The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-07-18
II. B. Hayes-His Gallantry and
Conduct in the War. g

II. b. Hayes-His Gal1antry and
Conduct In the War. g7 g
The following account of General
Hayes bravery at the battle of South
Mountain is from "Ohio in the war"
"AtSouth Mountain the regiment,
under Lieutenant Colonel Hayes,
| Colonel Scammon'i commanding
division, was the first infantry en-
gagged, being the advance of the col
umn on that day. It was. ordered
at an early hour, to advance by an
unfrequented road leading up the
mountain, and to attack the enemy.
Posted behind stone walls, the en-
emy, in greatly superior force, pour
ed a destructive fire of musketry,
grape and canister into our ranks
at very short range, and in q very
short space Of time Lieutenant Col
onel Hayes, Captain Skiles, and
Lieutenants Hood, Ritter and Smith
were each badly wounded, Colonel
Hayes arm broken; Caytain Skiles
shot through the elbow, arm ampu-
tated; Ritter, leg amputated, and
over one hundred dead and wounded
/ lay upon the field out of the three
hundred and fifty who went into ac-
ton. The command now devolyed
upon Major Comfy, and remained
with him from that time forwad.-
rTbe enemy suddenly opened fire
from the left and the regiment
changed front on first company
Lieutenant Colonel Hayes, soon
after again made his appearance on
the field, with his wound half dress
ed, and fought, against the remon-
strances of the whole command, un-
til carried off. Soon after the remain
der of the brigade came up, a gallant
charge was made up the hill, and
the enemy was dislodged and driven
into the woods beyond. In this
charge a large number Of the enemy
were killed with the bay onet Dur
ing the remainder of the day the
regiment fought with its division
Three bayonet charges were made
| by the regiment during the day, in
each of which the enemy were driven
with heavy loss. During the day
| the Twenty third lost nerly two
hundred, ofwhom almost one fourth
were killed on the field or afterwaro
died Of their wounds. Only seven
men were unaccounted for at the
roll-call after the action. The col
orsof the regimen were riddleG, and
the blue field almost completely car
ried away by shells and bullets.
At the celebrated battle Of Ope
quen, or Winchester, Colonel Hayes
distinguished himself alike by his
sound judgment and brilliant daring
Of this affair we read in ,,Ohio il
the War"
| "After the usual amount Of march
ing and countermarching, from the
4th to the 2Sth of September, tht
battle of Opequan was fought on tn,
10Th. General Crooks command
was in reserve, but was very sool
brought into action and sent to eX
treme right Of the line to make
flank attack. Hayes brigade hat
the extreme right Of the infantry
The position was reached unde
cover Of an almost impenetrabl
growth Of cedar, crossing a swamp,
stream. Here the division wa
halted and formed-First Brigad
Hayes J in front, and the secont
(Johnson's in the rear. THROWN:
out light line Of skirmishers tn
brigade advanced rapidly to tn
front, driving the enemy's cavalry
The national cavalry at the same tim
advanced out Of the woods on tn
right. After advancing in this wa,
: across two or three open fields, TN
der a scattering fire, the crest of
+, slight elevation was reached, whel
the enemy's infantry line came int
7 view, off diagonaly to the left from
and he opened a brisk artillery fire
Moving forward double quic
e under this fire, the brigade reache
q thick fringe of underbrush, dash
e ing through which, it came upon
' deep slough, forty or fifty yard
= wide. and nearly waist deep. wit
t soft mud at the bottom, overgrowl
t with a thick bed of moss nearl
strong enough to bear the weight O
) a man. just then Colonel Haye
r plunged in with his horse, and unde
a shower of bullets and shells, wit
= his horse some times down, he rode
e waded, and dragged his way througI
the first man over. The Twenty
: third was Immediately rodered b
Y the right flank and over the sloug
s at the same place. In founderin
through this morass men were sui
s located and drowned, still the req
e ment plunged through, and then, al
: ter pause long enough to PARTIAL
: reform the line, charged forwar
again yelling and driving the enemy
s Sheridan's old cavalry kept close u
It on the right, having passed aroun
! the slough, and every time the Ell
emy was driven from cover charged
r and captured a large number fpris
: oners. This plan was followe
n throughout the battle, by which tn
cavalry was rendered very effective
it In one of these charges Colont
Y Duvall, the division commander, wa
) wounded and carried from the fiel(
leaving Colonel Hayes in command
e He was everywhere exposing hin
l. self rccklessly as asual. He va
the first over the slough; he was
IS advance of the line half the time a
S terward; his Adjutant General wa
severely wounded; men were drol
S ping all round him, but he rod
d through it as if he had a charme
n life"
# ONE of the editors of the Sandusk
J. Register, on a tour through tn
| n Iof4 erA,