Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-10-06
.,ErrERs FROM OUR ARMY

VIZ Ill.,
the battles in Maryland, and will be read, we y
are sure, by our readers, with great interest ,
1--WE left our camp, near Frederick City. !
on Wednesday the 10th inst, and marched {
through the city in the direction of Hagers- |
town. AS we passed through the city, a re- .
spectable show Of favor was .exhlbited to US :
by the lady secessionists of the burg, but 1t :
was not very large, and it7had the appear :
ance of cordiality mixed with a lively tear OF )
consequences. We marched all day over a
beautiful mountain turnpike that, at times,
gave us beautiful views oftthe scenery, and
encamped ut night at the South Mountain
Gap, Of the Blue Ridge, having passed thro'
dming the day several little villages that lay
nesrl.l down among the valleys, the largest
being Mldd!etown, a village of perhaps 1000
inha6it ,ntS, w.,o showed by their signs, that
they were, for tho greater part, hostile to
our cause. ,s
Little did | think, as | stood that night
on picket duty on the mountain, that in a
few short days = battle would be fought on
the very spot / then stood. Il had a beau.
tltnl view ct sun rise from the top of the
mountain The next morning, but was too
sleepy to pprcciateit it. Soon We We're again
IN line and I alged over the mountain gap
aud then down into the Allegheny valley, /
the tops Of whose mountains could be seen
away 10 the westward. We passed through
several villages that day, also through the
town of Boone>horough. one of the oldest
places in Maryland, and encamped for the
night in four miles of Hagerstown, in a beau
utnl oak grove. Here we rested on Friday
and Saturday, the first two days rest we had
sincr ie,ving Richmond. l had a good OPP
portunrty, while there, to ascertain the sen :
timent of the people, two.thirds of whom |
fnIInI l,4xIIlA 4 ~ nc THlanI h,k en- e. ~i.
lies did ! Iind but what had brothers or sons
in the YANKEE army. Here our army split,
Longs rect, with three divisions, went in the
direction of WiIramsport on. Saturday Nc
Laws and jones' divisions went tow ards Har-
per'S Ferry, while we, ID: III. Hills. remained.
Saturday night we were called to arms soon
after NC had lain. down, and away we put
back again through BooneShoru' and by day.
light we,e on the -rop of South Mountain
Gag, AID were soon drawn up in line of bat
lie on the two mountains to the right and
left OF the road, fronting in the direction Of
Middletown, where the day before, our cavalry
ha n sharp fight with the enemy, and had
reported the enemy as advancing in full
force with a column Of $1,000 men. South
MuumaiR is on the south side of the road,
and is entirely wooded. North Mountain,
on the North side of the road, is more
or less open, being, for the most part, farmed.
Away in the distance ne could sec the long
lines Of the enemy approaching, looking like
long, crooked, black shadows slowly moving
towards MS. AS small as our force was, Gar.
lands, Ripley's> and Ahderson'S' Brigades
(Rhodes' was not there, we drew up to meet
them. Garland was put away over in the
woods on South Mountain Ripley to the left
on North Mountain, while we, of Anderson:
Brigade, held the Gap road or,centre. Ar
tillery was put in position, and by sunrise
the reverberation of its thunder went rolling
up over the cliffs. The enemy also opened
and a sharp artillery duel was kept up 70
All hour. Very soon the rattle Of musketr,
is heard from the woods on the right; Gar
fand is engaged, on the right with the enemy
and we on theleft and ccutrc stand III cage
expectation Of being attacked also, although
no 81 Lns at tne enemy can be seen over tn
cleared Il, Ids of the left. In half an hou
cheers arc heard, and as WI stand awaiting
mn attack ourselves, we eagerly strain on
ears to see il we can: distinguish whether tn
cheers come { ON friend or foe. There is
ditfet cnce bglwpen Yankee cheers and on
own lie Yaukve cheer is 'HuzZat HuZZa
in deep. gruff lo,rrs, while ours is character
lied 10y cnr "n1l tnuous, unearthly.yell, with
out pause uc. SI" Our. hearts drop with
us as we b, come convinced that the cheer
emanate 'lren Yankee throats. The frin
continues, and a canopy ofsmoke hangs owe
the woods in the vicinity of the place fror
which the sound of muskctry proceeds. Sti
we are not attacked, and | think I can pei
ceiyc in tho face of Hill = CLEAN Of though
that the enemy have thrown their whole fore
on oar right flank. The men become res
less and uneasy, and the light of battle
Seen in. every face But here comes one
Garland'S aids, g~alloping t%uriously Gene
al, send us feinforcements-we are fallin
back, and the enemy are pressing us har
in heavy force. Gen. Anderson, hurr
ponr brigade to GarlaAd's assistance an
We are fscedto the right, and away we go Il
tlic side Of the mountain at q double quicl
We pass loss of wounded limping down tt
M, ain, trickling blood at every step, the
agnin u Stretcher containing some more de
~psratrly wounded, and as | bend over one,
catch tho pale face of the gallant Garlan
who is being carried down desperately won
ded in the breast. He died before he reac
"a n surgeon. lie was killed on the fir
charge of the enemy, while ~gallantly rallyit
his nen before their superior force. ~
We soon come up with his brigade, ia
gcttIng in position behind . fence that ST
rounds y small mountain farm. We Ia
position on their left and await the enem
Soon VIC see them coming up on our frot
and our right opens on them. Bullets WI
FROM the front. and soon come heavy VOLS
on our right flank. The enemy have q
tackled us in front and On the right at I
same time. Ga,land's brigade swings arou
to the roar, through the woods in order
face the flank fire, while we keep up a CO
%tinuous one in front, and drive the eneI
Ill ThA AnnnNV til n