Page 41: Another Account of the Potomac River Collision of the Steamer's West Point and Peabody; August 31, 1862 Brief Report on the 2nd Battle of Bull Run the previous day; Sept. 1, 1862 Letter to the mother of soldier Lt. E.J. Spence from a civilian caregiver Virginia Taylor regarding Spence's wounding at Bull Run and the care that she was providing him;  Letter following that reports the death of Lt. Spence; Announcement that four New Castle area physicians were going to the battlefield of Bull Run to render assistance to the wounded.


PAGE 41

The Collision.

In another place will be found an account of the terrible collision on the Potomac, by which a number from our regiment (100th) were lost. From a later list, we gather the following additional intelligence in regard to our men, said to be authentic:

Sezar Gorlatt, Co. G. Susquehanna, saved.

R. N. Glenn Co. E, Butler, saved.

Michael Lape Co M, Westmoreland, saved.

Henry Fieldgrove, co. F, Lawrence, saved.

S. Alton, Co. M. Allegheny, saved.

Frederick Raw, Co. A, Washington, saved.

Alex. Henry, Co. A, Westmoreland, saved.

Wm. S Wagoner, Co E, Lawrence, saved.

Ward Foster, Co. M, Allegheny, saved.

G. B. Welch, Co. F, Lawrence, saved.

J. B McFarland, Co. D, Beaver, saved.

Isaac Kelly, Co. H, Fayette, saved.

Hammond Gieske, Co. K, Beaver, saved.

George Kerr, Co. M, Washington, saved.

Robert Graham, Co. I, Lawrence, saved.

W. B. Brown, Co. D, Beaver, saved.

George Lucy, Co. M, Westmoreland, saved.

John Johnson, Co. M, Westmoreland, missing.

Charles Warren, Co. M, Allegheny, missing.

Jacob C. Shaffer, Co. F, Lawrence, saved.

James N. Martin, Co. B, Beaver, saved.

Abraham Buckalew, Co. H, Lawrence, saved.

John P. Culbertson, Co. K, Crawford, saved.

H. A. Bathurst, M, Indiana, saved.

R. S. Drake, F, Lawrence, saved.

John Jay, H, Lawrence, saved.

A. W. Armstrong, E, Butler, saved.

Corp. H. McElheny, D, Beaver, saved.

J. J. Crouch, M, saved.

Joseph Allen, M, saved.

John F. Grace, G, Mercer, saved.

W. G. Disckson G, Mercer, saved.

S. B. Campbell, G, Mercer, saved.

Andrew Hanna, D, Beaver, missing.

Isaiah Trunk, D, Beaver, missing.

Robert Culbertson, D, Beaver, missing.

Serg’t. J. M. Mather, D, Beaver, saved.

Wm. Davidson, D, Butler, saved.

Wm. Harlan, E, Butler, saved.

Thos. Hanna, E, Lawrence, saved.

Alex. Hanna, E, Lawrence, saved.

A. J. Palmer, B, Mercer, saved.

Peter Stafford, B, Lawrence, saved.

Philip Wagoner, B, Lawrence, saved.

J. T. Clark, B, Lawrence, saved.

J. S. Cook, I, Mercer, saved.

C. Zenke, I, Lawrence, saved.

R. M. Thomas, M, Lawrence, saved.

W. Campbell, H, Washington, saved.

T. N. Miles, C, Lawrence, saved.

J. Jones, H, Lawrence, saved.

A. M. McGee, G, Mercer, saved.

E. N. Watson, H, Luzerne, saved

These are convalescents from the hospital. Most of the saved are now at Fairfax Seminary, in the convalescent hospital, while some of them have joined their regiment. The above are those who were in the river and were rescued when near death’s door. The investigation will probably disclose who was to blame for this dreadful accident in which 73 persons – men and women, lost their lives.

 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31. – The Rebels were heavily reinforced yesterday, and attacked Pope’s army before the arrival of Gens. Franklin and Sumner. The attack was boldly met, and a severe battle followed. The advantage on the whole was on the side of the enemy. Pope fell back to Centreville with his whole army in good order. He has now been joined at Centreville by Gen. Franklin, and Sumner was on the march to him last night. He occupies the strongest position in the vicinity of Washington, but is expected to promptly renew the contest and the successes of Friday. Every effort should be made to hasten the forwarding of our troops.

Gen. Schneck arrived to day having been wounded in his right wrist in the battle of yesterday. Intense anxiety in  _ _ _ls and streets to gather incidents of the fight but the reports are so indefinite as up to noon today, there was nothing to justify their repetition.

Private advices from Fredericksburg as late as three o’clock yesterday afternoon, gives contradiction to the current reports regarding the burning of brigades, &c., in that locality. There has been no such proceeding. Gen. Burnside certainly had possession of that city at three o’clock yesterday.

The following are casualties in the 100th Regiment Penna. Vols.; Capt. Simeon Brown and Capt. Templeton, both killed. Lieut. Carl wounded in the stomach and breast; Lieut. Razen, probably mortally wounded; Lieut Patton, head and arm; Lieut. Blair, slightly; Capt. Oliver, in leg, Capt. Van Gorder, arm off; Lieut. Spence, in shoulder, Col Leasure, badly in leg, Major Dawson, in hand. Col. Hays, 63d Pa. Regt., wounded. In 105th Pa. Vols., Capt. John Hastings, wounded badly in leg; Capt. A. C. Thompson, shoulder; Capt. Robert Kirk, shoulder; Lieut. Craig, arm; Lieut. Neil, slightly in breast; Capt. A. C. Craig, acting Colonel, in ankle. This regiment is said to have lost half its number at Fair Oaks.

100th -             WOUNDED – H. Tenbrooke,  H Applegate, co H; J W Harvey, Harlan Book, co E; Wm Buckley, co G; Elias Powell, W H Rogers, co M; W A Rogers, co E; J C Williams, co C; H Weyman, co E; G W Wilson, J S Dushane, co K Corporal H S Gay, wrist; J Miller, arm; R J Graham, hand; J Caldwell, head; James Johnson, arm; J C Marshall, arm; S S Gaston, arm; H Wimer, band; J B Dushane, arm; P M’Cann, arm; W J Graham, hand; W Rourke, head; T Bostwick, shoulder; Capt J A Cornelius; R J Russell, co E, shoulder; J C Ross, co C arm; T S Cook, co D, fingers; Wm Stevenson, co B, shoulder; James A Boyle, elbow; A J Morrison, co B hand; Lieut Leasure; John Elliott, co B; John Vanhorn, co B;  D M Wart, co B; Horace Craighead, co F; Samuel Dickson, co K, of East New Castle, wounded but not considered dangerous; William Watson, wounded.

Charles Watson was killed; Edward Morris, of Croton, also killed.

Thomas Owston, of Pittsburg, writes from Washington thus:

On Saturday, the War Department having received from General Pope news of a desperate battle, called about 1 o’clock P. M. on all employees of the government who were willing to go, to be ready at 5 P. M., to go out and take care of the wounded. Hundreds were accordingly sent out in cars, and ambulances, but owing to a stupid blunder in the ambulance train (when will we be rid of such leadership?) the train took the wrong road, and did not reach the field until 8 o’clock next morning.

Though Pope had given the Department to understand our loss was immense, and that he had driven and was driving the enemy, leading them to believe that we held the battle field, the battle subsequently turned against us, and we had been driven from the field, leaving our wounded in the hands of the enemy. The soldiers attribute the reverse to treachery on the part of M’Dowell and threaten to shoot him if sent into another engagement with him. Quartermaster Snodgrass, of the 9th, was well. Colonel Hays was wounded, and Leasure of the Roundhead regiment by a bullet through the fleshy part of the leg.

 

Lieut. E. J. Spence.

The following is a kind letter to Mrs. Spence, in this place, in relation to her son who was wounded in battle, from a humane lady in Washington city. It is as follows:

WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 1st.

DEAR MADAM – On visiting the Judiciary Square hospital this morning, I found your son there, wounded in the left shoulder. He was wounded on Friday or Saturday, and was brought to Washington last night. He is comfortably situated and well cared for and may I hope quickly recover. Thinking his friends would be anxious to learn of his whereabouts, he gave me your address, so that I might write to you. I hope he is not seriously wounded, but it is difficult to tell at first. You may rest assured that he will be kindly and carefully nursed. – I go nearly every day to the hospital, and I will do all in my power to alleviate his sufferings. Any letter sent for him to Judiciary Square Hospital will most probably reach him; or any communication trusted to me shall reach him as soon as I receive it. I shall be happy to do for him anything you suggest; also, if it will be any comfort to you, I will write you how his recovery progresses. My address is – Miss Virginia Taylor, care of Mr. Frank Taylor, Washington City.

I remain very respectfully yours,

Virginia Taylor.

 

To Mrs. Susannah Spence:

Since the above letter was received, we regret to learn that Lieut. Spence died on Tuesday morning, the 2d, inst, and his remains were brought to this place for burial. The deceased met his death in the battle of Friday last. He was wounded badly but kept with his company on duty for two hours after until he fell exhausted on the field, and was conveyed to Washington city, where he died. The deceased was the third son of Mr. Edward M. Spence, of New Castle. He was 26 years of age, and served in the three months service as a private in Capt. Leasure’s company, Twelfth regiment. Returning he re-enlisted for three years or the war, and was promoted to a Lieutenancy for bravery displayed at the battle of James Island. He met his death as becomes a brave soldier, and his only expressed regrets on his dying bed were that he could not live until his beloved country, for which he was about to die, would be restored to its former happy condition.

 

Gone to the Battle Field.

On Monday last three of our physicians, Dr. M. P. Barker, Dr. J. H. M. Peebles and Dr. James Wallace, left to render assistance to the wounded in the late battles at Bull Run. Also, Dr. Devlin.


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