Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1861-12-27
LeIter from rTIssourI.


Letter from missouri.
The following, addressed to one Of our citi.
zens has been placed in our hands:
HEAD QuARrERs Memphis, Mo-, Dec. 9, 81.
DEAR NKrHEw;-I told you in former let
ter that our regiment had gone to Lancaster, "a
miles west from here. They had hard time of
| it, but all returned save one poor fellow, Joseph
Garrison. l said they had hard day, and will
| try and explain to you the manner of our fight
ing You know the make Of our country and
the chances of laying an ambush Moore's reg
imcnt consists of only 600 good fighting men
about 100 of them mounted, under Capt VIM.
Harle. They are good set of fellows as ever
fought together among them many of your ac-
quaintances Some Is of them properly be-
long to Capt. Pearces company, but being
mounted they go with Harle. The mounted
body always act as advance and rear guards,
while the infantry take care of the Artillery and
baggage,
On the way to Lancaster, the advance were
fired upon several times from the brush by small
squads, and as often drove the devils deep into
the timber and left them. This sort of travel
ing hard on both horse and rider The
boys reached Lancaster about o oclock, D. H..
| q mean the advance) and there found 100 OF
Col Woodyard's men who were completely sur
rounded by the rebels. The boys in the ad-
vance, 20 odd in number, made no halt but rush
ed wildly through town where they were in
formed body of rebels were stationed; but be-
fore they came in contact with the enemy it
was discovered that several horses were tired
out out, which were ordered back; when they
were returning and before the enemy had been
discovered the cowardly devils fired from their
concealment and killed Garrison. This gave
the boys an idea of their whereabouts and they
pitched into them The rebels had secreted
themselves in deep ravine in the timber, about
l40 in number, and in order to come at them in
any other way than that Of going up the ravine,
(Which would have been madness) they were
obliged 10 cross a cornfeld of sixty rods, then
overt the fence into the woods, which they did as
fast as their jaded steeds could carry them.
Now you may think strange that these men
should attempt to fight twice their number when
Col. Moore had 600 men; but the infantry and
slowly. And had Garrison not been killed, We
ry likely they would have simply kept the en-
emy at bay, and waited for the remaining force
But when Capt. Harle was informed of his
death, he wept as though it were his son, and
pronouncing curses upon the rebels, turned to
his men and asked them if they would assist in
avenging his death. Each man feeling he had
lost brother, and anxious TO try his hand upon
two, followed the gallant Captain, as said into
the woods from where, one in his sober thinking
moments would say, they would never return.
But southern chiyalry is liable to relax and
els fred as the boys came up and then skulkcd
down into the ravine to. save their precious
heads. Capt. Harle charged with such speed
that his horse leaped the ravine, many of the
boys crossing with him. This brought them on
both sides of the enemy, who, seeing the "black
republicans" on both sides and above them, took
it "ingin" file down the ravine, save those who
were wholly quieted, or had broad hint that
they had better wait till they could get away
Harle and his men followed down the ravine .
short distance, but the make of the ground was
such and as it was getting dark, they returned
TO the first scene of action, there meeting tn,
infantry who had run the last mile TO take par
in the fun, as they called it. AS soon as Col
: Moore heard firing, he left the main body, anc
rushed into the fight, his loud audible vote,
giving new vigor to those engaged.
/; Our loss was one killed and four wounded
one horse killed and one wounded The enemy
lost seventeen killed and forty wounded.
We are in hopes this will be lesson to the
rebels in this part of Missouri, aud teach then
to not show themselves in sufficient numbers fol
Col. Moore to reach them, although he may have
to travel 25 miles in seven hours, and fail them
before supper. Yours as ever,
E. MCINTYRE