Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-06-19
From The Wheeling Battery

From the Wheeling Battery. :.
Antereattng Particulars OF the lfTiRht
AZ w nohe9SeF-aerOIc Conduct OF
Enemy. ~
We are permitted to copy the following
extract from a letter received last night by
Mrs. Ellifritz, from her husband, the srti.
fcer iuthe Wheeling Battery. II will be
read Win great interest By the mauv
friends of orr gallant boys who we're in the
recent fight at Winchester 5t
New CREEK, June /
have just got to this place, having sae-
ceeded in running the gauntlet safe and
sound, but one of the tiredest men Won
ever saw. might have come home. IA
Others did, but my orders we're to repor. Al
the nearest camp for duty. fell in with
Lieut. Harris of our company aud reported
TO bin. first reported at Hancock, then
at Cumberland, then to Gen. Kelley at this
place. am very well and without hurt
of any sort.
We began to fight the rebels last Sat
urday, the 18th. The ball was opened by
our (centrel section of Battery b on the
StrAsourg road, and Battery L of the 9Th
y. S, Artillery on the Front Royal road
the enemy driving us back until 4 o'clock,
when they advanced in line of battle. By
this time all of Battery was io position
to command the points of advance. The
enemy formed on the hill to the right and
beyond the Union mills, and we on the
hull between the mills aud town, with the
1880 Ohio and 87th Penna., and 18th Va.
TO support US. They came wight at us nj !
most at double quick. The first line got
through our fire to stone wall. There
they were met by the Infantry, who stood
to the work brayely. The second line
came under FIRE with yell. We gave
them such deadly reception that thew
broke before they met our infantry. Then
our men charged the first line, and it
broke and we held the field The enemy's
guns were of the heaviest metal. 90 and az
pound rifled guns. We fell back at dusk
to our old position by the fort bringing
everything with US out of town. The
next m0rninR the ball opened from the
Tort Oy our 20 pound siege guns, but there
WAS little fighting, save now and then u few
shots from the Skirmishers until 4 in the eve.
ming. Up to this time the enemy s guns were
still. Now they opened upon onr rear
with "a pound guns at long range He got
into our position and they soon got our
range, aud the work of carnage began
They carried our first line of works at the |
point of the bayonet, which was occupied
by Battery Regular U. 8. ARTILLERY, |
who spiked their guns, run their csssio5s
down the hill, and started out. There |
was one regiment of infantry to support
the battery. They fell backin good or
der to the second line, lighting all the time.
cry soon the enemy got new position |
Tor their bigguus aud opened OF our Star
fort With renewed fury. We had to work |
our guns on our knees, the shell killing our
horses and wounding orr men. But we |
gave them as good as they sent, the big
fort helping Us all the time Thus the
tight went on until 10 o'clock at night, |
when the enemy attempted to carry the
works by storm, but were repulsed |
at every point with fearful loss.
Then the days work ended. Not a man
taltered. We stood to our CUES aud held |
oar position ns long as our ammunition |
lasted, then put for the Big fort, having |
hrst spiked our guns and cut up the har- |
mesa. We mounted our tired horses and |
lett for M1rtiusburg, losing all our bag.
gage, as the trains were left. When four |
miles out on the road We were intercepted
by powerful force and again the men
fought with desperation led on by General
MilrOy in person. We got possession of
their guns three times but could not hold
them aud had to fall back The General
told us to look out for ourselves aud we
started TO flank them and escape The
following members of our company in cou-
uection With great many others sue
ceeded in getting out -viz-Lieuteuant
Harris, Sergeant Bayha, o. X. Eli
fritz, Jacob Snider, Jesse Hale. Marsh Hen
derson, Adam Hammond, Isaac Sadler,
Geo. GorreIl. We are assigned to duty
here. We left men wounded aud 4 sick,
with others in the hospital. Four of the
wounded were named Booth, Lyons, Fra
zier, ana Rabbit. Those left as sick aud
in the hospital were Butler, Arbuthnot,
Bliss, Dolmire, Blair Vernon and Hull,
sBUSITED STATES DISTRICT CouRr.-