Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-05-22

SIX MILES NORTH or FALMOUTH, VA,
May IL, 1868.
We broke camp at Stafford
on Monday morning. April 9th The men
were heavily loaded, havisg 8 days rations, so
rounds cartridges and change Of clothing to
carry, IN addition to their guns and equip
ments Yet, full of confidence and good spir-
its, they Travelled well. and en- Tuesday even
ing reached the Rappahanneek at Bremens
Ford. The NEST powerful glasses could dis
cover but few traces Of the enemy on the other
side, and preparations were at once made to
cross. About II o'clock at night the SD
steadily tramped over the pOnteon and found
itself on the right bank of fhe Rappahannock
We continued marching until about o'clock
in the morning. On Wednesday our corps
continued its advance, and evening found us on
the bank of the Rapidan. The rebels were
building bridge here, and were captured,
bridge and all. They only had few timbers
raised, and our pontoons had to be laid, which
was accomplished with triHiBg opposition.
About midnight the sd crossed the roaring
torrent, moved upon the nights Of the right
bank and waited for the day. On Thursday
the army commenced its advance down the
plank road towards Fredericksburg. On Fri
day there was considerable skifmishing with
the enemy, but no general engagement on our
(the right flank of the grand army, though
believe there was very severe fighting on the
left. We we're under arms most of the day
Friday and on Friday night. On Saturday
morning the sun dawned clear and beautiful,
and though we all looked for a general en-
gagement. yet everything was comparatively
quiet. There were good many random vol
leys Of musketry and some cannoDading, but
with that exception the day wore away quiet
ly. About o'clock p. NJ. it was announced
to us that the enemy were retreating; that one
of our brigades was following them, capturing
their train and securing many prisoners Our
men were iubiIant over the good news, talked
of marching TO GordousvilIe on the morrSW,
cheerfully ate their frugal supper, and began
to think Of preparing for quiet nights rest
after so many Of sleepless watchfulness.
While seated on the ground with my tive lieu-
tenants, eating our evening meal, Captain
Purdy came to US, iovially remarked about
our good tiUing, &C., smiled, and walked away.
Alas! it was the last smile, the last word from
him to me on this earth. About half an hour
afterwards we were startled BY some random
Tnusket shots on our right Almost immedi-
ately there followed the most terrific. the most
tremendous the most deadly volley Of musket-
~ that in all my war experience l ever heard. |
The rebels instead of retreatiDg, had turned
our right flank, and in hsavy force had stolen |
up within few PAGES of our unsuspecting |
lines. It was a complete surprise. Our men
flew to arms, and stoed waiting for orders and |
watching the result of the dreadful conflict on
our right Soon troops of stragglers swarm |
ing from the woods, indicated but too plainly |
that our lines were broken. The rebels fol- |
lowed them closely into the open field. All
was now hurry and confusion. We were or
dered this way and that changing position every
minute, yet doing nothing decisively. 0, for
Napoleon at that critical juncturel He would |
have had but five minutes, but even in that
time he might have made dispositions that |
would at least have covered our retreat, if not /
have checked the enemy. The German regi
nlents, of which cur corps is unfortunately /
chiefly made up, acted aRy way but bravely- /
Many of them threw away their arms and ran /
without scarcely firing shot. !, Our own regt
ment, although comparatively cool and deter
mined, narrowly escaped disorganization in the
hurry and confusion 1t was decided at length
to move our regiment to the rear and post it
behind a slight earthwork that had been /
thrown up during the day. I rallied my COM
pany while moving up toward the intrench- /
ment got every man in his place and fled my
men inta the ditch in good order The air /
was now darkened with the smoke of battle, I
bullets, shells and canister shot sung, whistled r
and howled aboat our heads, and the enemy /
were coming on pell nell, driving lbefors
them herd of cowardly Germans, some Of
whom were. every moment paying a dreadful
penalty for their want of pluck. got my COM
pany into the ditch without a man being hurt
except enc sprighty little German whom 1
had sent to Capt. Purdy's company to equal
ize il. He, poor boy, was killed before reach
ing the embankment. Capt. Purdy was also
strnck down dead at about the same moment,
ard was left where he fell. We had no soon
er got our position in the breastwork than
hundreds of our straggiers came swarming
over US in their efforts to escape. OF course
we had to withhold our fire until they had
passed. They had no sooner done So than I
gave the word to my men TO commence firing,
and they went at it not only with a will, but
with eoolnsss and deliberation. Hardly man
but seemed perfectly resolved to stay there
and die rather than run. The breastwork was
very frail, being only about two and half )
feet high, and so thin that the bullets went
through it. Yet there we intended to stay.
But alasl though the enemy was checked in.
front Of us, eur ,hanks were left entirely ex-
posed, aud the enemy came right dswn on our
right and left. Three minutes more, aBd we
would have to die in cur places or be captured.
Our Colonel saw the danger. and ordered a
retreat. It was an awful moment. Between
the breastwork and the woods in our rear, a
distance of about $50 yards, we were entirely
exposed to the Ere of the enemy. Yet there /,
was 20 alternative-We had to run for life or .
be taken. Previous to the order to retreat, l
had but two men hurt-the little German
above referred to and one Sergsant-but ere
we passed that l50 yards my I'd Lieutenant
and one man were killed, and 10 were wound
ed. The carnage was sickeniug. l saw men
dropping all around ms--saw faces streaming :
with blOod-but let me not rehearss the sad
details. The Dutch had all run, and though
we had checked the enemy sufficiently to give
them ample time to form a new line of battle
for us to rally behind, yet none was formed, {
and there was no alternative but to continue r
our retreat until we had fallen behiRd the lines
of the I'd and Sd corps. Thus the SD was O
the last regiment to leave that bloody feld. 4
We left it, not because We were demoralized, Q
not because we were cowardly-fOr there is {
no better fighting material in the army of the I
Potomac-but simply because we had but
u l..