Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-04-25
From PIttsburE Landing.

1.-THE following letter was addressed TO a
gentleman of this city by a brother at Pits
burg Landing, who is member of the 18th
Ohio, Capt. Askew's company. We are
permitted to copy portion of it.
PETTsBURG LANDING, TE>x RIVER,
April Il, 1862.
DEAR BROTHER:
% last Sunday a week ago we started to
march to Savannah. We were then fifteen
miles distant. We had not marched more
than three miles when We heard heavy
firing, In about an hour we received or
ders TO leave the wagons and push on to
Savannah. We marched all day and night
over one of the worst roads ever saw, and
arrived at Savannah about o'clock in the
morning. We had to wait an hour for the
boats that were to take Rs up to this place
We put in the time getting breakfast We
marched down to the boat. On our way
We met wounded men in every direction
We got 90 the boat and in an hour we
were at this place. When we came here,
the river banks were full of wounded men.
After we landed We were marched
straight on to the battle, where we found
our men were getting the worst of it, We
took the advance and relieved the 18th
Regulars, as they had run out of ammuui /.
ton. We Unanswered about awhile until
We got good position and then we com
menced to give them thunder. Our regi-
ment delivered one of the hottest 6res Of
the battle. The prisoners say they could
not raise their heads of the ground with.
out getting ball put through them. Our
firing caused a stampede among the enemy
Behind us men, horses, teams and every
thing else started on run for tue river
ftar Zee IL
were ordered 10 fall back and let the artil.
iery come up. Our company was on the
right of the artillery, and was subjected to
the worst part of the fire from the rebels
shell struck not five feet in trout of me,
throwing the dirt all over me. Stacy Graft,
of st. CiairsVille, was kill three feet uu the
left of me; and one man Killed and two
wounded, less than five feet on the right of
the.
We were fighting against the eIst Ala
banaand regiment OF Mississippi Zouaves,
besides "A battery of Mississippi artillery
Right in front OF me they raised two flags,
one the stars AMI bars aud the other "a flag
with skull aud cross-bOnes on it, upon a
white ground in the shape of moon with
blue border. tried several times to
shoot down the flag. don't know Wheiher
succeeded or not; know it fell tive times.
At one time they raised the Stars and
Stripes, and an officer rode out and told us
10 stop firing as we were firing ON our own
men, but We knew better than that, and
fred on him. Somebody hit hin, for he
dropped before he got to their liue. One
Of the shells from their battery hit horse
in our battery and killed him dead on the
spot. Our regiment did the last firing tina,
was done. They retreated aud we follow.
ed them half "A mile. Our regiment was
completely worn out, and when we went in
to the fight, l saw men fall asleep with
their guns in their hands while we were
waiting for the artillery to stop firing
Our Major had just got off his horse when
cannon ball struck the horse on the knee
and took the leg Oft at the knee,
Our General is sick, aud Col Gibson is
in command of this brigade. Our Colonel
left us at Columbia. He was sick with
the fever. Our Lieut.. Colonel is on de-
tached duty, and our Major (Wm Wallace
Of MartinsYille) is in command of the reg
| iment.
saw some awful sights on this battle
field. saw five Mississippi Zouaves kill
ed by one cannon ball, all of them shot in
the head. Saw plenty of men withou,
heads. saw the dead body of Bushrod
Johnson, and also of Hariee
Our regiment had ST killed and wound.
suppose you can hear more about the
battle in the newspapers taan | can tell
you. CHAs. NJ. HALL.