Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1862-08-20

~~' AVN ASS5 " "
baTThe following letter from an invalid
in the hospital to Miss Jane Barr, a relative,
will be read with interest The writer is
from Clarion county.
GENERAL HOSPITAL, PORTSMOUTH, Va,
August Sd, 1862.
You have likely thought strange of me in
not answering ere this, your last kind and
interesting letter to me, which / received on
the evening of the Oath June. / was proud
Of that letter, in the FIRST place, on account of
your patriotism, and secondly, because the
tOhole tenor of it was calculated to inspire
with new energy the dropping and careworn
soldier. When / received your letter our reg
iment was encamped at Mechanicsville, in
front of and about five miles from the city of
Richmond. ] viewed from the roof of house
in the village with my spy glass; the steepIes
and spires of the rebel capital glittering in
the sun, and expected soon to be with our
ueter0n army walking the streets of the doom
ed metropolis, under the stars and stripes of
our country. Our division (Gen. McCalPs)
occupied the right Of our whole line, on the
25th of June. We saw the enemy were re-
ceiving strong reinforcements, and also show
ed signs of an attack, yet all remained quiet
through the night. But on the morning of
June 10Th the enemy was in strong numbers
on our front, and they seemed to be actively
engaged, yet not gun broke the perfect ST.
lence which prevailed The morning was a
beautiful one. The sun shone in beauty. and
very cool refreshing breeze was blowing
from the south east. Our line of battle was |
formed at about 10 a. m, yet all was quiet, |
and remained SO until 3 p. m, when the enc. |
my opened upon US from several batteries, |
throwing shell and solid ball into our vicinity. |
They were Immediately replied to from our |
batteries, and in less than one minute, [ think, |
perfect line of artillery opened up their |
deatening thunder, and from until nine o. |
m. most desperate artillery fight was kept |
up. AT first their firing was too high and |
done US no injury; but it was not long until
their shell began to alight all around US, and
IN our very ranks, killing good many men;
this was about p. m. The dreadful roar of
infantry burst upon our ears, which ran along
our lines, and the enemy seemed to move in
scild column towards US, but the awful volleys
OF grape and canister from our batteries and
the powerful volleys from our infantry, pour
ed into their ranks in quick succession, at
length caused them to waVer and fall back
under our withering FIRE. But soon they raj
lied, and made another effort on our left, to
force us from our rife pits, but could not do
1t, and night coming on the work of death
was stopped, and all lay on their arms, ready
to renew the attack at any moment. By this |
time we were supported by Porter and Smith,
Jour division now belongs to Gen. Porter's |
corps d. armee) and at early dawn the enemy |
again opened upon us, being June 27. But |
our army had orders to fall back to Gaines |
Hill, and there again form line of battle-our |
forces now were about twenty-five th ousand |
men. Our whole retreat to the new line was |
In perfect good order. The enemy followed |
US promptly, and formed their line of battle, |
and at O'Clock p. M the thunder of artillery |
again belched forth from both lines of battle. |
and from that until o'clock at night ragged |
one OF the fercest and most powerfully fought |
battles ever fought on this continent. The |
TWO armies approached each other to within |
distance of about fifty yards, when they |
seemed TO both com to q stand, and there for |
tour long hours fought face to face. At diff |
Ierent tunes charges were made from both /
armies, Wnen they would again be repulsed |
ana nand to hand conflict would follow; and |
during each volley hundreds fell in the ranks |
OF Doth armies. At o'clock l was brought |
10 the ground. Our Captain had been sick |
ana couid not keep with the company, and |
our lst Lieut.. led them gallantly forward,
until ne fell, snot through the leg, when COM
mand fell on me. Isprang before the compa-
ny and urged them to follew me, and think
1t was not minute until rebel officer called |
at me to halt, and fired at me with his revol.
yer, hitting me in the eft wrist. / had nv
Colt IN my hand; leveled it at his breast
and tred; ne threw both hands over his head
and Tell to the ground dead. Our lines were
now not more than fifteen PAGES apart, and |
was getting faint from the loss of blood and
"nen we were ordered to charge bayonets I |
was hit with a minnie bali in the left hin.
TniCn g sent me reeling round in circle, when
Ieii 70 the ground, and was carried frsm the |
iu 1911 ~ d oiaIket. / soon got my wounds |