Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-08-21
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
BATTLE AT CUMBERLAND Gap.
An Interesting Letter from lieutenant
DeSiiya.
HEADQUARTERS 6lth RrG'T o. V. /


CUMBERLAND GAp, Aug. g, 1862.
! FRIEND EsTLL--The Goth Brigade, Col.
| dc Courcy commanding, left Cumberland
/ zap on the I'd inst, on a loraging expedition,
making Tazwcll, Tennessee. our Head. Quar-
tcrs, we foragcd to the right, left and trout
of the enemy who were in force at Clinch
Mountain and Cliuch River. On the morning
of the 9th inst. the 10th Ohio, Major Kcrshncr
commanding, was ordered on picket duty on
the hill east of Tazwel. Company &, Capt,
Edgar, and Company E, Capt. Tanncyhill,
was cut up in squads and placed to thct cX-
strcmc front; company B TO the front and
/ right Of tie ridge; company + to the front
and left Of the same ridge. On the extreme
I front and between the positions Of the two
companies one piece of the Wisconsin Battery
was placed. Just as we had taken our po-
sitions we discovered force Of rebels ad-
Vancing. They were about l miles distant.
/ Our gun and one to our left soon opened on
/ them and they retired Immediately. A few
moments later Co. Els piclets discovered a
few rebels in the woods to their front and left ,
they fired on them and they retired imcdiatcly
TO cover. In a short time we heard heavy
| firing to our rear and about the same time q
heavy fire was also opened on company +
from the left; we dcployed Immediately as
Skirmishcrs we were then reinforced by one
platoon Of company B and we held the enemy
at bay at that point until Houitzcr sheled
us from very near point to our front, and
Co. BIS pickets discovered the enemy to our
right and front, you will see by the above
that they had a. semi.circle around our two
compauics) }. The artillery was ordered to
assist in the cngagcmc mt on our rear, leaving
MS to fight it out In the mean time, the
regiment to our left was nearcd TO our rear,
evidently with the intention Of nanking us,
as they were running and firing on us. The
Sargent Major, the third messenger that was
sent to order us TO retire, arrived, aud in
formed us that we were also being nankcd on
our right. We reformed our companies and
started on double quick to join our regiment,
and when we had gone about a hundred yards
a rebel regiment jumped up from an ambush
not more than ten steps from us and poured
-
run the frey gauntlet, and by so doing run
right into the teeth Of another rebel regiment
which had got between our two companies
and our regiment, they opened terrible fire
on us we turned to go back but found that
would not do; we then returned through an
open field under cross fire from two regi-
mcns and in the direction of the one we had
been fighting on our lelt, and as we jumped
/ the fence, not over fifteen PAGES from one of
/ the rebel regiments, we broke and scattered,
every man for himself When we got into
/ the field we were almost dead from heat, IA.
/ tgue and the want OF water. 4 thick UNDER
growth Of blackberry bu sizes added greatly
u our appalling condition, A number de-
clared that they could go no further and sit
down to meet their fate. Some broke for the
woods to the right, and some to the left, and
Others to the woods in front Of the opon field
The last saw Of Capt. Edgor was in tho road
running for the ambush. Tho Sargent Major
was with nim Some say that the Captain
reached the woods in safety. Capt. Taney-
bill made the woods to the right, think, un-
injured. When | gained the main road nine
of our men and one of Edgar's joined me,
and we ascended the mountain and hid in the
woods While there. we heard rebels on all
sides. We heard them working their cannons
and talking; soon they came closer, and we
moved out from our hidings and after con-
sultation concluded to run our chance by
breaking through their lines. After many
miles of marching, and creeping between their
pickets our little squad escaped and Joined
the rear of our retreating army. We had