White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1864-06-09

rae BATTLE 81 INV 1ARkIr.
0igeI,s Advance and Retreat
A letter in the Wheeling Intelligencer
Of yesterday. gives some additional detsils
Of Sigel's unlucky expedition. which we
quote below:
! "Noshing ocosrfed until we arrived ct
The hill one nile north Of New Market.
where the enemy. 5000 strong. under
Of Gen. Imbodsn, were posted
in . good position. and opened with four
pieces Of artillery. Shows Maryland
battery, with the 1st West Virginia ln-
fantry for support. was put in position
and returned the enemy's fire for one hour
and q half, when the ''Jonnies" pulled od.
One regiment was immsdiatsiy sent for
ward to occupy the position held BY the
enemy. We arrived after dark in the
midst of . severe shower Of rain, and ]
assure You tho prospect before Us was
dark and gloomy enough. Maj. Stephens
proceeded forthwith to post pickets in
our front, which had gone bat two han.
dred yards from our camp when they were
halted and fred upon BY line Of rebel
cavalry skirmishers. and after some re-
sistance were driven back to our lines.
In few minutes the rebel line of infantry
was seen coming slowly and cautiously
toward as. but We were ready for them;
every man clutching his rife. determined
to drive the bastard foe. Yet on they
came until within sixty yards of our front.
when the gallant veterans Of the LIST raised
on their knees and poured deadly volley
into dark line Just before them: an an.
swering volley from the enemy was fol-
lowed by an order from the Major. "6re
by file. hold low" and such FIRE as was
poured out from our muskets was irresis-
tible. and the enemy broke to the rear.
Again were our pickets sent out and again
driven back to the line, followed by the
rebel infantry. and again were we forced
to drive them back, this time following
them through the woods. and established
line of skirmishers in our front. and the
4th Virginia rebel regiment left rs undis-
puted masters Of the field. In this action,
as spirited as it was, our loss was but
two or three wounded, while the enemy
had Eve killed and q number wounded.
After the excitement incident to snch
occasions had worn OF little, we were
permitted to lie down on our arms. in the
rain. without fire. minus supper, and dit
to-dinner; this. too, after having marched
twenty -four miles, and had fight OF three
hours. Rough enough. wasn't it?
At daylight on Sunday morning, the
18th inst, we were aroused, and after q
hasty breakfast of CRACKERS and fitch. were
ordered to the front to support Shows
Maryland battery posted south of the
road running west from New Market.
There We remained, with the exception Of
Q few maneuvres to eounteract those Of
the enemy in front. until after IL o'clock
NJ, when we we're pressed back by over
powering numbers ofthe enemy. A short
time was occupied in getteng our batteries
and troops in position after We were forced
back. .'aNl .'
In half an hour. however, the greybacks
came charging down the valley in our
front. Again was the 1st West Virginia
infantry destined to hold the "post Of
honor" and, l may add. the post of
danger. We were stretched across an
open field, directly in front of the charg-
ing column Of rebels; we were hidden
from the view of the enemy by slight
rise in the ground, so that they could not
see our position until within twenty PAGES
of us. In this position we lay in breath
less suspense. every trigger pressed BY Q
steady finger. until the gray mass was but
one hundred yards from us. when the Or
der "Charge. boys r ran along the line,
and then came the shock. We raised up
and charged forward. answering the enemy
yell for yell and bnllet for bullet. as far Is
the three hundred and City men coald
answer three thousand infuristsd demons
Our sudden dash checked the
mass for an instant only. when they came
on again with rsdoubled fury. Now
came the 6nal shock, for ss we fell back
on line With the balance Of our infantry
force. two thousand muskets belched forth
a shower Of lead from our side Of the field.
spreading death and carnage in the rebel
ranks. Our batteries, too, moved them
down il swaths-but all was vain, for on
came the charging foe, needless Of the
of life and limb in their midst.
Our line Was forced from its organization
but for few minutes, and then closed up
and fell back slowly and in good order.
iefying the enemy in his angry attempts
10 rout it. .,.,,
At Rude's Hill we msde stand, and
held our position until everything had
been safely crossed over the river. At
he bridge the lst West Virgins infantry
was detained to act in the capacity OF rear
guard, and to guard the Pioueer Cops
while engaged in destroying the bridge.
Our work here was finished by eleven
o'clock. P. n, when we started on the
backward march down the valley. At
daylight, on the 18th inst, we halted at
Edinsburg to get breakfast while the
bridge over Stony Creek WAS being de-
'troyed. when we renewed our march and
arrived at our present Position in the eve
hing Of the 10th. 1 would not forget to
mention that on the 18th instant, Major