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Oliver Boardman correspondence and journals, 1861-1863

03_Narrative Page 03

there was no other way of getting out. but that was such apoor way they were mostly all taken by the enemy. We were fired into almost as soon as we left Camp and were under fire the rest of the day but we never returned the fire till we were at least two miles nearer the river from Camp, with the exception of our skirmishers. we had one Company out as skirmishers all the time they were exchangeing shots most of the time. We were now near where the battle was raging and as there was rebels handy unocupied we squared around and pitched into them fighting them and all that came to their assistance most of the afternoon. Capt Iseminger was killed during the early part of the engagement the Command then fell to Capt Williams of Co. "G", but he was severely wounded afew minutes after. which left Capt Walden of Co. D", from Centerville in command Before we fired ashot we were ordered to lie down or get behind logs or trees or take shelter from anything we could find as the enemy were doing the same, and to load and fire at will so we took good aim and fired low. and not to fire without we could see somethin to fire at. that last bothered me more than anything else for not aman could I see long enough to take sight at although our lines were not to exceed ahundred yards apart and the balls flying like hail. the smoke was not as thick as I expected it was in battle though it is considerably of an obsticle. I found I had to fire considerably at random. wherever I could see any part of aman or the blaze of amusket I knew there was aman close and fired accordingly.

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there was no other way of getting out. but that was such apoor way they were mostly all taken by the enemy. We were fired into almost as soon as we left Camp and were under fire the rest of the day but we never returned the fire till we were at least two miles nearer the river from Camp, with the exception of our skirmishers. we had one Company out as skirmishers all the time they were exchangeing shots most of the time. We were now near where the battle was raging and as there was rebels handy unocupied we squared around and pitched into them fighting them and all that came to their assistance most of the afternoon. Capt Iseminger was killed during the early part of the engagement the Command then fell to Capt Williams of Co. "G", but he was severely wounded afew minutes after. which left Capt Walden of Co. D", from Centerville in command Before we fired ashot we were ordered to lie down or get behind logs or trees or take shelter from anything we could find as the enemy were doing the same, and to load and fire at will so we took good aim and fired low. and not to fire without we could see somethin to fire at. that last bothered me more than anything else for not aman could I see long enough to take sight at although our lines were not to exceed ahundred yards apart and the balls flying like hail. the smoke was not as thick as I expected it was in battle though it is considerably of an obsticle. I found I had to fire considerably at random. wherever I could see any part of aman or the blaze of amusket I knew there was aman close and fired accordingly.