Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-09-24
From he Second Wisconsin Regiment.
Camp Cd Wisconsin Vols.
Upton's Hill, Va, Sept. 6, 1862.


ten days have told fearfully upon our
ranks Our men look haggard and care
worn-the effects of continual marching,
skirmishing and fighting 1t would seem
impossible for men to pass through what
our soldiers have in the last ten days, but
our situation have required the exertions
made. and those brave Wisconsin bows
were found equal to the task. We are in
hopes to have rest, for God knows we are
sadly in need of it. Since the 10Th of Au-
gust. our Brigade has been under FIRE al
most every day,-eisher artillery Or in
fantrv. and its thinned ranks only too we'll
tell the history OF its labors. With the
exception of few skirmishes on the Rap
idan and Rapahannnck rivers, we were not
in strict contact with the enemy, until
Thursday evening. the 18th, and of this
battle my letter viii mostly concern On
day OF the 2Sth we marched to Bucklcys
on the Warrenton Turnpike, there halted
until four o clock when We started for the
Bull Run battle field. About five clock
when within half mile of the old field
we were halted, came to front, loaded,
and lay down by the side Of q rail fence.
The 9th and 7th Wis and 10Th Indiana re
manned behind The rebels threw few
shells at Us, but done Us no harm. About
six o'clock the oder vas given for our
regiment to march through peice OF
woods, into an open field and advance to
the ridge of the hill and engaged the en-
envy. With a cheer our men obeyed the
call, and on reaching the ridge received a
yolley from rebel Brlgade-which We
afterwards leant was the ''Stonewall Brig
ade, and again a volley ere our men
opened upon them For one hour and ten
minutes this battle ragged, both partie
standing firmly and pouring yolley upon
yoIley into each others ranks The 9th
and 18th came up on our right, but having
the cover of the hill, did not suffer very
heavy loss The 10Th Indiana regiment
joined our left With only our Brigade
and one New York regiment we fought
against three rebel brigades.-the Stone
wall Brigade, a South Carolina Brigade,
and Alabama Brigade A captain OF
the ''Stonewall Brigade" who was taken
prisoner asserted that 'for the first time
the Stonewall Brigade were forced to turn
their backs on the enemy, and they had
fought on the Peninsula" | do not be
heye there is a battle on record, -consid-
ering the smallness Of the numbers en-
gagged and the length of time, that viii
compare with this battle of Thursday
Gel E. O'Connor was killed He noblv
stood at his post, doing his whole duty, in
fact a drawer, better man never led Il
regiment into an enga cement. Maj. L. >
Allen was wounded twice. once in the left |
arm and again in the neck He is now |
doing duty He evinced the same spirit |
as when in the old battle For pluck he
can't be beat Lieut.. Col. Fairchild, |
cannot speak too highly of him Were I
to speak too fatteringly it might be giving
to one more than another but | venture
the sentiment "Fairchild, the Second
model" Capt John Randolph Of Co II
was killed in the early part of the engage
ment.
Oar regiment entered the engagement
with 40 men, and came out losing $50
killed, wounded and missing. Only %
were missing and they have about all re
turned Companies CO III IL" and c.
suffered moro than any of the other Com
5anies.
Every exertion IN our power was made
% care for the wounded after the bate
and ut three o'clock when we retired from
The field, we were forced to leave our
wounded In the care of DR. Ward and
William Allen only to fall into the hands
Of the enemy Our dead were left unbur
led and we learn since had been stripped
Of their clothing and thus closed one Of
the hardest frdght battles on record, only
to be renewed on the morrow Our regi
ment arrived ut Manassas at daylight, and
there remained until ten clock, then adj
vanced to the Bull Run field During Fri
day Patricks Brigade had brush with
the enemy. Our Brigade is directly in
range of the rebel ranks and under their
fire doue no fighting Previous to this
the ID had been divided into four comma
MES, 80 men each and consolidated with
the 9Th Regiment
On Saturday morning we were told
that the rebels were on the retreat, and a
detail of twenty from the consolidated
was made 10 go on the battle /
field of Thursday night and bury the dead,
but they were unsuccessful. as the enemy
occupied the field During the forenoon I
our Division came up, and advanced to a
piece of woods little to the right Cf the +
field of Thursdays fight At noon a sec
oud great feht on the Bull Run field com
menced-and though not exactly of the I
former yet at one time | trembled lest we
made another skedaddle for Washington. /
This was when cur left was so hard press
ed, and it seemed for q while as il the reb- (
els were having things about their own
way, but fortunately for the Union, the (
enemy vera faraaI 70 CIV, NOV ,,-L,o ~