The Portland daily press., 1862-10-03
COMMUNICATIONS.
The Maine Fifth---From the Chickahoma.
ny to Antietam.
CAMP MAINE FIFTH REGIMENT,
near Hagerstown. Md. Sept. q. 1862.


EDITORS PREss:-Perhaps few words
FROM the old Fifth Maine," will not be unac-
ceptable TO your readers, at this time. In
brief, therefore, propose TO give you resume
Of our recent operations. After a six weeks
soourn upon the hills of Western Va, aptly
and truly denominated by Richmond paper,
as being the "hottest place out of tophet," we
. were only too glad to get once more into
healthy breathing place, through the long and
tedious march to Newport News. Here we
embarked for Alexandria, in the old steamer
"John Brooks" whereon we languished so long
last April in the waters of shipping Point"
harbor, awaiting the fall of Yorktown. Alas!
how solemn the thought that many of our COM
rades, then in all the hope and pride of vigor-
Gus manhood, now lay low in death amid the
swamps of the Chickahominy !-some stricken
down by disease, and Others dying gloriousy
upon the battlefield, while others still are w.
ing on beds of anguish in their Northern homes,
made cripples for life--s Fate, in come insfail-
ces, worse than death. Such is war!
Landing at Alexandria, we marched to our
old quarters at Fort Lyon, the fruit OF our ear
we had scarcely time to gather breath before
our ears were saluted with the order-"Pack
up and be ready to march in half an hour"
This was great disappointment to our weary
and foot-sore men, who had anticipated few
days rest, but there was no help for it; and
cheerfully we went out way over the already
thrice-travelled road to Centrevle. The
de gnfG L..
lin for not sooner coming to the support of the
former. but am inclined to believe with but
little justice. Had we been hurried forward
at the "double-quick," as was the case at the
Bull Run of 81, it is extremely doubtful If
the result had not been equally disastrous As
it was, and have not seen the fact announced
in any paper, probably because our corps d. ar
NEE employs no newspaper correspondent to
write it into notoriety, we arrived in time to
check panic which, had it been allowed to
augment, must have resulted in untold disas-
ter. Our brigade under the lead of the gallant
Col. Bartlett, was in the advance, and just as
the last rays of the setting sun were fading
from the western sky, we crossed @Cub RUM
and advancing about half way to Bull Run
: creek, we filed off to the right into field,
and forming in line ofbattle, stacked arms and
threw our weary bodies ON the ground for
few minutes rest. At this time, the cannonad-
Z ing had nearly ceased, and all accounts from
the front were of an encouraging nature, as all
along the route we met couriers who an
nounced we were gaining great victory. But
we had scarcely got stretched upon the ground
when an officer rode furiously up to our brig
ade, shouting in an excited tone-"Fall in!
the rebel cavalry are upon usn In twink
ling almost, every man was at his post. And
now commenced scene which hope never
to witness again. Against our brigade, now
formed in square to repel cavalry, came on a
mob of stragglers, cavalry, infantry and artil-
lery men, in squads, companies, and parts of
regiments, officers mixed up indscriminately
with the men, all fleeing at their greatest speed
before an imagined pursuing foe. As they
reached our solid columns they broke to the
right and left, and many sped on, amid the
SCOTS and anathemas OF our men, and did not
stop till they got to Centreville, while Others
seeing our firm ranks recovered from their pan
ic and formed again in our rear. 1t was indeed
u W SEE men anu OI1lcefs run
ming before foe not yet in sight, throwing
away their guns and swords, in their frantic
haste to get away. 1t is said this panic was
the result of daring advance of section of
rebel light battery upon our center, after Nc
Dowelrs line had been forced and his men
were in full retreat. This battery threw few
shells into hospital, around which crowd of
stragglers and teamsters had gathered, and
thus created the skedaddle, and came very
near turning the disorderly retreat of Mellow
ellis corps into aperfect stampede, which must
have ended in the capture of all of our artillery
and trains.
Our brigade maintained its ground while
the iatigued and war-worn veterans of Sigel
and Mcdowell passed to the rear and took up
new position at Centrevie; and then filing
off to the left, our right was selected to go on
picket, supported by Hexamer's New Jersey
battery. Ours was a ticklish position but we
were not molested, and the next morning we
drew back and recrossed "Cub Run" Just as
the pioneers were destroying the bridge, being
the last troops that passed over, and in full
view of rebel battery which came galloping
up to give us a parting salute.