Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-01-29


they were soon closed up again. and one
dark column after another came pressing on
behind them. Their cavalry were coming
around on our right flank. I ordered the
brigade to again fall back, which was done
in no very good order. A panic being now
evident among the men, when ] found an.
other good place to make stand, the men
showed little disposition to, obey the order
to halt. Capt. Dawson took command of
the 18th, Lieut. COL Askew having been
severely wounded and taken prisoner -
Maj. McCleuahan was very slightly wound,
ed and with the regiment, but thought him
self unable to command Dawson at this
point seized the colors Of the 18th and stood
fast and waved the old and now bullet. torn
flag ! had lost my sword and overcoat, so
l took off my hat and called for three cheers
for the old flag. The men all took it up,
turned and came back to the ranks, when
we marched back to fence on the edge of
the woods in which we we're at tho time the
rebelsheard eur cheer, halted and poured a
deadly fire into their heavy columns. They
opened artillery on US, and their cavalry were
again surrounding us on both sides, when
ordered the brigade again to fall back. We
we're now nearly surrounded, but was prov
identially led through the only gap to save
the brigade from being all taken prisoners.
We kept up brisk fire as we fell back,
making stand now and then, until I came
up with Gen. johnson, and l reported
the brigade under my command. He order
ed me to form it in line of battle behind
Gen. Davis's Division. They were soon
drove in, and we were again under FIRE. We
held our position until ordered 70 fall back
again, where the whole force of the rebels
we're coming, intending to break the centre,
as they bad the right wing; but they were
met here with as good as they brought
Rosecrans had massed all the remaining
forces to meet them, and the tune was soon
changed, aud our forces began to drive them
back, while hundreds of pieces Of artillery
from every enhance Of ground in our pos
session hurled deluge of shell and shot
upon them.
| gathered my weary forces aud found
one half were killed, wounded, and missing,
those left had expended all their ammuni
tion, and sent to the wagons to get new
supply.
We had commenced fighting about twenty
minutes of Z, and l supposed we had been
engaged something over an hour. Imagine
my surprise whom on looking at my watch i,
was near Q o'clock. In the meantime the
fight was raging all over the country, far and
near; for space as large as Pease Town
ship the two armies were in deadly conflict
and ceased not until the sun went down and
hid from view the awful scene of suffering
and death. -, 80 .i,sT 81
l have no words to tell of my feelings on
that night. OF six hundred brave 18th
boys who awoke withme that morning to
health and life, II we're killed, ss wounded
and l27 missing most likely prisoners; the
killed and wounded in the Rebel lines.
SO
The following day we were moved off tc
the extreme right, and had fight with the
Rebel cavalry, and drove them off hand
somely., AT night we were moved to ravins
where we could build fires and sleep, thu
first since the 3Oth Of Deosmber. ub'y u.
Col Gibson came Of safe, and took com
mapd of the brigade the St Of January. d
On the I'd of January the Rebols made 4
dash on our left and we're pressing our mer
hard, when Gen. Rosecrans rode up to oul
brigade and ordered us to make a charge a
fixed hayonets, which we did in splendid
style. We drove the Rebels nearly two
miles, clear into the river, captureda a grsa
number, took four pieces Of artillery, and
wounded Gen. Breckinridge, when we
stacked our arms by the liver side for the
night. All next day the fight continued
along our whole lines until 10 o'clock a
night, when the enemy broke after a fierc,
and bloody charge on their centre,5 aud b.
morning they had withdrawn all their forces
and our cavalry in full pursuit. The rebel,
had held the gound our brigade occupied
on the morning Of the, 3lst ever since
that day. And on the '4th, with buryinl
party, 1 went over to bury our dead and
hunt up our wounded. The sad sight Of
the dead who had laid .unburied for five
days, rebel aud Union soldiers covered The
ground. / followed back the track we had
come, and rebel dead marked the entire
route, and one place where our brigade had
halted, and used the one piece of artillery,
over one hundred rebels lay Over the en-
tire country, thsy wers found, one, two,
twenty, and . hundred and more ip spot.
Thousands of lthemlhsys paid the debt Of
treason and rebSllionoi When Ifound oul
'to,wv own poor b5ss. a&Y YhsaA wssaldost broke,