Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-07-23

every time they fred. The thunder grew
louder aud louder. The rebs had cap
tured q regular battery aud turned the
guns against US from the outside works.
We 10y in the rife pits until it grew
dark aud the firing ceased, our cannon
firing last. Just as the cannon ceased the
musketry commenced. Therebs advanced
on both ends of the fort. The infantry
stopped them and pickets were thrown
out. Worn down, some of US tried to
sleep, to be awakened every few minutes
by the officers with the "LoOk out boys,
they are coming!" The night was cold
but our blood was warm. About IL
o'clock we were ordered into line, supPos-
ing we were going to meet the enemy.
After marching and haIting aud vice versa
for some length of time we found our
selves in the Martinsburg road. The long
line of men in the darkness and borses
unhitched from the wagons, all faced
nOrthWard, told of retreat, AIErOy re-
| treatingl The old General stood up all
afternoon in the lookout, "a sort Of basket
work on the flag staf, with his glass,
giving directions to the gunners as cool
as though practising for holiday exer-
else, while the rebel cRnnonading was one
continual roar. Those who were in the
Peninsula campaign and on the field of
during the war, aud most certainly it did
seem rather serious as well as terrific.
We marched out the Martinsburg road
in the darkness, expecting every moment
to be fired into. Certainly the rebels would
not let US slip, and we found out just as
day was breaking, a solitary gun fired
then heavier and heavier II commenced
from a peice of woods on our right. Pres
emily boom crash and the artillery open
ed upon us. Such another scene of con-
fusion; Babel never witnessed the like
commanders yelling out commands mules
brayinR; negroes about three hundred had
followed and rnnning in all directions
made their share of the noise. The teams
ters ON their horses were between us and
the rebel fire, commenced breaking through
our ranks with rattling aud yelling curses
flying promiscusously all around, inter- |
mingled with the kissing and crashing of
the shot. The regiment in advance of us
charged upon the grey coats. The rattle |
of the musketry waxed louder aud louder |
until it drowned everything else in its roar, |
even the shrieks of the wounded and dy- |
ing. Rebel prisoners who served in jack |
sons old corps from Bull Run to Antietam |
and Charlottesville, said they never heard |
such musketry firing. Regiments in our |
rear were ordered to flank them, and |
did too, they ook the rebel cannon by |
right up to them and shooting !
the guuners down. The 18th was order
ed around to the other flank, and by the
time they got around were ordered to make |
our way to the mountains, and so luckily |
escaped, with perhaps more men than any |
regiment in the field. Some of the Tegi-
ments must have been awfully cut up that |
One of the Ohio regiments |
charged four times into the woods, and out |
of one company only six.men left to tell |
the tale. Shell were thrown into the 12tb |
as we left the field. Milroy stayed with |
them until the last leading the regiments
in the charge; then telling them all to take
care of themselves, he lit out for Harper's
Ferry with what remained of company II,
a. Rowsnd's Cavalry"
The dead aud wounded were of course
left on the field, while everybody started
for some place North. IL was not, "get
ready for a marcA boys with so many days
rations in your haversacks, but light
out boys" We had nothing in our haver-
sacks. Cavalry horses in our rear picking
up stragglers whenever opportunity offer
ed, we had hard march through the-l
mountains, living on what we could get
from the little cabins through the country,
few and far between. Our main subsist-
ence was onions, going night and day
sometimes not stopping in any place for
any length of time, for the rebels were
sure to hustle us on. My hunger is scarce
.ly satisfied yet. Capt. Curtis stood right
up to the FIRE; so did Blsneys; Smile was
sick during the fight. NorthcOtt is fight.
1t was we'll the Major was not with US he
would have been killed fear; the Regi-
ment cried when he made his parting
speech.
You will please excuse this long tedious
detail, l expect not very satisfactory either.
J. D. w.