Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-02-08
spsaoi Correspondence. Of tAs cintiTn0H oonus.
The Battle of Mill Spring.


spsaol Correspondence Of the cintiRnafH Goitu.
The Battle of Mill Spring.
CAMP NEAR SOMERSET, Jan. 81, 1862.
Sunday morning came, dark and rainy
"A tt day for n Sabbath battle.
At six minutes before 8 clock we heard
the first boom of cannon. We had fire. .
quently heard what we imagined to be ar
tillery firing before, but always found out
that it was distant thunder, or something
similar in sound but there vas no doubt
as to this. The imagination may mistake
other sounds for cannon, but there is little
danger of ever mistakiDg the heavy boom
of artillery for anything else The battle
was evidently raging somewhere near Gen.
Thomas's camp Yet it was so une xpect-
ed to us that we could scarcely believe the
evidence Of our own ears That the enc
my should leave his entrenchments and to
attack us in the open f,d seemed almost
incredible. Major Coffee of Wolford's
Cavalry was the only one who could offer
any solution of the mystery. He knows
Major General Crittcndcn personally and
re.uarkcd, "Geo'ge is drunk, as usual, and
came out Tor fl hit
be cannouad,ng continued, with but
brici pau es, for two hour, and then
ceased. We waited in suspense for two
hours more, but 10 news The widest ru-
mors began to circulate The rebels had
completely surrounded Thomas, and taken
his whole force prisoners; they were about
to cross Fishing Creek, to complete the
day 3 work by demoishing us. The gen.
eral impression seemed to be that some.
thing had gone wrong.
sCHoEpFF RECEIvEs NEWS CT THE REBEL
ATTACK AND REpuLsE.
About noon Lieut.-Co Moore and
went over to headquarters to see if we
couldn't get some information. We found
Lieut.. Munoz, one of the Generals Aids,
bus;ly engaged in examining the bottom OF
a well. He was the only officer visible,
and we approached him. "No news, s"
was his answer to our question, aud still
he peered with anxious eyes down the we'll.
1t is still a wonder to NE what our good
friend the lieutenant was looking down
there for, though in the dismal condition
OF external nature, and the general unccr.
tainty which prevailed, it was about as
good thing as man could do. Probably
he was trying to see whether he couldn I
get out some Of that truth which they say
lies hidden in a wei and which is SO rare
an article in Southern Kentucky.
Just then We saw coming over a hilI
opposite, at full speed, Major Lawrence
Captain Hewitt, and third person with
the inevitable Wolford's cavalry blunder-
buss slung over his shoulder He and his
horse looked like an incarnation of the
demon who may be presumed to preside
over mud. If there was one square inch
on their several bodies visible through the
surrounding crust of earth and water, my
eyes failed to perceive it. But his frs
words were decidedly those Of man oi
like passions to those of other mortals -
"Hurrah, Zollys dead !" He sought Tho
General whi'c the Major stopped to tel
US that the rebels were routed and oul
men were III full pursuit Of them towart
the river. Iu moment out rushed Gen
Schoepf, bare.headed and jubilant-
"Munoz, 60 tell the 18th, 35th, 3sth, ant
3lst to prepare to march instantly
Four miles march brought US to Gen
Thomas's camp All along the road W,
heard the report of Gen. Zolicofer's death
The country people who have suffered from
his soldiery, or feared their rayages, wor,
wild with delight. One old woman on tbt
road exclaimed, Give got two children il
the fight, but l don't trouble myself abou
them. I'm SO glad that Zolicoff3r i:
dead We had disbeleved the reports
knowing how such rumors Spread after
ia tie, but on arriving at the camp W
made inquiry AM found that there was n
doubt Of the fact
APPEARANCE OF zoLLICOFFER's CORPSE
Col Coppell, who had kuown Gen. q
in Washington, asked to be permitted t.
see the corps, and I went with him. II
lay in tept, wrapped in an army blanket
' his chest and left arm exposed. A tai
and rather slender man, with thin, brow
hair, high forehead, somswhat bald, Re
man nose, firm, wide mouth, and clean
shaved face. A pistol ball had struck hil
in the breast, a little above the heart, xii
ing him instantly. His face bore no in
= preston such as is usually found on tho.