Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1862-10-15

OF the regiment, being brave men and gooC
officers too, would not have fallen back il
, disorderly retreat, even before the advance
Of the enemy, had they known there was
forlorn hope of 200 men to endure the onset
and while the other regiments had get tc
struggle, and slowly yield before line o.
FIRE that vas terrific
In your absence took command, and was
f joined by the following named officers, who
had not Withdrawn from the field: Captains
Cowgirl, Warnock, Hanson, Alice and Tate,
and, believe, Captain Wylie Captain Tay-
lor being on picket duty, these. constituted all
the Captains from Franklin County, with the
exception Of Captain Stewert, who is men
toned in your report as having ably second
ed you in the capacity of Aid on the retreat
In addition I beg to mention Lieutenants
Bull, Davidson, Robinson, Tate, Chrisman
and Colwel, who remained on the field The
list would doubtless have been much larger,
had not the advance thought we were at
their heels. In fact Adjutant luther return
ed to US on foot and was captured in our Vi
cinity. 5a7g1L
In order tossave the command, the men
were kept together, and only began to retire
when the other regiments left the field Ny
command was surrounded, yet kept together
Z by the cool courage Of officers and men, who
thought, even when the day was lost, that
We might cut our way out But such num-
bers were brought against Us as to compel
the men to throw down their arms, within
one-fourth Of mile from the point where the
battle opened, and within an hour after The
order to charge tAe battery .--
I have to apologize fer not knowing that
there was such an order as to a fall back"
not anticipating it 50 carly in the engage
ment In this connection, I hope may be
indulged in the mention that after my com
mand had surrendered, being mounted I eE-
Gected my escape amid voney Of bullets,
happily without injury, and had proceeded
about a mile, receiving an occasional shot
from Struggling rebels, when unfortunately
ran into the enemys lines and was captured
near the point where our army was making
its second stand.
From the time of my capture until the
morning of September Ist, I did not see you.
During those two days, 4 mention it for your
informatiOn,) the wounded were brought in
and cared for, and the $40 soldiers of our
Regiment were released on parole. From
them details were sent to examine the field
on officers Of humanity. And had but Just
sent Capt Warnock with a force to inter our
dead, when I-receivel your order to march
hOmeward with the Regiment at 10 o'clock
A. ~, before these duties 1oere performed, which
must be my apology for not obeying your
order; as we desired to perform the last and
sad rites Of sepulture for our dead comrades
before departure, and which you had doubt
less overlooked.
When those duties were done, the regi-
ment took up its line ofmarch for Cincinnati,
at o'clock p NJ with which incidents I be-
ieve you are conversant.
This Report would not have been made
it did not need making, so far as the furnish
ing of information is concerned. General
Manson long ago reported the part our Brig
ade took in the action, and before you made
up your mind to make your informal show
ing to the public. The regiment perfectly
understands your reason for appearing in the !
papers at this late day, and 1Uly you do not
report more elaborately, except on certain
points, which certain reasons required you
to amplify, But that public mind which was
50 long left unenEghtened, (n a Piclwickian
sense, (nlay take our accounts together and
itself that there were tUo olic-
ers in one regiment not only willing but
anxious to appear before the world with the
pen as well as the sword. [And here let me
mention, that the sword and the horse you
instructed me TO turn over to the rebels, I
had the good fortune to bring home through
their lnes) The public mind may congratu-
late ITSELF or not as is its mood, that the to7g
officers. who like Cesar could win battles.
and with equal elegance describe them for
history, no longer crowd each other in the
narrow limits Of camp of prisoners; for the
writer no longer. .rejoices in the title, or the
style Of Lieut. Colonel The Department
left loop open whereat an escape
was made possible from about twenty-four
hundred year, and from the service wherein
paroled soldiers are treated something like
common felon. AoraL Having something
else to do, and not being an adventurer, the
release is, to the individual interested, sub
eOt Of felieitation. Though, had the regi-
ment remained in the service, this withdraw
al would not have happened.
There is one paragraph in your account,
which, although mentioned before, I cannot
admire enough. Its suggestive, Its preg-
lant of hidden meaning that none but the
men Of the regiment understand. At the
-sk Of being thought prolix, it is worthy of
reproduction in this place.
Seeing that it would be reckless and use
ess to continue our assault upon the battery,
ordered the regiment to halt and fall back,
which they did for a time in good order, los
ng, however, in addition to our killed and
wounded, l6O men, and a large number of
,hicers captured at this point" Names of
nen in the list immortal, which shall still
i've. ip the memory of the few brave men
Who rallied Gor the enemy's 6rst'onset; how
D.. .