Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-12-01
LETTERS FROM OUR ARMY.
FRANKLIN. Va. Nov. 9

leisure moments by writing a short missive
lor IA "Age." And it is pleasure to be
aoie to say that the most of the Arson
troopers " are we'll, and doing as well as the
PRESSURE OF the times will permit. We have
spihe little sickness in camp, and two or
1hree OF our boys in the n. G. Hospital at
Petersburg.
AND, by-the-by, we have passed through
@uo.her severe bombardment of Franklin.
oa last Sabbath, at dress parade" we re-
oeiseo orders to prepare one ration and be
Ieauy 70 march by o'clock, 4. NJ, Monday.
= the appointed hour the bugle was sound
Gu aha the old 59th Reg. fell in line and was
nI uo on towards Suffolk, as usual. But
mnere 10, We high p~rivates could not imagine.
- oeins quite early in the morning we
-uooed our eyes and travelled on, and soon
NC came 10 tne bridge where we joined the
IN N. =. Reg, and Capt. Graham's Bat
lely; accompanied by all the wagons, the
wnole OF US crossed the Black Water and
vent on Tor several miles, and the mystery
Vi our "TRIP was unfolded tou by the train of
wagons being escorted to a large plantation
anu soon hllec with forage and other essen
.iais 10 camp. One division or squadron of
our cavalry guarded the wagons while anoth-
CT advanced beyond Carrsville.
we hao completed loading our wagons and
11rheo them towards camp, when a courier
came up in double quick from the advance of
our regiment, stating that a body of the en-
emy was advancing. So in a very short time
.ne l1tn regiment and the remaining por-
GRATED yankee bone breaking battery. were
soon on the road to assist our bows in heating
oack the vandals in our front. When the
dufaDce S0190Fnn q u fha
ing tney concealed themselves on the road
side to give them a surprise reception. but
the yankees being rather thoughtful of con-
sequences, sent two men ahead to feel the
way-and two very nice looking yankee cav
airy boys came up, and of course surrender
ca. On questioning the captives as to their
force advancing, they could not tell, or at
any rate would not, but the yankees missed
thelr front men, and halted, until the remain
ger OF Col. Ferebee's Regiment came up,
when Capt. Graham threw a bomb or two
over IN that direction, at which time they
put their spurs into active service towards
Suffolk. We skirmished the woods and
nelghborhood generally, but were unable to
see any thing of them that evening. So we
turned around and took up line of march for
Franklin.
AS it was thought proper to have a picket
post some two miles from camp, to watch the
second move of the adversary, nine of COM
pany A, 5sth, were detailed to hold the post,
viz: Sergt. j P Kendall, j NJ Wall, w H
Began, G W Turner, j A Avett, J w Ed
wards, E R Simons and Jno d Porter. Late
in the night they heard the rafting of bag
gage wagons, artillery, cavalry, &C., advan-
cling, and in a short time two yankees Tin
tantry) came along looking out for a Rebel,
or in other words winding their way to our
Head Quarters, and you MAY be assured
that they were soon conveyed on the south
side of Black Water by our boys. Soon two
others came along, apparently looking for the
first two; and if SO, they realized their wish
es, for they likewise crossed the river in
double quick, and the guard, in haste return
ed to their post, but before they reached it.
the pickets had captured two negroes, SER
wants of yankee officers. The command was
so weakened by details to guard the prison.
ers taken, that the Sergeant thought it poll
tic to send one reliable man with the two
contrabands. The gentleman in charge had
them going on very well, and had made half
the distance, when the negroes complained of
being very tired, having travelled from SUI
folk in a short time, &c. The guard un-
thoughtedly rode too near the negroes, when
they seized and wrested the gun from his
hands and ran through tie dense woods:
whereupon the guard charged his horse after
them, the negroes telling him if he did not
stop they would shoot him. Nevertheless
he charged ahead regardless of consequences,
and by so doing forced one of the kinky-
heads to ground arms and take care of No.
l; if it had not been for the swamp he would
have recaptured them both.
The guard returned to his squad of four
men on post, and soon after he arrived, five
of the enemy's advance guard came along on
the look out, when the five troopers went
out at a "ready" and asked them to halt or
do worse and without much consideration
they too grounded arms, and our bows took
charge of them. In the meantime the whole
body of the enemy was in sight, some 5000
strong, with cavalry in front, so our bows
had no time to "swap knives" then and
there. Ordering their captives to mount
each of our boys came into camp at double
quick and double riding, for each picket had
a live yandee riding behiad him. Putting
them under a corporars guard, they return
ed to see what had become of the VanIals
but could not get to their post for they had
passed it coming on for franklin. They
weut until they saw a Yankee company of
cavalry and waved their hats and told them
to come on, and the Yankees charged on
them, but all in vain, for our boys have good
horses and knew what to do. They came
within a mile and q half of Franklin and
planted their several batteries, and for three
hours Capt. Graham and the enemy kept up
a continual fire. The damage We sustained
was slight, four men wounded, two severely
and two slightly, of the 18th Reg't N. c.
When the Yanks got tired of playing ball
with Capt. Graham they retired. Our caval
ry crossed over to look after them, but thew
left for Suffolk, and the ladies on the roat
said that their ambulances were all fastened
down to prevent any one seeing what dam
age we had done them. They reported