The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-01-23

ITS Jury, within hye hundred yards OF the
enemy's entrenchments The 69th was
here exposed terribly for 20 minutes to the
rebel shells but every man bore himself
bravely-a more cool, calm. and self pos
sessed man never lived than is Col. Bennett,
Of the 69.h, be is our Ellsworth, and is no
ted for his bravery by every one. and has
won tie heart Of every man under his com.
mand.
Fiercer and more terrible grew the Storm
-monstrous trees, that had stood for year:
amid The mad, scathing blasts of Heaven:
artillery, were now shivered and torn 10 the
ground by the powerful guns of the enc
my, and long, conical shaped balls shot and
shell went shrieking and bowling through
air. Generals, Colonels and Aids were
seen riding with lightning speed through
all the storm, giving and delivering orders
without the fear Of mortal man before them,
and must say not n few there were trying
to hide behind anything from the size of a
barn door down 10 a mole hill. 1t was
amuaing, although no time for laughing, to
see some great big fellows with their noses
rammed intothe ground behind chunk not
larger than their head, with the larger po :
ton Of their body pointed into the air at an
angle Of about rs degrees. Some were &C.
tudiIJ Crying iHIou9u rear ne Dattic Id
ged fearfully all day and after night. Their
Notifications being too strong for us to take
them by storm, as night again spread her
dark mantle over the scene Of conflict the
storm gradually luled into silence, save now
and then a stray shell from tho enemy s
guns, and thus ended the fight on Sunday.
Many incidents worthy of note | saw upon
that bloody field but l have not space here
GO Is bap feI |
who was MORALLY wounded by a ball through
his lungs, lie was an officer 1 did not learn
to what regiment he belonged. He was
diving slawly and knew it--be took bis
watch and pocket book from his pocket,
handing them to q friend Temarking in
clear voice: "Give these to my wife, tell
her die in the defense of my country.
and his spirit winged its way to another
world.
MospAY MoRNING, Dec. 29,h.--Before it
was fairly light, the thunder of heavy artil-
lery again burst forth in all its fury. The
position of our brigade, 69th and l2Oth.
(the 18Th Iii. being left to guard the boats,
was shelled necessarily all day, but without
much loss. AT about 2 o'clock p. NJ, Col.
De Coursey, commanding Sd brigade, con-
sisting OF the 22d Kentucky, 54th Indiana
and 10Th OHIO regiments, was ordered to
charge the enemy III front, which he did
but was repulsed with loss. AS night APP
preached it set in raining and rained very
hard all night our men were forced TO sleep
upon their arms, many of them without
either overcoats or blankets, and what was
worse nothing to eat II was a night to be
re membered by all who were engaged in
the five day S fight at the Chickasaw Bluffs.
While the rain fell in torrents through all
that dismal night, the rebel shells were
screaming and bowling among us. One
might have supposed, on waking up from
ftful dream, that he had been landed in
Pandemopium or some other unexpored
world.
TUESDAY, Dec. 80. --Morning did come
at last, but it was surely the longest night
that mortal man ever dreamed of. Peter
Farley not excepted. A flag of truce was
sent to the enemy, and an armistice of four
hours was agreed upon to bury the dead
Dur pickets and the rebels now poked up
heir heads from their hiding places and
onversed freely. The rebels told our boys
We would have good time taking Vicks- +
,urg." which was no news to us, as we had
.lready found that fact out. There was but
title fighting done to-day.
Dec. 3l.--Slight skirmishing was going
N all day, without much effect on either
de.
Jan. Ist, I863.--New Years day dawned .
beautiful and bright. An amusing scene
ook place to day. Alec Mckenzie, better /
inown as " Alec. the Suffer- AS every man .
n the 69th knows him, for he gets up fun
or the regiment generally. Alec came out .
With his mules and wagon loaded with suit
er's goods he has horn that he blows to
,all the boys up with. He had big crowd
around him and was selling rapidly. when
he rebels commenced throwing shells into
as. Alec dropped everything in quick time
said he diden't want "nary one of Mr..
Benefits mules killed. and went out of
amp laying whip to his mules and blowing
lis horu at desperate rate. The whole
egiment laughed till you could have heard
hem mile.
Any one in reading this will, of course, '
notice that there are dsconnections. So
here are, for there is much that is contra
,and and dare not write it. consequently
is a very hard matter to tell what l wish
o. Movements had been going on all day
o evacuate the place We had gained, and at
2 o'clock on New Years night, our entire
rmy quietly skedaddled away and mbark- i
a aboard the boats again. The enemy ,
Iuietly was it done; every thing was saved.
But why we did not leave next morning
fter everything being safe on board can
ever see, but instead of SO doing, we were
ept tied up to shore until late in the after
DON when the rebels appeared in consider
BILE force in an open field near our boats;
hey fred into US killing and woundiDg five t
r six also killing Col. Fonda's horse, of .
ne lIS:h Illinois. Our gunboats being /,
ear by, opened on them and did fearful
-ork with Them before they could get out a
reach.
Incidents are many. l must here speak I
{ Capt Bonebrake, Co. c, Goth Indiana,
tho was accused OF running at Richmond. /
". He has redeemed himself most nobly 5
taking the most exposed positions and a
Oh ing like a hero. Col. S. A. Sheldon, ,
ormeriy .. the AID Ohio, who commanded
be first brigade, is noble, hne looking
-. = in lad, a1I baarl q