The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1862-08-28
CAMP NEAR CuLpEPPER
CHI, Va. Aug. 18th, 'G2. (


DEAR FATHER -
Our commanding officer, Capt. Pitcher,
was severely wounded. The surgeon
thinks amputatiOn Of the leg may be nee.
essary. Capt Anderson is now in com
maDd of our battalion.
We were ordered from our camp at
Washington @. II. on Friday and reached
Culpepper at l2 tina. night. EARLY on
Saturday morning the column was put in
motion towardo the vicinity Of the enemy,
under command Of S!ouewall Jackson
When within about miles Of Culpepper,
we we're startled by the booming Of cam
non. which seemed TO be, not more than
half mile ahead Of us. We were formed
in line OF battle, and stationed at the foot
of hill, Immediately In the rear OF Brest's
Battery. We lay in this position for
about half an hour. when the order came
to deploy the Ed right and I'd left COM
panes ofour battalion Twelfth Regulars
as skirmishers. This being done, the
command was given, "forward" and our
boys advanced in the face of a deadly fire.
Grape, canister, musket shot, solid shot
and shell fell round us thick and FAST
Yet undismayed our little band Of regu
lars moved steadily forward and although
here was many face blanchel with fear,
yet not man deserted his post, and not
shot was fred, until the order was gwen,
W hen it was done as coolly as target fir.
ing: shot after shot telling with deadly
effect in the rebel ranks. Step by step
did the cravens fall back, until at last
their retreat became rout; and the rout
a paric anG had we been at this mo.
ment properly re. enforced, we would have
gathered some Of "s!onewaWS l1ursts"
for transportation to more congenial
cline. o.. ......... -.... ....
But at this moment, when far in ad.
vance Of our line, the order to fall back
was given. This we did in perfect order.
The line was reformed. and again launch
ed against the now overwhelming masses
of The "gray 6a:ks." Regiment after
regiment of the rebels we're brought into
action against our forcesj and still they
poured by thousands out of the woods
Notwithstanding the great odds against
US, our boys continued to fgt them unit
A dark, when they werr drawn of. the rebels
being too badly cut up to permit Of theil
; following Immediately, though they did
, in the course of an hour or two, send
r forward battery and two or three brig
t adee 10 pursuit. But far better had i
been for those brigades, had they never
0 moved, as was shown the next morning
e 10 passing over the field. l myselfcOunt
!. ed 2 Lieu.enants. with their Captain;
sergeants; 70 privates and 20 horses
e stark and cold aud two Of their 6elc
y pieces dismounted. u...# as.
.Jackson's forces fell back on SUNDAY
n afternoon, about 2 o'clock; and our cav
!. airy and artillery, under the 'Tgins
h Dutchman." was at once sent in hot pur
suit. Its the common sentiment in tn
/ army OF Virginia, that in the person o
j. Geu. sigel, the rebels have a rough Gus
t. toner 10 deSl with. I ID L ..n
- I visited the battle field on Sunda,
night, in my capacity of hospital stewart
At and may God preserve me from witness
) ling another such scene. Our dead an
y wounded, wore scattered promiscuOusl
: for radius OF mile around; while thos
ii OF the rebel army were equally extensive
8. Our loss in killed aud wounded. indeper
is dent of missing, is estimated at 5000
!. while that Of the enemy 10 not less an
be lie generally believed to exceed that nun
s. bsr. I had no special "psnchant" Il
cd examining carefully that portion Of IL