Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1862-01-30

THE BATTLE AT SOMERSET.
| FULL DETAILS OF THE ACTION.
Desperate Fighting on Both Sides.
The Cincinnati papers publish long accounts
of the late battle in Kentucky, in which Gen.
Zolcoffer, of Tennessee. was killed. These ac-
counts are written in a sensational style, but
contain many facts Of interest. We subjoin the
following:
| On Sunday morn Of the 10th Of January, at
seven o'clock, the camp was alarmed by the
driving in of the pickets Of the Tenth Indiana.
This regiment being in the advance of the other
regiments, advanced Immediately into the woods
to ascertain the position and strength Of the
enemy. After proceeding one-half mile from
camp they suddenly came upon the enemy in a
dense wood, drawn up in line of battle prepared
to receive them AS the Indiana Tenth emerged
from the woods into an open cornfeld the enc
my poured a volley from their whole line into
their midst. But what is most surprising, from
this tremendous FIRE but few men fell.
The Tenth instantly opened unGn the enemy,
their fire telling will. terrific effect upon them.
But the 1904, in their exposed position, in the
open corn6eld, and the enemy sheltered in the
Goods, were obliged to fall back few PAGES
into the timber. Here the Tenth made stand,
and held the entire force Of the enemy in check
for nearly half an hour before the arrival of
Gen. Thomas with the remainder Of the forces.
On the arrival of Gen. Thomas, with the Ninth
Ohio, the Fourth Kentucky and Second Mneso-
ia, they fell back, drawing the enemy out OF the
woods into the open field.
| Gen. Thomas then advanced his force to the
open field, when the engagement became gen.
eral. The two armies were not more than one
hundred yards apart; our little band Of four
regiments, holding their ground against more
than twice their numbers, showering leaden hail
upon them. The two Tennessee regiments, un-
der Gen. Carter, were advanced on the right
wing, for the purpose of outaanking the enemy,
and consequently were not brought much under
fire.
| CHARGE UPON THE ENEMY.
| The left wing and centre had sustained the
fire of the enemy for two hours, and had suffer-
ed severely in killed and wounded. The enemy
were stationed behind a high fence, which pro-
tected them in great measure from the bullets
of our men.
A simultaneous charge was now made upon
Kentucky and I'd Minnesota The 9th Ohio,
|
and thrust their bayonets through at the enemy.
The other reg iments coming up, the fence was
thrown upon the enemy, when their lines were
broken, and they fed in confusion and in all
directions, closely y pursued by our forces. At
the time of the charge, Col. McCook's horse was
shot from under him, and the Colonel himself
wounded in the leg.
! A STRANGE INCIDENT OF THE BATTLE.
During the hottest of the engagement, and
when the two lines were not more than one hun
dred yards apart an officer with his aid rode up
to the side Of Colonel Fry and cautionally re-
marked to the Colonel not to fire upon our own
men, at the same time pointing to the enemy's
line, saying, "There are our own men," Col.
Fry, supposing him to be a Federal officer, re-
piled. "We are not firing upon our men," and
pointing to bis own regiment remarked, "These
= q our men here. - 3 -. 80 p
~ The two rode by. the side OF each z6ther for
some minutes, conversing upon the battleand the
incidents, when the officer wheeled his hassea
rode off to one side. After getting some thirty
feet from Colonel Fry, the aid who accompanied
the officer levelled pistol at Col. Fry and fred
at him, at the same time putting spurs to his
horse and fed The Colonel now suspecting
treachery, drew forth his pistol and fired at the
officer, shooting him in the breast, just below
the left nipple.
The officer fell from his horse dead man.
Zollcoffer. late Commander of the Division of
the Rebel forces.
THE BEARING OF ARTILLERY.
| During the engagement Standards and Whit
mt res Ohio batteries were throwing shell over
the heads of our own men, in the attempt to
reach the ranks of the enemy. But from their
close proximity they were not enabled to do the
enemy much harm. The only chance our ar
tillery had of doing any execution was when
Captain Kinney succeeded in taking one section
of his battery through the woods to within six
ty yards of the enemy, and succeeded in deliver
ing seven rounds upon them; every shot opening
large gaps in their lines.
The enemy then made charge upon these
guns. but they were instantly repulsed by a
portion of the Ninth Ohio. The enemy to their
credit be it said, stood with frmness to their
| lines hoping to repulse the charge, but they
,uld not resist the force of these determined
men.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED UPON THE FIELD.
| After the retreat of the enemy it was truly
sad and distressing to see the bodies of the slain
and hear the cries of the wounded lying upon
the field of battle. In one field, where the Ninth
Ohio charged upon the enemy, IS of the enemy
lay cold in death, and some so wounded lay
groaning with suferings from their Wounds
On the other field, on the opposite side of the
road, as many were found lying dead and woun-
ded. Many were also found lying in the woods
in every direction others in the road and in the
| fence corners
| Three or four dead bodies were to be seen be-
hind one tree or stump. 1t was most singular
that the average of wounded to the number kill
ed, should be so much less than is usual in bat
/ tIe The killed and wounded were found to be
mostly shot in the head or body, showing that
our men took aim at the enemy whenever they
had an opportunity The enemy, in most in
stances, fired over the heads of our men, which
accounts for our list of dead being so small,
compared with that Of the enemy.
/ THE RoCT OF THE ENEMY.
After the charge of bayonets upon the enemy
the whole line fed in every direction, closely
pursued by our troops. The rout was full and
complete. More than one thousand stand oi
arms were left upon the battlefield. The road