1861 October 1

[From the diary of Francis G. Hale, Co. F, 34th Ohio Zouaves]

From hear say from
the boys they started
out on monday the 23
of september and reached
the encampment of the
enemy on the 25th
they was encamped on
the top of a hill the
had the breast works throwed
up and had a command
of the road or gap that
is called the Ka nawha
gap there was a bout
a hundred of our men
that was out as scouts
they run in on them
and opened the fire
on their pickets they
run in to camp
and Zouvy after them
when they com to
the camp there was
three hundred of the
enemy the colonl came
up with his men
between two hills
the enemy opened there
fire on them but
our boys stood fire
first rate there was
one of the enemy
got up in a tree
and shot at our
Colonel some of the
boys saw him and shot
him they put
the enemy to flight
with the loss of 30
kill and about 30
wounded of the enimy
on our side was fore
killed & nine wounded
one of our company
was wounded so he will
not get over it I guess
they left him in care
of a secech doctor
the wounded the colonel
of the enimy and
left him he was
wounded in the breast
and the arm and
has his fingers shot
of of one one[sic]
hand one of our boy in
our company shot his
fingers of there was one
of our boy that was
going a long through the
woods looking for a chance
when he heard a ball
whize a past and stopt
to look and he saw
a fellow be hind a tree
a loading his gun he
stood still and let him
shoot a gain and
the fellow mist a gain
he let him load but
whe he looked for Zouave
the first thing
he gt was a gall at
the but of the ear
which lade him low
Zouvy went on an left
him the enemy crried
of all of there men
a most they only found
a fiew but they folowed
them up and hear that
the killed and wounded
they found the colonel
in the first town
he said if he only
had a hundred of
as good men as ours
we might bring a
whole regiment a gainst
him fortified as he
was and he could whip
them the main body came
in this after noon
they was a hard
look set as ever I
saw and hungry to
we got them some
thing to eat and
they went in I
tell you what they
brought in some things
that they could carry
handy they would
have brought in lots of things but
they lost them
in creeks and branches
they had to cross they
crost one creeke 45
times they sayed they
lost some of their
guns and blankets
canteens and some
of them lost their
shoes and had to
go barefooted they
went in two a town
that the secech ran
through and went
in two a store and
took a good many
things out of it
but the colonel would
not let them take
any think that he
could help
in the fight they had
two charge up a hill
or mountain one'fellow sayed he got
up a bout ten feet
a fell back clear in
the road heeles over
head the bank was
up so steepe where
he charged up
they brought three
horses in pots a kettels
and plates som secesh
guns and coats and
lots of other things two
tedious to mention
they brought our sick
and wound one of
our boys came in
with the mesels Dick
Hosier has the measels
he is very sick he
will loose his eye
sight he is in the
hospttle our hospitle
as a stone hous two
story is three or[?] fore here
that is got the measels
I am here to night
to weight on them
I do not know how
long that I will
have to stay here
it is a nice place
to sleepe in it is
the room that General
Tailor slept in when
he was going two
Congress they say
I have to stay here
night to weight
on the sick
there is twelve that
have got the measels
here and a good
many sick other ways
7 or 8 that are wounded
but not very bad
one one fellow got
shot in the leg
while they was
gone away him and
some more was
shooting at a mark
and he stept in the
way and the ball
put through just
be low the calf of
his leg betweene the
two bones they though
they would have two
amputate his leg but
they will not for
he is getting better
they are all doing
very well at present
and I hope they
will all get well
soone.

MSS 13405