Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-06-05
Army Correspondence.
Correspondence of the GsllipOlis Journal. |
WESTERN VIRGINIA.,
Nav a5. 1862.

7
DEAR HARPER:-Agsin on the win
and again a few items. 1t matters NJ
where am or whittier ! am bound.-
Enough for you to know that /, wit
my lovely friend Ada, are taking on
accustomed annual round OF sight-see
ing and it seemeth best to us to traYs
, incog. We meet no familiar faces an
we have no fears Of being recognized
Ada is taking notes of what she see
and hears, and 1 fear the result win b
a l2 mo. volume Of 400 pages. Sh'
assures me however, that her highes
ambition is to gather around our FIRE
side q few choice spirits, and pass th,
coming winter evenings in reading
from her notes and commenting there
on. / trow not, Ada dear, for how of
hast thou wished to see thy name or
the title page Of a popular book, and
set the world on FIRE by the splendor o.
thy genius. (There, there, you need
not box my ears-I'll stop right here,
Ada dear.
Have you ever been up New river
and drank in the magnI6cence and beau.
ty which greets your eyes on every side?
The cascades, which dot the mountain
side, the river flowing hundreds Of feet
beneath you as you wind your way up
the mountain, and on and on until you
reach the climax-the Hawks Nest.
Oh! it is grand beyond conception. /
am not going to attempt a description
Of it here. l say unto yeu, come and
see. Your soul will expand with more
exalted ideas of the infinite architect OF
natures own temple, and you, too,
twill look from nature up to natures
God" As we stood upon the summit
Of the Hawks Nest, and gazed into. the
abyss below, Ada cast a pebble, as she
supposed, into the river. Trying with
ali the strength she had she failed to
throw the stone into the water. How
her dainty fingers, pencil in hand, few
over the pages Of her note book, en-
deavoring to transfer to paper the beau
ty and grandeur she beheld. Let us
leave this glorious scene and turn to a
more inviting. but, just at this time,
more popular theme-war.
Sixty-6ve miles beyond Gauley Bridge
is situated Lewisburg, the headquarters
of eur advance columns, in the Noun
tatn Department, Col. Geo. Crooke
'eessssnsrding. EEmszsFsoi<s-so=ss'ssI
you how many regiments we have there
or what our effective force is. for that
is contraband. Suffice it to say there
has been battle there which will take
rank among the brilliant actions Of this
war. On the morning Of the esd, at
precisely A. NJ, whiz came a shell
into our camp, in came our pickets on
the double quick and we were attacked.
On the hill east Of our camp was Gen.
Heath with over 5000 infantry, few
cavalry and six pieces OF artillery
800 of our men were instantly in line
Of battle. Two companies Of the 44th
Ohio were sent forward to hold the en-
emy in check. They marched TO the hill
and deployed as skirmishers, holding
the rebel army of over 5000 in check
until our force could come up. The en-
emy had all the advantage Of position
in addition to superior numbers. 1t
would have done your heart good to see
our brave boys Of the 36th and 44th
march up that bill without once finch
ing. low they pour the shot into the
enemy, volley after volley, in quick sue
cession, and onward they steadily move.
The enemy are thunder struck; they
waver and as we pour into them our
murderous FIRE they stagger and reel
like drunken men. The order is given:
"charge bayonet"-with a spring and
a ringing shout that shook the hills. they
rush forward sure Of victory. The en-
envy can't stand cold steel. They break
and fly and the boys Of the 44th seize
a cannon, loaded with canister, before
they can touch it off. The enemy are
routed, and fly in utter confusion and
the field is ours. The fruits of victory
are cannon, 2 rifle and 2 smooth, 800
stand Of arms, 1875 prisoners-among
them one 1t. Colonel, one Major, and
several Captains and Lieutenants. In
the earlier part Of the engagement they
carried off their dead and wounded,
but notwithstanding this, SO Of their
dead, including many officers, and 66
wounded fell into our hands. Our loss
was 9 killed, 10 wounded and 6 mis-
sing. The total loss Of the enemy is
said to be 64 killed and 100 wounded.
The cannon captured are 10 and IL
Founders: the rifed pieces are Parrott
guns. The battle lasted one hour and
eighteen minutes. / have only aimed
TO give an outline of the fight, as it
would take a man better versed in mill
tary science to give each and every par
ticular movement on the battle field. l
do not wish to single out individual
acts of daring and bravery to the dis
paragement Of others. l could not de
it il l wished TO, where all were so
brave-all honor to the brave boys OF
the 36th and 44th Ohio Regiments
Col. Crook and Col. Gilber: are both
military men, and il l am not greatly
mistaken both graduates OF West foint;
Col. Gilbert am personally acquainted
with-a better officer, inner man IN
every sense OF the word we have not
in the service. He assisted Prof. bache
in the coast survey, in fact he and a
Mr. stillwell, now in California, sur
yeyed the entire coast bordering on the
G1If of Mexico. The President and