Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1862-04-10
From the 10Th Regiment.
CUMBERLAND FoRD, Ky,
ATl 0t.l 1859

doing. Last Tuesday morning, Lieut.. LIGGETT
went out on a scout to learn what news he could
I concerning the rebels at the Gap. He return
ed Thursday evening. reporting that the reb-
els had gone around TO Big Creek Gap. taking
eight cannon with them, and that there were
opiv about 200 left Ill Cumberland Gap. This
| report confirmed the rumors brought into camp
by citizens from the mountains around the
Gap One reported that he had seen them ten
miles on the other side of the mountains, max
ing toward Big Creek Gap Y ou may wonder
why they were going there, and here is the
place for me to tell yoR. Gen. CARTER has sent
The I'd Tennessee regiment in through by the
Big Creek Gap, TO protect the Tennesseeans
who are daily crossing the mountains and COM
| ing over TO us. The rebels have had their cav
airy scouting through these mountains and cut
| ting off these poor Tennessee refugees. Thi S
the Tennessee regiment soon put stop TO- by
whipping them out. and taking great number
of their cavalry prisoners. suppose they did
not like this pretty good; and concluded they
would put stop to it. Now l must tell what
We did. At midnight of Thursday night, we
were aroused from our pleasant dreams bv our
| Orderly calling on the men 10 draw five davs'
| rations of provisions, as We were to start for
the Gap by eight O'Clock the next morning. At
ter considerable of grumbling at being walked
up, you might see our cooks slowly. crawling
/
for the march.
| Early Friday morning the reveillee warned
us to get up and prepare for the work before ms.
We were ready at the appointed time with
| 10 rounds Of cartridges apiece, marched into
close coIumn and stacked arms, as we had TO
wait on the first Tennessee regiment which
was not yet across the ford. By half past nine
however, everything was in readiness, and off
we went in high glee, expecting 10 get sight
of the elephant at last.
We reached the top of the same mountain
which the Gap is on, about dark. AS is usual
when the 10th makes a move, 4 drizzly rain set
in which soon turned into snow. We were
just studying how we would make ourselves as
comfortable as possible en- the wet and cold
ground. Wa were sbivering with the cold and
waiting anxiouslv for orders to stack arms and
unsling knapsacks; when, just rs Col. DE CeUR-
cEY gave the welcome command, Capt. EDGAR
called out-"No. ) co.-shoulder arms-right
face"-and off co. b went on picket We had
sweet old time of it: Our Outpost approach
cd within twenty yards of their piekets. Here
we-stood ali night in the cold and wet, Without
daring TO build u fire, as that would enable the
enemy to approach US without being seen. 1t
was amusing. and at the same time it looked
hard to see two of our nearly frozen sentinels
come together. and with chattering teeth and
shiverlng frame, say, "i-i-its pret-t-iy co-old."
When daylight came, We built fires and warm
ed ourselves w were scarcely thawed out
before Capt. EDGAR called for % volunteers to
drive in the enemy's pickes. Nearly every
man stepped forward. We deployed as skir-
mishers and wound round the top of the noun
tain and soon came in sight of the enemy's for
tihcations. We ran their piekeis in, and you
would have laughed TO have seen them dodge
through the brush. We treed two or three in
an old picket hut, where we kept them in a
stew for some time. When one would peep
out of his hole. n ball from one of our rifles
whirring in close proximity 10 his head made
him dodge back again. We opened fire on
them from this point with our rifles, company
B having the honor of firing the first shot on
our side. The rebels returning the fire with
their sharp-shootcrs. We kept up quite an an
imated conversation with our rifles till about
till about len O'Clock. when we fell back and a
couple of other companies took our place. The
firing was kept mp from this point the whole
day. Just before we We're relieved, We were
saluted with shell thrown from one of their
cannon. All this while Capt. WHErMoRE was
moving his artillery to convenient position
in front of their Notifications. 1t was not long
after their shell came booming through the tree
tops until WHETMoRE's little black Parretts be-
gan TO bark. The cannonading was kept up on
both sides all day, the enemy firing eight guns
while we had but two. They have one 81 b.
gun; the remainder are u, 6, and 4 lb. guns.
Our rifles toriuented them so much that they
ceased firing at our artillery, and directed their
shot at our skirmishers. Capt. WHErMoRE
thinks We killed. upwards of two hundred of
the rebels ON our part We did not haveo one man
hurt. Lieut.. SMITH, of Co. X, had his sword
belt cut off by :. rifle ball, but was not hurt
Col. BIRD, of the lst Tenpessee regiment was
viewing the rebel works, when volley o!
grape shot was thrown among orr troops, and
one of them, which was nearly spent, struck
him in the side, making purple spot but not
penetrating the skin. When he was struck, he
exclaimed, Il caught one now" and threw up
his hand to the spot. Some one caught hold of
him. but in a moment he said, Il can stand yet,
boys" Sunday morning we started back and
came into camp in he evening, tired and hun
cry. where we found all out camp kettles f,tll Of
good, warm coffee, made by those left here
they having received word of our coming
But YOU may wonder why We did not lake the
Gap while we were there. l must not ftrge.
TO tell you that the force of rebels which left
for Big Creek Gap returned the night before,
and the day we were there, other reinforcements
came into them; but how many l am not able
to say. Col. DE CoURoEY says that the fortihca
tions at the Gap, both natural and artificial, are
stronger than those of Sebastupol.
Monday eve, March 9th.
This afternoon while the boys were engaged
in cleaning their guns writing letters, The
long roll was beat and and we were called to
fall ont quickly, as it was reported about 500
secesh cavalry were coming down from the Gap
toward our camp. In very few moments the
whole regiment was in column, the boys all Ella
ted with the prospect of skirmish. A great
many who were scarcely able TO stand came
toddling out with their guns and cartridge box
es wanting to go too. We Companies D, Z
and BY, marched a couple of miles to meet
them about as speedily as troops generally go.
We lay in defile about an hour, waiting tor
them, when some of the cavalry who had gone
further up The road, came back telling US they
had gone. We returned to camp but not in as
great glee as we went ont.
Several persons have written to me asking
who our officers are now. For the benefit OF
such as do not know already, l will tell them.
Our officers were regularly promoted. Capt, |
Joseph Edgar; lst Lieut., X. W. Lggett; 2d
Lieut.. S. H. Corn; Orderly Sergeant, John Bo-
ling; 2d Sergeant, VIM. Buchanan; Sd. Hiram
Upton; 4th. NJ. d. Force; and 5ih. Edwin Nc |
Coy. have now written so long a letter that |
| am afraid you will not find room to publish |
it. without crowding out more important mat
tiers: l beg pardon this time, and will try to
condense my next. Yours de-.
-s.s. T. B. LINN.
Froro the 2S6 Regiment