Litchfield enquirer., 1868-11-12

movement of onr brigade that checked tin
 enemy until the lines were restored ant
 the two or three thousand .fngitiyes brouch
 back. Some of our men began to fire. bu
 We're quickly ordered to desist. After {
 very few minutes the brigade was pushed
 forward, the left half of it being somewha
 covered by woods, from which position i
 instantly opened a terrific fire, while th
 Second Connecticut, which constituted th
 right half, passed to the right of the wood
 into an open field of uneven surface, an.
 halted on a spot where the ground was de
 pressed enough to afford little protection
 and only little; for several men were hi
 while lying there, as we'll as others whil
 getting there. In three minutes the reg
 iment aga;n advanced, passed over knol
 -A1-A3,aI more men, and halted in an
 other hollow spot similar 10 Une nrst, TDt
 The enemy's advance had now pushed vel back, and here a stay was made of perhaps
 two hours. Colonel Mackenzie rode slowly
 back and forth along the rise of ground in
 1font of thls position, in very reckless
 manner, In plain sight and easy range ot
 the enemy, who kept up fire from piece
 of woods Tn front, which elcited from him
 the remark, II guess those fellows vii get
 tired of firing at me by and by" But the
 ground where tie regiment lay was very
 slightly depressed, and although the shots
 missed Mackenzie, they killed and wound
 ed large number of both officers and men
 behind him. Lieutenant Candee merely
 raised himself from the ground on his ei.
 bew to look at his watch, but ii was enough to bring his head in range of sharpshoot. CTS ball, and he was instantly killed. About three o'clock, an advance of the whole line having been ordered by Sheri
 dan, the regiment charged across the field.
 Mackenzie riding some ten rods ahead. holding his hat aloft on the point of his sabre. The distance to the woods was at least a quarter of a mile, and was travers- ed under fire that carried off it's victims at nearly every step. The enemy aban- doned the woods, however as the regiment approached, in consequence of which tile line obiqued to the left and halted Com panies F and D. were here detached and taken off to the right. on a small reconnois- sance, but were soon brought back. and the regiment proceeded to the right of the woods and partly through them, and ad- vanced to rail fence which ran along the side of an extensive field. Here, for the first time during the whole of this bloody day, did the regiment have orders to fire: and for ten minutes they had the privilege ot pouring an effective fire into the rebels who were thick in front Then flank movement was made along the fence to the right, followed by direct advance of deadliest spot of the day. The enemv's plowed the tield With canister and sHant. and tore the ranks in friehtfnl mannar Major Rice was struck hy Shell hio loft arm tore of, and his body cut almost asnn' der Major Skinner Was struck on tba to,, or the head by a shell knocked q rod with ms face to the earth, and was carried to the rear insensible. General Upton had . good quarter of pound of flesh taken ont of hls thigh by shell, and was laid un for several weeks. Colonel Mackenzie's horse was cut Tn two by solid shot, which inst grazed the riders leg, and let him down to the ground very abruptly. Several other olncers were also struck: and from these ] llstances as we'll as from the appended list ol casualties, some idea may be glined of Ine naVoc among the enlisted men at this polnt' Although the regiment had been 1nder Ter hre and losing continually from the middle of the forenoon until it was now al
 nost sunset yet the losses during ten m;n ltes Ill thls last field were probably eonal O those of all'the rest of the day. It was 'oo otless the spot referred to by the rebel historian Pollard, when he says. "t,arlv's ftliiery was fought to the muzzle of the ,ans. Mackenzie gave the order to move y the left flank, and start was made. ,rt there was no enduring such a fire. and ne men ran back and lay down. Another ttempt Was soon made, and after passing
 large oak tree d sheltered position was { ecured. The next move Was directly into he enemy's breastwork. They had inst { cen driven from 1t by cavalry chsroe 7 rom the right and were in full retreat , through the streets of Winchester: and one of their abandoned artillery, which V ao done us so much damage, stood vet in q osltlon, hissing hot with action. with f lelr miserable, rack horses attached 2 s kognds m d nnn9hss4G m hs Jfns af sh" was h ot into shape. and after marching to a cid i'll the eastern edge of the city, bivou- V cked for the night, while the pursuit roll s l miles away up the valley pike k
 FISHERS HILL. ( The enemy's stronghold was on the top I the opposite hill, directly across the .ream. In the morning, breastworks were \ part of the men building | | hile the rest remained in line of battle. | IIV6s4 Sh1I was SsOIjS OLl 1tA ] l :. nd once or twice things were hastily put ] readiness to meet an anticipated charge, which, however, did not come. About hree o'clock in the afternoon, orders were iven to pitch tents,-but while the men , 7ere at it general advance was ordered :. . The regiment had just commenced to move irectly forward when the rebels. (who new every iuoh of the ground, and could ell where our lines ought to be, whether isible or not began to drop shells into t heir new breastworks and upon the very | | pot where they had begun to pitch tents. he regiment moved down the steep hill, 7aded the stream, and moved up the rocky ront of the rebel Gibraltar. How they ev- F got up there is a mystery,-for the as- ent of that rocky declivity would now eem an impossibility to an unburdened , raveler, even there were no deadly enemy t the top. But up they went clinging to ocks and bushes. The main rebel breast york, which they were so confident of hol- ling, was about fifteen rods back from the op of the bluff, with brush piled in front if 1t. Just as the top was reached, the Eighth Corps struck the enemy on the fight, and their flight was very disordered md precipitate. The Second Connecticut Vas the first regiment that reached and planted colors on the works from the di- .aot front x