Quiner Scrapbooks: Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865, Volume 2

              6
Vhe Wisconaln Kcglnitinta B«(tore Wine&¦>
The bravery of the 2d, Glh and 7lh regiments in the late battles, is on every tongue. Says the "Washington corres¬ pondent ot the Chicago Times, writing September 4tli :
Thc full aud truthful history of events for the last fortnight would fill us with mingle.l feelings of !<.stoyitjbment. pride, and indignation. Never' since the war begun, has there been a greater display of all that is manful in human nature, and, al thc same time of those 4ualiliea that make one blush to own himself kin¬ dred to man.
Among the former, let mc instance King's division, composed largely of Western troops—among whom were the Second, Si.xth and Seventh Wisconsin, ilefore going iuto battle, they drew ninety- two hundred rations ; and upon coming oul, they drew only twcuty-tlircc hundred. They Htruggled against thc most fear¬ ful oddH for neurly an entire day, and only at hist doggedly consented to move from thc field when satisfied that the, only alternative to retreat was complete | annihilation.   ^
Oamp near Falli CnnRon, Va., \  \ September 5lh, 1882.     \ !
Editors of State Journal: As company j H, of the 2d Wisconsin, was mostly com¬ posed of Dane county men and organized ' at Madison, I know of no more direct and i conveuient way of informiog ils friends af' its losses than through  tbe columns of your paper.    Fighting began on the Bap> pahannook on  the  21st of August,  and contiuued every day until September  lst. Tho 2d was engaged in  it, more or  less, nearly every day, bul lost but   little  until the battle of the 28th, near  Galndville.— This batile oommenced at about 6 o'clock j iu the eveniug, and was fought chiefly by ; Gibbon's brigado on our side, and the left i wing of Jackson's army  on   tbe other.— Tbe engagement  hisled  aboul one  hour aud a quarter, alter the battle lairly ojien- - ed, aud Co. 11 ot the 2d lost as follows :
Kilied Capt J S Knndolph, Corp J  W  Young,
C 11 Brayton, W B Catlln, B F Chilcote, W E Moon, r L butphen, J Watklus, A X Weathctbee.
Wounded.—Serg't Paul Ualverson, mouth, bad¬ ly: Corp W A btsarus, lelt hand, slightly; Corp T Kuutsou, lift leg; Corp K II U«atli, leg; William Bluck, leg, badly. T Beaver, arm, badly; A 8 Ba- ter, arm; U Q Brown, bead, badly; C Buohau, (iieii, badly; J II Cook, arm; Thomas Dally, baud: I M Kskuw, ifg, badly; B L Kdmunds, both legs; J KT.-r«it, arm, slightiy; S Foes, fac«; J Groover, moulder; L O Ivuison, arm and sidu; A MoColl-am, .eg- Joseph I'lackvti, ahoulder, badly; T M Stan- :hll,leg; O W Stono. thigh; W F Turner, leg; J Ihompson, foot; J Van Houseu, leg; J White, Itoln; J G Willi, thigh, badly.
Misning—y W Carey, D C Kdwards, W Macintosh, I Woatherboe, since releastrd; C W Moore, George Wilber, drummer O M Davis.
"We (Uo. 11) went into aciiou that day wilh forty six muikets. None of those taken prisoners were in the ranks, except Maciulosh aud Moore. Ou the SOth we went into aclion agaiu, bul the regiment being so muoh reduced, it was joined will, tho 7th \.is. Vol., boih regiments making one battalion under commaiul of Lt, Col. Fairchild, Col. O'Couuer liaviug been I killed, and Mhjor Allen aud the tbroe field I officers of the 7th having   beou  wouuOed
ou tbo 28th.    Tlie second  wua con»ioli(lat- ed into four companies  und ll.e 7lIi into six.    Ill Ibis eugagemeut Co. 11 had eleven men -B->vcii in the  ranks,   two sergeauts, ouo reginii ntal marker and one color bear  I er.   Lieul. Humphrey fought witb remark-! able bravery aud coolness on tbo 28tli, but was unable lo participate   in tho uolion of tbe SOth.    On the  28ih  the  color guard, : which was made a part of Co. tl, were all (eight men)   oilber   killed   or   wounded. Their names, except  corp. Young, are not included in tbo above list.    We now num. ber for duty,  sixteen  privates,  five non- ' coinuiissioued  ofiicers  and   two commis- ! sioned oflBcers,   having  withdrawn nearly I all our extra  duty  men   from  their posts ' ar.d placed them iu ihe ranks.    I have not time to give you anything like a complete i account of the   battle.    In laot  a correct J description of tx,   batilo is u difficult thing f to write.    So fur I have 8e.:n no published [ btateinent of the   rect-ut  battles bits   the | mark at all.^  The  battle  «>f the SOth was [ a most terrifio cimte.st, throwing the baltle ¦ of July 2l8t, '61, which was fought on the same ground,  so   fttr  into   the shade that it Is hardly worthy of inention. liesijectfully joiir-i,
Nat. Koi.lins.
v\
From tbe Wisconsin State Journal. A I..etter trom '''e Second.
Wte ore kindly   permitted   to  cojiy   the following interesting extracts from a pri¬ vate letter receivf.l in   th's  city   from   a member of the  2'1  Wisconsin   Regiment.- lie speaks   wariiily, of that  noble   Kegi¬ inent, bot no more so than It  desei-ves.— Upton's Dill, Va., Sej.t. 5, 1862. I have ou previous occasions murmured that the Second were slighted.    I  take it all back—we have bad   our  tliare   lately. We have been ia four fights—two regular battles.    The first two I will pass over— we killed many and lost but few.    I tound that 1 possessed one facultv llial 1 was uot saiisfied llmt I [los.st-s^ed—lamno coward/ Ou Uie 28tli of August, Gibbon's  brigade had the most   desperate  struggle  against large odds.    The 2d   Wifconsin  was  the first regiment ordered forward, aud amid the yells of the euemy.   grape,  cannieter, siiells and bullets, the 2d steadily advanc¬ ed.    It was near the old   Hull   llun  field, and desperation seised the 2d.    Like lious tho men fought; ol.l such   a  t'me.    Our Oolouel was carried from ll.e field to die ; our Mnjor was wounded iu   the  arm aud neck ; our liue wavered, and  we   for the first time realized onr situation.    But look, we have ono field officer left—Lieut.  Ool. Fairchild Is slill Willi us.    He takes com¬ mand, and with a cheer tbo 2d press  for ward.    With sleeves   rolled   up   and  his sword clutched iu his right hand, he  tells ihe men to sustain   the   good   name they have at home,    lirave men—tbe 2d need no urging to do their duly.    No  man  of the regiment, left the field alone if able to walk off; all felt able to fight, and when darkness closed iu   we  had  possession of ihu field.    Let me  not  forget  the  other regiments of Gibbon's  "star"   brigade— th© 6th and 7th Wiscousiu and  the 19th liuliana.    All fought woll and desperately. When night threw her sable mantle over the bloody field, Col. Fairchild   cast hia eyes along our liue, auu, witb   tears   in
his eyes, he asks: wuere, Good God I where is tbe Second? Have tbey ran? have they scattered ? Tears gosh unhid den from bis eyes; the Mnjor answers him. '• Colouel, they are all here—all that's left—more than half lay ou ll.e bat¬ tle field I'V As if a mountain's weight was lilted tr<>m bis soul, he says: "Thau God the Second have uot deceived their friends." We fought Jackson^s tried Di vision—about ten to one—and they RAN I Tlie Second left the State with uver one thousand men; we now uumber 150 mus¬ kets. The next day we marched to the old battle field.-^ The 2d and 7tli were consolidated, and the two regiments num¬ bered le.«s thau the tiUi ; and whero otlier brigades could not stand, this brigado was ordered. We stood, we fought, aud mauy died there, but no one turned hxs back. Tlie rebels came—they charge our battery, and with shouts tliey are driven back, and the batlery saved.
The 45lli Now York came running trom an orchiird; we could not stop them, uutil Gen. Gibbons ordered us to charge bayo¬ net:* ; then they stop. He orders them back, but the frightened men dare nol go. ' Ho tiirne to tho sl.altered Second und says, ''Men, will you go?" Three cheers was all tho answer he received—we went—the tide of battle is lurued—the day is ours.
The lamented Gen. Kearny cainmanded the retreat that night. This brigade was choKcn to bring up the rear. We did fo, and wilh safety we fell back to our pres¬ ent position, five miles from Washington, iu eight ot the Capital.
Gef.  McClellan   is   again  car   leader. ¦ Hopes brigliien.    Pope wonld let no letter pass from the lines.    Ueuce we could not j write you.
1 came out of the fights all right, save one bullet went through my breeehes, aud gave iov< a slight wouud on the right an¬ kle, jufct to remind me that business was going oil.
Tl.e fight is going on up Ibe river, and "we   plainly   bear  the  report  of  cannon. Juckson is endeavoring to get into Mary¬ s'laud,    *******
H. B. R. -    -•	
Caup neak Fall-1 Chduch,, Va., j September 5lh, 1862.    ) £aitors of State Journal: As company ^ H, ot\ihe 2d Wisconsin, was mostly com ^ posed\)f Dane county men add organized at Madi^^on, 1 know uf no n^t^ure direct and "^ convenient way of informilig its frieuds of its  losses  tbnn through ,^\xe  columns  of your papW.    Fighting began on the  Rap-. pabaiinocV  on   tbe  2li^t  ot August,   and contiuued>Bvery day until September   Isi, The 2d waX eugaged jn   it, more  or less, nearly everV day, bur lost but  litllo  until tlio batile ofuhe 'ZStiu, near   Gainsville.— This batile oiVimeiiced at about 6 o'clock in the evening, and was fought chiefly by Gibbon's brigade on our side, and the left wing of Jacksottjs army  on   the  other.— The engagements^lasted  about  one  hour aud a quarter, aft^ the battle fairly open¬ ed, aud Co. H of u^e 2d lost as follows:
Killed—Capt J FUartdolph, Corp J W Young, C H Brayton, W8 Catllii\« F Chilcote, W K Moon, T L SutpliKu, J Walkius.Tv T Wcathorbee.
Wounded.—Serg't I'tul Halverson, mouth, bad¬ ly; Corp W A Bteerns, left bAnd, *li<ihily; Corp T Knutson, Irftleg; Corp K HNliuatb, leg; William Blacli, lug, btdly- T Buavor, aVm, hadly; A S Ba- kor, arm; K O Browu, h«ad, H^adly; C Uuchan, kne<<, badly: J 11 Cook, arm; Thomas Daily, baud; J M Kskew, leg, badly; K I. Kdmuhiis, both legs; J Kverett, arm,   slightly; 8   Foss,  fade; J  Groover,