The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-02-26
Army Correspondence.
Fr0m the Michigan 11th.

About 10 O'Clock A. M, Tuesday
morning, Dec. 30th, McCooks corps ar
rived. And then with the sharp crack
of musketry and an awful yelling we
drove their skirmishers inside of their
Entertainments. We sent out three
Companies at o'clock, and sharp fr-
ing and artillery was kept up until dark.
The enemy were most entirely con-
cealed in the thick cedar woods and
their earthworks. We tried allday to
sbellOthem out, but could not move
them. We lost Lieut.. Wilson to day,
the first man killed out of our Regi-
ment. We were the advance all night
on the right of our Division and were
in line of battle. No man allowed to
leave his gun. 1t was very cold and
no tres were allowed to be made, the
boys shook like leaves the next morn
ing. We got few rations at night.
ednesday 3lst, we were relieved by
the 9th Ohio, about daylight, and
moved back to the rear, short dis.
lance, and commenced to build our
fires. Heavy firing was commenced as
soon as our men could see to shoot
butternut, together with the heavy
booming of cannon which was an
swered by the enemy.
Lieut.. Faulkner and James started
after some water to make their coffee.
l told them / could do without that
but was going TO make sure of some.
thing to eat. toasted some meat and
eat it, and some hard bread, and had
just got through when they returned.
They had no time to eat now, we were
ordered to form into line of battle.
JOhnson's Division had been driven
back and were retreating in hot haste.
The whole right wing had given way
and wore a swinging around upon the
centre, and in short time we were
surrounded in the shape of horse
shoe, and three batteries were playing
upon us. Here we had a blazing FIRE
from the enemy who had advanced upon
our former front, and clear around in
our rear, cross6ring upon us. The
enemy had advanced to within twenty
rods OF Us in the rear when the 9th
gave out, when the general came dash
ing up. Their Colonel said they were
out of ammunition. Col. Stoughton,
says to the General, 81 will take the
position" Says he, take it and hold
it, you are a gentleman" and rode up
and shook his hand heartily - asH g
We advanced in line of battle short
distance, aud then laid down as much
between the rocks as we could to shell
ter us from the enemy's fire of musket-
ry, shot and shell. Trees and limbs
and rocks were flying over our heads
and all around us. Our artillery, in
the rear of us and on hill in an open
field, was doing good execution and
firing over us. The enemy soon gave
up here and passed on further to the
right, into the cedars, and we changed
our position again to the right, assisted
by the 18th Ohio. In our first engage
ment we did not suffer but little, one
killed is all l know of and several
wounded. 1t does not seem possible
that half of us could have escaped;
think they shot over us. We did not
remain long here and were ordered
back upon the hill to save our battery
from an attack on the front and to as
sist the rest of the brigade that were
sorely pressed here. We moved up to
within twenty rods of the enemy and
poured a volley into themsthat made
them drop like leaves from the trees.
A prisoner we took then said that at
one volley we killed fourteen privates,
and two officers out of his company.
We were soon ordered to..fall back and
other regiments went up. Soon Gen.
Negley came mp and rallied the whole
force forward as for last desperate
struggle for the victory.
In this engagement l was struck by
a spent grape shot, on the leg, and two
of our company fell right in front of
me. Here the Major was shot by a
ball through the face, and Lieut.. Faux
ner led him off the field and they were
both taken prisoners. Lieut.. Hall was
shot through the neck few steps from
me, and taken off the field. He is a
prisoner still. This time we drove
them back, and checked them in this
direction. We were then ordered still
further back, on the right, in an open
field to support another battery. From
here our regiment was ordered to move
further down to the right to strip of
woods to keep them back there. We
took the double quick, the Colonel lead
ing off with the colors. The order
was countermanded soon, but one half
of the regiment did not hear it. saw
what was up, and told the Colonel that
he had been ordered to fall back, when
we abont faced, and fell back to the ar
tillery by the rail road. Here we laid
down for half an hour, while the artil
lery gave them fits in every direction.
and they finished the work for the day
by giving them check. They got all
they wanted, as this was the last ad-
vance they made. b
LOREN H. HOWARD.
NEW YORK ELECTIONS. = Twelve