Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1907-10-09
FROM The 41H NORTH CAROLINA.
Lying In a Corn Field During a Rain.
Butchered a Sheep Between Lines.
Carolina Watchman, Dec 2l, 1868.

ICaroltna Watchman, Dec 81, 1863
CAMP ON THE RAP1DAN, VA. !
Dec. 5th, 1858.
4 short compaigm-Rather cool
ish, and bzue-Eorly birds-Amother
nove-" Smell q meace"-Bullets and
"quarter- master huntcrso-Enguye-
memt aoith the Sharpshooters-A big
hat IN diFca.lty-A might ma' ch-
In line of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
retreat eoithout fgAt-Our joyous
return to camp, &c.
We have Just been put through
another campain, the results of
which, though not what they
might have been, are yet more ia
vorable than those which attend.
ed our retreat from the Kappa.
hammock.
To give a detailed account of
our recent operations would re-
|quire more paper and time thar I
can appropriate to that purpose; !;
but for the qualification of my
numerous readers I will endeavor
to give few brief sketches and
outlines, the remainder, which is
of minor Importance, can be sup
piled from Imagination.
| About 2 go'clock last Friday
morning, the 9th ult., we were
quietly reused. from our comfort
able hunks and marched briskly
in all easterly direction some five
miles, when we halted and proceed
ed to throw up temporary breast
works before the morning star ap-
pearsd above the shorizon. The
ground was frozen hard, ice was
spouted up in wet places, our noses
blue, (at they felt so, We couldn't
see, our ears frost bitten, hands and
feet benumbed, but none of it was
taken into consideration; a battle
was expected at daylight and
preparations must be made for 1t,
4 don't think I ever saw men
work with such vim, and when
day dawned the work was done,
to be left haif an hour afterwards
just as we expected; we'll, all we
could do was to hope that other
poor rebels (devils) might be ben
efitted by them some day. At
sunrise we again took up our line
of march eastward, and after
many halts we found ourselves, at
10 O'Clock, a. M, in the vicinity
of Locust Grove q believe they
call it) on the turnpike leading
from Orange G. H. to Fredersburg
all in the vicinity of yankees
also, I may add; none of your
peaceable sort either, for no sosn-
er were they apprised Of our where
abouts than they began pitching
minnie balls into the trees around
us and sending quatermaster hum-
ters (shells) away over US "the
way Wards ducks went.'' Our
first corps of sharp-shooters we're
sent forward who were soon hotly
engaged and called for reinforce
ments; the second corps we're sent
TO their assistance, which, with
the first, during the remainder.of
the day, held the enemy at bay
and thus prevented a general en-
gagement, though the fir" was
kept up with spirit 'etween the
skirmishers until dark put a stop
to it. While this was going on III
front, on our left Maj. Gen. john
son was hard pressed and beset on
all sides with blue bellies. Ordl-
narily the oldgentleman ( Johnson)
has his head swamped in huge,
black hat, ,andon this occasion eyes,
thus enabling the yankees to get
in his rear; be this as it may the
general got his eyes open in time
to fight his way out. During two
hours battle ragged furiously; the
woods ip:which we fought look like
they had been visited by young
tornado. The enemy found they
had caught tartar and were glad
enough to let him go. 1 have
never heard a correct account of
his loss, but the blow he dealt the
yankees was severe, many of their
lay on the field unburied last
Thursday morning. After the re-
treat of the enemy and John
sons deliverance everything be-
came perfectly quiet along the
lines. Night had set iu,-at in.
tervals picket would fire, but
with that exception not sound
was heard save the monotonous
rumbling of the ambulance ove1