Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-06-08

poSteflty may KNOW WHO W pialle loi
the capture and death of many brave
fellows that day, Let me premise that
I did not see any Of those things, but
am dependant upon others for my lnfor-
nation concerning events occurring be-
tween the morning Of the 7th when L
went back to New Berne, by special or
der from Gen, Carter, until noon Of the
| 10th, when [ returned in time to witness
the grand attempt of the rebels to turn
the left flank Of our position; and its
failure aet.
Tt appears then, that when the com
mand was halted at Wise's Forks, and
the slirmishers advanced they found
that the rebels were getting a battery
into position to shell the road they were
advancing upon, when one gun belonging
to Co. G, Sd N. Y. Artillery was ordered
up to prevent the arrangement, and one
company of the 18th Conn. detailed to
support it, They were soon hotly en-
gagged, when a party Of rebel cavalry
pounced upon them from the left, shot
the horses so that neither gun or caisson
could be moved, and captured them with
most Of the artillerymen not taking any
infantry for the sufficient reason that
they ran-aleay at the first sight of the
rebels. Immediately the 18th Conn.
was pushed up to the front, joining Col.
Brighton's brigade Of "Pee-wee's" on
their right, a company of70 Pee wees"
Of Col Malloy's brigade, under Serg' t
Garfield, on their left, and the 9th
Mass. refusing flank to these again. The
skirmishers then were instructed to build
rife pits, which they did, after a fash
ion. The ''Pee-wee's," having taken
lessons, under Grant, Sherman, and Mac
Pherson, at Vicksburg, Chattanooga,
Atlanta &C. &c. took rails, poles, and
logs, for frame work using hatchets,
bayonets. knives, spades and tin-plates
to move dirt to cover the other with, so
that in an incredibly short space Of time
they were well protected with bullet proof
works while the others, having spent
nearly 3 years trying to do garrison duty
on the coast, found that they knew
nothing about making field works, stack
ed their arms, and while some ran hith-
er and tbither in hopeless confusion try
ing to devise ways and means to move
immense legs into line, and canvassing
the various merits of forts with or forts
without bastions and omb-proofs, few
dug row Of little holes along the edge
Of a field, throwing the earth into little
hills, very much Of the size and appear
ance Of a good sized ant-hill, never
dreaming, poor fellows, that the fences
round the fields on each side Of the road
and within a few yards Of their ant hills,
could be used to defend themselves with;
and so aerer touched them
While things were thus progressing,
the enemy keeping up heavy fire all
the time, he repeated bis gobbling oper-
alton, by sending force, variously es-
timated at from one regiment to whole
division, round the mill dam, until they
struck the Trent road, down which they
marched till they had passed the left of
the 9th Mass-who ought to have
crossed the road farther and extended
their lines to swamp on their left, which
would have prevented all the mishaps Of
the day,-then forming in their rear,
poured in heavy fire Of musketry, and
charged the poor surprised fellows, COB
bling them up beautifully. Continuing
their movement they soon came to the
rear Of the 18th Conn. and treated them
in similar manner, finally marching in
to their lines over 800 prisoners and
holding full possession of the ground all
the rest of the day and night, using the
mill and the house as hospital.
The question naturally arises w as
there any attempt made to repel the reb-
els, when attacking these regiments
Adj Rand tells me there was, but 'the
enemy poured in such tremendous vollies
to the 9th Mass that they concluded
it was useless endeavouring to fight
He with Col Upham and other officers
were at the house, and when the firing
began, they dashed through the woods
behind it to keep out Of harms way.
and struck the road, as the orderlies
every fortunately, came along with their
horses, when they mounted and es.
capped. ~
The Adjutant told me that they had
$50 many western men in their regi-
ment that knew nothing about tactics or
emolutions, that the officers did not dare
attempt any manoeuvres with them as
they demoralized the others so that they
all became unmanag geable. !" Irepudiat-
ed this SANDER, by retorting that these
very men had fought and manoeuvered
through the famous battle ofNashville
with credit to themselves and great loss
to the enemy, bat that it was probably
because they were better oficered then
I wish your readers to notice also an
other thing. When Sergeant Canfield
discovered that the 9th Mass. on hi:
left and the 18th Conn. on his right were
whipped and being gobbled, he formed
bis company Of 70 "Pee-wees and march
ed them passed the left flank Of the reb