The National tribune., 1883-09-27

it was impossible 70 flank him The country
was very roagh and rugged, and most Of it was
very heavily timbered. Our regiment was
ordered 70 dismount every fourth man hold
ing the korsesA and 90 TO the right of the road
ard take onT position. The place had been
heavily timberad, but the trees had been al
cut down and left lying just where they fell
and il was very hard and tedious TO get through
it. When we finally got through the timber
we came to q bluff about thirty feet high,
with nearly perpendicular face, covered with
very thick and heavy underbrush. Then, there
was ield~ssolit a quarter OF mile wide, and
beyond il a strip Of woods, in which the rebels
were stationed. The Second and Third West
Virginia cavalry took up their position on the
left Of the road in piece OF heavy timber aud
the battery took up It's position on the right of
the road, just at the edge Of the woods. The
rebels lad only one gun, ! believe, and that
was stationed on the road on a little hill and,
after firing it Of. they waald run back into
ravine, load ii up and run it up the hill by
hand, and FIRE il or again.
Major McNally or McNaTy), of one of the
West Virginia regiments, made charge on the
rebel left with the intention of ialking them,
but failed, and be was mortally wounded and
LETT on the field. AT one time six men started
out TO rescue him, and, if j ana not mistaken,
all were taken prisoners. Late in the evening
the general ordered some mounted men (the
men who were left TO hold the horses to charge
down narrow road, which had high fence on
both sides. The rebels let them come on until
they were nearly up 10 their breastworks before
firing. Then they just poured voliey after vol
ley into thsm, and the result was that those who
were not killed or whose hotses We're not shot
from under them could not get back, for the road
was blocked with dead horses and men. 1t was
fearful to see how they were butchered and
shoJ, and all, as say, just for nothing. There
was q nice white house IN front of our bat
terry which WAS filed by rebel sharpshooters.
by whose fire cur battery lost twenty one men
killed and wounded. Captain Ewing was
wounded through the bowels and was left be-
hind, but recovered. To aisodge those sharp
shooters The battery sent a shell into the house,
and, taking fire. it was soon reduced TO ashes.
General AveIell sent one of his statf-a Ger
man, and a very overbearing officer-to the
left, but be never returned TO report to the
general, and they say lie was killed by our own
men, Tor he was found shot IN the back. Night
at last stopped all lighting. Our company was on
picket and we could hear the rebels talking and
preparing to resume the struggle the next day.
LEFT BEHIND.
On the morning Of the 27th. part of cur COM
psny, under tie command of Lieutenant Mat
thew Wilson, was ordered to support our bat
terry and 10 take our position in front, behind
some ou-hosses belonging to the house that
had been destroyed, and sometime in the after
Noon We found THAI the rest of the command
had retreated without sending MS orders Of any
kind. So went 10 the lieutenant and told
him that the troops had all retreated and that
he had better get cut Of that He replied that
he would not try To get out of this place, for if
he made the attempt we would all be killed.
So i told hmm that ! would take command of
the boys and get them out, and | succeeded in
getting all TO go except the lieutenant and two
others, one of whom hid in hogshead, and, rs
! - =
took a short cut across a field. but had to
traverse an interval OF about forty rods before
we could reach the woods-and how they did
make the balls dance around US! When at last
we came 10 the fence did not take lime to
climb over il; but just threw myself on the top
rail and fell over il, and when l struck the
ground / believe half dozen balls must have
struck the top rail. Then Invent down through
the woods, and, fortunately, came across camp
kettle full of coffee, and after drinking cup
fnl OF it, went DOWN to the road TO reconnoiter.
Not person could see; so l walked about
half mile up the road until came TO q block
ade that had been erected there by our men,
who had felled trees across the road. / crawled
through the brush. and it was there that / saw
the most cowardly and inhuman assault com
mitted by Captain Ramsey, Averell's adjutant-
general, on a lieutenant of one Of the West
| Virginia regiments. He ramsey shot the
lieutenant through the wrist, and also pounded
him over the head with revolver, SO that his
face was covered with blood. What il was for
/ was unable to learn. He also drew reVol-
yer on lne and threatened to shoot me for tear
ing down rail fence at Charleston, West
Va, to build a fire TO cook my supper.
But, to resume, the rebels did not follow us
very far, and / think that they were as
badly used up as ourselves. We marched TO
Beverly, West Va, and camped there until
November l, 1863.
JOSHUA CROFT,
Sergt., Co. NJ, l4th Pa Cav.
WtKrr.-rrN- Tpr-n 90 KAn