The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-11-20

| I" 'i"o III ehc IleuJ. NOlOnel lived
he would make an officer and soldier
OF whom his friends at home. the
state from which he comes, and tho
army i'll the field could well afford TO
bc proud. If Col. Swayne il the
Achilles of the 99th, then. his con.
stant friend and companion, Lieut.
Col. Cuplmins, is the Patroclus of the
same body OF troops. Because the
Lieut. Coloners conduct in the battle
Oh stone River, and the still more fer.
rlhle fought battle of Chick.mougo.
not only verifics my statement. I'M
goes beyond what had imagined nos.
slble under existing circumstances
COOL calm and fearlessly he moves
whenever duty requires his presence:
'hd often when danger seems the most
imminent, he appears most at home.
Anu when he orders his men to charge
the enemy, it is not ego bovs." Int
he renders the order practical and in.
liucntial 10y advancing at the head of
the column, no matter how severe the
storm of lead and iron. If Justice il
done him, he will be promoted for his
gallant conduct. | have thus partic.
.ularly alluded to Lieut.. Col. Cummins
first, but with no wish or tlesiou tn
overlook or undcrvalue the eminent
claims and services of Col. Swaine.
hut will endeavor to do him full ius-
ticc in subsequent letter.
On Friday evening, late, our brig
ade was relieved and ordered to the
lclt. On the next day at 10 A. M.
the nghting becamc warm a,onU our
entire line. From that time till lone
after dark the contest ragged furious,
". The rebels would mass their
forces and come ut MS endwisc. anon
they would side wise, hoping to flank
Ils--always manifcsting a fixed deter.
mination to break our lines, and crush
us; but our brave men--God bless
them -- although far outnumbered,
fought even more desperately, being
determined to maintain their ground.
or make that battlefield both their
grave and monument
The artillery practice, as it appear.
cd to me, was not equal to that we
had ut Stone River: but the musket.
ry exceeded anything I ever heard be-
fore. As the battle waxed warmer
and warmer, clouds of sulpherous
smoke rose and spread until dense
mass Of blackness floated high above
the comhatants, that seemed to extend
its sable arms until it grasped the sun.
aud folded it to his bosom to prevent
his broad eye from surveying the
bloody drama that was then being en-
acted
Our regiment, owing to the skillful
management Of the officers, lost, on
Saturday, but 2s killed, wounded and
missing; and, fortunately, most of the
wounds were slight, and the majority
of these who bear fe-long badges of
national honor, will soon be able to
return to duty. But not so with 9th
crs. Some of the Doth offered their
lives willing sacrifice on the altar Of
their country's freedom. Brave men!
They found graves far from home and
! loved Cncs. Amid the hills of North
crn Georgia they quietly sleep; and
although the sun will continue to rise
and set; the flowers bloom in Spring
and wither under the cold winds Of
Autumn; commerce extend the lines
LOFTS operations; science prosecute its
Investigations; and the surge and din
Of battle roll on until treason shall
wholly disappear and Buttcrnutism
/ he banishcd to its native Hell: and
the song of JOY and victory be heard
sweeping along the valleys, and echo
| ing from the mountains of our own
dear, hut now blood stained land
still they will sleep on, but not for
gotten. Friends of fallen soldiers,
let Ire assure yOu, that never shall
the memory of your loved and lost be
obliieraIed from my recollection, nor
never shall their heroic conduct lack
Il defender while live; and never, no
never, will their brave companions in
arms forget their deeds of daring and
renown on that memorable day, while
their own hearts continue to beat, and
while the stars and stripes triumph
anty float over the graves of the dead
and homes of the living, the lives of
your departed ones will be none the
less bccauoe they dared to die for the
right
The officers from your county, par
ticuarIy Captains Bopc and Barnd,
and Licutcnants Mcconnell and Zay,
are highly complimonted in Colonel
J Swaincs official report. BY the by
\ | discover that | omitted the name Of
Lieut.. Richards. This must not be,
rs no Drawer soldier can he found in
this army than he. The 90th contains
rs many good and true men ms any
regiment Ohio has sent into the field,
and us long rs our old Flag continues
TO lioat we will follow it; and when
the last battle has been fought for
! freedom, aud the last glorious victory
achieved, we hope to live to wave its
tattcred remains triumphautly over a
saved country. There il, there can
he, no stopping place short of com.
plcte victory. No halfway business
will answer in this contest. Our path
of duty Is PLAN and straight forward;
and it is rs clearly marked out and ac-
curately defined to the view of the
good and time, rs the milky girdle OF
the heavens, in cloudless night
| We must stand bv the rulers of our