Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1862-05-23
IArmy Correspondence Of Delaware Gazssie-I
rrnrn tha sad Ragiment.

mac a Geiightu! stream, finding Is source near /
Monterey, a point Is miles above Franklin. !
The current Is rapid, as the altitude increases /
fast. md its channel indeed seems mFrC cnn- !
cavity IN mountain ridge with meantain bar /
riers on ei her side. The scenery becomes /
more romantic and beautiful the farther We
progress outward. Mountains Of al forms /
ald : clad with an iniermDable growth Of
p,,ses. ce,lars snd iaurels. are onnprrrent Yet
it Is country sai;ed rather 10 the tales Of !he
roFnal ecr pet or geoogisi, than toe agricultur-
isl
Shortly after leaving Petersburg We came
into district OF as thoroughly loyal PeoP'e as
any in the werld. Crowds Of these nab!c
HaouuiaiBeerz came out TO greet sad welcome
Us in manner that would have done credit TO
cur Ohio friends OLe liltle incident viii
n scr be forgotten by many wbo xiin; seed it.
Our regiment was passing a humble cottage
by tie roadside. There on stile in iroGt
stood au old lady waving her handkerchief III
the calm ar Ct evening ard exelaimirg as If
in transport Of j3T. "God blcss the Onion
5oy~." God bless the Union boys. say" Il
Is needless to state that The Union boys fc't
Ike an elecliic thrill the inspiration Of that old
la,ly's patriotism and ACKNOWLEDGED her com
plirneut in 'b-ir characteristic way.
On he 18th inst. VIC ngaia received orders TO
MARCH, It being our manifest destiny to join
Gen. Miroy's forces at Mcdowell. Mcdowell
is tue ghost Of town situated 30 miles south
east cm Fgarklia. and 10 miles cast OF Mou-
teTry. The indt tatigablc and impatient NIL
roy lad FeIhol too boldly pushed forward 10
! this dangerous point in bis advance from Fort
! Aileglauy WLile on our way we were met
/ 5y mvss-r ger from Gen. Milroy coming in
/ hoi baste 20 iBfJrIn Us tiaI the latter was
about 10 be attacked by Jackson's ard Johu-
sons combined orccs, being from 1900 to
| 10000 rOne, AID requesting Us 10 hasteu for
ward with all possible Dispatch This news
made cur lillie b isade open It's eyes some
what. yeI i; did not du9nt US in our purpose
! . AT Ieas, save The gallant iroy from the
clutctes Of The enemy live could. We march,
| I'd unIil 'opg Ut or darkness had settled down
| upon The mountains, then balied and bivouac-
| ed. We were again 90 our way by sum ise.
lavii g left all our krapSacks, transpe rita ;on,
and men unfit foE rapid marching. Tue s2d
| was in advance, and by uooD reached the wide
cpeD valley in which Gen. Nilroys forces were
encamped. The town Of Mcdowell was yisi-
! be on the cast side of The valley while the
! ebels had posted themselves on u high moan
! tain still farther beyond and overlooking our
| whole position. They were evidently engaged
in rcconHoitering and preparing to plant bat
teries, white one oI our own guns Nas engaged
in shellng them as opportunity served. The
SD moved foi wand within quarter Of nile
Of the town, hailed AID rest,d.
About 3 o'cocl, 10 the afternoon the s.
aud SD Ohio regiments were ordered up to-
ward tie right flank Of The enemy, while The
2sth and 75,h Ohio were to 90 up and atiaeE,
them directly in front. Tie 55th aud I'D D
ard 5jb Virginia regiments were various'y
p sled es reserves. The rebels occupied a
strong posi- ion. Their advance Was placed
a'cHg "A sort Cf paiural brcaswOrk, on the
blow Of the mountain, while strong reserves
were stationed or rather concealed among rocks
and woods On another sumui, still higher and
about 500 yards beyond. The 62i camhercd
Gp the mounain through Il woods until
reaching an open field which commanded n
view Of The rebel stronghold. We halted waiting
for the attack to begin. Ii was not long until
VIC heard the gallant 25lh pouring voll'y after
v0llcy into the rebel liHcs. The SD w;ts no1
orlcred forward followed by the 32i. An i'm.
nlense ravine along which extended the Stan
ton turnpike still separated us from The rebels
we beir z on the side Of one mountain, they
oa Ike other sill farther 10 our right We
started on the doubIe-quck down through
brush and briars until we reached The turnpike
then up an almost perpendicular cliff What
work was that for men who had been on q
| forced march for the past 36 hours! Many
! sunk down from utter exhaustion. 4 storm
of bullets lew over us, one dangerously wound
, ing Lieut.. Diebold Of Company D. Soon the
, fercp, clear, deadly Nhang Of our Eufell;
! could he distinguished and the SD was finally
/ in the fight The rebels did not maintain theil
first position bat fell back 10 the stronger on2
farther up the mountain. The SD and 32i
f were now together. being posted along th5
ridge formerly occupied by the rebels. Tho
ieaden storm was terrific. The FIRE on both
! aides was inccssant. Serge&nt Carpenter and
r Privatcs Baleaiinc ard Roach were all xoun
I ded in the arm carly in she action. The latter
r even after being wounded fought hcroica'lv
2 The battle coniinuoi long after the gloriou.
/ san had dropped behind the mouniainz-
Nti'o at the hottest I remcnember once look
ing ,:p at ;se clear heavens. The calQl moor
2 Nts wa king in qniet majesty ani the sentine
i ','S h d ST Their ratch over dead and man
=, d l.. rocs. Al eh,:nt 6]f o'clock, cur ammu
ni'ion being nenrly expended our forces Trllct'
and 10 good order wiih1iew from tha field
lie rebels discohiinucl ihcir firing almost a
: the Fatue instant iha! We did o1rE. They IL,
not venture 10 follow nz. 1t became ny dat,
! / 10 assist in getting ii,e dad ard wounded re
moved from TIE field wa7 therefore on tn
battle eroopd after al the forces had retire,
snj the storm Of war had lnlled into stiffness
: The radiance Of the clear nom fell on nTany
!; ghast!y, bloody couutenanc2. and all around
; me were indubitab!e proofs that in proportion
: 10 the forces engaged, the battle at McDowel
had been one of the hottest and dpadliest Of tht
var. Isaac w. Andrews nf Company | wa
{ mos tally wounded in The head He died 500,
| after reaching the hospital aud was burried b.
his comrades. Seven sothcrs from our com
] Pany were wounded, most Of thc>D slightly
none dangerously.
The,bAtt'e in some rosp~cis was Il draw
one, IN others victory for rs. We attacked
h | the enemy with an inferior force und,r grea
! disadvantages, drove him back and maintanet
our position "a long as we chose. Oaly tbre
/ pieces Of our artillery took any part in III
n action. none Of our cavalry and but little owe
J. half our infantry. True we rctreated during
: the night, but never was a march conduciet
in better order than vas our retreat. Abou
> , miles from Mcdowell We halted and waitet
the approach # the enemy, but they kept a
a respectful distance. That we saved Gen
j hilruy from humiliation is quite certain
! while, to have held Mcdowell would only hav,
: benefited the enemy rs our want OF supplie,
,rcrlH harn cc,rnr,,linl N 10 In h,Ol- .. . -.