Quiner Scrapbooks: Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865, Volume 3

              A-
old story; Jackson keeping the   most  rc-= and out roconnoitering.     then  they were
speclful of distances, and Ashby   covering thrown info   a whirl of excitement'oy   the
the retreat with his mongrel cavalry,   ever discharge of a gun ; now   they   are   cool,
having the image of an enemy just   aheadi collected, subject to no   militia   panics.—
and always out of reach of our   advancing  Indeed    their   dialect begins to show  tho
columns.      No; not   always I       A  whole Icchnoloiry of their now profcs.sion.    Does , nitido-^of a mile from Winchester.     Wo
company, officers and all, of his command, one get worsted at repartee, his "battery is   remained till about -4 o'clock in loo  moin-
• ... .1  /• : ««   heard
only to capture several  wagons, Ac.    Ar- \ tillory was ordered buck lo cover our  ro- ti'cat, with the assistance of several squ.td- rons of cavalrv. thus enablint,' us to get on rapidlv.     Kigbt camo on, and a halt  w^is
rising portion were out rubbing their eyes works." Ho don't cat his rations, ho "sur- ^vjii"' wbicli consi>tcd of tbe 27lh Ind., nnd bailing their horses, they found ronnds" them. lie has no stomach, but '29iC Pcnn. '2d Mass., and 3d Wis. Tho themselves surroundod by four companies ho glories in his "commissary department.' t'ullov.in" i'Oi:iineiit.s composed llio Icit:— of Ohio Infantry and a Company of caval- If ho goes on foot be "marches," if he; 5lh Conn.,'Jyib N. Y., 4Gtli Ponn., I'J ry. Resislanco was folly. They were ride.<«, he is "furnished transportation."—; completely entrapped, nabbed, scooped out He is never sick, but on "sick report" or and denied the glory of'-di/ing in the la.ft "in hospital,'" never unwell, but "unfit for , ditch." The greater part were .^wakened duty." In short, the cant phrases of civil by the cheers of their captorj from dreams life arc ignored and military terms are us- of confederate independence, when six cd instead and oflen with very apropos' months after the ratification of peace Iheirj significances. E. E. B.
shiiiplasler money would all be redeemed, lo the bumililating consciousness that thoy wero prisoners of war, overcome by force of numbers, as they said, and their—morn¬ ing nap. ! The officers were n life enjoying trio, in¬ telligent and jolly. They look their cap lure, ignoble as it was, wilh good grace ; they agreed 'twas a joke on "em. As my mess subsisted them till they were sent to Baltimore, they ate our bacon and drank our coffee as though they had been for a lifelinie tenants in common of our larder. The r'ay after their capture the boys nal bed also another of  Ashbv's   Lientciiant
pieces of aitillciy '>va» all wo had; 0 picoos belonginj4 lo the U. S. -lib, and 0 to the N.Y."!.-'". The New York battery was the iinst to ojicn the cannonade, but was soon ;inswcivd by llio ctioiny.
Speedily, our other battery was in posi¬ tion; then tho nrlilk-ry fight became gon- eial. The sun was just ri.sini:, and a bri;4lit cr sun never shuiio*, a .slight bieezii walltjd over us and all iiatnro sectuod gay. The lliutulcritiiT of arlillery, shells bursting, cav- '•"?•, ally da;,hiiii,', drc, Pceined more to many , . ,       ,,       ¦*^''"^*')' liko n panoramic bceiie,  tbaii  of a  batllc.
as no one has WMlloii to tho I/ercdd con- ,^.j^^ i,'fa„try were fast .idvaiicin- on ouis, cermiig our lato battle, 1 dccin it udtity on .^^^^j .^^ j.^^^ {^ ,„.ij^ ^\^^\^. app-atance on my part to undeilako It, in order (o relieve ^^^,j. j^.^^ i,^ i,,.^.„,„ p,i,„;te.s iiioro thoy suspense and niixiety of friends and I'ela- ^^.^^.^ ^^^^ ^^„. ,.-,.,1,^ J^^ ii,,^ ij.ue ti,e fio-bi lives ot those belonging to the 2d Gi-aiil i^^j^,,,,,^ „en rtil and the leaden rain w.is County Company pouring fearfully.    Tho left hchlils ground
iho I'ciiinaiiLot Gen. Banks corps,   was }i,,„i..^='v,i,t Uic ri^rht had to fall back, ow- stationed at Stratsburg,   when   the oncmy j,,^ ('^ ^j,^ superiority  of their force,   but were ndvanciug ui>oa us,c'xcvipt a supposed ^^,^,.^ ^^^^^ .^^ j^ ^^.^j,,,    'phe Indiana 27t!i sutlicicnt force, who wore gutiitling .several ^      ^^ ^,^ retreat,   seeing so intiiiy on  ou n.ilioad bridges along the  Slnitsbtiig and ^^.-^^^^ besides si.x regiments going "doub!
J.   C.
Kor tho lUiaUl.
LcUcr from tie  Thirtl K«uiment.
WILLIAMSPOUT, Md., AprH 20th, 1802.
Cover—Dear Sir:—Pr*
Manassas Ii. H. On tho afternoon of the named "J/o.vc? O'Brien, and a handsotnel 23d in.«t., inc.s.«engers infoniied the Ceii- rollicking fellow be was. I don't believi era!, that tho rebels were attacking onr nny of them fella sigh of regret at being guard :it Fiont Royal, (twelve miles dis- cnptured. , taut from Stratsbiiig;) also al a point seven
iniles this side; both   attacks   being   made jiboiii the siitiie limo.    Company G, of our
Our regiment is having its share ofhard service with a wide margin. It moved fiir- ward from Edingburg in the advance ; was on picket three days and nights in drenching rain. Then one night of atornJ and darkness it was ordered lo march bacW t<^i Now Market forthwith, nnd over the mountain on ihe Luray pike, to Burner's Springs, to the support of tho ."^fllh Illinois, which was threatened by five or si.x of Ashhy's cavalry. Other Regiments on the flunk could have reached this place by a march of five miles, but the ,'ld Wisconsin now having no Hamilton—was  the victim.
legiiiient and coinp.-iiiy H, '27th Iiuiiana, Were at this latter place. Gen. Banks itn- medi.itely ^Cllt our regimc-t to reinforce these, but when wc arrived it was dark, aud ail wa.s over. Wo n-mained till morn¬ ing, when, nt poven o'clock Col. lleger oideicd Capt. Limbockcr to detail a s(piad for the j.urposeof making a leconnoisatice which he did. It coi.sisled of Orderly Ser¬ geant Jasper Wo^WMj^d aiKi eight fjfrivates iis follows, viz:—Tlis^ BarsUrw,  Brainanl
0
quicU" for tho purpose of flanking. A slonc-wall stood between us (3d Wis.) and tho city, so we fell bac'i behind that and were the last to lea\e it. Ovcrpoweiod by such an overwhelii.ing force, oideis were given for :i rilieat; on we went pell iikI'. tbiough the ntreets of Winchester, in such a confused mass, we hope never to \viincs.s again : wagons, ainbul.-itioos, soldier.-', hor.ses atul mules in a pilo togelher, making big tnicks for the Potomac, then 37 miles dis¬ tant. SoMiei's throwing oil" knapsacks, guns, uccoutiemeiits, cli>lliing and in fact evciythiiig to aceeleiato their speed—the hist hope left. Astoni bed we wtis, though not unexpectedly, did citizens of the city, iiicludin<x women and all, lire at our troops fi'oui their windows, which killed and wOi.iided (piite a number.   Several ''ladic^"
Ilopkiii.s,C. Orsnin, W.   II. Pride, E.  K _^ _^  _   _	
Streeter, Robt. Thorp, Ilarvoy Sinncltand „-hi'o taking deliberate aim  at our ti'00))S
,j       ,        .,     .     , .        _,  Geo. II. Meissner.    S^horlly aflerward.s, we ^^.^,,.g 1.,^^^.,^^^ ^l,^^,^ ^^m, ,„u.,l.^.(^^ ^.„   ^l^.
and marchea twelve miles in tho   rain and   ,.,.,,„,,r»,i,>,l l,.i,.lr   t,%   Sti-iishunr    but   thov •        •    ••       . .i     vc      r
piocoeucil o.icK   to   oiiaihouig,   ouL   "•'w servers  i)ns.siiin-, m tune to save the life ol
darkness.    In my snug quarters  I   pitied i.nj ,„,t ^i live in  time to  join iis.^    " I ley ,n;,i.y intended victims.    More to  aid  tlo
them.    They remain   at the   .Springs   and ,are taken piisoiiois, undoubtedly."    W'lien o.xcileiiieiit, were somo thieo or 4,0U0 cav
are doing a heavy picket duty iu the other the legimeiit got   back, evervlhing was on ^^i^.y   (i.,jii,j„g  through the slieels.  killii*;';
valley.
But they arc not the tender plants now thnt thoy were on onterinp tbe service.— Then a march of 15 iniles a day with knap¬ sack used them up. Now they can march their twenty miles in a half day and after a cup of coffee and an   hour's nap,   be up
the move, and a retreat was iiiimineiit, ac-  ,j,j^j capturing large lUMiibers who couldn't cording to appearances.    Wo halted :i mo- ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^j^,j ^|,^. ,,^.jj,| l^^^^^._ ment lo let iiuius get  ahead; then com¬ menced cur long iiiiiich.
Inl.'^s than two hours tho enemy -vvcre in Stiatsburg, and pursuing us. Fiiiii;.^ was heard in our rear most of tiio day, which, howetcr, did  no   serious   damage.
veep lip
Laughable instances occurred which I cannot hero enumerate; however, I will give one because il ia too goo.l to bo lo.-^f: Lieut. Ueiilly seeing a iiiit»tbor of his com¬ pany behind, ve.^olved to go hack.a .short distance to inform them that ihov  would
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