Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-10-08
FROM THU I'd WIS. REGIMENT
Camp Cd Wis. Vols. !
Battlefield of Sharpsburg, Nd
Sent DIST I162.

/ DEAR FATHER:
The first opportunity Offering, l avail
to write you long letter of our doines in
Maryland l doubt not but what the tel
egraph has informed you of our brilliant
victories of Sunday and Wednesday last.
They were, indeed, victories that this
country may well be proud of
The newspapers have doubtless given
you the meagre accounts of the fights Of
Gainesville and of Menasses. l cannot
say that our cause was very much benefit
ed IN those three days struggles = but Of
the part that the Wisconsin troops took,
believe was p.rlormed with honor to them
selves and the State
In the battle at Gainesville, our BRIGADE
suffered most terribly, with a loss Of 7,20
killed and wounded. Our noble and brave
little Col o Conner was killed while he
was cheering on his men to greater exer-
tions. His last words to his men as they
gathered around him were 'Boys, you've
nobIy done your part = stick to tie old
fag,-fght, and if needs be die for it. -
He was buried close by the field of bat
tie and his place marked
In this battle our brigade was under
fire one hour and ten minutes My com
pany suffered loss Of three killed and
twelve wounded Our boys done well,
and showed themselves capable Of per
forming wonders. \ Drawer, nobler set Of
men never held musket
We left the Gainesville battlefield at ,
o'clock Friday morning, leaving our woun-
ded to fall into the hands of the enemy,
and our dead on the field unburiel. 1t
was hard to fall back to Manassas thus !;
but there was no help for it On Friday
we marched to the old Bull Run battle
/ field, where year ago q great battle had
been fought, the results of which are un-
doubtedIy familiar to all the world. Du-
ring Friday, while the fresh troops were
in battle we were under the fire Of the
enemy's artillery. 1t seemed rather hard
70 lay fat on ones belly and hear those
missiles drop and burst al around you
Friday morning our regiment was consoI-
idated with the 7th Wis, under command
of Lieut. Col Fairchild-making a regi-
ment about 500 strcng. On Saturday our
division was marched up to engage the
enemy's centrc-our brigade taking pos
session Of an orchard and supporting Glib
bon's Battery. Here our Brigade was
freed to undergo the terrors OF a thor
ough rain of cannon balls, shells and can
mister Our loss in this engagement was
go, that is from the Brigade, in killed
and wounded The brigade held its po>
sition until late at night, covering the re
treat of our forces to Centreyille, where
we were relieved by some of Smiths di-
vision. In the forenoon I had been de.
tailed with q squad of twenty men to 90
to the field of Gainesville and have all the
dead buried, but I had scarcely reached
the field when the enemy's skirmishers
opened on Us, and battery sent shell
or two near US, when we fell back, recei
wing orders to await until the field was
cleated--a thing which proved out of the
[ question on >1AlUIOdN- N'u NikuIAttF OtAA
Brigade marched to Fairfax, thence to Up
tons Hill, where we remained a week
when we started for Maryland. OuI
march to Frederick was hard one, and
considering what our men had already
undergone, it was q wonder how they neld
out
At Frederick we overlook the Secesh
and followed them to the South Mountains
Our brigade was formed on the turnpike
to the right and left, and at dark, after
having ungergone the terrors of an ar
tiIlery duel we marched up and opened
on the enemy at the foot ofthe mountain
Previous to reaching the mountain shel
from the enemys battery burst in our reg
iment, killing seven and wounding 1--WE
As usual with jackson his forces were be
hind stone fence, and in a Iasine at that
After being under ire for come time, ou.