis-
per in your ears the exact force that stam-
oeeded them. The Union loss is four kill
d, and four slightly wounded. The 9th, q
hough engaged from first to last, had but t
wounded, and none killed or missing +
Thus ended the attempt to surprise and 1
.GptGre the Union forces at Cheat Noun I
ain. The enemy had made their approach |
With an energy worthy of better purpose, a
md surmounted difficulties deserving Of g
'etter courage to support them. They had !
made their passage through a forest and s
ver mountains almost impossible The f
determination was good, but they lacked c
he courage to back it up. v
The health Of the company is good; in I
Iced the most so of any Company in the :
Regiment, and the 9th is the most healthy
egiment at the post. desire to acknowl- {
dge especially the favors the company has :
eceived from the Ladies Aid Society, of {
Hartford township; and we. can never for 1
ct the Warren generosity that gave US the
iuch- -prized oil cloth capes. 1t is at this B
eason and at this cold and rainy spot, q
bat their merit exhibits itself
We wait with great anxiety intelligence q
rom the eastern army. y
a. S. HALL,
Can't. Co. E. 9th o. Rec, U.S.A.