Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-04-16
BEsRy,yrLLg. Va, March &c, '62.

BRRRYsyILLE Va, March 2G, '62.
Dear Friends Il take my pen to let you
know that we havo moved still further into
Dixie, and are now l3 miles east of Wins
chester. But will 20 back and refer TO
some of the past On Friday the 2lst Of
March, 1862, we were ordered out as pick.
cts. About sundown we we're attacked
! by Ashby's cavalry aud driven buck
! About the same time the rebels common
ced cannonading us, when two regiments
were ordered 10 make Il charge, which
they did, bravely driving :he enemy back
about n mile; at the same time our regl~
ment (the 84th) WAS ordered TO guard our
batteries. About dark both sides stopped
and all was quiet till morning.
1t being Sabbath morning we dared not
commence, so our boys had to wait unit!
about \. NJ, when the ball was opened
by the rebels commencing to cannonane
us, which they continued until 3 7. NJ
The infantry began the charge, and from
that until dark the blttle was very hotly
, contested on both sides About THIS time
TIE rebels gave way and were soon scat
tered in every direction. Company was
relieved at 9 o'clock in the morning TO
Join our regiment on the Slrasburg turn
pike, but when we got there we could rot
find our regiment, so we went lack TO our
old camp and got our dinners. We after
wards went out to the battle field, but did
not reach il in time 10 90 into the engage
ment, and were ordered to gather up the
killed and wounded. This was an awful
sigh. Some were shot through their legs,
arms, shoulders, bowels, &c, and al! cry
ing for help, and some Just breathing their
last.
The hardest part Of the fight was Just
before we reached the ground. Three Of
our company we're in the hS hI,-ihomas
,GOuldsberry. Joseph Repeth and Philip
McCracken. Had we found our regiment
we would have been all in it, and ii we
had there would have been some OF us iald
out cold, as the Saith suffered the severeSt
Of any Of the regiments engaged IN propo:'
ton TO its number. for 1t Is small regi>
ment, and has as many killed as the lar
gest. There were some eight or ten regi'
ments engaged on our side, and some say
as high as fifteen on the side OF the rebels.
There are IS killed aud woupded in the
S4th. About 90 of these We're shot dead
on the field ard two or three have since
died But you will get the official report
in the papers. There are large number
OF Clearfeld boys in this regiment,
believe have given you all the par
ticuars Of this fight, save that Gen' BANKS
Is still following Jackson, and has driven
him about p miles from Winchester to-
wards Stanton, where it Is supposed that
jackson and Johnston @iIl give battle
But if reports are correct they will not
stand long, for their army is completely
demoraIized worse used up than ours
was at the battle Of Bull Run,
/ We have rot word that our regiment ts
/ to be filled up, and a new Colonel appoin'
ted for it, as our Lieutenant Colonel de.
clnes taking the command,
Saturday 2Qh.-lIon. Judge Barrett paid
us a visit yesterday. lic is appointed by
GOV. Curtin to take charge Of the bodice
orthe killed and to see that the woundeu
are properly cared for The wounded are
at Winchester, in care Cf the Surgeons.
We are tod that we will remain at this
place until our regiment is recruited up TO
its full standard of one thousand and tcu
mcn, RAM: and file.
! 1t isnot likely that we will get into au
other fight soon, unless the enemy makes
the attack, for they are driven of so far
that we cant get to them, and our army
is so large that there would not be more
than u shot apiece if we should reach
them. We are also told that Gen, Shields
wants to lead our regiment personally, as
! it has got good name, AND one That VIII
not soon he forgotten. Sunday the 23d
March, 1862, will be day long to be re-
membered in thi, region, the marks oi
! the bullets in the trees will be visible for
/ fifty years to come, for tho cannon balls
cut the whole tops and limbs off many OF
| them; and ! saw an instance where can
non ball had passed entirely through
wIite oak tree about . feet thick. And
here the infantry fired the thickcst from
our side, and where the rebels lay th"
thickest. the small trees and grabs are just
riddled with musket bullets about as high
as mans head. Where the S4th fired ii
can be seen that it took the best aim o.
any of the regiments. | saw sapplngs
inches Thick that were cut clean of, and
others split for two feet, On this spot the
rebels lay Just like stuck hogs wailow
ing in their blood. 81 Of them were found
on piece of ground about rods wide
and 80 rods long. Our men dug trench
about 40 feet long. G feet wide, and feel
deep, into which the rebels were gathered
and buried There are two more graves
that huye large number IN and we have
been told that jackson took some OF the
dead with him and our officers say tina,
our men found where he burnt lot OF
dead bodies on his fight from Strashurg
and the citizens buried about ~ Of them.
and our men 80 IN the three graves g.
we can safely say there we!e from 500 e.
400 ofthe rebels killed on the Datile,heih
and in the fight anG 50 Jackson will not
ha Iii.ol,, "a coma ont to meet the Yan,
KEGS soon again, for We gave them what
Uncle Sam has pledged all his boys q farm
/ fol.
So must bring my letter to a close.
Write as often as you can and | wall d
the same Get some postage stamps ard
send them to nee, for they cant be got
here for any price.
We have travelled about $50 niles AMI
49,. on .s.t1,4 g.,r,, i,-,o