The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1863-08-20

ana 1OunQ talSe alarm
had been given. But being there
Major General Park of the 9th Army
Corps, under whose immediate com
mand we were, placed the batteries in
position, and by night, under the di-
rection of Col Chas. G. Walcutt, ofthe
46th Owl. our whole front was in
very strong state Of defense, the bate
ries covered by a breast work and
rife pits lined the entire front of our
brigade. Still with all this the vigi-
lence of Gen. Smith was not satisfied,
but from day to day had axes,
picks and spades going till we might
say the work was complete. On the
evening of the 4th the order forward
was given, and by s o'clock at night
the boys were on the Big Black
Here wo met tho enemy who had not
yet learned their loss of Vicksburg,
and were determined torand did resist
the passage Of the river. Our pickets
about daylight of the 9Th, going down
for water were fred upon by the ene-
my and one, Leander Wentz, private
of Co. X, 46th Owl, was killed, and
James Clary, Co. X, wounded (slight-
ly) Thesam day Simon ]. Fought,
corporal Co. D, was wounded in the
abdomen dangerously During the
day others of the 18th Michigan, 4Oth
Illinois, and the 103d Illinois, were
wounded, and others Of the Division
were killed and wounded. On Sun
day night we were ordered to cross
the river and carry the hills on the
opposite bank After firing rounds
of shell into the woods the Brigade
moved forward, tho 103d Illinois, Col
W. G. Dickerman in the advance who
moved forward to the ford, and get
ting some Of his six foot men forward
made sounding poles ofthem, but soon
found it was no go, the water being
too deep to be crossed in that way.
The night was spent in attempting to
fell trees across the river, which was
narrow but deep. The tree operation
was failure, and next morning we
had to go to work building bridge.
Under the direction Of Gen. Park s
Engineer Corps we had by noon one
floating raft, but unfortunately for the
qualifications of the Yankee pontoon
army the raft would not swim with
more than two on it, and they came
within one Of going to the bottom
Had there been an enemy on the op.
posite side to resist our crossing, il
could not have been done. After
spending one whole day, by night
with canoes, the raft, and by swim
ming, we crossed our brigade without
any OF the train, which was compelled
to take down the river to the bridge
built by Gen. Sherman's troops. The
9th corps did not ike our way of sold
iering as they used to march from SIX
to ten miles per day, and bringing
them up to fifteen or twenty miles pei
day was more than they contracted
for. Their version of our fighting
qualities is, that we are ignorant, anC
have notread history as much as they
and therefore knew nothing but t.
fight when we were told. The western
men tantalized them all the time will
Rappahannock and other hard trials
They bore it patiently, and were glat
when the order came after the evacu
alton, for us to separate-they goint
back to the Bluffs, and we to our oil
|, corps under Gen. Sherman. Afte
crossing the river we marched stead
lily forward and by evening Of the 9th
, we had driven in the pickcts of tn
, enemy until our advance limo coul
see the mouths Of their cannon, il
J this position we could not remain long
, and the army not being ready for a
Immediate attack, we withdrew ou
division one-fourth of a mile stil
holding the ground with skirmisherI
On this advance Capt. Upton an
his company acted conspicuous par
| They are armed with Henry's l
! ! shooters (rihes), the Captain havin
: procured them at the Company's e>
!, pense. The pickets were struck, whe
boy called, out to them to stan
from under for he had sixteen shot
: laid by for them. We were so clos
to each other that our boys often aske
: tho "Rebs" how they liked Vick
> burg, and they would say eve kno
y you 10th Ohio, 40th Illinois, and Ct
). Iowa men; your aim is not very pail
: table"
9 On the 18th we lost Harry Heat
. killed, of Co. A wounded w. L. Iii
. . and Thomas r. Frishinger, both pr
J Yates of Co, F; VIM. McCabe, Serg
. Co. X, and Charles Miller, of Co.
J Michael Coulson, Co, X.
y On the 10Th q forward move W
:. made on our side of the enemy's worl
: with a loss Of 60 men killed al
: : wounded. The 46th was in the a
N vance and reinstated the 26th Illinc
20 to ground lost by them, for which @
- John Course, who was in command
! I the advancing column, has favorab
- - noticed the regiment. Our loss W
10 one Serg't John M. Case, of Co.
- and William Sherman, private, Co.
AZ wounded. All the wounded are doil
Oh we'll. From what L heard and 81
our boys deserve the favorable mott
which they received. Capt. Wisem
|, and his men were in their place dol
ID duty as valisnt soldiers, save Lie
a. +. NJ. Linville, who, / am sorry to ss
n was in the Hospital with chronic dis
as rhea, and who died Of his disease