M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-06-19

heaIthy, vigorous men, who had vol
unteered to fight the battle Of freedom
walking rapidly back from the first
touch Of the foe, with boxes full ofcar
lridges aud muskets in their hands
sound in wind AMI limb, but, thank
God ! looking mean es sheep thieves
when they encountered the stare o.
brave men, and Stimulating lameness
and every form of sickness when cav,
alters, not conbatants by profession,
damned thea in their fury for COW
ards, aud endeavored to breast them
backward with their horses into The
ight-great hulking poltroons, falling
into every possible variety Of limp
out Of rapi1, strong walking; deprcs.
ISing at pleasure either shoulder with
terrible wounds, quickly gathering in
to their bosoms mutilated arms, Who'll.
lily untouched with bullets going
through the whole disgusting panto-
mime Of sickness Of the stomach in
reply to questions as to where they
were going, and why the devil they
we're not fighting; with fa.se speech
and false looks asserting every con-
ceivable attack of disabling disease as
a justification for going to the. rear,
and letting tie cause they had sworn
TO defend 90 to the devil. 1t
vas amazing. 1t was a new rev.
elation. But a moments reAec
ltion, and sharp observation of the
numbers on ths caps Of the streaming
towards explained the phenomenon,
az it appeared 10 a civilian. The
brass figures 100, 101, 103, 104. told
Of enlistments as late as January and
February, and,cCnclusively proved the
grecnness and inexperence Of troops
who had been taught nothing save
how 20 march and how to camp, and
who deteriorated daily under the com.
mand Of a General who had neither
youth, enthusiasm. pride nor com.
bativeness. To these the sight OF
failing comrades, and the shrieks Of
the wounded, and the groaning of the
dying, instead Of being the food of q
fierce fury, served only to open the
veins of manhood, and let all courage
l4at. Down. the rend they came
over the fields on either side of the
road they struggled tast-through the
safer woods they skulked away, and
sought the rear. Most were muddy,
showing that they had laid down to
avoid the shell aud shot--very many
were without arms and accouterments.
The crowd grew thicker. The Pro.
vost Guard formed across the road to
stem its dOstardly flow. Before three
O'Clock General Keyes found that Ca.
sey's entire division was gonel He
sent t. Heintzelman for instant help.
The brave Pennsylvania was already
on his way to the place where be was
wanted. He came on the ground
about a quarter after three, and gath
ering as rapidly as he could all the
elements Of the situation in the strange
woods and unknown swamps, took
command and infused his indomits,
BILE spirit in the failing fight. He
sent back for Kearney aud Jamison,
and Birney and Berry he who so time,
Iy brought salvation upon his bayonet
points to MS at Williamsburg. Whllo
they were coming mp, | went ahead
once more to see the Fitty.Fifth 60
into fire. Their movement in re
spouse to the order forward !" was
not impulsive from front to rear. 1t
hitched in sections like the drawing
ont of the joints Of field glass;
Omen Of evil In thirty minutes the
red capped and red trcusered men,
mostly without their muskets. were
under the fire Of the scorn and the jeer-
ing of the New York Slxty-second-
fire more CALLING and insupportable
as it seemed 10 me, than any that ev-
er spouted from muskets. "Moun
sheer, the muss is the other way "
"Heilo, Holsters! we are Union men
we ain't rebels. What are you run
ming at us for 7" "The Sixty second
is good shelter; fall in behind! ~ Not
wrathful reply was made. The
bursting of the rebel shells overhead,
the screaming of the solid long shot,
and the cutting off of the treetops,
made the place and the time totally
unsuited Tor repartee or discussion.-
The Sixty. second opened it's laughing
ranks, aud the gory.colofed, but un-
bloody passed through and passed on.
About four o'clock, Couch and
Peck came from the left. and passed
/ through the lines of FIRE and went at
right angles over the railroad, to re-
pei movement in similar direction
made by the rebels away beyond the
scene fCasey's disappearance. The
conflict tley'sustained in the woods
was bloody and unequal. Peck's
horse was shot through the neck, shot
! again in tne flank, and soon had both