Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-10-29

Y
oi the part enacted by his company and the
regiment, in the battle of cOrinlh:
CAMP NEAR ConINTH, MISSISSIPPI,
October 18th, 1869.
DEAR FATHER: As | now have time 10 write
70 you' will DO so. have had no time 10 write
ior more than O. week, else should have writ.
ten sooner, for / know that you will be anxious
70 bear from me, We'll, was In the battle of
Corlnth which took place on the 4.h of October
escaped without o scratch. But muet have
beginning, 80 will 60 back to the date of
my last letter, which was written on picket nes
Jscinso, on Monday the 22i ult.
we ieft Jaointo on Monday, and started to.
ward o small town called Riepzi, where We ar.
rNea ABOUT noon. We remained there until
wednesday morning, when We started for an
o'ner town named Kossuth, arriving there about
Aner going some four or five miles, we were
turned back and started for Kossu III again, We
got there before sundo1n, and camped In the
same place OF the night before. The next day
lrriday' and my birth day. We started for Cor
intn again on the same road At noon we
matted within mile or two OF town, where we
dfeH rstions and cooked. We then found out
ior the hrst lime that Gen. Price was marching
on COiinth. At 6rst we did not believe It, Bal
pretty soon the dull booming of the cannon.
wsy over on our right, told US that the ball had
opened.
We then were called to attention, and marched
over to the east side Of town, where we were
ofaTn up In line of battle, stacked arms and
sst oown' The artillery firing on our front
was very sharp. and kept coming nearer. But
nnGliy II ceased entirely. A little while after
oark VIC we're called up and changed our posi-.
uon, 30 as 70 support ono of our batteries -
hHer getting into line we stacked arms, and
laiG oown 10 Try and get some reat We we're
walked up about O'Clock In the morning. and
took arms and moved up closer to the tort on
our right We had not been standing up more
than i've minutes, when boom went a cannon,
ana away went q ehell over our heads. We
tnen iala down close together, while the rebels
poured shot and shell over US like rain. II
was awful One OF our company who lay right
next 10 me was struck 10 the bio with q niece
OF she'll. helped to carry him away. Pretty
soon another OF our company was struck in the
forehead. The rebels had planted one of their
oastesies within few hundred yards of us dur.
Ing the night, and now they wers trying their
oest TO shell rs out of our position. Ii was
oark yet, and we could trace the course of every
shell, nearly sll OF which bursted directly over
US. We'll, they kept ii up for nearly two hours,
and Is was terrible beyond description. They
hsd our range complete OF every ehot, and Il
We had been standing, we would have been cut
TO pieces. AS IL was, We only lost fifteen or
twenty men during the whole capnonade. most
OF their shot passing over us and falling 10 the
rear. The rebels Aired grape, canister, shell.
solid ball. etc, Our batteries kept up o con.
ssant fro on them, but could not silence them,
so we had TO lay and take il.
Colonel Smith was up and walking around,
telling how to act and what to do, ell the time
while they were firing on to us. He did not
seem to mind the iron hail that was passing
over him any more than he would snow fl,kes'
little while after daylight, the rebels ceased
firing on us. Colonel Smith then told us to
look very steady to the front; he thought that
they had oesSed firing In order to make charge
on us, but they did moi. As the sun came nm
higher. the heat became intenHe, but we had 10
lay and take it, tor We did not dare 10 move or
change our position, and We were not yes ready
to attack the rebels. Tner eharp 3honters alta.
tloned themselves ehort distance of, and we
nad 10 mug Lne ground very close to avoid their
shots, which passed thick end fast over our
heads. A ball from one of thom passed ,bronvb
Lieutenant Colonel Swayne's hat abont one
inch above his head. He was sitting down nv
G stump az the time. Taking off his hat. he
coolly proceeded to examine his head, remark
Ing that he wanted to see If 1t had done euy
more damage.
After laying there till about ten O'Clock, the
rebels ceased hripg on ue, snd we could then sit
up and look around. We could see the rebels
come out OF the woods, way over on the right
OF us. They advanced on one of the forts on
the double quick. Our men poured in terrible
fire Of grape end shell on them. They could
not stand 1t, for they turned aud ran back TO
the woods. They formed again and made an.
other charge. They must have Lost scores of
men, for cur artillery played on them With ter.
rble effect. IL was now time to front toward
our battery, when the rebels came out on US.
We began to fre on them Immediately. l
aimed ct them and pulled the trigger-the CAP
only exploded and my gun didn', go Off. I put
on iresh cap, and was about to try il again,
when saw Colonel Smith fall off his horse,
and almost at the same time Adjutant C. G..
Heyl, OF Columbus, was struck. Some of the
boys helped him of bis horse, before he could
fall. They were both within few sseps of me
when they were hit Lseus.Col. Swsyne rode
up and told some Of us to carry the Colonel off.
As was close to him, helped two or three of
our boys to carry him off, When we picked
him up we all thought thar he was dead; he ana
not move Q muscle. He was struck on the
upper lip the ball coming out under the right
ear. We took him to a hotel near the depot.
that was being used as hospital--it was a5ons
| ne'tourth of mile from where ho fell, Some
OF tho other boys brought the Adutsns to the
same place He was perfectly sensible. Hs
said that ne did not expect 10 live two hours:
he Was shot through the bowels, the ball going
clear through him. helped to get his coat
and vest of, aud bathed hia head and face, An
ambulance came and we put him and Col
Smith In it, and sens them TO regular hospi.
tai. There was no help for the A6ju,ant. Ee
died in short time. Col. Smith lived, and The
next morning l heard shat he was doing, we'll
By the time we had got the Colonel down tc
the hotel, the fight was over it did not last bui
few minutes. The rebels were driven bacb
aud slaughtered at oil pointe. They did moi
dare to renew the attack. Col. Smith died a,
the hospital from the effects of his wound
His remaina we're taken through Columbus By
Lieut-Co Swayne, to Syracuse, New York,
at which place Col. Smiths father is buried,
who fell In the Mexican War aa
| Dear Parents: / was on the baltic field after
the fie ht was over, and saw. the hOFFors OF
war in earnest. could give you some Of the
details of the scenes there witnessed, but 1
will not. They are too eiokening, too disgust
ing to dwell upon. | hope that / may never
witness another one like this. rs ,lr+,A
You will remember George J.. Friebely, Ser
gsant Of our company. Poor fellow! He was
shot In the forehead by o musket ball, killing
him instantly. He scarcely knew what hurt
him He was good, kind-hearted, and nice
young man. He was cut down 10 the very midst
Of the bloom Of his life. He was cut down N
an Instant He fell while nobly defending she
flag Of his country at the battle OF Corinth,
Mississippi He was always ready to perform
his duty IN defense of the Union. He fell on