American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-07-13

enemies works. Our brigade relieved
Gen. Turchen, he had charged the ene-
mics works and got repulsed, with heavy
loss. We lay there until the sixteenth,
when the enemy thought it about time to
leave; we were very patriotic and followed
them in hot pursuit, we followed them
close and kept up continual skirmishing
with them
Of the twenty-seventh of May / will
now speak, On that day our division had
orders to march with Gen Howard's
Corps, as support; we took up our line
of march early in the morning, and kept
on marching to the left, we marched all
day till 8 o'clock p. m, when We got Or
ders to form line of battle, double quick.
Our division formed on the left of the 4th
Corps, our brigade on the left of our di-
vision, our regiment ON the left center of
our brigade; we got our line formed in
time to receive the advancing columns
of the enemy, they made their first on
slaught on the right wing and succeeded
in driving it and fanking us, some say
we we're ordered to fall back, but we had
our minds made up to hold our position or
die in the attempt. On came the advan-
cling columns of our southern foes, driving
our skirmishers, they then came for our
line three lines deep, we reserved our fire
until they came within fifteen yards of
our line, we again opened deadly fire
on their advancing columns, and cut them
down like grass some of them had as
high as five bullets through them, we re
pulsedand drove them back the left wing of
our regiment following them up, leaving
the right of our regiment in its old posi-
ton. We advanced about thirty yards to
an old fence, there VIC had to stop and
fight we could not advance further, nor
could we fall back, we had to lay under
cover of the fence, we were under the
fire of 500 muskets, they would have cut
us to pieces if we had tried to fell back,
in the meantime the brigade got orders to
fall back, without giving us any notice of
it. / presume they could get no orders
to us, bullets were flying rather fast, the
entire line fell back one mile, leaving us
on the field without any support. -Four
companies of our regiment remained on
the field, company E, b, X and G the
right Of the regiment fell back with the
brigade, as they were ordered. We lay
on the field of blood and slaughter, in
very peculiar position, some of the boys
say we had no officers with us they might
have been there some place, but could
not sec them. All of our line officers did
well, | will say that for them, but all the
orders that we received we got direct from
our gallant Col. Billy Sirwell. On the
9th of May he nobly gained star, which
| hope to see him wear ere long. After
dark the Col. formed us into order and
had us to throw up some rails as breast
works; we then awaited orders. The Col.
told us we lay there without any support,
and we had to do the best we could We
held the field until one o'clock that night
and crept silly away and joined our brigade
after daylight. The 18th Regiment COW
cred themselves with glory on that day,
they done honor to their state, likewise to
their country.
l have now word to say to some of
the northern folks, who wished to know
my politics. | am a true born Republi-
can, am for vigorous prosecution of
this unholy war; | am not in favor of ta-
king prisoners ] am in favor of killing
the God forsaken demagogues of the
south who have rebclled and tried to ruin
our country. Moreover, will support
Abraham Lincoln
| remain very respectfully yours,