The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-12-12
HEADQUARTERS 9th Me. Vols, }
Camp near Wilbur Ford, Va, I

result"
HEADQUARTERS 9th Me. Vols,
Camp near Wilbur Ford, Va,
Nov. Is, 1868.
DEAR SIsTER:-I have much to tell you
concerning our battle of the 7ti in which ouI
glorious old regiment covered itself with un-
fading laurels, but, alas, at great sacrifice OF
noble lives; our brayest comrades are gone
and our hearts are heavy with grief. We left
our camp near Warrenton at daylight on the
morning of the 7th, bound We knew not With
er; but rumor, ever busy around the ears oi
soldiers, had whispered we were going to get
good position and go into winter quarters.
Happy thought! for we were poor soldiers,
although anxious to crush out this unhappy
rebellion; and knowing that it can only be
done by hard fighting, feel that, if il be
deemed advisable to retire into winter quar-
ters II is "dH for The best" and our wishes are
always reaching forward to that time, second
only to the happy return OF peace; and as we
frudged along, now over some real old Vir-
ginisn road, now across wide stretching fields,
and then through white oak woods, the
branches interlacing over our heads. our feet
rustling.the new fallen leaves into pleasant
music, as we wended our way towards the
Rappahannock; while snatches of songs
twined their melody in and out of the dim
old woods, and jokes and laughter passing up
and down the regiment proved that our
hearts were light and gay. How little did we
imagine that when twilight came again our
souls would be bursting with hate, and ewes
flashing fire, as the demon of war held pos
session OF our hearts and drank through our
hands his Oil of blood, but so it was.
About noon we ran afoul of the enemy, and
Immediately drew up into line of battle
''Skirmishers from the 9th Maine," sang out
our general, and our right wing was instantly
deployed and thrown forward in the direction
of the rebels, who were found to be strongly
eatrenched on the banks of the river. just
before reaching the enemy's skirmishcrs our
line was halted and connected with the skir-
msh line Of the brigade upon our right and
that of the brigade upon our left Amer this
was done the order was given to advance up
on the enemy, and away went the whole line
over the fields towards the rebel works, our
LETT wing IN which Is company, being left
in the edge of a wood with the rest of the
brigade; so we had q good opportunity OF sec
ing the whole affair, which we eagerly avaied
ourselves Of
The skirmish line soon ran into the rebel
skirmishers, and a scattering fire was imme-
diately opened from both sides. We could see
the little puts OF smoke as they wreathed up
from the muzzle OF the guns, and we looked
anxiously to sec II any one of our men fell.
Only one poor fellow was seen TO drop, and it
seemed cruei 10 see the rest oil the line pass
on, no one stopping TO see II he were dead or
badly wounded; but it is strictly against the
law. That duty belongs to the ambulance
men, who now began to make their appear
ance upon the field. The line advanced
strongly, and the rebels sullenly gave way,
retreating slowly until they were snugly be-
hind their Notifications, which frowned down
US, strongly manned by two full brigades, one
being Stonewall Jackson's iavoritc brigade,
and one company OF artillery, with four splen-
did guns, wnich by the way were taken from
Miiroy at winchester last June; aud our skir-
mishers lay down behind what obstacles they
couio hng some Iour hundred yards from the
wTks. Durlng TINS tune brigade from the
"a IaVisioh tours Is the hrst had driven the
enemy from niil about hall a mile to our
rgnt; anu = pa.tery rapiuiy galioped up,unlim-
Dered ana opened nre upon the rebels. Anoth-
er Dattery, peion9ing 10 the otn corps, opened
hre rom our ieit, anu lhe enemy was blessed
Win what might DC caiied beautiful Smelling.
Our ieit wing was now ordered TO advance
snu supporl .nc skilnl,sh ile, ana we marched
W ~ "ianu wv l nanuieu alu hi's YARDS oi
tne nne anu iay uowh 10 escape the shells
ss .nas no ea., ~, INV 1870, o.ei, csuchliy Win
u Mu'uclous aI'n anu inteh.. Our zen. nus
sen now came up ana stood looking at the
worAsi An a,a-ue-cahp oi 1en. Zen, wright came
up auu s.1ou oes'uc nllli iney may smell
those WORKS until doomsday, put they will not
grive Ine enemy out OF ~, exclaimed Gen.
nusseh, ~ ougnt 10 DC taken oy storm. 10
WINCH lhe ala-de-calnp answered. 1T would
De raLaraous underlaSing. 20, no. said
!.e Ieuesai, tlwirlns ms moustache fero-
c1u'I na,e Two re9hhenls .hat 4 can
lake lnen "i.n ominous words l heard
.nen auu oouiu no, repress shuader that
tnreaoea Iron my neart 10 tne ends OF my
nngers, ior wen uiu l KNOW What Two resi-
,aenIs re. nc lnean.3 1 o.l Wisconsin ana oth
MAlne, walcn nau iouent shouider 10 shoulder
tnrougn sixteen oasties, and ieit that we
were soon 10 De Called upon TO meet death in
Al its Terror, nor was mistaken, Tor just as
tne shades OF night were creeping down the
SKY, ana darkening the ooJects around, an
ad-de,camp came ridihg up ana SAID to Gen.
hussel, zen. oedgwlck says that you may
STORM Inose WORKS II you ieei sure that you
can lake tnem. Inus was the stormins
party Io1niea. zen russell innehiateiy dis-
pa'cae an 'nu ior 10, tne 2tn Wisconsin 10 come
W ~ onIc, anu nave then come up as iast
- Poss,pie, were me pafting words OF the
uenerai ~ 'ne alu wheeled ms horse and dis
appeared ~ .ne gioo'n now last deepening.
aurh,as 70 our Lieut. Col. who was In CON-
manu-, uie ueherai exclaimed. Colonel, you
wih dJp,oy .ne ne, res, oi your regiment, double