Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-10-27
Scraps from the Signal Corps--No. 4.
RESERVE SIGNAL CAM

kBERyE SIGNAL CAMP,
Near Fairfax Cour House, October l6. {
MR. EDITOR i have tcen trying for mum
Der Of days pas to steal few moments in which
to drop you line, but the rspidity Of our " ad-
vance on Washing en-" has prevented the pos.
sbility Of my committing any th,ft Of the kind
until the present moment and even now can
only safely rely on a few minutes as my own,
though think the 'skedadde" is pretty much
over.
| was assigned to duty on the 9th rst., and
with The very party which, Of all others, most
wished to JOIN that at the headquarters Of Gen.
Fitzpatrick, commanding the lst Division Of
PleJsanton's cavalry corps. 4 number Of men
were sent out that day to reinforce stations and
parties, and a, my own request was sent to
Kilpatrick division. Arriving at headquar.
ters, near James City, at the loot Of thorough
/ fare Mountain, about dark reported to the
officer in charge OF the party, Capt. GOshoski,
Pole, and man who bears the reputation Of
] DtiuE ittIeON eIhuHeI W lcll.
Reports having been received from the Thor
oughiare Mountain Station that the rebels were
advancing toward the Rapidan, we were obliged
to keep pretty yigilant watch during the night,
but received no message, owing to the fog which
hid the station from our view. Early on the
morning of the 10th the Mountain tagged us
that the enemy were entering Madison L, Ii. in
force, and that was the last message we re.
ceiyed from that party, for q few minutes after
wards squad Of enterprising "Johnnies" as
cended the south side, while ye men of signals
hastily descended on the north side, many Of
them minus their blankets and other " dry
goods
About noon the cavalry and light artillery
Of the enemy appeared in the vicinity Of James
City, and commenced skrmishing with our
cavalry, which continued at intervals, until
dark, amounting to but little, however as our
forces seemed contonted with holding them there
and driving them under cover whenever they
showed their heads.
On the morning Of the lth the division moved
of on the Culpepper road. What service they
performed during the forenoon | am unable to
state, MS our party did not start until the main
body had been gone nearly an hour, and did not
join the column until It loit Culppcppor, on the
road to kappahannock Station but in the at.
teInoon it covered tbo retreat OF q column Of In
tantry, falling slowly hack from hill to bill, aud
though badly pressed, taking its own time for
oil its movements. Being obliged to hold the
first range of hills ca Of CulpepPer, while the
infantry got out Of the way, the enemy took
advantage Of the delay, and sent lanking col
umn to our right, and when within about mile
of Brady Station, they poured out OF the woods
ami formed for charge At the same time an.
other force came in on our left, from Stevens
burgh, and opened upon us with battery, while
still another appeared upon the hill in our real
(as we were fghting), Thus we were actually
enclosed IN hollow square, with two basterle'
playing upon us, and in such close quarters tha
unless our first charge upon their lines should
prove successful in breaking us a way out, We
must have been captured before we could have
torme. for second. This was the first fight
had ever been in, and in spite of my confidence
in Fitzpatrick and his brave division, began t.
think it would be my last, and that We wer,
certainly gone up" But when did Kilpat
rick ever get into a scrape he could not get ou
of? and then, as ever before, he proved himself
equal to the emergency. Ills division occupied
meadows on both sides Of the railroad, which
ran from rear to front, and was graded up som'
9 ter or twelve miles above the level Of the mead
I ows. He spurred bis horse up the grade, on Il
{ the track, where he could have an unObssruc,eC
view Of bic own troops and the 4" Johnnies, +" ant
in that exposed position, calm and collected, will