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[479] given. The body of Lieut. Gadsden will be sent as soon as possible. The surgeon will be released with the paroled wounded. I have now to call your attention to the case of Lieutenant H. E. Jarrigan, company C, Third Georgia volunteers, who was left as a nurse with Lieutenant Wilson of the same regiment, wounded and paroled. I ask that Jarrigan be paroled or exchanged for one of your men prisoners in our possession.

Your obedient servant,

Albert Blanchard, Brigadier-General C. S.A.


Account by one of the wounded.

United States General hospital, Fortress Monroe, Va., April 26, 1862.
dear Father and mother: I suppose you both will be greatly surprised to hear that I am back again to the hospital at the Fortress, but not with sickness this time, but in consequence of a wound which I received last Saturday afternoon in the fight at South-Mills.

You know I said in my last letter that we expected to have another fight soon. Well, last Friday, the eighteenth, we embarked on board the steamer Ocean Wave--the other regiments going on other boats. About half-past 1 o'clock at night we landed at a place called Green Bank. We had to wade from the steamer about one quarter of a mile through the water. We commenced our march at half-past 2, and kept on till they attacked us about four o'clock in the afternoon. We had marched nearly thirty-eight miles.

We were ordered by Gen. Reno, that is, our regiment, the Ninth New-York, and the Eighty-ninth New-York, to flank the battery on the right. I think there was not a musket fired on either side, it was all cannonading. I tell you what it is, our two small pieces did good service.

Well, we got on the right of them and lay down in the woods to rest and waited for further orders. We lay down because we were so awful tired, and fell asleep in no time. At last Col. Hawkins came and told us we could finish the work if we could march about three quarters of a mile further and then charge on them the rest of the mile and drive them all away.

He said he knew that we were tired and worn out, and if we did not feel able to do so we must say so. But, you know, all our boys love their dear Colonel, and would follow him anywhere. We all sprang to our feet and shouted: “Charge the battery!”

In front of the battery was a large open cornfield. In this we started our charge. Our company, (B,) you know, is on the right of the line. As soon as they saw our red caps coming, they opened fire with musketry. We were about halfway across the field when our corporal fell. We were going in when the corporal fell. I turned to look at him, when I was shot; the ball, a Minie, struck me between the knee and thigh. I tried to get up, but found it easier said than done — the bone was shattered to pieces. After the fight cleared away a little, we were carried on stretchers to a house which was used as our hospital.

I must stop, as the doctor has come to dress my wound.

He has finished. I had cold water applications only to my leg, until Tuesday, when the surgeon left in charge of the wounded cut it off. I did not know it was off until about an hour afterward.

So now I am minus a leg! But never mind, dear parents. I suffer but little pain, and will be home in a few weeks, I think.

The head-surgeon of the hospital and all treat me so kindly; when they heard I was here they all came to see me.

Surgeon Bontogue is the head man here. He tells me I can get up in a few days and walk with crutches.

My dinner is by my side, and I will close my letter, wishing you both not to mourn about me, for I am all right. Write soon to your affectionate son,

William V. H. Cortelyou, Company B, Ninth Regiment, N. Y. V.


A National account.

Newbern, N. C., April 25, 1862.
A short time since I was given to understand that a reconnaissance in force would be made in the vicinity of Norfolk, by a portion of the Burnside Expedition.

Learning that the enemy had a brigade of their best men stationed at Elizabeth City, it was evident to me that an engagement with the enemy would take place between Elizabeth City and Norfolk.

When last at Elizabeth City, I learned that the rebel force was composed of the Georgia Third volunteers, a regiment of North-Carolina volunteers, a regiment of Louisiana Wild Cats, a regiment of Virginia cavalry, two batteries from Louisiana, of two hundred and fifty men each, a few companies of militia, amounting to a little over five thousand men altogether.

All of this force had been called to Yorktown and Norfolk, and part, I learn, left for those places on the eighteenth inst. The remainder were to leave on the twenty-first inst., which was the day that the Georgia Third expected to be mustered out of service, as their time for which they enlisted expired on that day; but to their astonishment, they were informed that the rebel Congress had decided that no more regiments were to be mustered out of service until the war was over. As you may imagine, this sweeping impressment was not relished in the least by this regiment, which is one of the best Georgia has in the field.

Gen. Reno, who was designated to take command of this expedition, left Newbern on the morning of the seventeenth inst., with two regiments of his brigade, the Twenty-first Massachusetts, Lieut.-Col. Clark, and Fifty-first Pennsylvania, Col. Hartranft, which embarked on the army transports Northerner, Admiral, Pilot Boy, and Ocean Wave, for Roanoke Island, in convoy of the flag-ship Philadelphia, Com. Rowan, and the


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