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218

FIGHT NEAR MILFORD.

firing followed with but little advantage on either side, when the artillery came thundering up, under Davis. The rebels seeing it approach, did not wait for the guns to unlimber, but turned and fled. Amory then ordered his men to mount, which they did in hot haste, and the bugle pealing forth the charge, they dashed over the bridge on a gallop, and charged, shouting along the road which the rebels had taken. Passing through a piece of woods, the latter formed in line of battle in an open space; but finding themselves outflanked and outnumbered, they raised the white flag, and a young officer came forward and asked if thirty minutes would be allowed for consultation. Colonel Davis, in command of the advance force, replied "that as night was closing in that was too long." An immediate surrender followed, when Colonel Davis started back for Pope's camp, at which he arrived at midnight, amid the shouts of the soldiers.

The next morning the ariny took up its backward march to Sedalia, in a biting December blast, that froze the ears and fect of many of the cavalry. It arrived in safety with about fifteen hundred prisoners, twelve hundred stand of arms, nearly a hundred wagons, and a large quantity of sup plies. Our loss in all did not amoun, to more than a dozen In five days the infantry had marched a hundred miles, and the cavalry two hundred.

men.

A fight which took place at Mount Zion, about a fortnight after, on the twenty-eighth, closed up the month, and the year sixty-one, in Missouri. General Prentiss, on the twentyfourth, left Palmyra with five companies of cavalry, and proceeded to Sturgeon; when learning that a force of rebels was concentrated in Hallsville, Boone county, he sent forward a company to reconnoiter. Captain Howland commanding it, found the enemy two miles beyond the town. In a skirmish that followed, he with one private was taken nrisoner; but the rest of the company made good their re

GENERAL PRENTISS.

219

treat. When Prentiss, at Sturgeon, heard their report, he ordered forward his cavalry, under Colonel Glover, and five companies of sharp shooters, under Colonel Birge, in all four hundred and seventy-the march to commence at two o'clock in the morning. It was a dark and wintry morning, but the men pushed cheerfully forward, and by eight o'clock had made eighteen miles. Here a halt was ordered, for the scouts reported the enemy to be in close proximity. Ascertaining that his force consisted of but one company, an immediate attack was made, in which five rebels were killed and seven taken prisoners. From the latter, Prentiss learned that the rebels, nine hundred strong, were drawn up near a church known as Mount Zion.

FIGHT AT MOUNT ZION.

Their left lay sheltered in a piece of woods, and the sharp shooters were sent to dislodge them. They advanced cautiously, and soon the woods rang with the crack of their rifles; but being only three companies strong, they could not succeed in driving the enemy from his cover. Soon, however, Colonel Glover came up on a run with reinforcements. Birge's men were at this moment falling back in disorder, but seeing the approach of help he dashed among them, while the balls pattered like rain-drops around him, and rallying them, shouted "Come on, men." Obeying their gallant leader, they flung themselves with a loud hurrah forward, and Glover coming up at the same time, the woods were cleared and the enemy broke and fled, leaving all their camp equip age, and nearly a hundred horses behind them. The battle lasted two hours, and part of the time was almost a hand-tohand fight. Our loss in killed and wounded was only sixtysix, while the enemy left on our hands a hundred and seventy-five killed and wounded, and thirty prisoners. Pren

220

GALLANT ACTION.

tiss, after collecting the enemy's wounded, and placing them in the church, and sending to the farmers in the vicinity to take care of them, put his own in wagons and started back for Sturgeon, where he arrived at nine o'clock at night.

A few days previous to this, a fight occ:.rred at Rowlett's Station, near Munfordsville, Kentucky, between a part of Colonel Willich's Indiana regiment, of Buell's division, while on outpost duty, and a column of the enemy, consisting of one regiment of cavalry, a battery of artillery, and two regiments of infantry. Against this superior force the Indianians fought as skirmishers, forming quickly into squares when threatened with a charge of cavalry, and defending themselves bravely till reinforced by other companies of the regi.nent. In one instance a whole battalion of Texan rangers charged with deafening yells upon the seventh company, not over fifty in number, drawn up in square. The gallant little band waited till they came within seventy yards, when they swept them with such a deliberate, well aimed volley, that they staggered back, broken before it. They, however, rallied again, and at the sound of the bugle came on the second time, with gleaming sabers-some of them in their wild rage forcing their horses to the points of the bayonets but the same deadly volley smote them, emptying the saddles with frightful rapidity, and they again wheeled and galloped out of the fire. A third and last time they formed, and moved steadily forward, their leader, Colonel Terry, shouting in the advance. But when they came within the fatal range of those western marksmen, the deadly fire that smote them tumbled their commander in the dust, when the whole force broke and fled. Willich, at this time, arrived on the field and took chief command; but the courage of the enemy, though outnumbering us nearly four to one, was completely broken and he withdrew from the field. Our loss in killed and wounded was only twenty-eight, while that of the

GENERAL MILROY.

221

enemy was over eighty. It was a gallant fight, and Buell in complimenting the Thirty-second Indiana regiment, ordered that "Rowlett's Station" should be inscribed on its banner.

Four days previous to this, on the thirteenth, a severe engagement occurred in Western Virginia, between General Milroy with his brigade of two thousand men, and an equal number of rebels under Colonel Johnson, of Georgia, at Camp Alleghany. This camp was situated on the top of the Alleghany mountains, about eight miles and a half beyond the Green Brier river, where Reynolds made his bold and successful reconnoissance against General Lee, in October. The army took up its line of march on Thursday morning, of the twelfth, and reached the old camp of Lee at eight o'clock at night. Here it was divided into two columns,--one being directed to advance on what was known as the "Green Bank road," to attack the enemy's left, while the main column under Milroy in person, moved along the "Staunton turnpike." At ten o'clock at night this column took up its march, and an hour after, the other moyed off on the Green Bank road.

BATTLE OF CAMP ALLEGHANY.

Milroy kept on in the darkness till he came within half a mile of the enemy's camp, when he halted. Hastily reconnoitering his position, he wheeled his column off the road and began to ascend the mountain. It was very steep and rocky, but the soldiers, thongh weary with their long night's march, toiled cheerfully forward, and at length just as the first gray of dawn began to streak the far off eastern sky, reached the summit. Here they were to await the attack of the other column on the left, but as they rose over the crest of the mountain they came upon the enemy's pickets, who immediately fell back on the camp. Colonel Jones, who

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commanded the advance, seeing that the rebels would be advised of his approach, immediately ordered Lieutenant McDonald, of the Thirteenth Indiana, to pursue them on the double quick. Starting off on a run, the regiment pressed over the rocky ground till it came to the edge of the woods, in full view of the camp. The enemy was expecting them and stood formed in line of battle. Daylight had now broadened on the lonely mountain, and the cold December blast swept by in fitful gusts. The waning moon which had just risen, paled in the increasing light, and the whole wintry scene was dreary and desolate. McDonald immediately deployed his men, and the battle commenced. The enemy being hastily roused from their slumbers, seemed to have no heart for the fight, and after a few rounds retreated in great confusion, leaving their dead and wounded behind them. Their officers, however, succeeded in rallying them, and they again advanced with great determination. Some of our troops now began to falter and fall back, but were finally rallied, and again repulsed the enemy in an attempt to turn our right flank. The contest now raged fiercely, and the bleak summit of the Alleghany rang with the incessant crack of small arms and roar of artillery. Again and again the rebels were driven back to their cabins, but as often rallied, and threw themselves with fierce determination and overwhelming numbers, now on this wing and now on that. They were repulsed in every attempt; but after three hours fighting, many of our men having left their ranks and skulked to the rear, and the ammunition being nearly exhausted, McDonald ordered his command to fall back to head quar ters. This became the more necessary as the other column that was to attack the enemy's left did not make its appearance. Colonel Moody in command of it, found the march more difficult than he anticipated. The hill was very steep, and for tl.ee miles his men had to toil up the ascent, made

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