Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-01-16
TOWANDA: :
Letter from Camp Pierpont.
CAMP PIERPoST, Va, Dec. Il, Is

o1clock Of the night | received your letIer' we
o;rad 80 orders to ba ready, with one days ra-
.;oOs - march at 6 o'clock the next morning,
rho moroing found your humble servant ana
a;v otbar members of our band all VINO were
IN marching order), prepared with huhE OF
n-.J ~ ond q niece of beef, for a march. we
.at undpr way at o'clock, a ~, and CON-
o,oncod the march, the column consisting OF
the Third Brigade P. K. g., Gen. ORD com,
handing, together with part OF Regiment OF
Cavalry. one battery of four guns and the
RncktajI Rifles We marched II miles to
D,sinesyille. and had sharp fight, as you
nrobably have learned by the papers long be-
fora voo will get this One Regiment of our
Rricade was experimenting the loading of
wagons with forage, and was not engaged in
tbe fgbt-so that our force was less than three
tbousabd men. The enemy knowing we were
coming had chosen their ground and planted
their battery Our skirmishers were out and
the irst intima:ion given was just as we we're
entering DrainesVille, when one of them came
rDn0g in, saying the enemy were coming up.
Us up that road The Cavalry and Artil-
er7 were in advance our rear wholly unprO-
scted, save by the 18th Regiment Band with
ont arms or horns, (if we had had the latter
We might possibly have scared them back. y
The rebels did lot advance upon our rear, but
oDened upon rs with shell from their battery.
Yoa may believe there was lively work among
opr troops A line of battle was Immediately
formed 10 the road, by the infantry, nearly in
the position they occupied at the tir.r the
alarm was given. The artillery wheeled to
take position, supported 10y cavalry, and the
Bucktails came back to our left aud made for
the rebels with their unerring rifles. The ar
.iIery in getting position, turned one 0. their
heaviest guns clear over, it being on side hill,
and with it the wheel horses clear on their
backs This hlndered some, but they we're
soou all right ard opened on them with good
effect AL this was done in less time then
have been writing it; the rebels all the while
sending their shell which were whIziug about
US bu, fortunately doing no damage Oar
Quarter Master bad his cap knocked off with
piece of "a shell as it burst BY his time
tbe iiHemeu had got up III the field near
enough TO lie on their bellies aud pick the re-
5sIs as they showed themselves in the edge of
ile woods. The infantry, too, finding the en-
my would not leave their cover and advance
lpOu them, made an advance, so that the en-
gagement was general The battle ragged about
an hour aud half, when there was u general
route Of the enemy Blankets, overcoats, hay
erSackS, &c, being thrown in piles by the road
side so that their flight might he more rapid
There weIe seventynine dead and wounded re-
bells left on the fed-how many they took
with them of course | did not know Our
men took eight or ten prisoners, and | think
tleir entire loss could not have been much less
r.sn one hundred. | think there were but
sven OF our men killed, and probably twenty
or thirty wounded. 1t is astonishing their
having advantage of position and waiting for
our men 10 come oO) how badly they were
whipped aud if had not seen it could hard
y believe it.
We did not lose a man by their artillery
They fired too high, while ours seat out re-
pJFter to see the effect of the shots he came
10 and said they were a little too high the aim
was changed and men, horses, and trees were
moved down like grass One shot struck their
magazine causing an explosion. Trees of pine
large as my body were cut down b. the can
ION balls
A great deal of credit is due the rifemeI.
They are always found in the thickest of the
'5ht, and they make about every shot tell
Va space not more than two rods square |
saw, think, not less than twenty dead rebels
'aot by the Bucktais while lying in front of
-en IN an open f'ld, while they (the Buck
a'Sl had only one man killed while IN this pO-
a'ou-this, too, with our men 10 an open field
a01 the rebels skuIkiug behind trees
The brilliant result of the battle is owing
'oOk principally to the accurate shots of our
men aud the miserable random firing of the
enemy Our troops were certainly more ex-
posed than theirs
night hIl pages in relating incidents Of
,u' OaIge, that came under my own observa
Lou. uen ORD is deserving of great deal
" " Dedt He managed the thing admirably
i lie was perfectly cool, bot his hawk eye seem
" ~ 10 lake IN everything at a glance, and he
11a.S W. dld the right thing at the right time.
!, luere were sights too horrible to describe.
p'u Just IN the death struggle with terrible
-Itl"'auons bodies with their heads entirely
oI ,.1. a"ay-horses lying in heaps dead, and
g'''a g.I''S wounded, without riders, rearing and
aSA'n5. l don't think a person would ever
sl'e 70 see more than one battle field There
!, sau oe nothing more horrid l passed tbro'
: :: ulAart, though the balls and shells some
"TyS T "hlStled thick and fast
:, Inc rebels fought in their usual Indian fash
Ol' SEuking in the woods One fellow,
Tsnoer OF the 9th Band brought in big
nsuIlckIan -. prisoner without having any wea-
p'u out club-he said if he had bad a gun
y a revolver he would have brought in two or
S.S la% one Of them. The prisoner said they
,n' raa heard Of the Pennsylvania Reserve and
~ opposed two of their Regiments would whip
,.'3 as whole Of them, but was mistaken He
a.u 'aeIr force on the field was 4 900 with a
age reserve not far back
al as soon as onr dead and wounded were car
,s.. a,Gr' lhe wounded rebels were brought in aud
l.. 5Ss''eu the same attention as our men. The
''"sS oi musicians in battle is to bring of the