Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-12-20


Cincinnati Commercial, has, since bis re.
turn, written Out very graphic and read.
able account of his experiences at and neal
Fredericksburg, just Immediately previous
to and during the battle of Saturday last
No part of it is more inseresting than the
following description of scene liu one o.
the tents the night previ6usto taking ut
the line of march; n-iss boz 1il.1fTsifi
The Colonel was kind enough to invite
me to attend meeting. of some of the OF.
ficers Of, his. brigade, who were to celebrate
the arrival of the commissions of several
good young fellows who had been promo
ted for distinguished gallsntry; and moth.
ing does the officers aud men more good
than such promotions. Would that there
were more of them to celebrate. The COM
Papyi consisted Of twenty or thirty young
officers, four of them ColoneIs. II assem-
bled in hut which an enterprising Cap
tain had erected for winter quarters, aud it
was really an excellent hsbitation. II was
near twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide,
with walls Of pine logs, ehinked and, dsub-
ed, siHfeet high, and rooted with tents,
tackled upon sturdy rafters, They all fell
that it was the night before battle, and in
Garth have not space here to describe,
aslWould like to do, the mode in which
the evening was spent. II will be sulIi-
cient to say that savory article Of whisky
punch was freely circulated, but that
the cOnyiyiality did not become drum
kenly uprOarious.l The punch seemed
to cheer but MOTTO inebriate. Many patri
otic songs were sung with a ferTor aud
melody most affecting and beautiful / will
never forget one. rThe Hills ofNew Eng
land (the officers were, without excep.
ton, New EuglRnders,) or-uE Piuri6us I'm.
Mm," those not singing, shouting "Neyer,
never at the words of the song that the
nation would fall iG tue banner of stars
were ErSiled in the dust. There was a sol
emn, touching charm about the singing of
a song, the leading words of which were
"Unfurl the glorious banner" Two of the
young officers of the regiment of my
TREND the C0lp whose rich voices swelled
the song of 1.-THE glorious banner that
night, fell in the battle of the Saturday
following, one SHOT through the head, and
the other through the heart, while up
holding the regimental flag, the color SER
geant being shot down early in the, action.
And saw in the hospital at the Lacey
House, the pale face of third, who saved
the colors, .IHttered aud soaked in blood,
and was desperately wounded in the act.
Another song, which should not omit to
name, was one which is a faVori;e in the
army, Mcclellan is our leader, so march
along,p This was given With great gusto,
followed by n toast, 1.-THE health, of Little
Mac" and that received with ''three times
three About one-half the officers thus
engaged were wounded in the battles on
the Peninsula and in Maryland. Three of
the Colonels had been wouuded, one of
them having been struck during the various
engagemeutsof thelwar, eight tines Full.
ly sone-third OF the party were killed or
wounded two days afierward. sv-a
The fact thatit was the night before
battle-thst the men all around me were
to participate init, and that interests of
national breadth hung uPonsthe event, in-
disposed me for sleep, and for hours l lis
tened to the heavy rumble and deep metal
lie jar of the artillery trains moving for
ward, and the quick clatter of the horses
feet, bearing aids here and there. Ouce an
officer came,to the tents and told the Colo
mel the precise hour. at which his regiment
was TO move. Long before 1t was light,pur
bugles called the men from their slumbers,
in notes as cheery and full ofrsweetuess as
if they summoned none TO rise to go to
bloody graves. The bugle notes had hard
-ly died away amoug the hills when the
camps were Astir and the hum of vast
busy multitude could be heard ON every
side. h. svr s5 Nrg ID,
An hour before daylight, or rather before
the smokeifog lifted so that objects were
visible distinctly a few rods distant, two
heavy guns were heard in the direction OF
fredericksburg. They probably were sig
nails that operations were commenced. For
some time no other artillery firing was
heard, bu: there was an occasional snap.
fping of musketry. Thetents were struck,
the kuapsacks packed, the regimental prop
erty put in condition for removal, aud
breakfast was eaten, Day, was fairly dawn
ing when there was arrapid dischargs ,oi
guns from our batteries, and the dull tWRng
of exploding shells, aud the deep roll q
The echoes along the valley of tue Kappa.
hammock. came uP,to us athuuderOus rev
eiIle' 's aoat uE goL r.f i
II N.R =,