The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1863-03-26
The Noble County Affair.
HOsnssyILLE, Noble Co, Ohio.

You will be surprised perhaps to learn,
after receiving the somewhat alarming
account already sent that the occupation
Of Hockinsvlle was accomplished with I
ont the firing Of = single guu; that the
brave. the chivalric. the heroic Hoskins. |
villains, after the immense amount ofl
braggadocia which they have so prrsever.
ingly displayed. quietly aud ignominious.
ly male themsrlves scarce while yet the
enemy was a great way Off
However | am anticipating events, and
will resume my narrative, from the con-
clusion Of my leltsr dated the 10th IN
tt,nt.
We left C,bmridgs on Thursday morh>
ing at nine o'clock. the main hody of
troops passing on first, marching four q,
breast. and the baggage trains following
close after. email guard bringing up the
rear. Our. General. the Marshal, accom-
panied BY Capt. lake. and officer whose
efficiency is unquestionable. and few
other gentlemen. mounted on horseback
taking the lead. The roads we're in suoh
bad condition on the direct route 10
Hcskinsville through Hiramsburg that
We were obliged to take a circuitous rou Q
to CumbeI land. small town lying about
nine miles norlhwes. Of the place of our
destination distant sixteen mile from Cam.
bridge.
Other Considerations also lead TO the
adoption Of this plan, for should the reb
els be assembled 10 such force as was re.
ported. it would not only bring us within
easy marching distance of Hoskinsvills in
the morning. but also enable US to make
use of The night in sending ont scouts to
reconuoier. Halling about two hours at
Claysville alvin sister to hat most des.
picabls Of all villages. Hoskinsvills, we
reached Cumberland about four o'clock 10
The afternoon. Our troops were quarter,
ed amongst the Inhabitants of the place,
lhe Marshal and his staff. (amongst
which your Ecorespoudent was fortunate
enough 10 be included )making the Cum
terand Hotel the headquarters.
We had not been long in these quar-
ters. before we received pressing invi
tation to take up our ab ode in the house
Of Mr.. John Foster. one Of the strongest
Union men, az we'll as the weallhies. res.
iden,iu The place. AS We could not do
his on account Of the importance of the
officers b ing directly among the men. WI,
compromised the matter by paying a com.
plimentary visit. and we're urost hospits.
bly, entertained. Mr.. Foster has what
may be called a model farm; il s very
we'll stocked, but in the matter of shee p
its proprietor takes special dehght, and
has travelled far and wide in order TO pro.
cure the finest specimens OF this animal.
A lot Of Spanish sheep were the pride Of
Ihe whole neighborbooI; the wool grows
In such profusion@ to be absolutely as
tonishing, so that The wool round the an
imaPs eyes has TO be kept she'red in or.
der that they may see;it also grows down
o their hoofs, making thei- legs look
moe like bears legs. After spending a
very pleasant evening. We returned to the
hotel when four scouts were sent out to
reconnoier. They returned about four
o'clock in The morning and reported hav.
ing seen the watch fires OF the insurgents
in closs proximity to Hoskinsville, and a
little south Of that place. They had al.
so seen one or two Union residents of the
place, who stated that the rebels had
gathered from the whole nsighb ,rhood,
Numbering altogether about Two hundred
men, III OF der to resist the advance Of the
Union force. Also tina, they had elec,e
McFerren, {the deserteT whose sttsmp,e ed
arrest tai produced this insurreolion, !
as their captain. and that he had organ
izsd them into companies, and all that day
and Wednesday they had been drilling he
ing AIMED m ,stly with their own squire
rifles. but having gondly Shov of the
Government En6elds, and some few O
them having bayonets affixed.
As soon as possible we were again or
the march, sending on forcs Of 20 horse
men about half a mils ahead OF the mair
body Of troops, supported by detach
mont Of lor'y infantry. and thror sing on
! pickeis in the woods on each side OF tn,
! road, In this way we advanced int
, Hoskinsvilla. but on our arrival ther,
B We Iouud the village deserted. Lik,
Cesar we can say vsni vidi, but We mus
; rest content for there was nothing left il
HosknSvills to conquer but one lam,
man land he was a Union maul aud
crowd of weeping women. While. ",
were yet a great way off. over two mills
A this great assemblage of Democratic pa
trots took to their heels and broke 10
the woods. leaving their captain, him
! self deserter, deserted in his turn. -
. He did not stay long, however, but will
5 the true spirit Of Copperheadsm, whicl
8 is a concentration Of the proverb concer
9 ming the superiority Of discretion owe
valur, he also took to his heels, leaviu,
the plsce without a single defender. On
boys on entering the place, at once too
possession of the church and schoal hous
which they soon converted into comfort
able and convenient quarters, In tn
, evening. fearing night attack, picket
3 we're posted on the hills around, an ar
, rangempnt which resulted in the captur
} Of three or four Of The insurgents, who
! unable 10 endure the biting cold win'
/ and pitiless storm Of snow and slest
which was falling, were endeavoriDg u
/ creep along unobserved TO their homes
! Marshal Sands as soon as he WAS installed
10 his headquarters, busted himself in pro
curing from the Union inhabitants a lis
Of those persons principally engaged il