Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1862-10-03
FROM THE EIGHTH REGIMENT.

FROM THE EIGHTH REGIMENT.
Capt. Clark, of Go. X, writing to the
Caleedonian from Aligers, La, on the 9TH
inst, says:
On the morning of the Sd / went to
Bouttc upon the train going to AL
giers, to confscate negros. cattle and mules
from Gen. Taylor's, Capt. Ranson's, (both
active rebel officers and othersadjoining
plantations, and to learn if possible
whether this rebel force was dcsi gnng
our capture. l was there full five hours,
conversed with white men and negroes
from the river, and found that no advance
had been made for three days.
The next morning, Sept. 4, l was Or
dered to detail 20 men from each of the
three companies, 10 men from the battery
and gun, and proceed to the Bouttc to
look after the safety of the coming train,
to learn what l could respecting the reb-
els, and to gather iu and send off the bal
ance of con6scated property there. My
train consisted of two platform cars for
ward of the engine and one open cattle
car behind it, The gun and 45 men were
upon the forward cars, upon the tender
and 10 upon the rear car. l got upon
the engine that might direct its move
ments, and ordered the men to load their
rifles, keep vigilant lookout, and to sig
nal to me should anything wrong or un.
usual appear. As we approached the set
tlcment and going at very slow rate
our best vision was insufficient to detect a
rebels foot or head, and nothing bu,
smoke rising from the place where indians
had been the day before, and two or three
, horses tied at the grocery, indicated the
presence of any one, till within 80 rods
of the station, discovered the wire and
one pole to be cut. While speaking o.
this a signal gun was heard and in mo
I ment the volley of company came into
, and about one engine and rear car, from
our right and rear, and another from ou
right into my men upon the forwart
cars. Soon as possible, / ordered th'
men to fire, fall down and work as bes
, they could Finding it impossible TO re
treat without losing every man and tn
train, directed the engineer to put OIL
steam and carry us through if possible
: These two volleys had killed three o.
; four, wounded more than half of the force
' and SO completely disabled the batter.
that when Corp. Pierce handed the cart
: ridge there was not a man left upon tn
I car able to drive it home. AS we passe,
9 the shed where they wood and water tn
train, another terrible shower of leade
h hail was sent into my thinned ranks
T which completely swept the cars an
seemed to take every live man had lef
) At the shed we were switched upon sid
IS track, which is about 100 rods long an
J. connects with the main track at both end
. Upon this was passenger Car with tn
IS breaks hard set, and upon it the rebel
q had also been careful to place road tin
+ bers expecting that if we ventured so fa
to see us either thrown from the track b
n those timbers, Or stopped upon it by th'
O. car. But God directed otherwise. Som
re how the timbers were knocked out of Il
it way, and the brakes were broken
j. that we passed along with but little inj'
s. ry to cars or speed. Several of the me
1. who had jumped or wero thrown from Il
l. train ran along and got aboard Of the pa
r, senger car, and one. Lewis j. ingalls,, Sc
lc ing the switch SO arranged that We mu
s. be threwn from the main track, lcapt
70 off and adjusted it in season to run