The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-08-25

,SIaughterpen. We were marched up
within 100 yards Of the rebel breast
works, in open field, in fair view of
the rebels, with no cover whatever,
except few pine trees about 6 or 8
inches in diameter. In less than one
hour and halfI lost 50 men killed and
wounded. We stayed on the ground
until our men were entirely out of
ammunition, and many of the boys
rolled over their dead comrades and
empticd their cartridge boxes to renew
our supplies. There l received a
slight wound on the side of my
head, and several balls through my
coat. TO give you some idea Of the
storm of bullets on that day, l will
say that where our regiment fought,
trees 6 and s inches over were en-
tirely shot down with bullets in
great number of instances.
After being struck l was carried
off the field but was taken to the
Hospital where | had my head dres-
sed, and was able to rejoin my reg
iment next morning. By this time
my regiment became quite small, the
number lost up to the time being
nearly 300 men and 10 officers.
L will give an idea of the appear
ance of this &aughterpen next day,
as we took their works on the 18th.
At night after terrible slaughter on
boths sides, behind the rebel works
men lay in piles in all kind of shapes
from two to five men deep, and a
great many ofthem yet living, and the
blood in the ditch behind their works
was nearly shoe mouth deep. l fear
you won't believe this story, but !
have rolled two and three dead men
off a wounded rebel to get him out
Thousands and thousands lay there
on few acres of ground. From
, there we made several flank move.
ments toward the James River, and
on the 1st day of June after very
hard march, we were ordered to charge
+ the Rebel works at Coal Hdrbor My
y regiment was on the 4th line
when we started on the charge, but
my colors were the first that crossed
the first line of works, under u mos
terrible fire. Here our Division cap
tured 600 prisoners and carried two
s lines of rebel works. Itwas this days
work that called forth Gen. Meade''
: congratulatory order to our Division
Il In this charge we only lost Is mer
h killed and wounded. We lay at thi'
= place II days building breast work
C and digging bitches, fairly burrow
+ ing in the ground. We dare no
= show our heads for fear of being sho
g down.
n On the Sd day of June the rebel
d charged our works, but were repulsec
C three times, Our loss was not very
), largG III any of these charges, bein!
+ behind breast works. On the 18th o
If June we made another flank move
c ment toward the James River, ant
@ on the 10th of juno l received l6
s conscripts and substitutes Nearl,
It all my substitutes deserted shortly af
d ter, but we continued on until W,
st came before Petersburg, and wa
n moved to the left of our entir
C army, about four miles south Q
e Petersburg, where the rebels com
d menced skirmshing pretty heavy
Y, We were again ordered to fix bayo
t, nets and see where they f0ed. Again
t. felt it my duty to lead this charge as
d feared my new men would not STAN
NJ the pressure, but We went in with
ID yell. The rebels fired a few round
ot and fed. We pursued them abou
IL one and half miles and halte
ID after dark, with hardly any loss, bu
NJ two of our men being wounded. W
~ halted and went to building breast
'r works, where we remained until tn
c. 3Oth of June, when the 9th Corps wa
ID ordered to the left some miles, to rc
ID lieve Gen'l Wilson's cavalry, who wa
"A surrounded and could not get out an
~ " had lost all his guns. We marche
1t beyond Ream's station, drove off tn
rebels, re-captured two of Wilson
* guns, tore up and destroyed about
q miles of the Weldon rail road, and II
~ turned to our old camp on the Sd
III July. On the 9th we were ordered
Ct City Point to embark for Baltimor
10 where we arrived on the 9th, and froi
ht there we were run out to Monocac
ID Junction. Only about 5000 of OF
- ~ Division was engaged there again'
&c 20, 900 rebels, but Gen'l Wallace sa'
in proper to fight our small force there ]
lg order to find out the strength OF tn
as enemy, and we got licked like the d.
but we have the salts faction of know
ing that we killed and wounded NOR
lie Al L. Ill AAn.aNhn,, nr