, 1863-06-17

zen 6tonGnan,' 10 tne. comMaAuet ~ '.e
Amer Cant. Cark was disabled, Capt. For
syff fnnE charee Of the advance, and repnlsed
d second onslaught Of the enemy, and drove
them back long d1sdaaee iar9ngn tne Woods,
and Russell, forming the advance, aud Com
.panics 4 and D the support. In the mean
time, the rebcl force had swung uound on the
left and rear, and were only rePntsed by the
determined resistance Of men fighting cour-
under Capt. Waite, were closely and hotly en-.
gagged Not less SO we're Companies E and 3,
Under Lieut.. D0wd, of Co: H. And so might
complete the list Of companies. Each had
desperate foe to fight, and rs there Vas no
force to fall back on, defeat was utter ruin.
inspired the Sth with double energy and
fortitude. Companies K and G, under Capt.
Hynes, and Companies B and II, under Can't.
Smith, were also in the midst of the fight,
and the gallantry Of officers and men WAS the
only barrier to the enemy's efforts to sever
our connection with the rear. In such an Is
olated position, without support, and taken
at a disadvantage, through tho confusion and
route Of the 6th n. T., It is 3 profound eatis-
faction to know that The sons OF Illinois did
their State no dishonor, but while the enemy
we're sbelling the woods they we're cool, and
stood firmly and fearless1y waiting for the ap-
agnin they drove them back out Of the woods.
Jas. Evans, Of Co. L, was killed, and many
wounded, In the short 6gnt of perhaps furty
minutes duration. After this was ended, the
regiment vas sent to the left, and afterwards
to the right OF our line, with no particular
part In the subsequent engagement, mora
Man supporting our batteries, with the exccp-
ton Of u sortis dihmounted.
When the battle opened on tho right, the
enemy were In possession Of a rifle pit, OF
stone fence, which served that purpose, not
very far in front Of our line. a squadron Of
the I'd 9. 8. dragoons were sent to take the
wall, and after doing SO, were driven back by
u superior force, losing one captain killed and
many men wounded. Thereupon Gen. Pleas
anton called for detachment from Capt.
Fatnsworth's regiment, with some allusions
which might be excused as natural pride in
the first regiment Of his old brigade.
Volunteers Of Capt. Forsyth's battalion
der Orderly C1app. Of Co. F, who were to at
tempt to fink the wall from the right, which
at best Was perilous undertaking, as nearly
double their number Of rebels were firing
from behind the wall. The line dcployed anu
moved across the open field in front Of the
val, and for few minutes not shot Tae
fired nor an enemy visible until they were half
way across the field. Then the enemy came
over the lill in ewarns to reinforce their line,
the men behind the wall opening a fire which
would hare been terrible had they been less
excited resulting, however, in seriously
wonndipg Corporal Daniel Bump through the
arm, aud slightly Woundiug three or four
more.
Sergeant Clapp urged his men toward
toward the enenly's light, but the enemy's
numbers and fire were each too heavy, before
their flank could be TUNED. Clapp and his
men, however, were not content to 20 back
without some reward for their journp. aud
1n36 IND m ri
as to pay their compliments to their rebel
friends to the extent Of their ammunition,
and remained as elarrshootcrs until relieved
by other troops forming line back Of them,
which was not. however, until most of them
had exhausted their ammuni ion md Que or
tHo bursted their carbines from the rapid fir
ing which their exposed position necessitated.
A curious incident occurred during the ad-
vance under Sergeant Clapp. A gallant young
Sergeant (Pcarsons, Of Co. r. Nas knocked
down ut the head Of his company by con1ca1
ball, wbich struck him on the breast, just oyer
the heart, ard lie would inevitably hare been
dead in IN instant but for a book carried in
lis breast pocket. 1t WAS with evident con-
cern that his comrades rnn to him, and were
pleased indeed to learn that, though felled to
the ground By the shock, he WAS only
"wounded in the TESTAMENT
Capt. Farnswortll's command was af1erward
ordered to report to the colnmandant .,ot the
LIST Brigade Of Buford's division Of regulars,
which they accordingly did. Their services
during the remainder Of. the dag were only in
conjunction with this brigade, Farnsworth
being first to advance md last to withdraw,
led by his chagrin that the commander as
sigItd the Charge to another regiment. One
who 1as neTer seen cavalry duel ought to
have been present for few minutes, and to
have seen the desperate charges Of the I'd
Dragons. They charged and rallied three
to see stubborn fighting should have seen this
regiment ae they stood In line, firing contin-
uously.. and standing their ground against
superior number of the foe. They lost four
captains killed, three OF four officers wound
I'd, and some forty to fifty men killed and
vas dangerously wounded while leading his
company us skirmishers up toward the enc
my's line. Captain Ward, Of the Sth Dra-
goun6, formerly Of Pleasanton's staff) was
Killed during the afternoons fight. Captain
H5nes. Of the 8th Illinois, wounded slightly
twelve hours, the troops moyed back, Capt.
Farnsworth In the rear of all.
The I'd Dragons loose in killed and wound
.ed-cfficers, s; men 10 to 50, missing, about
fifteen The 6th Illinois, wounded-of1lccrs,
four; men, about forty-hve; missing eight;
men killed, one
Before the retrograde movement commenc-
ed, Col. Clendenin of the 6th ILL.,, came up
and took command Of his regiment, he hay
ing been sick wien the regiment left, and
hurried to the front at the first prospect Of
an engagement, like true 1llinoisan, being
battle. On his arrival he was placed in conf
nland Of the 1st Brigade. Captains Forsyth
and Hyncs, your readers will reco1ect. atart-
ed from Chicago rs lfcntenants under Captain
VIM: r. Msd1i!. (now Major, and at prescnt
n mn nf T