Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-01-14
From the First Cavalry.
CAMP OF THE lsT WIS. CAV,
NEAR MUMFoRDsvILLE, KY,
Dec. "a, 1864.

NEAR MUMFoRDsvILLE, KY,
Dec. 81, 1864.
Editors State Journal Thinking that an
account of the doings of our regiment for two
or three weeks past would not be uninterest-
ing to your readers, | attempt short CON-
munication.
As you are aware, most of the men who
came out with the regiment have been mus
tered out of the service, having served
their three years, and those who are left are
recruits who have come in from time to time
since August, 1852. Most of US joined the
past fall, and before leaving Louisville, the
4th inst, had no experience in soldering,
not even in marching At that time, having
been mounted only few days, our brigade,
commanded by Col. La Grange, our regi-
ment, started for Nashville, Tenn. We had
got as far as Bowling Green, in this State, on
our way when il became known that the reb-
ell Gen. Lyon, with cavalry force of about
/ 800 and four pieces of artillery, was on this
side of the Cumberland river, and in the vi
cinity of Hopkinsville, so we were sent after
him.
We left Bowling Green about the 18th
inst, and at Franklin, on the morning of the
l4th we were joined by the Sd Brigade of our
Division, commanded by Gen. Watkins That
day we went to Bussellville, which is on the
Memphis Branch r. R., and next marched all
day in the direction of Hopkinsville, nearly
forty miles distant. At dark we stopped and
fed our horses, made coffee, and waited till
midnight when we again started on.
The roads were very muddy and the night
very dark, but we plodded along, arriving
within two miles of the town by 4 o'clock on
the morning of the 10th, but as it was too
dark to see what we were doing, they form
a hrina do in a mic M Uh
concealed us, and waited till day began to
break. We had met a rebel patrol two or
three miles before reaching this point, which
retrested before us, fighting our advance &C.
casionally, so we knew that the enemy was
in our front. As we lay there in the woods,
some of us who had never fired gun in the
service began to feel decidedly curious, for we
well knew that as soon as it was light enough
we would advance ON the enemy's position.
For my part, l acknowledge that l felt as
though would rather be at home just at that
time Well, we were not held in suspense
very long, for soon the East began to light
up, and in an hour we could see pretty well.
About this time the I'd battalion of our regi-
ment, comprising Companies Z, +, and K,
was ordered to prepare to fight on foot. Capt.
Shipman, commanding the battalion, being
yet lame from the effects of wound receiv-
ed long ago, was unable to 60 with us on foot,
so the command was given to Lieutenant j.
Baker.
We marched out and formed with Compa-
MES E, K and f in line, deployed with three
PAGES interval, and Co. G in line about ten
PAGES in the rear as support We had only
advanced short distance when the enemy
opened on US with artillery, throwing shell.
The screeching of the shell as it passed
through the air over our heads, sounded ter
ribly to us, or at least to M, and instinct
lively looked tor a large tree or other cover
ing for protection, but as / did not see our
officers halt, thought it would not do for me
to do so, and kept my place in the line,
though listening inteutly for our artillery to
answer. Soon we met the enemies skirmish-
ers, who opened on US, and some of our boys
replied; little farther, and line rose up
and poured volley into our advancing line,
wounding few. Then it was that we were
ordered to fire. The rafting that we made
with our Spencer and Warner carbines was
| almost deafening, and had its effect, for we
could distinctly see the rebels carrying of
their wounded, and they began TO fall back.
We were now in an open field, COUGHING
down among some weeds, while the enemy
was partially concealed and protected by a
| rail breastwork. They had kept up their ar
tillery firing till we opened on them with our
vollsy from carbines, when it ceased.