The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-05-21

Tor the timely arrival OF the Sd corps on
the ground, the enemy would have suc-
ceeded in breaking through our lines. No
advance was made by our troops during
tho night, but great preparations were
made for bloody work on the morrow.
The morrow, May Sd, came, and was
ushered in by the booming of artillery and
the rattle. oe musketry. We received or
ders to proceed Immediately toward the
scene Of strife and carnage. Started on a
double-quick, every man throwing away
his knapsack so as to be enabled TO keep
up with his regiment. While On the road
to the field, the shells flew in all direc-
tions, frequently cutting huge limbs from
the trees, one Of which fell on the cap of
your correspondents left knee, disabling
him to such an extent as to prevent his
accompanying the regiment into the fight
The 133d was not in Il general engage
ment, but they were under fire from seven
in the morning till two in the afternoon
Shell, grape and canister few thiek and
fast around them, yet, strange to say, not
man in Co. L was even wounded The
regiment, however, lost one killed, Adjt
4. Charles Bendere, seven wounded, and
four missing
T:aat night, Co. T was detailed to throw
up breastworks, and worked till three in
the morning. Fifteen of our number
threw up trench four feet wide, three
feet deep, and twenty five feet long, to-
eether with breastwork for a cannon,
five feet high, six feet thick, and ten feet
long after completing which, the COM
papy returned to the regiment
Monday, May 18th, we were up at day
light, but, with the exception of keeping
the men ready for any emergency, moth
ing was done during the day. That night,
eight DAYS rations were issued to the men.
Tuesday, May 5, the troops lying quietly
on their arms. There was no firing, ex-
cepting an occasional shot between the
pickets. The moving OF our wounded,
provisions and ammunition across the
river gave every indication that the army
was about to retreat. All the pioneers in
the army were detailed to throw up a
second line of breastworks from the Rapi-
dan to the Rappahanneck, sc as to give
protection 70 the rear guard while on the
retreat. AS soon as darkness covered the
earth, all the artillery started across the
river.
9th, the infantry took the line of march,
the Cd corps leading the van; while the
9th corps was the last to cross, Griffin's
division bringing up the rear. There
were two pentoon bridges to cross on
All the troops got safely over, but not
without being shellcd by the Rebels from
distant hill, the shots falling short.
When all had crossed, we started for our
old camp, fifteen miles distant. 1t had
rained inccssantly the night before, and
the roads were almost impossible; so we
fattered ourselves that, under the circum-
stances, We had made pretty good time
when we succeeded in reaching our desti-
nation after seven hours tramp.
In camp we have been ever since
US to what constitutes the cause for this
retrograde movement, of course we are
no. informed But it is fact conceded
by both soldiers and citizens that it could
not have been want of men. The army
in the field is large enough to crush the
rebellion--crush it, almost, at blow
That this will be done ultimately, | have
not the slightcs: doubt; the final issue of
the success of our arms is merely ques-
tion of time. But here a question comes
up which is entitled to the serious consid-
Grafton of every truly loyal man in the
North. TO procrastinate the war to an
indefinite period in the future, or. by
bringing double the force we now have
into the field, crush out at once every
spark of rebellion that yet rema:ns--which
were the safer method / have always
deprecated the policy which SO many of
our newspapers and speakers have cni
braced of undertaking the enemy; it is
calculated to do infinite mischief to our
cause The Rebel troops are not the poor,
miserable, haIfstarved wretches that clap
trap orators at home, far away from the
battlefield, delight to style them. With
in the past two weeks, have had oppor-
tunity of seeing and conversing with many
prisoners from the Rebel army, and of
inspecting their clothing and general ap-
pearance So far as clothing is concerned,
they are reasonably we'll provided, and in
physical condition they are quite the equal
of our troops. Their clothing, it is true,
is not so stylish as that worn by our men,
but it.issof llomespun, undyed, stout and
strong, and for all practical purposes bet
ter than the finest fabrics. The colors,
too, are not so distinctive as our uniforms,
being gray and drab, which assimilate SO
closely to the color of the earth as to rem
der it far more difficult to "draw . bee