Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-01-30
Incidents of the Battle at Somerset

nj Gay Tor DnDDntn Dattle. AT SIX minutes
before eight o'clock we heard the first boom
of cannon. We had frequently heard what
we imagined to be artillery firing before,
thunder, or something similar in sound
but there was no doubt as to this. The
Imagination may mistake other sounds for
cannon, but there is little danger of ever
installing the heavy boom of artillery for
anything else. The battle was evidently
raging somewhere near General Thomas
camp. Yetit was 80 unexpected to us that
we could scarcely believe the evidence of our
own ears. That the enemy should leave his
! iutrenchments to attack us in the open field,
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 Crittenden personal
", and remarked, George is drunk, as
usual, and come out for fight.
The cannonading continued, with but brief
pauses, for two hours, and then ceased
We waited in suspense for two hours more,
but no news. The widest rumors began to
circulate. The rebels had completely sur
rounded Thomas, and taken his whole force
prisoners they were about to cross Fishing
Greek, to complete the days work by de-
j molishing. us. Fhe general impression seem
I ed to be that something had gone wrong.
scHoEPFF RECEIVES NEWS OF THE REBEL
a e, ATTACK AND REpULsE. $50
i About noon Lieutenant Colonel Moore
, and 1 went oyer to headquarters to see if
we couldn't get some information We
found Lieutenant Munoz. one of the Gen
e erals Aids, busily engaged in examining
: the bottom of a well. He was the only off
Ger visible, and we approached him. 'No
news" was his answer TO our question, and
/ still he peered with anxious eyes down the
q well. 1t is still wonder to me what our
i good friend tho Lieutenant was looking
! down there for, though in the dismal con-
dition OF external nature, and the general
: uncertainty which prevailed, it was about
as good a thing as a man could do. Proba.
bly, he was trying to see whether ho couldn
get out some Of that truth which they say
lies hidden in well, and whchis so rare an
article in Southern Kentucky. iJnna 3'
/ Just then VIC saw coming ovora hill oppo
site, at full speed, Major Lawrence, Cap
, tain Hewitt, and a third person with the
:. inevitable Wolfords cavalry bunderbus
slung over his shoulder He and his horse
looked like an incarnation of the demon who
!, may be presumed to preside over mud. II
. there was one square inch on their several
: bodies visible through the surrounding crust
I of earth and water, my eyes failed to pre-
! ceive it. But his first words were decidedly
= those of man of like passions to those OF
: other mortals. "Hurrab, Zolly's deadp'
. He sought the General, while the Major
stopped to tell us that the rebels were r'out
: ed and our men were in full pursuit Of then
!, toward the river. In moment out rushed
y y Gen. Schoepff, bare headed and jubilant. =
a a "Munoz, go and tell tho 18th, o35th, 3Stt
e and 3lst to prepare to march instantly. y
: INSTANTLY" he repeated in his quick, de
n n cisive way. We hurried back to camp. :
u y The boys had not eaten their dinners yet
They had no meat for breakfast. Their,
were no crackers, only cornmeal to make
bread Of, and no time to prepare it, But i
s. made no difference. The only anxiety was
., lest Thomas should drive. the enemy owe
y the river before we could get down. Boy
h sick in the hospitals hurried out to get thei
e muskets Our regiment which could no
J. have brought out three hundred men fo
dress parade, marched five hundred stron,
n to battle, and one company gone to repai
d the road to Stanford 1t was the same witt
It all the rest of the brigade Coils. Bradle,
: and Vandeyier left their sick rooms wher
: they had lying dangerously i'll for weeks
0 to head their regiments did not SEQ tn
+ latter but Col. b. looked as the Cid Can,
peadOr must have done when the Spaniard
h placed his corpse at their head to lead then
d once more to victory. ..
Q ~
Is APPEARANCE OF ZOLLIcoFFER's CORPSE
!, Col. Conuell, who had known Gen. w. il
:, Washington, asked to be permitted to Sc
= the corpse and went with him He lay i
- tent wrapped in a., army blanket, his ches
:, and left arm and side exposed. A tall, rath
u er slender man, with thin, brown hair, big
ii forehead, somewhat bald, Roman nose
- y firm wide mouth and clean-shaved face.
pistolbal had struck him in the breast,
IN little above the heart killing him instantly
4 His face bore no expression such as is usual
IN ly found on those who fall in battle-@n
ar ar malice, no reckless hate, not even shade,
=. of physical pain. Ii was calm, placid, nc
u = bic. But / have never looked on a'counte
:. % nance so marked with sadness A deep dc
!; lection had settled on it. lt'The low care
- !, OF tho mouth were distinct in the droop a
~ ~ its corners, and the thin cheeks showed til
' 'e wasting which comes through disappoint
10 10 ment and trouble. fi '''0 r'l
Il .t zoLIIcoFFER's CAREER,
at Poor Zollicoffer / He has been mos
GO unfortunate man, Distrusted by his part
4 on account OF nus supposed IOefantI towar
pe the North which was his birthplace hi
political aspirations were destroyed befor
i'll the rebellion commenced. In its inceptio
ly he was bitterly opposed to it, and struggle
IS, against Disunion till that great flood It'd
came which swept away so many Of thos
whose names were once venerated through
a, out the land. t. -.f
Of Assuming command of the Confederat
no troops in East Tennessee, he became te
CO ror there and along the Upper Cumberland
lie not, as / am convinced, through any dispt
H. sition of his own to be cruel or rapaciou
)n but on account Of the wild and undiscipline
on hordes whom he commanded but could NJ
ut control. His fidelity to the upstart Go,
| l ernment was doubted, and he fought th
battle of Wild Cat against the advice (,
every Colonel in his army, and with recl
he less desire to obtain military distinction an
bea prove himself true to the new cause. That a
tack was unsuccessful, simply. because it wa
twenty-four hours too late, Fooled Their
A.. he brought his troops 10 their late positio
on the Cumberland, threatening the heart
e., Kentucky, keeping open the navigation (
the Cumberland, and ready TO act in conce
A. with the army sst Bowling Green. No p
...A:s.. -. nx,c~ hutk>r ohnoan asthar fcv 4