The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-07-11

same night, and there joined the moving army,
Wright's, Williams and Stevens Brigades,
Brevet Brigadier Gen. Welch commanding our
brigade
We here found the 55th Pa, in good health,
and our boys very HAPPY to meet each other.
They were left back to hold Fort Edisto.
On Sunday night our brigades were transpor-
ted across to Johns Island and by o'clock in
the morning we were ready and took up the
line ofmarch for the opposite side of the Island.
Our baggage being left behind, except an over
coat and gum blanket apiece. The day was
excessively hot and many poor fellows fell out
by the way-side exhausted.
The second days march it rained incessantly
and we waded through mud and water shoe top
deep, until about in the evening we entered
a beautiful little town called Greenville, on
Stone river and here our army cantoned for q
few days. as we found the town entirely deserted.
In throwing out pickets here, our company
took quarters in a beautiful farm house, and
found it to be the residence of Hon. b. S.
Bryan of this state. The house was furnished
with the richest furniture, with Library cases,
Mirrors, Mahogany bed steads, Marble topped
tables, &C., a Piano probably worth 500 dol
lars. 1t is needless to say that the boys ran
sacked everything, and tried their skill at the
Piano, seeming better pleased at sweeping the
keys than lingering the triggers of their rifles.
After resting few days and waiting till the
baggage and part of the artillery came up, we
were transported across Stone river to James
Island under cover of several heavy gun boats
and landed by pontoon bridge, Or dock, within
two miles of the rebel camps and number
of hrin tl,o
south end of this Island, Stevens brigade occu-
pying the right having taken two sand batteries
We are now strongly entrenched, and are busy
planting batteries before our lines. Several
heavy mortar batteries are now planted before
Stevens brigade, all being done during the night
The enemy shell US nearly every day, and we
have had two small battles, or skirmishes, al
ready. They gave us twenty four hours to
leave the Island, butwe concluded not to leave,
you know as we felt well able to hold our po-
sition. -Four brigades, six batteries of light
artillery, and several of heavy artillery, with five
heavy gun-boats cover our rear from Stone river.
We put out pickets by regiment our lines
being only 800 yards from theirs. A regiment
and half picket the lines of the left and CEN
tire, and the rebels shell them every night, and
have killed several of our regiment.
On the evening of the 1lth inst.,a body of
some 700 rebels sailed out and attacked our
pickets just in front of our lines, parts of the
9th and 10th Pa, and 47th N. Y. regiments
and skirmish ensued. Our gallant Pa. boys
met them like veterans, and, in Is minutes, re-
pulsed them, firing kneeing. In few minutes
they rallied to the charge again. Our boys re-
ceiving them with steady roar of small arms,
while fleet as steam, flew the Hampton battery
of two brass howitzers to the rescue and poured
a tempest of grape and canister into their left
flank that SOON made them fall back They
retired after an hours struggle leaving 20 men
killed and 80 wounded on the field. While
our loss was only men killed and 8 wounded.
After the firing ceased our regiment was or
dered out and we relieved our powder slacken-
I'd buyD, Aoid tllv Acid and picketct tic lines
the night.
1t was horrible sight to our inexperienced
eyes. There lay the poor fellows distorted and
pale, and covered with blood, the hardest look
ing objects we ever saw. They had no regular u
inform, but all kinds of rags, and misera-
bic old dirty bag for knapsacks, and all the
while unconscious of being in The curious pres
ence of the Yankees. :.
On the night of the 14th, COS. z, X, G., and
b, held the left of our picket lines in the dense
woods, at cross road, right opposite the reb-
els. Co. E held the left, G the main and X
the right road, Co. B still further to the right
the body of the companies lying at the cross as
reserves. All was quiet until about two hours
before day, party of rebels fell into and fred
on Co. G's pickets. They fired one round and
then fell back on the reserve. Sergeant Miller
JAS. Duffy-were posted between
the roads, and as Co. G's pickets rallied past us
two rebels came up to cut off the retreat fred
across our post, when Co X fred full volley
into us, thinking we were rebels. Miller and
Duffy fired into the two rebels, while reserved
my fire for those that might follow up the pick
cts. But the rebels fell back, and we then rail-
lied on our reserve, amid another full volley
from Co. K, the balls rattling like nuts from a
tree, but fortunately harmless. We formed
and lay in ditch at the head of our road
But the rebels not liking the crack of an En-
field rife in the dark, prudently withdrew, and
at day light, we took our posts again. Moth
ing important occurred that day, except that
as Lieut.. Barndoliar was walking up our pick
ct line, two rebels who lay behind a stump,
cooked their pieces for him, which was plainly
heard, when quick as thought two of Serg't
Pilkingtons men, on post, fred and routed the
devils.
Co. lost a sergeant and one man and Co.
X a man wounded during the night.
On the moraing of 10th Gen. Stevens bri-
gade had an engagement in reconnoitring the
strength of the enemy's post. A continuous
fire was kept up from daylight till near noon.
AT about ten the Tooth Pa. or Roundhead reg
iment charged on the first battery and took it
at the point of the bayonet. The lis spiked
their guns and then left. But our men were
forced to leave it, as the 29th Massachusetts
failed to come up to support them. Our loss
is heavy. 1t is said it will reach 750men, Kill
led, wounded and missing.