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I visited the iron foundery at Shenandoah City, and ascertained that it was used by the rebels for casting shot and shell of all kinds. I ordered it to be burned, which was done the same night. The acts of individual gallantry are so numerous in the whole command that it would be impossible to give to each an appropriate mention; but I do not hesitate to say that every corps behaved with the coolness and courage of veteran troops.

It affords me pleasure to mention that Hon. Daniel McCook, (father of Gen. McCook,) as an amateur soldier, gun in hand, volunteered and rendered much service during the engagement. I also mention like services rendered by Benjamin G. Owen, Esq., of St. Louis. Both of these gentlemen were greatly exposed during the action.

which occurred at Harper's Ferry and Bolivar, Virginia, on Wednesday, 16th instant:

eighth regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, was accidentally taken by a few of the enemy, whom he mistook for Massachusetts men, their uni- On Sunday, 13th instant, I received orders at forms corresponding, in all respects, to that of six P. M. from Col. Geary, commanding this the latter. The four men who were killed were post, to hold the section under my command in afterward charged upon by the cavalry and readiness to march at a moment's notice. At stabbed through the body, stripped of all eleven P. M. we left this post by railroad, and their clothing, not excepting shoes and stock- arrived at Sandy Hook at one o'clock on Monings, and left in perfect nudity. One was laid day morning, 14th inst. I should here mention out in the form of crucifixion, with his hands that the order for the moving of the entire secspread, and cut through the palins with a dull |tion was afterward so changed as to refer to one knife. This inhuman treatment incensed our piece only, without caisson. As soon as possitroops exceedingly, and I fear its consequences | ble after arriving at Sandy Hook, the piece (the may be shown in retaliating acts hereafter. one throwing the Hotchkiss projectile) was placed in battery, commanding Loudon Heights and raking the road running along the base of those mountains. Although an attack was expected on the forces, consisting of companies of the Twenty-eighth regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, of the Third regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, and of the Thirteenth regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, who, under the personal supervision of Colonel Geary, were removing stores of wheat from Herr's mills, situated on Shenandoah Street, in Harper's Ferry, every thing remained quiet, and no anticipations of an immediate action were entertained until Tuesday evening, when Col. Geary sent me orders to be particularly on the alert. The night passed away quietly, however. On Wednesday morning at eight o'clock, heavy cannonading and sharp musketry fire in the direction of Bolivar Heights told us that work was at hand. A battery of four guns, stationed on Loudon Heights, also opened with shell. This was immediately replied to, and subsequently silenced, by a section of the Rhode Island First battery, which, on Monday morning, 14th inst., had been withdrawn from its position at Bolivar and stationed on Maryland Heights. At half-past nine A. M. an order from Col. Geary arrived to take my piece immediately over the river and report to him. Previous to doing so, by order of Major Gould, of the Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, I had telegraphed to Point of Rocks for the balance of the section. While crossing the river a brisk fire was opened on us by riflemen stationed on Loudon Heights, but happily doing no injury. We immediately passed up the street, which runs in almost a direct line from the destroyed Government buildings to Bolivar Heights, under a scorching fire of shell, canister, and spherical-case shot, which the enemy poured in upon us from a thirteen-pound rifled gun and an iron thirty-two-pounder, stationed on the street running around Bolivar Heights. The enemy's aim was remarkably accurate, not one of their projectiles striking more than twenty feet from us while coming into battery; one of their shells fell but two feet in front of the leadhorses of the gun, and simultaneously another passed over the ammunition chest on the limber. While loading for the first time an unexploded canister passed just over the piece and between the cannoniers.

I am informed by authority deemed reliable, that the enemy's forces consisted of the following troops, viz. :-the Thirteenth and Nineteenth Mississippi regiments; the Eighth Virginia regiment of Infantry; Colonel Ashby's regiment of Cavalry; and Rogers' Richmond battery of six pieces and one thirty-two-pounder columbiad, commanded by Gen. Evans in person.

Bolivar Heights was taken at half-past one P. M. I directed our troops to rest there until evening, when we fired a farewell shot into Hallstown, and as there was no longer any necessity to remain on that side of the Potomac, our errand having been crowned with the fullest success, I marched my command to the ferry, and in five hours it was safely landed in Maryland. There being no immediate apprehension of the enemy there, I ordered the Wisconsin companies to report to Colonel Ruger, their commander, in Frederick, and returned to this place with part of my regiment and the two guns of the New York battery, leaving Captain Tompkins' guns with Major Gould for a few days; also one company from my own regi

ment.

Yours, &c., JOHN W. GEARY, Colonel Commanding Twenty-eighth Regiment P. V.

LIEUTENANT MARTIN'S REPORT.

HEAD-QUARTERS TWENTY-EIGHTH REG'T P.
V., POINT OF Rocks, Md., Oct. 17.

Captain T. B. Bunting, Commanding Light
Battery K, Ninth Regiment N. Y. S. M.:
I have the honor to submit for your consid-
eration the following report of an engagement
VOL. III.-Doc. 16

After taking our position in the middle of the

street, we opened a sharp fire on the enemy with shell; and news reaching Col. Geary, who was but a few paces from us on our right, that the enemy were falling back, he ordered me to advanee, firing as we did so. We moved forward about one hundred and fifty yards, when the order to cease firing and move forward to Bolivar Heights reached me. On our movements to that point we passed the thirty-two-pound gun (which I subsequently ascertained we silenced on our second round, the shell striking and exploding on the axle-body of the carriage) in possession of the infantry, and on which Col. Geary was writing his first despatch.

As soon as we made our appearance on the brow of the hill the enemy again opened on us with shell from the rifled gun, which they had posted on the Halltown road, at a point where it enters and is screened by the dense woods through which it passes. The third shell from our gun struck their piece on the face of the muzzle, and glancing, tore away the entire wheel, effectually silencing the piece. The enemy's cavalry were easily to be discerned in the woods; but a few shell soon dispersed them. Being notified that the other gun of the section was coming up the street, Col. Geary ordered me to meet it, and take a position near the Shenandoah, where I could bear upon Loudon Heights on the battery stationed there, and on the infantry stationed in the woods on the heights. I threw five shells, without, however, meeting with any response. The gun was then ordered to Bolivar Heights, with the rest of the section. At eleven o'clock P. M. I was ordered to throw a shell into Halltown and immediately march to the river—the firing of the gun being the signal for the remainder of the forces to fall into the line of march. Four hours were consumed in transporting the section over the Potomac, the only facility for crossing being a scow, guided by cables stretched from bank to bank.

The men under my command acted nobly and untiringly, both during the action and whilst we were transporting the section. They had no food nor rest for twenty-four hours; but with the entire force, as well, I heard nothing like complaint. It was the hour for the morning meal when the transportation of the section was completed, and, after tasting their first food since the preceding morning, they were called to their guns, an attack being looked for from the Loudon road. At twelve o'clock м. to-day I received orders to return by rail to this place, and arrived here at four o'clock, and they are now enjoying the first rest which they have had since Tuesday night, the 15th instant.-I feel it my duty to mention the different effects produced by the James and Hotchkiss shell before I close. The Hotchkiss was used entirely during that part of the action before the enemy finally retreated. The James was that used in shelling Loudon Heights. The former did not fail in producing the effect desired but once, and that was caused by a failure to explode, and not by any separation of the leaden band from

the projectile. The latter, (the James,) however, in this as well as other actions-at Pritchard's Mills, Berlin, and Point of Rocks, at which I have used them, and the results of which I have reported to you heretofore-worked very badly. Of the five shells that I threw at the enemy on Loudon, two failed to explode; and, as an instance of what great deviation is caused by the lead flying off from the shell, which is always the case with this projectile, I need only remark that, with the same elevation, one shell struck half way up the mountain, the other clean over it. The leaden band would sometimes leave the projectile whole, and at others would fly off in small pieces-in one case not ten feet from the gun. You will at once see how little reliance can be placed on these shot and shell.

In concluding this hastily written report, I have to remark that I fired thirty Hotchkiss shell and five James shell, a total of thirty-five rounds, and that we came off the field and arrived at this post with no damage to either men, horses, or pieces.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. W. MARTIN,
Lieut. Commanding Sect. Battery K,
Ninth Regiment N. Y. S. M.

WASHINGTON "STAR" ACCOUNT.

66

On the morning of the 16th instant, at halfpast eight o'clock, Colonel John W. Geary, of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania regiment, and about four hundred men, composed of fractions of Companies A, D, F, and G, of the Twentyeighth Pennsylvania; C, I, and K, Thirteenth Massachusetts; A, C, and H, Third Wisconsin, aided by two amateurs," (Judge Daniel McCook and Benjamin G. Owens of Illinois,) were attacked by twenty-five hundred or more of the rebels, including the celebrated cavalry regiment of Colonel Ashby. The rebels had six pieces of artillery-four of them upon Loudon Heights south, and two upon Bolivar Heights west, upon the Charlestown road, midway between the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers, and a mile and a half back of the ferry. The rebels first drove in our pickets from Bolivar Heights, and then began a cross fire upon us, which lasted for several hours. Their cavalry charged into Bolivar, but were driven back by the Third Wisconsin boys, aided by shells from Capt. Tompkins' battery, which was upon the Maryland Heights east of the ferry.

Two Wisconsin companies, led by Captain Henry Bertram, made a desperate charge upon the enemy's guns and took a thirty-two pound columbiad, but were driven back by a cavalry charge and heavy firing from the vicinity of Smallwood's woods. Shell then fell around us as thick as hail, and making a noise over us about like a train of cars when crossing a bridge. Capt. Tompkins at this time turned his guns upon Loudon Heights, silenced all their

guns there, and scattered the enemy, who were seen in great numbers. The two rebel guns upon Bolivar Heights kept up a constant fire with shell and canister until about five P. M., and our men were gradually advancing upon them under cover of the houses, breaking down the fences as they went, to the west end of the town, when Lieut. Martin, with a piece of artillery belonging to the Ninth New York regiment, came to our aid, and fired upon the enemy with terrible effect, advancing at inter- | vals, accompanied by Colonel Geary in person. The men flanked right and left, considerably in advance of the piece, and deployed obliquely. The Wisconsin men, commanded by Captain H. Bertram, were on the left; the Massachusetts men, under Lieut. Jackson, a Pennsylvania company, and one of the "amateurs," composed the right wing. Colonel Geary, Judge McCook, and the balance of the Pennsylvanians were in the centre. Our brave band, with a universal shout for the Union, stormed the heights of Bolivar, drove the enemy in the wildest confusion from Smallwood's woods, recaptured the thirty-two-pounder and two ammunition wagons, disabled several of the enemy's horses, took four prisoners, including Chaplain "Billy North," of Jefferson County, Va. The rebel colonel's cap was among the trophies; he was shot from his horse, but remounted and made his escape. The rebels could not stand the fire of our artillery and Enfield rifles, so they fled to the woods near Halltown, and began shelling us with the only remaining available gun they had left; but our shells soon silenced it one of them striking the rebel caisson caused a great explosion. When we reached the heights, we found the axle of the "new convert" considerably damaged by a shell, and also found that the rebels had used great industry during the day by making extensive additions to our works there, from which they had driven our pickets in the morning.

The rebels disgraced themselves more than ever by taking off the clothing, rifling the pockets, and then running their bayonets through the Federal killed!

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Heights, and then the woods in the direction of Halltown, as well as Loudon Heights, were completely shelled, but with no reply.

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Our loss was four killed and eight wounded. Theirs must have been very heavy, as they had all the wagons of the neighborhood busy in hauling off the slain. Two wagons were seen full of the killed. Their chaplain admitted the loss to be very heavy, and much blood was found upon the hill from which they were driven. Colonel Geary displayed much skill and great bravery during the whole of the engagement. This was my first day upon the battlefield, and my venerable friend Judge McCook fully sustained the high reputation of the McCook fighting family." This was not a "Bull Run," but a rebel-run affair. The rebel colonel during the next day sent down a flag of truce, offering to exchange the only prisoner they took-a Pennsylvania corporal-for the chaplain. A few of their cavalry also appeared back of Bolivar, but were promptly shelled and dispersed by the Rhode Island battery. Great praise is due the surgeons of the Third Wisconsin and the Thirteenth Massachusetts for skill and attention to the wounded, and to Corporal Myers of Company A, Third Wiscon sin, for efficient aid in bringing the captured gun off the field. Colonel Geary was ordered by Major-General Banks to cross the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, in order that he might capture a large quantity of wheat, most of which was stored in a mill belonging to a gentleman by the name of Herr. The order aforesaid was obeyed, and twenty-one thousand bushels of wheat were taken. The object of the mission was accomplished before the battle began.

PHILADELPHIA "INQUIRER" ACCOUNT.

CAMP TYNDALE, POINT OF Rocks, Oct. 17.

I expect you have heard that we have had a battle, and have been waiting anxiously to hear from me, thinking that I might be either killed or wounded; but, as yet, I am all right. The battle commenced yesterday. About seven o'clock A. M. they opened on us with artillery; but we stood their fire for about half an hour. A team of a dozen horses was brought up We were then ordered to fall back under cover. from the ferry with remarkable expedition, We did so, but kept up a continual fire, with and the big gun was conveyed across the river, good effect. We took our positions behind placed in a position commanding Harper's buildings and trees, but had to keep shifting Ferry and the mouth of the Shenandoah, and our positions to get out of the range of their was there, by one of the "amateurs," named artillery. They fired on us from three differ"The New Convert to the Union." As the ent points-on our front and on both flanks. gun moved down the street toward the Mary- We made two or three charges, and drove them land side, we met Major Tyndale and Adjutant from their positions; and occasionally the cavFlynn, with a reinforcement of five companies, alry would show themselves and try to drive to wit, B, C, I, K, and M, of the Twenty-eighth back our advance guard; but they found it was Pennsylvania, who had just arrived from Point no go. We kept them at bay until our artillery of Rocks. The cheering of these troops was arrived. All this time the rebel artillery kept most vociferous, and the Virginia ladies of the up a continual fire, and their cavalry made replace gave strong proof of their love for the peated charges; but we kept our position, and Union, by waving their handkerchiefs and received their fire from all points until our artiljoining the general jubilee. About five P. M.lery had crossed. Our guns, from the Maryland one or two other cannon of the New York side, soon silenced the battery on Loudon Heights. Ninth crossed the river, ascended Bolivar We then felt all right. The only thing that

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

A correspondent of the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette, a member of the Massachusetts Thirteenth, gives the following account of the fight:

SANDY HOOK, Oct. 17, 1861.

In my last I gave you an account of Company O's battle; to day I am able to give you the particulars of the hard fought battle of yesterday, in which Company C figured largely. About seven A. M. we heard the booming of the rebel guns driving in our outposts, and our company was soon formed awaiting orders. Colonel Geary came dashing down ordering us forward to the centre, which was the town of Bolivar. We moved up the turnpike, meeting one of the Wisconsin and one of the Pennsylvania companies retreating. We moved steadily on. Lieutenant Jackson urged us, as we marched forward, to remember that now was the time for Massachusetts to show herself, and to do our duty.

When we arrived at the square, we saw the rebels entering the town. We were immediately deployed, and ordered to cover ourselves as much as possible. In a moment we opened fire upon them from behind fences, houses, trees, stones, and every conceivable cover. We steadily advanced, being supported by the two companies that had before retreated. On, on we went, pouring in the deadly hail, the enemy slowly retreating before us, until finally they broke and fled into the woods. There they rallied.

troubled us now was the battery on the hill, | had a very narrow escape: a ball passed comwhich our battery, (New York Ninth,) as soon pletely through his pants. Our loss altogether as they had settled themselves, soon silenced. was not over six killed and several wounded. This battery had a thirty-two-pound columbiad. About this time Company G arrived, and were ordered to deploy as skirmishers on the right. The command of the left wing was given to Captain Bertram, and the command of the right to McCook, an old chap that fights on his own hook. He is always riding about with a rifle at his saddle-bow. All this time our guns were playing with terrible effect. The command was now given, "Steady, forward." We advanced within two hundred yards of them, firing as we advanced, doing good execution. Our colonel now ordered us to "fix bayonets;" then "charge, forward;" and we did charge, driving them before us like so many sheep. We soon reached the hill, and saw them retreating in great confusion; but they were not soon enough to get out of the way of our Enfields, and we poured our Minié balls into them with great slaughter. They now reached the woods, and, concealing themselves behind the trees, again brought their artillery to bear on us; but it was what we called a farewell shot, for I guess they concluded they had pressing business nearer home. They fear Geary like they do the We never saw them after this, except the picket now and then. We now took our position on the hill, and resolved never to leave it. We captured the columbiad and sent it to the Maryland side under a guard. Two horsemen appeared after this from a thicket, but no sooner had they showed themselves than our boys opened on them, and took one of them prisoner; he proved to be their chaplain, and was sent to the Maryland side for safe keeping. The battle lasted for eight hours. The force of the rebels was We had advanced beyond the town, and they between two and three thousand; they had one answered our fire in good earnest. We were regiment of infantry, five hundred cavalry, and ordered to move back under cover of the houses. seven pieces of artillery. Our force in the prin- The rebels then gave a cheer and advanced upon cipal part of the fight was not over two hun- us, their infantry on the turnpike supported by dred and fifty men, (no exaggeration,) and at no cavalry on their right flank. We slowly retime over three hundred and fifty. "Geary said treated before them, until we came to a cross it was a glorious victory, and the hardest battle street with a brick house on either corner. We he was ever in; he compliments the men, and were ordered to enter the houses and fire from says they behaved like veterans. Company D the windows, as we must make a stand there. was particularly thanked. We were several Just then Twitchell was wounded in the elbow, times very nearly cut off, but managed to give and Lieutenant Jackson, sheathing his sword, them the slip. Most all our boys lost their took his gun, prepared to make it tell. We made overcoats and blankets, and we had no break- our stand, and poured a deadly fire into the fast, dinner, or supper until eleven o'clock at infantry. They had their flag flying, and were night. We were ordered to camp along with advancing in column. Our bullets told every Company F, to refresh ourselves. The loss of time, and they began to waver. They then the rebels was over one hundred and fifty killed turned and fled into the woods. The cavalry and wounded. On our side the Wisconsin boys were met by Company A, of the Wisconsin suffered the most; they lost four killed and regiment, who were just coming up. They also several wounded. The Massachusetts had one turned and fled, and the Wisconsin boys with a killed and several wounded. We (Twenty-cheer followed them, our company with answereighth) had only two wounded. Our Colonel was slightly wounded in the leg in the fore part of the engagement. The boys would not be satisfied until he took off his boot and showed us where it was. We thought it was worse than he wanted to let on. Captain Bertram

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ing cheers joining in the pursuit. I thought the day was ours, when a most withering fire came from the woods, and we were forced to fall back to our former position. The Wisconsin company was considerably cut up, but we escaped, with the single exception of Corporal

Stimpson, who was wounded in the foot by a musket ball. It was a miracle that no more were hurt, for the bullets seemed to fill the air, and lodged in the fences and houses all about us. Then there was a lull in the battle, which did not last long. The infantry started out again and engaged us, while the cavalry tried to outflank us. The cornfields began to speak again, and Company A, Pennsylvania, engaged the cavalry on our right flank, while the Wisconsin boys held the left. The Colonel came riding up telling us to hold on a little longer, for reinforcements were coming. We gave a cheer and drove the enemy to the woods, where they ceased firing upon us, and we were glad enough to rest. They then began to shell us, the missiles skipping down the street. We only laughed at them. They fired some twenty rounds at us, which were harmless, when we heard the rattling of chains coming up street. It was our cannon and reinforcements. We gave a cheer, and the gun spoke for itself. We were then deployed, our left resting on the gun, our right swinging around to sweep the woods. Their gun was silenced by the second discharge from our own, and we steadily advanced. Closing upon their centre, they retreated before us, and the day was ours. We saluted our victory with three rousing cheers.

We were then ordered to half-left wheel, double quick, and as we came upon the brow of the hill we saw them leaving across the valley. We gave them a parting volley, rallied upon the centre, and were the first upon the ground the enemy had held. We gave three more cheers, which made the woods ring out a merry peal. The gun was immediately advanced, and poured destruction upon the retreating columns. They left a twenty-four-pounder upon the field, and a wagon-load of ammunition. The fight lasted eight hours by the watch, and we burnt on an average forty ounces of powder!

The Colonel said he had been in fifteen battles, and never saw so hot a one before. Several times it looked blue enough. There we were, three companies of infantry fighting six times our number, and they supported by cavalry and artillery. Our boys fought like tigers; not one backed down; every one did his best. I have since learned that there were two thousand infantry, five hundred cavalry, and three pieces of artillery-one rifled, one smooth, and the smooth twenty-four pounder which we took. It is no wonder we had to fight, and the greatest wonder is how we held our own. They also had artillery on Loudon Mountain, which kept pouring in shot and shell upon us, and at one time our own artillery on Maryland Heights shelled us, as we were falling back, thinking we were the enemy.

There were many side scenes. Stimpson had a hand-to-hand fight with one of the cavalry, whom he bayoneted, illustrating the bayonet

Corporal Stimpson is the correspondent of the Boston Saturday Erening Gazette, who writes over the signature of "Gaspard."

VOL. III.-Doc. 17

drill in which the company has been exercised. Corporal Marshall was chased by a mounted officer while he was assisting one of the wounded Wisconsin boys off. He turned and shot his pursuer through the breast. The officer proved to be Colonel Ashby, the commander of the rebels, which accounted for the lull in the battle alluded to. We have since learned that he was not killed, but will probably have to keep in the house for some time. There were many other similar scenes.

We have heard there were one hundred and fifty of them killed and wounded. The Enfield rifle is the piece that tells. I heard one of the rebels exclaim: "I wish to God we had their guns!" We found the men they had killed in their charge upon the Wisconsin Company A, stripped and stabbed through and through with bayonets. That is the way they desecrate the dead. So much for the chivalrous Virginians! We vowed vengeance if we ever met with them again.

We camped upon the field, lying down just as we were, and it needed no rocking to put us to sleep. At midnight we were aroused, and ordered to move over the river. As we heard the enemy had received large reinforcements, we took their gun with us, and it is now ready to vent its spite upon its former masters.

Twitchell and Stimpson are the only two hurt, and the doctor says they are not very seriously. The Wisconsin boys suffered most. They had six killed, ten wounded, and one is missing. Companies I and K were not engaged, and did not burn a cartridge. They were on the Shenandoah. As we gathered around our camp-fires, almost every one having a bullet mark upon his clothes to show, I could not help thanking the God of battles for his mercy toward us. It seems more like a dream than a reality, as I look back over the scenes of yesterday. The sixteenth of October will be long remembered by us all. It was just the end of three months' service-a kind of quarterly settlement-and the Paymaster came to-day to balance accounts and make our previously useless pocket-books once more serviceable. It is doubly a settlement day, for we settled the account of the rebels, and the United States settles ours, but in a way far more pleasing to us and our poor washerwoman, who has been looking for that never coming next week, until she, like ourselves, began to think it was the next week after never. R.

SECESSION ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE.

The following is the secession version of the late engagement at Harper's Ferry, as published in the Baltimore Republican.

If you read the papers you will find one of those brilliant victories of the Federal_army stated to have taken place at Harper's Ferry. A bigger lie never was told. I will give you the facts of the fight. Yesterday morning seven companies of Federal troops, three of them

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