Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-21
AaiIgsa satElIiaEmeer
Letter from the Iath WeSt Virg1nia
Regiment.
HEADQUARTERS, l2TH RRer. W. Va. VIZ
STAuEToH, VA, juno .Sth, 1864.

STAUEToH, VA, juno SIh, 1864.
Editors IntsEligenesr =tlb7
This regiment moved from camp at Port
Republic at o'clock q. M, June 5, 1864.
Our forces marching forward towards
Staunton some four miles, our cavalry be.
came engaged and drove the enemy a dis
tance of one aud a half miles, suffering a
loss of thirty, killed and wounded. Capt.
Imboden, q. brother of the Generals, was
taken here. The ball then opened by the loud
mouthed' artillery Believing forth, both
Union and rebel in hellish dialogue of death,
n answering each others thuhderous saluta.
tons. Past the cracking and roaring of
II rebel woolen factorfeS consumed by flames
kindled by the hand of Union retributive
Justioei past theIEoaring batteries; past
Carlin's braves stripped to the shirt, serv-
ing out iron vengeance to traitors, the 2nd
brigade, our fearless, cool and sound
Il Judging Col. Joe. Thoburn, commanding,
marched mile to the very front, forming
the left of our whole force The position
was 300 ysrds from the rebel lines, drawn
up behind a. tortifcation of fence rails; so
arranged asitOl make q perfect protection
against musketry. Here for one hour and
ashalf, in 9 woods at l mile range, the
two, tWenty FOUNDER Parrot guns Of the
enemy were served entirely against us with
II [S
amid the tremend6ns explosion of shell, the
profuse rain of case: shot, the fall of trees
and limbs, amid the wounded and dying
among all these combinations of horror,
| with not gun fred by us and no excite.
ment to cause wild oarelessness of dan.
| geri orr line never WaVered. Theilst bril-
4 gade, our right, being heavily pressed
about P. N, Col. Thsburn moved US in
retreat perhaps half mile, updetected by
the enemy. This manOeuVre was admira.
bly, masked in the woods, like our advance
before in the morning. A wide hollow,
whose descending sides were open fieldsJ
stretched between the 1st and I'd brigedes.
Across this we must go. Our batteries
open their fercest fire, from hill to hill leap
the ponderous black messengers of de.
struction, the hereverberations Of half q hum
dred guns on both sides make earth trem-i
BILE and the air roar in the endesvor our
batteries make to attract the attention of
the enemy's ordnance, while we run the
| fiery gauntlet to reinforce our right. With
unbroken lines we march over with steady
tread. The rebels occupy woods in
whose edge they have, as on their right,
an admirable, impromptu, fence barricade.
Up we go to within 100 yards, lie down,
fire. and draw the rebel fire. Men are
struck all along the line. Most of the en-
. Iu6lEl
feet and cheering wildly, the men rush
forward and over the parapet, Our color
bearer plants that banner of holy hopes
and halloWed memories right where the
lshset of rebel fame runs cracking along,
and mounting up cries "Come on boy g,
here's where want your GIoriously for
ward We go into the woods, our flag the
first, our regiment the foremost, the rebels
contending in q hand to hand struggle.
Prisoners stream to,the rear by hundreds.
Other regiments come to our support.
The character of the conflict is attested
by the .bayoneted rebel dead. The emble-I
matte rags of treasou, their battle flags, a
few minutes before Haunted in our faces
are,trampled in the dirt. They flee in ut
ter rout, and one wild shout Of yictofy'si
ours runs back along for more.than mile, /
through Infantry, artillery, cavalry, through
stragglers aud wagon trains, till the very
wounded in. the hospitals cheer again and
again. The conduct ofthe men cannot be
too much praised. Often q soldier would
press forward so furiousA as to ne enclosed
single handed among mass OF rebels, SUR
rendering, to be FscRptured instantly, BY
his advancing comrades. The whole rebel
force having fed, we encamp for the night
in this woods among the rebel dead, too
numerous. to, be buried till the morrow,
the attendants cannot collect all the
wounded into the hospitals, even in the
long hours of this summer Rfteruoon and,
evening. They have from two to three to
our one in killed and. Wolnded, and 1000
able bodied prisoners, go oficers,s4 or s
J Colonies, Brig. Gen. Jones, their comman o.
der, killed, 100 stand of arms, 4 Or 8 stand
Of colors, and last and best Staunton grace
our triumph. .4,tlss 2 sr ;tte leIE
And herele me pause to pay . tribute
to the memory of one -four own county's
martyrs in our holy cause, our color. bearer
Corporal Joseph s. Hslstead. A bravef
spirit never bore the banner of beauty and
! glory forward amid thei burstingsOf shells
and theleaden rain of DEATH With com !
rades falling around him he went ahead of
. the braVest, ahead of his brigade. The
head and front of that terrific charge into
the jaws of death, he rushed forward aud
J plants ourhag on theVery parapet, sheeted
. with flames from the epemy's rifles. Then
) over and forward again goes our banner
. into the hand TO hand conflict in which
I that glorious days fate was decided. he
. falls at last, but II there be consolation 10
( such an hour, aud to christian and One
lso wholly soldier as he there &, he has it
to the full q knowledge of his country's
, glory and his own. In the moment of
!: victory, with a broken and dispirited enemy
fleeing before US, with the. shouts of com
a rades drunk with the enthusiasm of the
|; hour rending the very sky, with the yalor
: Of our arms attested by the piles of grey,
) IClothed dead and hurt around him, with
{ the deep, heart felt admiration Of all, at
tracted by his surprising daring, with his
comrades standing around him In speech
: less and .teatfui isympathy, with prisoners
, streaming Or cIowdinR 70 the rear, colo.