Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-10-30
Letter from the 98th Reg't.
CAMa NEAR HARRopsBURa, KY, |
not "a 1870

CAMa NEAR HARRoDsBURa, KY,
Oct. 10, 1852
Ny last letter, written Immediately
after the battle, was not as correct and COM
plete as l could have desired it, but it con-
tanned all the information was at that early
hour able to gather, in the brief time was
able to appropriate to the purpose Of acquir
ing it.
The battle was one Of the hardest fought,
in proportion to the numbers engaged on
our side, that has been fought since the
war commenced. McCook' 8 AMI Gilbert S
Army Corps, on cur side, were the forces
engaged-Gilbert on the right and McCook
on the left. The enemy during the day
withdrew q portion of his best troops
Mississippi and Tennessee Regments-.from
his left, and concentrated them on the right
against our left, and made desperate ef-
fort to turn it, with view Of fianking our
whele army, which was on the right Of Me.
Cooks division, and had they succeeded in
overwhelming Rousseau and Jackson's di.
visions, against which they threw their
forces, they would, no doubt, have accom-.
plished their object, and perhaps routed our
whole forces Rousseaus men fought
bravely, and portion Of Jackson's COM
mand done all that could have been done
by new troops or old. jackson tell early,
whilst leading his division and encouraging
them by his personal acts of daring and
bravery. Gen. Terrell fell whilst assisting
in person in the management of Loomis'
battery, that did such terrible execution
in his brigade. Col. Webster was left in
command until near the close of the day,
when he fell mortay wounded a. he was
encouraging the men of his Brigade to
stand firm. Jackson's division was now
without commander, and the 9Sth and
two companies of the 50th alone were left
on the field, as far as can learn, after every
other regiment in the division had been
withdrawn. | have not been able to learn
the loss in the engagement, but there is no
doubt the rebel loss is very much greater
than ours. They have left on the field twice
as many dead as We have, and they wore
engaged all night after the fight with wag-
ons and ambulances in hauling off The dead
and woun ded. t...
There can be no better evidence that they
we're whipped in the fight than that theyconl.
meLced retreat next morning, and from the
accounts obtained from citizens on the route
Of their march, a very disorderly one. We
are now in pursuit, but too slowly, fear,
to overtake them; ,ohich could and Mouhi
hare been doae the day after the fight
There is something radically wrong in the
management Of this army and the officers
and men feel and depore it, We all feel that
at the time the army corps above named were
engaging the enoiny the other corps, that
were within striking distance, could and
should have been 30 handled as to have
hemmed inc crushed the whole rebel force.
The opportunity was permitted to pass, and
It Is now made necessary to follow after and
do somewhere else what should have been
done here and where i will be done is
hard to tell, for we are being moved too
slow TO overtake or even keep up with them,
Ms we are yet within Is miles of the battle
6sld2six days after the battle.
This management is disheartening to the
men. who are anxious to push tho rebels to
the wall before they leave Kentucky. We
march again this morning at o'clock, after
the rebels, who, we learn, are some Ss miles
ahead Of Us; but where we will overtake
them, IL At all this side of Cumberland
Gap, ve Of course can have no idea,
The official report of the regiment makes
our killed and since dead, Of wounds, S5 /;
wounded, 1853; missing, 33--7 of whom
have returned as parolled prisoners. Sew.
ersl have also been found wounded in rebel
hospitals, which will make our killed and
wounded fully 200.
Several incidents of personal coolness and
bravery arc worthy of mention. Jerry
Stinard, OF Go. d. got good position,
knesled down on his knee, aud fred his 40
nounss OF ammunition without getting up.
John kilgore, Of Go. @, was wounded FIVE
times, Ia the Taco and body four times.
he continued to load and fire with the
greatest GOODNESS ater hs had been hit four
times, and shot away all his ammunition. -
Lieut. Fibly. Of Co. X, took a musket Of
KILLED man and went into the ranks, was
badly wounded in the shoulder, but loaded
and fred I've times after he WAS wounded
aud until he was 30 reduced by loss Of blood
rs to be unable longer to stand. Captain
Parrish Of the same Company-which suf.
tered more In killed than any company 10
the REORGANIZATION one Of bis Eeutenants
was killed and the other wounded, oontinu.
Cd TO encourage his men aad urge them to