Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-11-26

A lieutenant in the 9Th Illinois Cavalry,
a regiment which has had numerous encoun-
ters with both Moseby's and Stuart's Cavalry
gives in private letter, the following nc
count of an open fight with the celebrated
Virginia guerrilla
'You ask, ARE we after Moseby 4 Yes
We keep him in hot water most of the time.
Saturday afternoon, six companies were or
I dered out on scout, under Captain Lincoln
to go to Upperville, Va, TO move some ne
gro families few miles from camp, and we
were skirmishing continually, front, rear,
| and both hanks. On our flank and rear,
| between us and camp, we could see a column
of rebels of about hundred in number,
while in every direction could be seen squads
of men from six to dozen, who were pretty
careful to keep out of carbine range. Some
were bold enough to come up close and try
TO entice US to charge them into the woods,
where they could cut us off with superior
numbers, but after one of their number was
shot and one horse wounded, they desisted
| from such endeavors.
"At Upperville, on the plain made mem
orable by two of our most successful cavalry
| fights OF the war, in November, 1862, and
June 1868, between Plessanton an Stuart, in
both of which we figured conspiucously
Moseby gave US what we have hoped, longed
and prayed for-an open field, hand o-haud
fight. Capt. Wings squadron was sent over
across the plain to get the negroes ready
Part of Moseby's command charged him
He, seeing them approach, formed to meet
them, and sent back word to Capt. Berry tc
support him. Wing reserved his fire till the
enemy were close upon him on full charge
when he ordered, Fire drop carbines snd
draw pistols FORWARD y and counter
charged them, cutting them in two and
driving them to the woods. He only had
G5 men, and they 118.
IL had charge of fifteen men of my com
pany as rear-guard, and, while gallopine
over to where the fighting was, observed &
heavy force of rebels approaching on my lef
flank and rear-hai Just time to form my
men together when they where upon us.
had no hopes of stopping over hundred
men with fifteen, but / could give them
specimen of my regards, and perhaps attract
the attention of some of the other compsnie.
making for the rebs in front. AS we open
ed with our carbines at fifteen rods we stag
gered them just moment, when they cam,
at u.s. showering cold lead rs they came vel
ling, on dead run. We had attracted
Lieut. Corbit's attention, who was charging
for the front with part of B and C.. H,
formed and waited for us to disperse on hi
flanks, when, just as the rebels were clos
upon him, he belched forth h fire itsel
in their faces. Sergeant Hupp, my orderly
came down on the their flank with the res
of my company, having heard my firing
and the day was won.
ut was close hand-to-hand encounter
We were so mixed up at times as not to b
able to tell our own men. Moseby attacke
with about three hundred men. We ha
two hundred men and officers They too
drink all around in the woods before star
ing, swearing to use up the id Yankees
When they attacked in our rear it was on
of the most critical moments ever witness
ed, and but for the heroic fighting of th
men we would have been annihiated,
/ as they came in on all sides. Wing was
/ the thickest of the fight, with nothing but
riding mhip-whiped a reb over the fac
7 and made him surrender. Delany go,
' righ in among them with impunity. Co
r is a tower of strength-good for twent
l common men.
'In chasing them had to get out of IL
e way to one side and let the rebs pas.
n couldn't tend to both front and rear at ono
n Our loss was four slightly wounded and OF
i man taken prisoner. They left on the tie
' eleven killed and mortality wounded, an
t had some twenty or thirty more wouude
who rode away. We also took nine of the
e prisoners. There were thirty or forty hors
killed and wounded. Our boys are high
n elated. Mosebys men are picked, you kno
G. They have been shy of us since their detea