Nebraska advertiser., 1864-08-25

80 as to make them u~nservicable to the
enemy. The pack mules, and their
packs. about two hundred in number, ten
ambulances filed with sick and wounded.
all our dead and wounded, We had in the
fight, several surgeons and nurses, be-
sides ~ hundred rebel prisoners we had
captured during the trip, had to all be
left. to fall into the hands of the enemy.
The command then moved out through
a corn field in the rear, and entered a
main road leading TO the river. The
first regiment passed into the road with.
out any m~oIestaiion, but when our regi-
ment entered the road the enemy opened
a heavy fire on US from the right, where
they were conceded behind trees, and
were evidently trying TO cut US of from
escape in that direction, ! heard after
ward that some of the regiment behind
US had 10 charge the rebels, in order to
get into the road, the enemy appearing
determined TO cut off and capture part
of our command, but by the loss Of one
or two men and several horses, all that
escaped the fight, got through. Then
commenced almost a general stampede,
there only being two or three regi.
ments, that appeared % lave any organ
ization They were tn 9Th Ind, and the
9Th Iowa, the rest were marching along
promisciously like a drove of cattle. No
great excitement seemed to preVade the
crowd, only a general tendancy to push
onward. frequently the word would come
up from the rear. Forward" because
of the pressure Of the rebels upon that
quarter. We marched at a fast pace all
evening and part Of the night, and ar
rived at the river about 2 O'Clock in the
morning. Barbados Of rails were built
to prevent a charge by the enemy. And
the work of crossing the river Immedi-
ately commenced. A sunken fat boat
was raised and with this the work of
crossing the command commenced. By
S o'clock the 9Th Ind, had all their hor.
ses and men across, besides many others
who by the aid of RATS and two skifs
ferrled over their arms and saddles, and
their horses and mules. About
one half of the horses and about the same
number of men were over when the reb-
els opened on our rear. Whenit became
evident that the men wsuld have 10 be
ferried over and The hJrSes left, which
was Immediately done, their saddles
were thrown in the river, as the last boat
load reached this shore the rebels char
ged down the bank and fired on our men,
and woundiug several.
The mar ch then commenced toward our
lines with about one thousand men mouu-
ted and about the same number On foot,
after we had marched about 10 miles, a
great many of the foot men began to
give out, and orders were given for all
of them ID take to the woods and make
their way through the best they could,
three days marching after we left
the river, those mounted reached this
post, where we hope to enjoy a little rest
before we start on another raid.
OUR Loss.
Is hard 10 ascertain at present. We
lost on the other side of the river, in the
fight and all subsequent skirmishes, about
TWO hundred killed and wounded, Il say
'about" for we have DO definite means
of assertaining there being no official re-
port out yet and about twelve hundred
prisoners. After we left the rail
road and started toward the river the en-
envy cut eff and captured, from the rear
one Regiment the 4th Ind. which l for.
got to mention in It's proper place in
this article. Besides this while in the
fight, at every advance of our forces the
enemy fell back directly in the front of
the advancing parry, threw out fankers
and by this means succeeded.in capturing
some of every party that advanced on
them. They evidently had an able COM
mander. The mode which | have men
toned, appeard to be ''his way of fight
ing, and it was a good way, for every
move we made to advance on them they
were gradually weakening US. What
their loss or how much Of a force they
had engaged, VIZ had no means of asser-
They were evidently vastly SUI
p~eriorto US in numbers. Our regiment lost.
on the other side of the river about fifty
men in killed wounded and missing, and
left two hundred on this side in the woods.
not one of whom has come in, yet, Our
Co. left on the other side of the river
the three men l have mentioned wounded
and one man, VIM. Mcfarland of Fall
City volunteered 10 remain and take care
of them. and twenty-five in the woods
on this side, l will give the names of
those from Nemaha Co. who are in the